by K. L. Donn
It wasn’t long before Doctor Mullins came out to greet them. “Mr. Slade, how are you?”
“Hey doc, I’m good. Jax here seems to have quite the fever, though.” He indicated his son who’d fallen asleep on Dee’s chest while she rocked him.
“Follow me back if you can then.” He laughed watching Dee struggle to get up without waking him.
Helping her up, they followed him to one of the patient rooms where Dom laid Jax on the exam table as the door closed.
“Now, tell me the problem,” he asked after washing his hands.
“I went to wake him from his nap, and he felt warmer than Dom said he normally does, and his face is pale. He was clammy, and I couldn’t wake him up either,” Dee said in one short breath making it sound like one long word.
“Deidre,” Dom called her. When she looked to him, he told her, “Take a breath, he’ll be fine.” Turning to the doctor, he said to him, “I tried to explain about the flu, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Dominic!” Dee scolded him.
Chuckling, Dr. Mullins began his examination and all the while, Jax barely moved. Which did start to worry Dom.
“Jaxson? How are you feeling, buddy?” Mullins asked him as he shook him awake for the second time.
Seeing Deedee twisting her hands together, he stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders giving a light squeeze.
“I tiwed, doc,” Jax murmured weakly.
“Does anything hurt?”
“My tummy.”
“He hasn’t eaten since breakfast and only very little.” Dee filled the doctor in. She was practically vibrating in her worry.
“Okay. How long has your tummy hurt?”
“Uhhh.”
“Before you had breakfast?” Jax shook his head no. “After breakfast then?”
“It stawted to hurt while I was eating.”
Dee’s startled gasp drew everyone’s attention to her. “Oh my God! Did I give him food poisoning? Oh Jax, baby, I’m so sorry.” She cried, going to him and holding his hand.
“What did you give him, miss?”
“We had bananas and yogurt with a glass of apple juice. I bought it all yesterday. It was fresh.” She had tears trailing down her face now. He knew nothing he said or did was going to make her feel better, so he cuddled her into his arms. Her little body was shaking in her upset.
“It’s fine, dear. Sometimes these things happen at the oddest of times. At the moment, I’m going to say flu, but I’ll run a few blood tests and go from there. Okay?”
He felt around a little more on Jax’s stomach to rule out appendicitis before calling the nurse in to draw some blood. As he left the room, he explained it would only take a couple of days to get the results back but to keep him hydrated for now and bring him back if things worsened.
“Are you sure we should leave town? We’re an hour away from any medical help if he gets worse.” She hadn’t taken her eyes off of Jax since they got back in the truck.
“Princess, relax, please. If you’re tense, he’ll be tense. Calm down.”
*****
She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid! She obviously hadn’t checked the expiration dates on the milk and yogurt from this morning. What if she really did make him sick? What if Dom gets so mad at her, he doesn’t want her around anymore?
Oh, God.
Her chest was tight with the thought of never seeing them again.
Breathe, dammit.
As soon as they got home and had Jax comfortable on the couch, she darted to the kitchen pulling everything out of the fridge that she’d bought the day before.
Yogurt, milk, any produce, the special rainbow parfait she thought he’d like. Everything came out. As she was checking the dates, Dom came in. Seeing the mess she’d made, he asked her, “What are you doing, Deedee?”
“I poisoned your son, Dominic. I need to know why. I have to make sure I don’t do it again. I can’t do it again.” Agitation was clear in her voice and in the way she was moving around. She didn’t even look up at him as she told him what she was doing.
“I can’t hurt him,” she mumbled under her breath.
Dom obviously heard her remark as he came over, grabbing her arms. “Deidre,” he began, speaking soothingly. “You didn’t hurt him. You heard Doc Mullins; it’s probably the flu. He’s a kid. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last.”
What he said made sense to her head, but her heart hurt because Jax was sick and she couldn’t make it go away. Dom’s laughter had her looking up at him scowling. “What?” she snapped.
“You’re fucking adorable all worked up, Dee.” Leaning down, he kissed the tip of her nose. “C’mon, let’s put this stuff away, and I’ll take you for a ride.”
“We can’t leave him, Dominic!”
“Case is here, Deidre!” He mimicked her.
Irritating man.
“Fine.”
While she put everything away that she’d pulled out, double checking all the dates, he went to get Case. It wasn’t long before they were busting through the back door laughing, probably about her meltdown. “So the brat’s just fine I hear?”
“That remains to be seen,” she grumbled, going to the living room to check on Jaxson.
His doctor had given him some children’s Tylenol to help combat the fever and make him comfortable, but Dee still wasn’t feeling a difference in his temperature. “Are you sure we have to leave him, Dom?”
“He’ll be fine with Case, Princess.” Obviously frustrated with her reluctance to let him go, Dom grabbed her hand telling Casey to stay quiet before dragging her out the back to the barn with the horses.
Entering the stables, she heard Goldie and Honey clicking for attention as soon as they came in. Walking to their stall, she grabbed a sugar cube for Goldie, unsure if Honey could eat one yet.
“How you doing, sweet mama?” she cooed. Honey, not to be left out, snorted her displeasure at not being touched. “Hi, little lady,” she stroked her long nose.
“C’mon, you’re riding with me on Raine.” he informed her, opening the humungous horse’s stall.
“God, he’s gorgeous!” she muttered in awe of the magnificent beast before her. Black all over with intelligent green eyes. His legs danced with the need to move; she was sure. “How often do you usually take him out?” she asked, stroking the horse’s nose carefully, not wanting to startle him.
“For the most part, daily,” Dom answered as he placed a blanket on his back. The saddle followed.
When she stopped rubbing Raine’s nose, he gave a frustrated huff and pushed her shoulder back nearly knocking her over. Laughing, she began rubbing him down again as Dom grouched. “Fucking mooch, you got your own woman.”
Nine
Dom was trying to hold his laughter in at the stark look of fear on her face when tasked with the challenge of getting on Raine. He was already sitting atop the horse while trying to instruct her stubborn—I need no help—ass on how to get up from the stool.
Deciding he’d had enough and Raine was ready to run, he simply grabbed hold of both her arms, placing her in front of him straddling his thighs so she was facing him. Her squeal of laughter had the horse dancing in place. If it weren’t for a tight grip with his thighs on the beast’s back, he would have darted out of the barn.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so high,” Deedee mumbled wrapping her arms around his waist.
“Hold on tight, Princess,” he instructed her just before giving the horse the signal to go.
As they raced out of the barn and into the midday’s sun, he felt Dee relax against him. With one arm securely around her waist and the other holding the reigns, he looked down to see her eyes closed and a huge smile grace her ruby red lips.
“Fucking beautiful,” he complimented her just before pecking her lips, nibbling the bottom one lightly as he pulled away.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, laying her head on his
chest.
The heat from between her legs was playing havoc on his already unruly dick where she was concerned. The bounce as they rode had her rubbing against him roughly.
“Your heart’s beating so fast,” she murmured sweetly.
Raine knew the route they were taking, so he was free to rub her and play with her hair as he told her, “I can feel your warmth, Princess. It’s making me hard as fuck.”
She looked up at him coyly through slotted eyes, her ear never leaving the feel of his heartbeat as she whispered, “I can feel it.” A blush worked its way up her cheeks as soon as the words left her mouth.
“Little tease.” He laughed as he squeezed her neck at the nape.
She let out a breathy sigh, asking, “Kiss me, Dom?”
Moving closer, he captured her mouth in a slow slide of heat. She melted into him. With the hand still holding the reigns, he placed it on her back, pushing her hips further into his so with every gallop, she felt the pressure of his arousal. His need to feel her under him.
Her hands made their way up into his hair giving a sharp tug as she bit his lip hard enough to bruise. “Fuck, yeah.”
Deepening the kiss, he sucked her tongue into his mouth needing her like a match needs a flame, like thunder needs lightening. He needed her like his next breath.
Feeling Raine starting to slow down, he looked up taking note of where they were—by the pond surrounded with trees, about five hundred yards from the house. As soon as the horse stopped, he jumped off tying his reigns loosely to a tree before pulling Deedee down into his hold.
Just as he was about to grab her, she jumped onto him knocking them both to the ground as she laughed. “Christ,” he groaned landing on his back. “Too old for this shit, Princess.”
Her laughter died when he said that, quickly followed by a quizzical look. “How old are you, Dom?”
“Too fucking old for you,” he confessed.
“Dom?” she asked when he got up, walking away towards Raine. He was too old for her. But fuck if he was going to let age stop him from possessing her in every way possible.
“Thirty-five, Princess,” he finally told her, not turning around.
“How’s that too old for me exactly?”
He finally faced her, seeing that she was in the same spot he’d just left, watching her intently for a minute before asking, “You don’t think that’s a big age gap?”
“What I think is, I grew up wiser than my years and age is just a number. Do you have more life skills than me? Sure. You’ve seen and done more than I probably ever will. And you want to know something, Dominic?” Taking a breath, her dark gaze met his. “I like that you’re older. Because it means you’re sure about me, about us. You know what you want, and you fucking go for it. So don’t think for one goddamned second that I’m going to let you back out of us anymore than you would allow me. Now get the fuck over here and kiss me, damnit!”
“You’re sexy as hell all riled up like this.” He laughed while walking towards her.
Brushing his lips against hers, he kissed along her jaw towards her neck. As she moaned, he bit down on her pulse point where shoulder met neck, pulling with his teeth to leave a love bite. Her gasp of pleasure had his hands roaming all over her ass cheeks and down to the apex of her thighs.
The moment he felt her heat, he was a goner. Her whispered plea of, “Oh, Dom,” had him sinking to his knees and pulling her pants with him.
As soon as they reached her ankles, he buried his face in her over-heated pussy licking every drop of liquid that flowed from her secret depths. The need to have her scent marking him drove Dom to bring her as much pleasure as she could take, and then some.
*****
Deedee could barely catch her breath, with every lick of his tongue, every nibble of his teeth, she teetered on the edge of mind-numbing ecstasy. Just as she would reach her peak, he would pull back or lessen the pressure.
“Dominic,” she growled when he pulled away again. “I need it. Please!” She wasn’t above begging for what she wanted most.
His laughter infuriated her. A sharp tug on his hair had him nipping her thigh roughly followed by, “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Princess. You’re not ready for that yet.”
“For what?” she gasped when he sucked her clit into his mouth while pushing one finger inside her weeping pussy. The other played with her ass, pushing gently to enter her forbidden entrance.
“Fuck!” she cried, coming all over his face. Her orgasm hit her fast and furious with just a touch of pain running through her with its intensity.
She felt like she was floating as Dom led her down gingerly to lay in his lap. Rubbing her hair, he rained light kisses all over her face. She felt herself coming back into her body as he nuzzled her cheek muttering, “You’re exquisite as you reach your peak, Princess.”
Laying in his lap as Raine happily munched on the grass, she felt like for the first time her life was falling into place. That she was truly where she was meant to be.
“We should head back; I need to check on Jax,” she told him getting off his lap.
“You worry too much, Deedee. If something were wrong with him, Case would have called,” he assured her, getting up and collecting a content horse.
The ride back seemed faster than the one out, but the land was magnificent. She loved the wide open spaces, the endless fields in the distance. Being able to see for miles was a welcome relief. As they reached the paddock and trough where Dom let Raine cool off after a ride, she ran inside needing to see Jax for herself.
Quietly opening the door, she snuck to the living room where they’d left the boys. Seeing Case’s head tipped back on the sofa and hearing his snores, she knew he was asleep. Coming around the side of the sofa, she saw that Jax was quietly watching one of his Lego movies with a glass of apple juice on the table.
Smiling when he saw her, he gave a little wave in delight. Kneeling beside him, she swept his hair off his forehead. Feeling that he was a little bit cooler than before, she let out her first breath of relief.
“How you feeling, Jax?” she whispered.
“Tiwed.”
“Get some more rest, sweetheart. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” At his nod, she stood up to leave when she noticed Case had taken off his prosthetic leg. She wasn’t sure what she expected when she did finally see it, but the nub just under his knee looked swollen and dry. Like maybe it hurt.
She wondered how it happened. When and why. It seemed like such a tragic thing for a man so full of life. She hurt at the thought of how much pain he must have been in. Did he have family to support him afterwards or just Dom?
A hand coming down on his leg suddenly had her eyes darting up to find him watching her watch him. Shame heated her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to stare, but she was curious about the circumstances surrounding the loss of his limb.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, not able to meet his eyes.
“Dee,” he called. When she looked up, he continued, “You’re not the first and you won’t be the last. I feel no shame in it and neither should you.”
“Does it hurt?” she blurted without thinking. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
His laughter followed her as she fled to the kitchen. Sitting at the table, she dropped her head onto it with a bang, mumbling, “You and your big mouth, Deidre.”
A few minutes later, the scraping of a chair had her looking up to find Casey sitting beside her. “It’s okay to stare, Dee.”
“But it’s not! I was shocked, sure, but I knew I would eventually see you without the prosthetic. I guess I wasn’t prepared for how painful it looks. Is it always like that?”
“No, but I don’t usually wear it as often as I have been either.”
It hit her quickly that he was wearing it because she was there. “I don’t understand? You wear it because I’m here?” At his nod, she felt sick to her stomach. “Why?”
“You’re y
oung, Dee, and I wasn’t sure how you’d react to seeing my stump. But lord are you mature.” He laughed.
She smiled. “Does it hurt?” she repeated, feeling a little more comfortable about asking him now.
“Some days. Today it does. The skin is cracked and swollen, so I have to be careful about how much I put this on.” He patted his leg.
“What happened?”
Sighing like he didn’t want to relive it, she began to tell him to forget it when he started speaking. “Our unit was patrolling a restricted area in Kabul when we came under gunfire. I was hit in the chest twice and stumbled and slipped an IED out of place; the explosion took my foot clean off. Doctors did the rest.”
“You’re lucky to be alive.” She was horrified at how close to death he’d come.
“I’m alive because that man,” he pointed out the back door as Dom was coming in, “saved my life. If it weren’t for his training and confidence and sheer determination, I wouldn’t have made it out of that hole alive.”
“Oh please, Case, first thing out of your mouth was ‘pity sex’. We both know it’s the only thing that got you through half the shit that came after.” Dom laughed, but he had an edge to his voice she’d never heard before. Like there was more to it than that.
“This is true,” Case mumbled looking down.
“Did it take long before you got to come home to your family?”
A sad look crossed both their faces at that.
“My family wasn’t impressed with my decision to enlist with Dom. The people in this house, they’re the only family I’ll ever need,” he said thoughtfully, getting up and leaving the house, but not before she saw the sad look flash across his face.
Shit.
“I didn’t…What did I just do?” she whispered in horror.
Looking to Dom as he watched his best friend leave, he assured her. “Nothing, Dee. It’s something he still struggles with.” But she felt like she’d ruined the small yet huge steps they’d made that night.