Morgan took a deep breath. “I need to take these off and clean the burns. I have some ointment I have to put on, and new bandages.”
“Okay. I can do that.” Rhea looked up at Morgan. Morgan’s gaze was gentle, but she could see the pain swimming in her eyes. “You should sit down. Give me a minute to wash my hands. Do you need anything?”
Morgan shook her head. “No.”
Rhea smiled. “Sit. I’ll be right back.”
When she came back, Morgan was lying on the sofa with her broken hand against her chest and her good arm thrown over her eyes. She looked tired. Rhea moved her eyes over Morgan’s body and took in every inch of lean muscle. Morgan had always been a rock, and since the fire Rhea realized how much she relied on that strength. Now it was her turn to be strong for Morgan. She owed Morgan, not because she had played her, or run some scam on her, but because she had been a good friend. Morgan had faith in her when no one else would have. Morgan trusted her.
Rhea kneeled by the sofa. “Morgan,” she whispered.
Morgan moved her arm and looked at Rhea.
“Are you ready?” Rhea asked.
Morgan groaned. “I have to admit I’m not looking forward to it, but I guess it’s best to get it over with.”
Morgan shifted to sit up, and Rhea put her hand on her arm stopping her. “Just stay there. Roll to your side, facing me. I think it will be easier that way.”
Morgan shifted to her side, and Rhea sat on the sofa beside her. She took Morgan’s hand and laid her arm across her lap for support. “How’s that feel?”
Morgan swallowed hard. “Fine.”
Rhea brushed the hair away from Morgan’s neck and studied the bandages. Thankfully the hospital hadn’t used the sticky tape, and the bandages came off easily enough.
Morgan stiffened and the muscle at the side of her jaw jumped with each tug of the tape. Her eyes were closed tight and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. No matter how gentle Rhea tried to be, she could tell she was hurting her.
Morgan was so beautiful, that Rhea’s heart ached. She brushed a damp strand of hair from Morgan’s forehead. “Do you need a break?”
Morgan opened her eyes and looked at her tenderly as if she was the one that needed comfort. “I’m okay. You’re doing great, it’s just tender.” She closed her eyes again when Rhea went back to work.
Rhea licked her lips and her hands trembled as she removed the last piece of tape. The blisters were sickly white and gray as if the flesh beneath them was dead. A thin black line traced the burns in areas, and the surrounding skin was red and swollen. Rhea cleaned the area and applied the medicine. The instant the ointment was in place, she felt Morgan relax. Whatever was in that stuff, it was working. She studied Morgan’s face as she worked and was mesmerized by the curve of Morgan’s cheekbones, the strong angle of her jaw, and the soft lines at the corners of her eyes.
Morgan’s breathing slowed and the tension around her eyes softened. Rhea wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
Rhea took her time. This was the closest she’d ever been to another human being without fear or pain. It was a strange feeling to be so drawn to another person the way she was to Morgan. She held her breath as she reached out a shaky hand and slowly ran her fingers along the edge of Morgan’s shoulder and down her arm, tracing the contours of muscle. Morgan’s body was hard muscle and smooth skin as soft as satin. Rhea was light-headed and intoxicated with curiosity and wonder. She was desperate to touch Morgan again. She played her hand through Morgan’s hair, letting the strands bathe her fingers like rivers of silk. She was lost, completely captivated by the feel of Morgan. She was consumed by new emotions, new wants, and new needs beyond anything she had ever dreamed.
Morgan sighed and her arm tightened across Rhea’s lap. Rhea was afraid to move. She knew Morgan was awake and aware of her touch, but she couldn’t bring herself to withdraw.
Rhea felt a jolt of trepidation as Morgan slowly moved away. When Morgan looked up at her, her gaze was questioning and cautious. There was none of the hunger or lust Rhea had expected. Instead she found concern and hope staring back at her.
Rhea started to pull away, suddenly embarrassed by her boldness, but Morgan stopped her.
Morgan took her hand. “It’s okay,” she whispered. Morgan placed Rhea’s hand against her cheek and held it against her face for a moment. She traced her fingers along the back of Rhea’s hand before letting go. She lay still as if waiting for Rhea to move.
“You can touch me.”
Rhea’s heart pounded wildly against her ribcage and her ears buzzed with the rush of blood filling her veins. Her skin tingled and her muscles vibrated from the pent-up energy that coursed through her. She drew in her breath and held it as she played her thumb across Morgan’s lower lip the way she had done the day they went sledding. Morgan’s lips were even softer than she remembered. Emboldened by Morgan’s encouragement, she touched her lips tenderly with the tips of her fingers, relishing the softness as her finger dipped into the moisture of Morgan’s mouth. Morgan’s lips parted with a sharp intake of breath. Rhea’s stomach fluttered and she was pleased by Morgan’s response to her.
She watched as Morgan’s lips darkened and appeared to swell beneath her touch. Heat emanated from Morgan’s body, and a thin sheen of sweat formed on her brow and down her throat into the hollow at the base of her neck. Rhea traced the line of sweat with her finger, playing along the line of collarbone that jutted beneath the thin fabric of Morgan’s tank top. She watched the rise and fall of Morgan’s chest as her breasts swelled with each intake of air. A vein danced in Morgan’s throat with each steady beat of her heart, and Rhea had the overwhelming desire to place her lips over the throbbing point of flesh and taste Morgan.
Morgan watched the emotions play across Rhea’s face as her fingers explored her lips. It was like watching the sun rise. Rhea was awash with the newness of the connection between them, and Morgan didn’t want to do anything that would scare her away. Rhea’s touch was amazing. She made Morgan feel like a treasure being discovered for the first time. Rhea was tentative and reverent but courageous, as she pushed the boundaries of her comfort. Morgan was careful not to move, not to let her growing desire show. It felt good to be touched. Rhea made her feel alive in ways she never had, and her body responded so fiercely she feared she wouldn’t be able to control herself.
Morgan’s heart stopped when Rhea’s hand stilled on her chest. She placed her hand over Rhea’s, hoping she wouldn’t pull away. Rhea was studying her and Morgan knew Rhea’s decision would change her forever. She imagined this must have been what it was like the moment before Eve bit into the apple. “What is it?”
Rhea licked her lips nervously. She leaned forward until Morgan could feel her breath on her face, their lips only inches apart. Morgan parted her lips, opening herself to Rhea as she slid her fingers over her lips again.
Slowly Rhea lowered her head until their lips brushed so lightly, Morgan thought she’d imagined it. Bells rang in her head and desire surged through her body, but she remained still. Rhea pulled away and stared at Morgan’s lips. She brought her fingers to her own lips as if she could hold the kiss in her hand.
“Rhea?” Morgan said softly.
Rhea looked up, her eyes swimming with uncertainty.
“Could you please do that again?”
The corner of Rhea’s mouth lifted in a faint smile. She moved closer. She claimed Morgan’s lips again, this time with more certainty as her mouth melded to Morgan’s.
Morgan moaned as Rhea pulled away. She knew this would change things between them, but she didn’t care. She wanted Rhea, had wanted her for months. She wanted her more than anything.
“Don’t leave,” Morgan whispered.
Rhea stared down at her with a curious expression, and Morgan saw confusion flicker in her eyes as the faintest crease furrowed her brow.
“Close your eyes and rest,” Rhea said.
“I don’t want you to leave.”
Rhea sat up. “I’ll stay, just go to sleep. You look beat.” Rhea brushed her fingers across Morgan’s cheek. “Go to sleep.”
Morgan wanted to protest, but she was tired and the medication was doing a number on her. She closed her eyes and focused on the feel of Rhea’s fingers gliding across her skin and the heat between them where she lay against Rhea’s leg. Morgan drifted to the edges of sleep with Rhea’s voice calling to her, like a whisper through fog. She strained to hear, but the words were lost to her dreams.
Chapter Fifteen
The sun wasn’t up yet, and the room was dark. Rhea turned on the reading lamp on the small table by the door where Morgan kept her mail. Rhea sat in the chair and watched Morgan sleep. There was something ethereal in the way she slept, and once again Rhea had the strange feeling that Morgan was too good to be true. But Rhea knew Morgan wasn’t the celestial immortal she had seemed to be when they first met. She had seen Morgan bleed and knew too well how easily she could have lost her forever.
Everything had happened so fast. She had kissed Morgan. She had wanted to for weeks but had been too afraid of what it might mean. Now she couldn’t take it back and didn’t want to. Everything she’d experienced since meeting Morgan was surreal. Maybe she would wake up in her cell the way she used to and find that Morgan and her freedom had only been a dream. At least that would make her feelings for Morgan and the kiss they shared make sense. There was no way any of this could be real.
Rhea trailed her eyes across Morgan’s body and rubbed the tips of her fingers with her thumb. The mere thought of touching Morgan had her heart thundering like the primal beat of a bass drum. She was losing her mind. She knew better than to let anyone get that close, but no matter how she rationalized it, no matter how much she heard the warning voice in the back of her mind, she couldn’t walk away. She watched Morgan sleep and hung on every breath as if the dream could somehow come true.
Soldier got up and stretched his long legs as best he could in a bow and yawned. He came to her and raised his paw.
“Is that foot hurting again? Don’t you worry, you’ll be good as new in no time.” Rhea smiled. This had to be real. She couldn’t bear to wake up to a world without Soldier. She sat up and rubbed his face and placed a kiss between his ears. He was better than wearing a watch for keeping her on task and in the moment. Soldier always knew when she was drifting into the shadows of her past and just how to bring her back. He always knew when it was time to feed the animals or put them in the barn, and he especially remembered when it was time to eat. This was one time she was thankful for the distraction.
“Good boy.”
Rhea was torn. She needed to take care of the farm, but she didn’t want to leave Morgan. What if she needed something? What if something happened? Rhea shook her head. She had to get a grip. Whatever was going on, she couldn’t lose her head. She’d spent enough of her life waiting for something to happen, and she wouldn’t let one kiss make her soft.
Rhea placed Morgan’s meds and a glass of water on the coffee table, gathered a blanket from the back of the chair, and covered Morgan. She had to get moving. She wouldn’t be gone long and she could check on Morgan in a few hours.
Soldier bumped her leg teasingly and mouthed her hand. She swore he could read her mind. “Stop it,” she whispered and smiled to herself.
Soldier tugged playfully at the hem of her shirt.
“Cut it out, it’s no big deal.” She shook her head. Good grief, now I’m being teased by a dog. Maybe this was a dream after all. She rubbed Soldier’s face and got out his pain medicine. “I know you want to go with me, but I need you to stay here and watch over Morgan.”
He took the pill she had wrapped in a little ball of cheese and went to his pillow.
“I’ll be back later,” she said as she placed a kiss on his head.
Soldier laid his head down on his paws and licked his lips as if he was already on his way to sleep. Rhea went to the door and slid on her boots. She stepped onto the porch and watched Morgan slowly disappear as she pulled the door closed. The air was crisp and clear and the confusion in her mind slid away. She was free. She no longer had to live by the rules of her father or those imposed by the state penitentiary. Her choices were her own, and whatever she did or didn’t do would be on her terms.
Rhea stepped off the porch into the dark. The sun still wasn’t up yet, but she didn’t care about the time. She felt as if she was walking on air, her first kiss resounding through her memory, breaking the bonds of her fear. She had all the time in the world.
*
Morgan woke with a start, not certain where she was. She looked around the room frantically. The room was bathed in sunlight and the only sound was Soldier’s rumbling snore. Rhea wasn’t there. The room was chilly, having lost the fire sometime during the night. She shifted and the skin on her neck tightened. She sighed, frustrated by her situation and disappointed that Rhea was gone.
She sat up and noticed the water and pills on the table. She smiled as the memory of Rhea’s kiss rippled across her lips. Oh boy, what was she going to do now? After months of denying her attraction for Rhea, the gate had been opened and there was no way to put this horse back in the barn.
Morgan didn’t bother with the fire. The sun would warm the house soon enough. She was restless and the house was too quiet. She doubted she’d be able to see much of the damage from the fire yet and didn’t want to disturb the scene until the investigation was over. Maybe she would feel better if she visited the barn. She looked at the medicine Rhea had left her. More pills meant more sleep, and she’d had enough lying around.
Soldier was asleep on his pillow, out like a light. Rhea must have seen to it that he had his medicine too. Morgan watched him sleep, remembering the pain in Rhea’s eyes when he’d been shot. She had the feeling that all the weird things that had happened around the farm were connected, she just couldn’t prove it. She rubbed her hands on her jeans, frustrated by her helplessness. She had to get out of the house or she’d drive herself crazy.
The barn smelled of cedar chips and hay, and Morgan listened to the sound of hooves rustling against the stall floors, the occasional murmur from a horse, and the scurrying of rodents in the hidden crevices. As she listened, she imagined the movements of each animal as clearly as if she had them in her sight. The barn had been her favorite place to play as a child. She’d imagined herself as an adventurer, traveling from town to town, visiting villages in foreign lands and taming wild animals. She smiled at the memory.
A sound at the back of the barn caught her attention. This wasn’t one of the animals shifting restlessly—there was someone in the barn. Rhea? What would she be doing in here at this hour? Morgan crept down the corridor, glancing nervously into each stall as she passed. She could hear a faint rustling as if someone was moving things around in the storage room. Her gut twisted. What if the intruder was back? What should she do?
A wave of anger bolstered her courage. She wouldn’t let anyone hurt her animals. She’d already lost enough. Morgan gripped the handle of the door so hard she felt the edges of iron dig into her palm. She counted to three and threw the door open.
There was a moment of complete chaos. Someone screamed as something hurdled past her head. Morgan ducked to avoid the projectile. She cried out as her injured hand slammed against the wall. She looked around the room, expecting someone to attack or at the very least run away. She was shocked to find Rhea pressed into the corner of the room. She was shaking, and she looked like a trapped animal about to be slaughtered.
“Rhea?”
Rhea didn’t move. Morgan straightened and stepped into the room. “What are you doing in here?”
Rhea glanced around the room as if looking for a way out or maybe looking for something…but what? It was clear Rhea wasn’t registering what was happening. Morgan remembered the night Rhea told her about her father and decided not to push.
“You scared me. I thought the intruder was back.” Morgan looke
d around. “Good thing I left Soldier in the house or we’d both be in trouble.”
Rhea blinked. “Soldier?” Soldier was her dog. She looked around beginning to understand. This was Morgan’s barn. She was so scared her insides vibrated. Her legs buckled, and she slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
“I…I was looking through the supplies to make the order at the Co-op.” She gripped the legs of her jeans at her knees to keep her hands from shaking.
Morgan looked around and retrieved the clipboard Rhea had thrown at her. Rhea sighed. When would she stop confusing the present and the past? “Sorry about that. You scared me.”
Morgan smiled and some of Rhea’s fear melted away.
“I guess we’re both a little jumpy.” Morgan moved over to Rhea and extended her hand. “We’ve got to stop running into each other like this.”
Rhea laughed and took Morgan’s hand. She was effortlessly pulled to her feet so fast her head buzzed. Morgan had a way of doing that to her, catching her off guard. The instant she registered the ground under her feet, she was aware of Morgan’s thighs pressed against hers and the pulse of Morgan’s heart against her hand, pressed to Morgan’s chest.
Rhea looked up at Morgan expecting more humor but was met by concern and understanding and something else simmering beneath the surface.
“Are you okay?”
Rhea nodded and pressed her body against Morgan’s and wrapped her arms around her.
Morgan pulled her close. She drew in a deep breath and pressed her cheek against Rhea’s head. “Do you want to tell me what happened when I startled you?”
Rhea stopped breathing. She should have known Morgan had been aware of what was happening to her. She didn’t miss much.
Rhea sighed. “When I was in prison, they would toss our cells to look for contraband. They would storm the block and lock everyone down. They’d throw everything we had on the floor and go through our stuff. Nothing was private. Sometimes it was routine, but sometimes they did it because they wanted to make a point. For a moment there it was like I was back in my cell. You can put the rest of it together.”
Love’s Redemption Page 18