Jake gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. He grabbed the railing of his hospital bed and clutched it so tightly that his knuckles were bloodless.
“I don’t care what it takes,” Jake hissed. “I will do whatever it takes to walk again. I swear.”
I nodded. “I know honey,” I said softly. “I know.”
Chapter Twelve
Jacob
When I opened my eyes and saw Liv leaning over my bed, I knew in my heart that I’d never race again.
The doctors told me that my pelvic fracture had damaged the nerves in my spine and my legs. As I listened with an increasingly numb feeling spreading through my body, I knew that they were right. I knew that I wouldn’t walk again unless I put in the time and effort to retrain my body.
But I couldn’t lie. This was the second-most devastating thing to happen in my life, and I wasn’t sure how I could have taken the news like a man if Liv hadn’t been there, right beside my bed, smiling like she’d never left.
The truth was, I was a coward. When Liv left, I couldn’t process the reality. I couldn’t make myself accept that the only woman I’d ever loved had gone out of my life. So what did I do? Well, I started by calling my sister, Abby, and telling her all about my new girlfriend, Olivia Redwood.
Mom and Dad had been thrilled to learn about Liv. They’d always been on me to settle down and start a family. It wasn’t good enough that I was a champion racer. I was only twenty-seven, but for Oklahoma, that was definitely on the older side of bachelorhood. Most of my friends had gotten married right out of high school. Hell, most of them were divorced with kids by now. I’d always known that my life wouldn’t be like theirs, but it’s not like I could have said that to Mom and Dad. They never would’ve understood.
Abby, my sister, and I had always been close. We were only sixteen months apart, and while she was older, I’d always acted the part of the protective older brother. Even as in tune as we were, I knew that Abby didn’t truly understand how I felt, either.
It wasn’t until I’d met Liv that I finally had a woman who understood me. Now, I had to face the possibility of losing her all over again…what kind of a woman would want to be with a guy who couldn’t walk? While I refused to accept that I’d never walk again, I couldn’t even wiggle my toes. It could take months before I was back on my feet, and Liv didn’t deserve to wait around that long. Plus, I couldn’t imagine changing from our fast-paced life to a domestic one. What would we talk about if I wasn’t out there, winning races and kicking ass? What would Liv do if she couldn’t bet on me and walk away a rich woman?
I’m never racing again,” I said to Liv once Dr. Weiss and Dr. Dillard had left the room.
“Don’t say never,” Liv said. “You don’t know that.”
I shook my head. “I do, though,” I said quietly. “Every time I close my eyes, I see that car spinning toward me and I feel like my stomach is about to drop out of my body.”
“That’s because you went through some bad trauma,” Liv said softly. Her beautiful brown eyes were big and sincere. “Jake, you’ll get over that.”
“I don’t want to,” I said stubbornly. “I barely made it out of that crash alive. What’s gonna happen to me the next time?”
Liv sighed. “Well, you don’t know much right now,” she said. “And besides, you shouldn’t be thinking about your career—not now, not when you have so much work to do.”
I slumped down against the pillows. “I hate this,” I muttered. “I hate that I had my family fly out to see me race and instead, they saw me crash. And I hate that this is the only way I could get you to come back to me.”
Liv looked stunned. I wished I could take the words back, but it was too late. An uneasy silence descended over us and filled the room with an anxious tension that I couldn’t shake off.
“I didn’t mean that,” I said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“But, you did,” Liv said in a flat voice. “And, you’re right. I shouldn’t have left like that, Jake. I…” She trailed off and sighed. “I don’t know,” she finished. “I’m sorry but I really don’t know if we should talk about this now.”
I shook my head. “We don’t have to,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
Liv nodded slowly. “I’m glad Abby called,” she said. “I was surprised. Your family doesn’t seem to know that we broke up.” She bit her lip and glanced up at me.
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. I winced. “I didn’t know how to tell them,” I added. “But it’s probably better this way. Plus, I kind of liked having someone to talk to where I could pretend that we were still together.”
Liv nodded again. “Jake, I really care about you,” she said softly. “And I’m even sorrier to say this, but maybe something awful needed to happen for me to realize how much you mean to me.” She wiped a tear from one of her eyes and sniffed. “I wanted to say I was sorry, but didn’t know how.”
I was dying to ask her how much she cared for me. I wanted to know if she loved me the way I loved her and if she saw a future with me. But then I realized how grotesquely unfair that would be. How could I ask Liv to commit to me now? And furthermore, how could I ask Liv to commit to a man who couldn’t even walk?
“What are you going to do when you get out of the hospital?” Liv licked her lips.
I sighed. “That’s the million dollar question, right?” I shrugged. “I don’t know,” I added. “Mom and Dad want me to fly back with them to Oklahoma. But the hospitals out there are complete shit—I’d probably have to go to Texas for any kind of therapy or treatment.”
Liv nodded slowly. “I see,” she said. “Well, that’s what they want. But what do you want, Jake?”
“I don’t know,” I said flatly. “I mean, I could stay here in Daytona—you know, get a place around here, go to physical therapy and keep working with the same doctors. Everyone says that this Dr. Weiss guy is some kind of genius.”
Liv licked her lips. “What would you say about staying with me?”
“Like, until I find a place?”
“No,” Liv said. “Like what if you move in?” She hastily added, “At least, for as long as you’re getting treatment.” She swallowed and I realized that she was nervous. “My apartment’s nothing great,” she said, “but I’m starting a new job next week and I’ve got an extra room for you. That way you could just focus on therapy and healing and I can help you get around. Besides,” she added with a grin. “You already know that we get along pretty well.”
“Are you serious?” I stared at her, searching her big brown eyes. I saw that she was completely sincere.
“Very serious,” Liv said. She sniffed. “I’m not going to be making much, but I can support you…you know, kind of like payback for how you supported me near the end of our trips.”
“Yes.”
“So you’ll move in?” Liv’ face lit up. “Really, Jake? You’ll do it?”
I tightened my grip on Liv’s fingers and pulled her close until our foreheads were touching. She still smelled exactly the same way I remembered and a shiver of desire ran through my body. I pressed my lips to hers, gently savoring the feel of her petal-soft skin against my own.
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia
I wasn’t sure what to think when Jake said yes. Admittedly, it wasn’t anything I planned. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind until I brought it up. But as soon as he agreed, I knew that I’d made the right call.
After Jake agreed to move in, things started to happen pretty quickly. He had another week and a half in the hospital, while I started my job at the Daytona Veterinary Clinic. The work was easy, and I loved having Dr. Miller as a boss. It turns out that he was a huge motor fan, and as soon as he found out that Jake Teller was my boyfriend, all he wanted to do was talk shop all the time. Unlike Jake, Dr. Miller was convinced that he would walk again.
“Those doctors work miracles, Olivia,” Dr. Miller t
old me at the end of the workweek. “You just wait and be patient.”
I was finishing up my data entry for the day before I had to rush home. Some people from the medical equipment rental place were coming by to fit my apartment with handicapped accessible things.
“Jake doesn’t seem so convinced,” I said softly. I finished typing and then sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I feel like I’m not doing a great job at keeping him positive.” I frowned.
Dr. Miller grinned. “Just don’t focus on what he can’t do,” he said. “That’s what I always tell people with aging pets.”
I snickered. “Somehow, I don’t think Jake would appreciate being compared to an aging labradoodle,” I said. “But I appreciate it. Thanks, Dr. Miller.”
He laughed. “Anytime, Olivia. Have a nice weekend. See you on Monday morning.”
I nodded. As soon as I left for home, my mood lifted immensely. Abby and Jake were coming over as soon as the handicapped stuff was installed. I was feeling nervous butterflies at the thought of seeing Jake again—alone. Aside from a few minutes here and there in his hospital room, we hadn’t been alone together since I’d left him.
My good mood didn’t even diminish when I learned how expensive renting all of the necessary equipment would be. Jake gave me his credit card to pay for all of the additions. He said that he still had hundreds of thousands of dollars leftover in savings from his winnings that should be more than enough to cover everything. At first, I thought I could pay for everything myself. But when I was shown a five-figure bill, I knew I had to cave in and let him pay. It didn’t feel good—almost like I was relying on Jake once again. But this time, I knew that I didn’t have a choice. I vowed I’d make it up to him by being the best girlfriend ever. Instead of money, I’d support him with lots of love, care, and tenderness.
It was after dark by the time the men were finished. I called Abby and waited nervously, bouncing around from room to room until Abby finally drove Jake over to my apartment building. As soon as Abby wheeled him up the new ramp and inside my living room, a spark clicked between us.
“So,” Abby chirped. “I was thinking that we could order some pizza for dinner. What do you say, Jake? I bet you’re sick of that hospital food!”
Jake looked at me and winked. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that we had the same thought.
“Actually, Abs, I’m exhausted,” Jake said. He yawned. “I was hoping to get some sleep—you know, in a real bed.”
“Well Liv,” Abby said. “Do you want me to stay and help out?” Abby walked over to the couch. “I can crash here tonight, you know, just in case you need me.”
“I think I’ve got it, Abs,” I said. “How about we call if we need anything?”
Abby nodded. I could tell she was reluctant to leave Jake alone, but I was bursting at the thought of reconnecting with him. It had been so long!
“Okay,” Abby said slowly. “Sounds like a plan.” She smiled. “You know, Mom and Dad are bummed you’re not going back to Oklahoma…but I think you’re doing the right thing by staying here.”
Jake grinned. “Me too, sis,” he said.
“On that note,” Abby said as she caught Jake winking at me again. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” She leaned down to hug Jake, then left.
Jake sighed as soon as the front door slammed shut. “God it feels good to be here,” he said. “Come here, Liv.”
I walked over. Seated, Jake was still tall—obviously he was not as tall as me, but his head came up to my chest. He grinned as he tried to peer down the front of my shirt.
“You know, I thought I’d hate this wheelchair thing,” Jake said with a lazy grin that made me tingle with arousal. “But I gotta say—the view ain’t half bad.”
I playfully swatted at his arm. “You’d better not,” I teased. “After all, it’s not like you’re going to be staring at my boobs forever.”
Jake grinned. “Or am I?” he teased back then groaned. “I wish I could just pull you down into my lap and ravish you right now.”
I blushed and bit my lip. “Come on, you gotta focus on your PT” I said, grabbing his wheelchair and steering him into the bedroom.
“Do I have a choice?” Jake asked playfully.
I leaned down and kissed the back of his neck, letting my lips hover an inch over the skin until he groaned with frustration. I closed my eyes, deeply inhaling the musky, spicy scent rising from the back of his neck.
“God,” I moaned softly. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I want you, Liv,” Jake groaned. “Take me to bed.”
My heart was pounding as I wheeled Jake into my room and helped him on the bed. His pelvic fracture and collarbone were healing, but I’d never been with someone facing such a serious injury before. Somehow, I couldn’t think of Jake as “disabled”…that word made me feel like Jake would never recover from what had happened.
Jake was stronger than I thought. He pulled me on the bed and curled close to my body. Hesitantly, I wrapped one of my legs around his thighs and pulled him close. When we kissed, it felt like no time at all had passed. Everything felt the same….the strangest part was being in my bed, and not a hotel room.
Jake slid his hands under my shirt and pulled it over my head. I moaned softly as his bruised hands caressed my breasts, running his fingers over my swollen, stiff nipples. Pleasure and anticipation raced through my body and I cried out with desire as Jake lowered his face to my breasts and began sucking and licking at my hard nipples.
“God, Liv, I missed you so much,” Jake groaned into my cleavage. “I want you so badly.”
My hands were shaking as I slid them down Jake’s body. Fumbling with the snap of his jeans, I eased the material down his thighs. Underneath, he was naked. His cock was hard and throbbing and I wrapped my hand around it, gently pumping up and down until Jake closed his eyes and grunted with pleasure.
“Stay on your side,” I whispered. “I think we can do this if we’re careful.”
Climbing off the bed, I locked eyes with Jake as I caressed my breasts. My hands slipped lower and lower until I was unzipping my jeans and wriggling my hips to ease them down. I was wearing a new black lace thong that I’d bought specifically for Jake’s homecoming, and the look on his face made the forty-dollar price tag worth it. I licked my lips and rolled my eyes back in my head as I traced light circles over my lower belly with the tips of my fingers.
“Liv, I can’t stand it,” Jake groaned from the bed. “You’re killing me. You have to stop. Come here.”
I grinned wickedly. “I think I’m going to like this,” I said softly. I turned around, then bent at the waist and touched the ground. My cheeks burned bright red as I could feel Jake’s eyes staring intently at my ass and exposed crotch. Slowly, I tugged my thong down and kicked it to the side. Instantly, my warm musky aroma filled the room and I moaned as I climbed back down on the bed with my ass still facing Jake.
Jake grabbed my hips and pulled me close. I felt his cock poking at the cheeks of my ass. My inner thighs were slippery with arousal and I spread my legs, holding a thigh in the air and angling my body so that Jake had perfect access to penetrate me.
“Baby, I missed you,” Jake breathed in my ear. His cock slid inside of me, filling me completely. For a moment we stayed with our bodies locked together without moving. Then I began to grind my hips as slowly as I could, rising up and down off Jake’s cock in a delicious, torturous rhythm that filled my body with delight and pleasure.
“I missed you,” I moaned. I pressed my ass against Jake’s body, moving in a sensual rhythm as his cock slid in and out of my swollen pussy. Jake reached a hand around my hips and between my legs. When his thumb connected with my hard clit, a spasm of pleasure shot up my spine and I moaned loudly. Jake’s other hand draped over my chest and I guided his fingers to my nipples where he pinched and pulled until I was crying out with lust.
We moved together in a perfect rhythm. Soon, I was writhing and panting and gasping
. Despite not being face to face, it was the most intense sex that Jake and I had ever had. I couldn’t get over the delicious warmth filling my lower belly and I gasped and clutched at handfuls of the sheet. Jake groaned and grunted behind me. I felt his thrusts become more desperate and needy with each passing second.
I reached down and pulled Jake’s hand away from my clit. Lacing his fingers with mine, I squeezed at his hand as a powerful orgasm crested and broke over me. My eyes were shut tight and I couldn’t stop moaning as the pleasure filled my body, over and over, until I forgot to breathe. In that moment, everything felt perfect. I was with the man I loved once again, and nothing was ever going to tear us apart again.
Jacob’s orgasm followed. He bucked against me, crying out. I could feel droplets of sweat flying over my body from him and finally, his cock pulsed inside of me. I grunted softly as Jake pulled me close. His skin was hot and rough against mine. Despite the heat, I shivered.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Jake whispered in my ear. His cock was softening and he eased his hips back, pulling out before I could move.
I reached for the sheet and pulled it over our naked, sweaty bodies. Rolling over, I faced Jake.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I said softly. I smirked. “In fact, for once, everything is just perfect.”
Jake grinned. “I aim to please,” he said in a soft lazy voice. He winked at me. “I just hope I satisfy.”
“Oh, Mr. Teller,” I said drowsily, closing my eyes and cuddling as close as I could to Jake. “You do. You definitely do.”
***
When I woke up, light was streaming through the bedroom windows. I rolled over and reached out for Jake, expecting to find his hot skin next to mine. Instead, my fingers landed on cold sheets.
I sprang up, opening my eyes and yelped. My heart started to pound as I realized that Jake and his wheelchair were nowhere in sight. Oh my god, I thought as I climbed out of bed and yanked on a pair of yoga pants. He’s gone! Something happened and he’s gone!
Heart Racer: A Billionaire Love Story Page 10