by Molly Evans
Thomas felt the tremor rip through her as she tried to contain the sound. A reciprocal laugh filled him, and as she tried to stop the noise with her hand over her mouth, he hugged her to him and joined her mirth.
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe I did that!”
Thomas laughed. “As I said, you were brilliant.”
With his cheek pressed to her temple, Thomas let everything recede from his mind except for the feel of Gina in his arms. Nothing else mattered. Some of the resentment that had been living inside him for the last year dissolved. Being angry and resentful and too dependent on work to entertain him no longer interested him. He wanted what was in his arms. With his hand cupping the back of her head, he tilted her face toward him. Every movement stirred the exotic spicy fragrance she wore into his mind. This woman in his arms impressed him in ways no one else had. She brought out the best in him, her courage made him want to face his own past and, best of all, she made him laugh. That blend was an exceptional combination and one he was hard pressed to resist.
In fact, he didn’t want to resist any of it at all. “Gina, I want to kiss you.” Her lips parted as she took in a surprised breath, and the sight of her full mouth aroused him even more. “I want to take you home and undress you, touch every inch of your skin, taste every inch of you and bury myself inside you. I want to feel you quiver in my arms.”
She blew out a quick breath and lowered her gaze to his mouth. “I’m pretty close to quivering right now, Doc.” This couldn’t be happening to her. He was so fabulous, so hot and she was so…thrilled that he wanted her. Living in this fairy tale could only bring heartache she didn’t need, but that didn’t stop her from reaching out to him.
Desire smudged the vibrant color of her eyes, and Thomas lowered his mouth to hers. There was no pretense between them. They wanted each other. They moved together, against each other, to the slow, rhythmic music and lost themselves in the taste of the kiss.
After thoroughly exploring her mouth, Thomas raised his head. “I think I’m about ready to go.” He cleared his throat. “You?”
“Oh, yeah. Definitely.” Gina tried to calm the fluttering of her heart as Thomas led her from the dance floor. “There’s a back door over here,” she said, and, after grabbing her purse, directed Thomas to an inconspicuous exit. “It opens right into the parking lot.”
It did—into a secluded, private place, protected from prying eyes by large oak trees. Thomas spun her around and pressed her against the building, his mouth hot and insistent on hers.
She let go of everything. There was nothing else except Thomas right here, right now. His hands roamed over her body, trying to trace every curve and lush valley. He cupped a breast, his thumb stirring her nipple to a hard peak through the lace, and she moaned into his mouth. Lowering her hand, she reached between them and stroked his arousal, wanting to feel his hard strength inside her again.
“Gina,” he gasped, and tore her hand away from him. “Oh, my God. What are we doing?” His breath came hard and fast, his lungs burned from the need to breathe. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to take you against this wall right now.” He’d never wanted anyone the way he wanted her right now, never been this out of control. Never. This attraction of theirs was fast turning into something that he knew neither of them had expected.
The clung to each other, overwhelmed with need. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I feel so out of control when I’m around you. I’m shaking.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He stroked her hair, pressed a kiss to her temple and tried to calm himself. “But I do think we need to get out of here.”
“Good idea.”
Thomas stepped away from her, took her hand and led the way to the car. The drive to her cottage was tense, filled with the heavy electricity between them. When he pulled into her driveway he turned to her. Without a word she met him halfway.
Tempting and tantalizing, the taste of Gina was nothing short of heaven. His lips moved over hers, and he touched his tongue to hers, gently, briefly, then with a hunger that came from nowhere. He felt a tremulous breath go through her. White-hot desire flashed through him. Somehow he had to resist taking this any further, and he pulled back from her. Smoky need swirled in her eyes, and her lips, red from his kiss, made him want more.
“Thomas,” she said, and her hands rested against his waist. “Will you come in?”
“Absolutely.” He shut off the engine just as the cell phone in her purse rang.
“Sorry.” She dug it out. “Hello?”
Thomas watched as she gasped and tears clouded her eyes. Something was terribly wrong. “What is it?”
Gina closed the phone with a snap. “My mother’s had a stroke. They’ve taken her to ICU and said I should get there immediately.”
“Let’s go.” Thomas started the car again and raced the few blocks to the hospital. Once inside, they hurried to the ICU.
“She’s over here,” the nurse on duty said, and she led the way to Martha’s bedside. “I’m so sorry, Gina.”
Gina took one look at her mother, now on full life support, and the dam of tears she’d held back broke. Any meager hope for a reconciliation was over. Thomas pulled her against his side and held her.
“Who’s on duty?” Thomas asked, his voice terse.
“Dr Allison. He’s gone back to the ER for another patient. I can call him—” the nurse started.
“No, I’ll go down and talk to him there,” Thomas said. “Gina, why don’t you stay with Martha while I go to the ER?”
Without a word, Gina dropped into the chair beside Martha’s bed.
After the initial onslaught of tears had mostly subsided, Gina stroked her mother’s hand and listened to the sounds of the ICU that were at once familiar and strangely new to her. The slow, regular blips on the heart monitor reassured her that Martha’s heart was responding normally. But the overriding whoosh of the ventilator breaths and sighs only confirmed her worst fears. Martha could not survive this assault on her body. If she had been healthy and of sound mind, she might have been able to survive all of the needed medical care and rehabilitation.
When a shadow fell over Gina, she looked up to see Thomas, grim faced. “You’re wearing that face you had on when Mr Jones was in the ER.” She returned to looking at the pale, expressionless face of her mother. “I know it’s bad, Doc.”
“The duty doctor gave me all the test results if you’d like to hear them.” Thomas brought a chair beside her and sat down.
Gina leaned in to him, and he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Tell me,” she whispered, the pain in her heart greater than it had ever been. Though she knew the prognosis was grave, she needed to hear it out loud.
“It’s a brain-stem infarct. A big one.” The worst possible scenario for any patient.
That was all she needed to hear. “I’ll never be able to make my peace with her now.” Gina stared through a veil of tears at her hands clenched in her lap.
“We know that hearing is the last sense to go before death. If you have anything to tell her, go ahead. She may not respond, but I always believe that people hear us.” Thomas brushed her hair back over her shoulder.
Gina looked up at Thomas. “Thank you, but there’s nothing left to say.” Her chin trembled though she tried desperately to control it. The pain in her chest burned, and she took a breath. “When do you think we should take her off life support?” she asked. She knew he couldn’t make the decision for her, but she needed to hear his thoughts. He was the only solid thing in her world right now.
“We normally encourage families to wait a day or two, have an EEG and an exam by the neurologist before making the final decision.” Thomas took her hand. “Gives the family member a chance to…get used to the idea.”
Gina nodded and wiped her nose with a tissue the nurse had brought her. The tissue felt like sandpaper on her skin. “I suppose that’s fine, then.” Another day or two wouldn’t matter. Martha was already brain dead.
“Is there anyone you want me to call?” he asked, his voice gentle. “Did she have any other family?”
“No. There’s no one.” She’d always been alone, it seemed. Even when she’d lived at home with her parents, there hadn’t been anyone. No relatives, few friends.
“Why don’t I take you home? It’s almost midnight,” Thomas said.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize it was so late. Why don’t you go home? I’ll take a cab later.” She didn’t want to inconvenience him. Regardless of the nature of their changing relationship, he was still her boss. How was that going to work? She had no idea.
“Nonsense. I’ll take you.”
Gina bent over her mother and kissed her cheek. “It’s OK, Mama. Go be with the angels.”
They walked to the nurses’ station. Thomas gave the nurse several phone numbers to contact them in case Martha’s condition changed during the remainder of the night.
“Thomas, you’ve been way too good to me, and I’ve depended on you far too much these last few days.” She should be stronger. She shouldn’t need anyone. “I’m so grateful. I want you to know that.”
He tipped her chin up. “You’ve asked for nothing that I haven’t wanted to give you.”
Emotions at the very surface, Gina’s eyes overflowed with tears that she was finding harder to control. She was so very tired.
He kissed her forehead. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Thomas took her to his home for the remainder of the night. He pressed a glass of wine into her hand. She took it, but didn’t drink. “Come on, darling, have a sip,” he said, and coaxed the glass to her lips.
Gina sipped contents of the glass. “I’ve never been so high and then so low all in one day.”
“You’re exhausted, I know. Why don’t you change, and I’ll put you to bed?” He took the glass from her and set it in the sink. A pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt lay on the chair for her to use.
“Will you hold me?” She’d never asked him outright before, never been so blatant. “I need you tonight.”
“Right now you need sleep more than anything,” he said, and tugged on his tie, then removed his jacket and draped it over a chair.
“Right now I need you, Thomas. Nothing else.” It was as simple as that.
The need in her eyes almost drove him to his knees. His body reacted, but more than that he wanted to be with her in every way. He’d never had such a strong reaction to a woman as he had to Gina. This wasn’t just about rescuing her from a tough situation. This was about much more between them.
“I can’t take advantage of you while you’re down, Gina. I won’t.” He held out the clothing. She took it with a sigh, but dropped it back onto the chair. Turning away, she presented her back to him and gathered her hair to the side. “Will you unzip me?”
Without saying a word, Thomas stepped closer and slowly drew the zipper down, down, all the way down, past a black lace bra to her hips where the edge of black lace panties peeked out. He swallowed tightly, trying to control his instant, flaming reaction to the contrast of her creamy skin against the black lace.
“There you go,” he said in a choked voice and moved half a step away from her. He shoved his hands into his pockets. If he touched her again, he was not going to be able to stop himself. Not after the incident at the inn. He was still half-aroused as it was.
She turned and shrugged. The dress dropped to the floor.
Thomas gave in to the inevitable. From the start of tonight, as soon as he’d walked through her door, he’d known he’d wanted to take her to bed again. Make love to her all night long. He looked from the plain shirt on the chair to Gina wearing a black lace bra and panties, thigh-high stockings and black heels. No comparison. He swallowed again, no longer certain as she took a hesitant step toward him, her glorious hair a waterfall of curls against her creamy skin.
“I need you to take me away, even if it’s only for a little while. Will you do that for me?” She slid her hands up his arms to his shoulders, and he knew he could no longer resist her or the feelings raging between them.
“I will,” he whispered against her lips and surrendered. He swung her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, releasing her legs to stand her beside him. With her face pressed to his neck, her mouth hot and moist on his skin, he shuddered. “Gina,” he whispered, and caught her face between his hands. “Gina.” He took her mouth with his and there was no turning back for either of them.
It was in her kiss, it was in his touch. Thomas drew his hands up to her shoulders and slowly drew the bra straps down her arms. Bending her back slightly, he nuzzled his way down her neck, across a delicate collarbone and crested the hill of one breast. One hand released the bra clasp and her lush breasts sprang free. Taking one nipple into his mouth, he teased and suckled it to a hard peak. Removing the black lace, he pressed his face to her other breast. Her breath came in tight gasps. “Thomas. Oh, my…” She shuddered as one hand held her pressed close to him and the other stripped her panties away.
Gina sat on the edge of bed. Now urgent with need, she fumbled with the waistband of his pants and dragged them off him. So much of her life she’d hidden in the shadows, but now, with Thomas, she held nothing back. “I want to please you,” she said, and stroked him, learning the texture and the shape of him.
“You already please me,” he whispered, but allowed her the freedom to explore his body as she desired.
Leaning forward, she parted her lips and took him inside her mouth. Thomas clutched her shoulders at the first tentative strokes of her tongue on his sensitive skin.
Unable to take her ministrations for long, Thomas pressed her back on the bed. He knelt between her feet and rubbed his face against the delicate skin bared above her hose. With his mouth, he explored above and felt the pulse thrumming in her leg. She was a writhing goddess who sought her pleasure, and he wanted to make sure she got it.
At the first touch, she arched her back and cried out. Slowly, rhythmically, he teased her, tasted her and took her to a higher plane.
Now urgent, she pulled him upward to her face, to her kiss, to take him inside her. Each touch, each scent, each stroke brought them closer to each other, closer to something neither wanted to end. Before he lost complete control he tore open a condom and put it on.
With her legs wrapped around his hips, Thomas eased inside her and sheathed himself fully with a cry of exquisite pleasure.
“Thomas,” she whispered, already moving with the uncontrolled rhythm that would carry them forward.
Thomas needed no urging as he pulled back and then surged forward faster than the time before. On his knees, he pressed a thumb to her hidden pearl and stroked.
Seconds later she crashed, her back arched as the climax shook through her, wave after wave of pulsing pleasure. Hands clasping his hips, she pulled him harder, faster, deeper, until he almost seemed to become a part of her. His hoarse cry joined hers as they found the wonder of each other together.
Gina clung to him as he lay on top of her, gasping for breath. This was the most precious feeling she had ever had and she didn’t want it to end. “I don’t want you to leave. Stay,” she whispered, and locked her legs around his hips.
“I’m not leaving,” Thomas said, and meant more than just their bodies. Too many nights he’d lain awake thinking of just this. He wasn’t going to see it end so quickly. He kissed her again and tasted salty tears on her face. “Are you OK? Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me.” She nodded and hugged her arms around his shoulders. “Being with you like this was so wonderful.”
“It was.” He continued to press kisses to her luscious mouth.
Much later Gina snuggled in his arms, exhausted from the events of the last week and the untamed expression of passion they had just shared.
Thomas grabbed the ringing phone by his bed at 7:00 a.m. Gina didn’t move until he touched her shoulder and gave her the news.
Martha had died.
A week later Gina was staring at the box of ashes on her kitchen table when the phone rang. She let it ring until it quit. Deciding what to do with the contents of the box was more important than anything else right now, including the phone.
Minutes later the cell phone in her pocket rang. Whoever it was was certainly persistent. She pulled it out and looked at the number. A small thrill ran through her.
“Hello, Thomas. How are you?” she asked.
“I’m fine. I called to check on you. You didn’t pick up the other phone, and I got a little concerned.”
The sound of his smoky voice in her ear made her quiver just a little, reminding her of their last night together. The vibration reminded her of when his breath had stirred her hair and his voice had whispered in her ear. It had been the most passionate night of her life. She would never forget it, but she didn’t know how they were going to return to being just coworkers after that amazing time. Every time she’d look at him, she’d remember how she’d felt in his arms.
“I guess I’m OK. I don’t know. Everything is sort of…weird right now. Nothing feels right.” She turned the box with one hand and looked at it from another angle. “I picked up my mother’s ashes a little while ago. Now I’m not sure what to do with them.”
“Do you want to have a service of some sort?” he asked.
“I think I should do something, but there’s no family, no friends to speak of.” She moved the box toward the middle of the table and placed it beside the napkin holder, but it didn’t look like it belonged there either.
“Do what you think is best, but don’t make any hasty decisions. It’s not an emergency,” Thomas said. “Changing the subject,” he said, “why don’t you let me take you to dinner?”
“Dinner?”
“Yes. Have you eaten?”
She frowned. Had she eaten today? “I don’t know, Doc. I can’t remember. Food seems unimportant right now.”
“I know. Listen. Just stay put, and I’ll come and get you. We’ll go have a burger or something,” he said.
“OK. I could choke down a burger and fries if there’s a chocolate milkshake attached to it,” she said. The words sounded like something she would say, but lacked her usual vigor.