by Renee Roman
“Hi,” Trinity said, picking up on the second ring.
That damn knot in her throat was back. All it took was hearing her voice and Blaze became a hot mess. “Hey, how are you?”
“I should be the one asking you. How’s your arm?”
“Sore, but better.”
“That’s really good news.” Trinity’s voice was so soft it felt like a caress.
Blaze pushed on. “We should talk.”
“How about now?”
She looked around the less than clean house. She’d been rather slack in her chores, her mind preoccupied by a million things. Trinity’s voice brought her back.
“If you’d rather not…”
“No. I mean…” Shit. What did she mean? “I’d like to see you.” She took another breath. “So we can talk.”
“Only if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” She hadn’t been sure of much lately, but seeing Trinity was one thing she definitely wanted.
* * *
Trinity’s heart was racing as she jumped in the car to go to Blaze’s place. Looking at her watch, she knew there was a good chance Blaze hadn’t eaten and she stopped to pick up dinner. At the last minute, she grabbed a six-pack of beer, knowing she’d need a little something to calm her frayed nerves. The last time she’d been up the mountain, she and Blaze had made love. She had to keep telling her body to stay in check. They were going to talk, and there was no promise of more, but that was okay. It took some of the pressure off.
Trinity traversed the mountain curves as cautiously as she had the first time. Blaze had offered to come to her place, but Kelly was home, and this needed to be a one-on-one conversation. The breathtaking sky above her displayed streaks of pink and purple that reflected in the clouds, and she slowed to take advantage of the view. Still a little way from the house, she dimmed her headlights and stopped. Birds twitted and peepers chirped. The light breeze lifted wisps of hair from her face. Leaves danced in the air as they fell, undulating back and forth like lovers waltzing to a silent orchestra. She could get used to life on the mountain and she understood why Blaze loved it here.
As darkness began to creep in around her, she flicked on her headlamps and crawled along, remembering Blaze telling her the woods were teeming with life. Blaze held a deep reverence for all living things, and she didn’t want to disturb the balance of woman and nature. Parking between the house and the garage on the circular driveway, Trinity imagined Blaze standing on the wide porch with a cup of morning coffee and she wondered if she was naked when it was warm weather. Trinity hadn’t seen another house in any direction.
From the passenger seat, she pulled out a shopping bag full of food and the six-pack, not caring that she’d brought enough to feed a small army. Nerves had gotten the best of her and she’d ordered everything that sounded good.
Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth as she neared the door did nothing to help settle her. Only Blaze could do that. She set the bag down and rang the bell as she rolled her neck. She heard wind chimes and smiled. Leave it to Blaze to find a bell tone that wasn’t annoying as hell. She told her feet to stop shuffling. The door opened and the breath she’d taken left her.
Blaze wore faded, form-fitting jeans. The boot-cut legs pooled at her bare feet. The black V-neck shirt hugged her torso, and she couldn’t miss the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. Blaze’s nipples poked the fabric as she continued to stare until Blaze cleared her throat. Trinity met her knowing gaze. Blaze looked so damn good her knees threatened to buckle. Somehow, she stayed upright.
“Hi,” Blaze said.
“Uh…hi.” Trinity felt foolish. She couldn’t believe she’d been caught staring at Blaze’s breasts.
Blaze opened the door wider and stepped back to make room. “Come in.”
“Thanks.”
Blaze smiled. “It was difficult for me to put a bra on for a while. I got used to not wearing one.”
Trinity sighed. “I couldn’t help noticing.”
Blaze laughed.
“I brought food and beer.” She reached into the bag. “I hope you haven’t eaten yet.” She hefted the food onto the counter. “Do you like Mexican? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t, but that’s presumptuous. I should have checked with you…” The rambling had started already. Her hands shook.
“Trinity…” Blaze said as she moved closer.
She’d been avoiding looking up, afraid the anxiety was hers alone. She forced herself to find the slate-colored eyes she missed seeing. “Yes?” Her voice broke.
“It’s really good to see you.” Blaze reached for her hand. “I’m glad you’re here,” Blaze said before her gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips and back again. Blaze’s lips brushed over hers.
“Me too.” She glanced at their joined hands and gently squeezed, glancing at the scar and vivid bruise. “Do you want to tell me about how this happened?” She pointed to the spot.
Blaze trailed soft, trembling fingertips along her cheek. “Let’s eat first. I don’t want to bore you with tales of stupidity.” Blaze’s chest rose and fell quickly.
If she was trying to act nonchalant, Blaze wasn’t succeeding. Trinity pulled her hand to her chest, knowing Blaze would feel her own pounding heart. “Seems we’ve been here before.”
Blaze stared, appearing to be memorizing her features. “The question is why?”
“Yes, it is. That’s why I wanted to see you.”
“Before we delve deeper, I’d still like you to join me for Thanksgiving.”
“Blaze, I—”
Blaze shook her head. “You don’t have to decide now. A day or two before is fine.” Blaze’s gaze fell to the table as though not wanting to see if Trinity had already decided to turn down the invitation.
“Thank you.” She knew what meeting someone’s parents meant. Was she ready for a commitment with Blaze and to take the next step in their growing relationship? Everything pointed to yes, yet she couldn’t get the words out. They sat at the table and stared at each other. Trinity’s cell phone rang. Her forehead wrinkled. Work never called.
She stood. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.” Trinity stepped near the front door. “Hello?”
“Trinity, it’s Dr. Falcon. There’s a level four trauma heading in. We need all hands on deck. ASAP.” In the background she could hear staff calling out orders, directing others, carts moving. Their caster wheels squeaking in concert.
“ETA?” She grabbed her jacket and keys before turning for the kitchen. Blaze stood in the living room.
“Hard to say, but likely to start arriving in ten.” He moved the phone from his mouth and mumbled a directive. “I’m sorry to ruin your night off. How soon can I expect you?”
She thought about the road below. “I can be there in twenty. Twenty-five, tops.” It would take her a bit to get off the mountain, but once she hit the main road, she could make up time. She hoped. Blaze approached as she ended the call. “I have to go to the hospital. Serious casualties coming in and everyone is needed.”
“Let me take you.” Blaze grabbed a jacket from a peg by the door and shrugged it on as she stuck her feet into boots.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know these roads better than you. I’ll have you there in fifteen.” Blaze ushered her outside and jogged toward the garage. Her long strides quickly covered the distance, and Trinity ran to catch up. The garage door was open by the time she got there, and she jumped into the passenger seat and buckled in as Blaze turned the key.
“What about my car?” Not only was she about to leave it, but she was semi-blocking the driveway.
Blaze flashed a breath-stopping smile. “Four-wheeling has its merits.”
They shot onto the driveway and Blaze swerved around Trinity’s car, then roared down the road. She drove well, but Trinity worried about the stress on her arm. As tricky as the switchbacks were, they reached the main road in under five minutes, and her anxiety dropped a notch since she was
no longer being jerked around as they hit curves at less than prudent speeds.
Blaze reached for her white-knuckled hand. “Relax. I told you I’d get you there.”
She laughed. “You forgot to mention the word safely.”
Blaze’s face became serious. “I’d never put your life in jeopardy. Just because I was in a motorcycle accident doesn’t mean I’m reckless.”
Trinity pursed her lips. “I didn’t mean to imply you were.”
“It’s okay.”
A few minutes later, Blaze pulled up to the ED entrance.
“Call me when you want me to pick you up.”
“I can get a ride home and Kelly can bring me to pick up my car,” she said. Kelly would have a million questions since she didn’t know she’d gone to see Blaze.
“I mean it. Call me whenever you’re ready. We’ll pick up where we left off, okay? Good luck.”
Blaze’s eyes were bottomless pools and she wanted to swim in them forever. But flashing lights and sirens interrupted the moment, and she focused on what she needed to do.
She opened her door, then leaned back in to give Blaze a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.” Words weren’t nearly enough to express her gratitude, but it would have to do. She put Blaze out of her mind as much as she could and ran through the doors. She found her counterpart directing the stretcher into trauma room one.
“Where do you want me?”
Sally’s harried expression relaxed a tad. “Thank God you made it. Can you check room two? I’ve got more ambulances heading in.”
Trinity tossed her jacket over a chair and pulled on a lab coat. “You got it.”
* * *
The wall clock read two minutes after seven, and Trinity was beyond tired. For the first three hours after arriving, there’d been an endless stream of emergency vehicles and police cars transporting injured from the accident scene. She leaned against one of the few unoccupied walls.
Over the last ten hours, the team had treated twenty-three patients from the bus-tractor-trailer collision. Thankfully, more than half of those had only sustained minor injuries and had already been discharged. Of the remainder, four had ended up in surgery, three were in casts, and five more were admitted for observation. One person had died. Even though Trinity hadn’t taken care of her, she felt the loss.
“Get out of here,” Dr. Falcon said. “I’ve rearranged your schedule. Don’t bother coming back until the afternoon shift on Tuesday. The only people on duty today are the nurses who were sleeping or on vacation when I called you in.”
Trinity was grateful for the change and even more so that there were fresh nurses to take her place. She ran her hand over her face, fatigue stealing what little energy she had. “I won’t argue with you.” Her laugh was half-hearted. “Thanks for the time off.”
He patted her shoulder. “Thank you.”
She was standing in the parking lot before she remembered she didn’t have her car. “Fuck.” She glanced around to see if anyone had heard her curse. She had no choice but to call Blaze since Kelly would be one of the nurses coming on duty. The only thing she wanted was a shower and sleep. Not necessarily in that order. Her vision blurred. After random swipes and swearing under her breath, she finally found the phone icon.
“Hi.” Blaze sounded out of breath.
“Uh, hey. Am I interrupting?” She heard a bang that made her jump.
“Sorry, I got bored and…never mind. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the headache that threatened to go away.
“On my way. Give me twenty.”
With time to wait, she spotted a bench and sat outside the ED. She got as comfortable as possible and soaked up the sunshine. With her arms crossed, she closed her eyes.
“Trinity.”
The word drifted into her consciousness, recognizable with its warmth. A hand touched her shoulder, then slid to her wrist, giving a light tug. “Trin, it’s Blaze.”
“What…where?” She fought to open her eyes in the bright sunlight seeping through her slitted lids. A shadow blocked the strong rays and she could finally see. She couldn’t make out the person’s face, but she didn’t have to. She knew the body well. “Sorry.” Trinity tried to stand, but her legs weren’t cooperating, and Blaze pulled her against her to steady her. She looked around at the people milling near the entrance. She was so tired.
“Let me give you a change of scenery.” Blaze slid her hand into Trinity’s.
Her back was stiff from the bench. Her eyes burned. She glanced at her watch, noting she’d been up nearly twenty-four hours. She considered herself lucky. She’d managed to grab a protein bar and a juice, but the cold cup of coffee had done little to energize her. Blaze helped her into the car, and she managed to buckle her seat belt. She was running on empty, especially once the adrenaline rush of the first critical hours had worn off.
“Thanks for the lift.” Trinity stifled a yawn, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I said I would. I keep my word.” Blaze pulled out of the lot. “Why don’t you relax. Traffic isn’t bad, so we should be back soon.”
She hated to admit she’d reached her limit, but she’d be a fool not to. Blaze had to know she was exhausted, so who was she trying to kid? “Okay. Just a few minutes,” she said as her eyes grew heavy and the motion of the moving car lulled her back to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-four
Blaze hated the idea of waking her. When she’d seen Trinity sound asleep on the bench, something deep inside her stirred to life, and all she wanted to do was take her in her arms and hold her. But that wasn’t her place. They’d just begun to repair what little there was between them before Trinity had to leave, and she wished they’d had more time.
She left the Jeep running and trotted up the stairs to open the front door. As quietly as she could, Blaze unfastened the seat belt and slid her arms beneath her, praying she had enough strength to lift her. She waited, checking for pain, and when there was none, she carried Trinity from the car and slowly took the stairs into the house.
“Arm,” Trinity mumbled against her neck.
“It’s okay,” she said, but Trinity was already asleep again. She laid her on the guest bed, then removed her shoes, wishing she could get her more comfortable, but afraid she’d wake her again. The room was cool, so she covered her with the quilt from the foot of the bed. She stared for several minutes. So beautiful. Before she left, she brushed wayward curls off her face and sighed, content knowing she’d done her best under the circumstances. She took care of the car and closed the front door, then got a bottle of water and placed it on the nightstand. Blaze couldn’t help remembering Trinity turning down her previous overnight invitation and smiled. This wasn’t quite what she’d hoped for the next time Trinity was in her bed. She closed the door behind her, knowing even though Baxter hadn’t showed, she was naturally curious and sooner or later would jump up to check out who was on her bed.
Blaze started a small fire and poured another cup of coffee. Not knowing what else to do, she flipped through the channels without paying attention to what was on the screen. All she thought about was Trinity so close, yet worlds apart. She still longed to know her better. Still wondered if she were being a damn fool for wanting Trinity in her life. Still wondered if there’d ever be more than one-night stands or if they were all she was meant to have.
Blaze glanced down the hall. Just a quick peek. She told herself she was just being mindful of Trinity being in a strange environment as she cracked open the door and peered inside. Even with the blinds closed and the drapes pulled, there was enough light from the bathroom window to see Trinity sprawled on the bed sound asleep. A pile of clothes lay crumpled on the floor, and she chuckled at the image of Trinity sitting up and stripping, totally unaware of her surroundings. The next image was one of Trinity’s body clad in only her bra and panties. Heat coursed through her and thoughts of how enticing it would be to run her palm over
the curves and valleys of her body brought a groan to her lips. The closed door was the only barrier between Blaze and her runaway imagination. It was going to be a long day if she didn’t get a handle on her libido.
Restless and aware of her body firing on all cylinders, Blaze decided physical activity would best serve her. She changed into running shorts and a tank top and got on the treadmill. An hour later, her legs were screaming and her lungs burned. Bent over and sucking wind, she wiped sweat from her face with the edge of her shirt. In recovery mode, she took a water from the small refrigerator tucked in the corner of the room. It had come in handy. Middle of the night thirst meant she wouldn’t have to navigate stairs. Blaze looked over the railing and listened for movement. The only sound she heard came from Baxter purring on the foot of her bed, satisfied by a full belly and basking in the sun.
Cooled down, she stepped into the oversized master shower and let the hot needles pound away on her muscles. A sponge filled with her favorite gel slid over her tanned skin—the only perk to her weeks of rehab was the amount of time she got to spend outdoors. Thoroughly scrubbed, she slid her hands over her body to remove residual suds. She brushed over her mound and an electric current of need shot through her. So much for running off her sexual tension. She hesitated for a minute. She wasn’t alone in the house. Knowing it wouldn’t take her long, Blaze fingered her clit. She was so sensitive, her knees nearly buckled. She alternated her strokes with entering her throbbing center. Soon her belly tightened and the pressure inside grew with intensity until lights shattered behind her eyelids and her body convulsed. Blaze cried out softly.
Her breathing returned to normal. Even though she was physically satiated, the source of her unease had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with the ache in her soul.