by Gina Kincade
“This is insane,” he rasped, lifting his head from hers, breaking the kiss all too soon.
“Probably,” she agreed, pleased he was breathing as hard as she was. “And just to be clear, I’m not some fatal attraction stalker and I don’t exactly go around kissing perfect strangers.”
A slow sexy smile broke out on his face and Kate could’ve sworn her panties melted clean off her body. Wow, he was lethal enough without having that smile in his arsenal. So unfair.
“I’ll remember that,” he said taking several steps back and giving her some room. He inhaled deeply and exhaled a shaky breath. “Er…”
“Nope,” Kate interrupted. “I refuse to let any awkwardness to set in. I kissed you because I wanted to. Let’s just leave it at that. Okay?” Retrieving the abandoned pencil from the carpet, she walked over to one of the cardboard boxes he’d recently brought in and scribbled her cell phone number. “My cell number. In case you cut your hand again and need a little bit of medical attention.”
At his nod, she turned and opened the front door. She risked a glance over her shoulder and took in his baffled expression with a smile. “Mine is the only other condo on this floor. Stop by anytime you want to borrow a cup of sugar or something.”
Chapter Five
Grant stared after the bold woman as she left his apartment. After her audacious attention at the window earlier, he hadn’t been surprised to find her in his apartment. What had surprised him was that she’d been the very same nurse from the emergency room two weeks ago. Idly, he wondered if he’d told her she’d haunted his every waking moment and given him more wet dreams in the last 14 days then he’d had as a teenager if she’d finally be rendered speechless. He swiped the baseball cap off with one hand and adjusted his jeans with the other. Christ almighty, the woman was like a wind eddy swirling around, picking up speed until you were caught in the middle.
Slowly, he closed the door and bolted the latch. She hadn’t exactly seen him at his worst, he mused. When she’d first called his name in the waiting room and taken him back to triage he’d been awash in old memories of the fateful car crash that had changed his life, his parent’s last breaths as they’d been dying in front of him, the sirens. It was as if he’d been transported back in time. He could hear the howl of the wind and rain, the smell of gasoline and oil and the shouts of the emergency workers as they extricated his small body. And the pain… His six-year old self hadn’t understood. He’d hurt so fucking bad…
The fear had all but taken over when through the haze Kate had called his name. He hadn’t meant to be a cold bastard snapping answers to her questions at her like he was a Neanderthal, but he’d been about to completely lose his shit. All he could think about was home. Home was safety. Home was security. Home was where the monsters and demons of his damaged mind couldn’t touch him.
Blood rushed between his ears and sweat broke out along his brow. Grant slid to the floor and covered his face with his hands. Breathe, you dumb fuck, breathe. The air trapped in his chest exploded on a loud exhalation. He clenched his fists together in an effort to stop their shaking. He spoke to himself as if he were one of his patients. Calm. He needed calm.
Grant, you have ways of dealing with your past and the anxieties that stem from them. What did you do after you left the emergency room?
You know that the old house on Litchefield Road is just stucco, wood, and paint. Right? There’s nothing within those four walls that could save you from a fire or a gas explosion.
Try as he might, he hadn’t been able to break the cycle once the fear had gotten hold of him and he’d backslid, cancelling his patient appointments and postponing this move until he could get his shit together.
Ironically, what would the scrumptious nurse Kate say if she knew she’d had a lot to do with his therapy? Back in the exam room when she was going to leave him alone and the panic was about to overwhelm him, he’d grabbed her arm. None too gently, he remembered with a slight wince. He’d all but commanded her to stay with a pathetic tremble in his voice. Hating himself but unable to let go of her even had she refused to stay, he’d held his breath, his very existence hinging on her answer.
It hadn’t been just her idle chatter that had distracted him. When he’d hit his home gym later that night careful not to break open the new stitches on his palm, he not only suffered from the horrendous memories of the past, but also from a raging hard-on. In college he’d learned that working out helped him stay focused and battle his inner fears. Usually snuffed out any raw waking wet dreams, too. As he’d put his body through the grueling paces there was no room to think. The ache of muscles, his heart pounding against his ribcage, forced him to stay in the moment. He remained a rational human being. But lately, trapped in his old house, unable to take the leap into the future he’d so carefully laid out before him, something else had helped him work off the tension and anger he’d carried all these years. Even though he’d added extra reps to his routine and ran a few miles longer than necessary, he hadn’t been able to banish thoughts of the sexy brunette who’d held his hand and spoke soothing nonsense while the doctor stitched him up his laceration.
Actually, he mused, his breathing under control once more, the distraction of nurse Kate had been a welcome one. The disturbing thoughts of smoke, fire, and being trapped staring into the unseeing eyes of his dead parents were replaced with pleasant images of her. While he’d pushed his body past the limits of his normal endurance he’d thought of her body beneath his. Her hands on his back kneading the tense muscles. Her lips falling open to accept his searching tongue as he plunged deep inside in rhythm to his cock. He thought of those rich dark brown eyes closing as he pumped into her over and over. Her soft sighs of pleasure as she whispered his name in his ear, pulling him in deeper.
“Fuck my life.” He groaned, stood, and headed to the shower, discarding his sweat stained clothes on the way.
With the warm spray running down his body, he invited those thoughts of Kate pressing her velvet lips on his. He took his hard cock into his hand and squeezed. Jerking off was one way he’d been able to stay mindful of the moment thanks to his lust-filled thoughts of her. Her scent had been the same as when she’d tended to him in the ER. She’d smelled of wild exotic berries, he mused. He tightened his fingers around his shaft and stroked himself with long, hard pulls. Steam billowed around him, fogging the glass of the shower stall.
What would it feel like to be inside Kate? To feel her arch beneath him taking his cock deep inside all the way to the hilt. Could he make her come just by hitting the spot? Would she be quiet? Scream his name when she finally surrendered? Would she ride him on top or bend over and take him from behind? Could he tie her up? Pull her hair? Let him bury his tongue deep within her pussy?
His hand worked harder…faster… “Fuck!” he whispered over and over again as he pumped his cock and the hard length turned rock solid and throbbed beneath his stroking fingers. The tension heightened as thoughts of Kate buzzed within his tortured mind. He groaned as the pressure released in thick hot spurts, his leg muscles tight and trembling.
Breathing hard, Grant leaned against the cool tiled walls of the shower. With the sexy nurse Kate in the condo across the hall, he knew his solo flights would be a lot more frequent than they had been over the last couple of weeks. Well, unless he had the nerve to ask her out.
On a date? Get real, you can’t even go out to get a meal by yourself.
“Shut the fuck up!” he roared at the voice. With a vicious yank, he twisted the tap and left the shower stall. He toweled the rivulets of water clinging to his skin off vigorously, wishing for the zillionth time that he was the only one who lived in his head.
“The whole purpose of moving was to change your life,” he told his fogged up reflection sternly. “Why not ask an intelligent, sexy woman out on a date? It’s on your to do list in your journal, isn’t it? Along with getting out of the house and exploring the world beyond the safety net of these walls.”
> Grant reminded himself that the change in his surroundings wasn’t only about taking the Litchefild House out of the equation as a safety net for him. The change was supposed to encompass day trips complete with crowds of people. He closed his eyes and moaned, heart pounding within his rib cage.
Kate Sumner’s face appeared before his closed lids. The merriment in her soft brown doe eyes as she teased him. The encouragement of her voice while she’d chatted and held his hand. Her sweet curves pressed against his chest as he’d leaned in and tasted her cherry-flavored lips and the exotic berry scent of her hair and skin. The staccato beat of his heart steadied and he knew in that moment that she’d be a crucial piece to his recovery. He needed to apologize and try to explain his behavior. Could he do that without dying of embarrassment? Somehow, he doubted it.
With a heavy sigh, he headed to rummage through the boxes in his bedroom to find some clean clothes. No sense in putting off the inevitable.
This was do or die time, Anderson. Don’t Fuck it up!
Chapter Six
Kate scanned the parking lot with a keen eye. Grant’s black F-150 truck wasn’t there. Disappointed, she set her binoculars on the window seat with a heavy sigh. She hadn’t seen him since the day he’d moved in over a week ago. She left her post in front of the window and sat on her overstuffed couch with its colorful decorative pillows, exasperated with herself. What had she expected? That he’d be interested in getting a cup of coffee after finding her snooping in his apartment? And she’d kissed him! Holy Cow! How had she gotten up the nerve to do something like that? She’d practically thrown herself at him. “Stop by and borrow a cup of sugar,” she mimicked aloud in a saccharine sweat voice and groaned, mortified.
But there’d been no mistaking the need she’d glimpsed in those oh-so-blue eyes or his heated response when she’d pressed her mouth to his. And that was the crux of it, Kate mused. If his response to her bold behavior hadn’t been so…so ardent, her big fat mouth wouldn’t have opened to spout even more gibberish. Had she imagined his reaction? Seen only what she’d wanted to see? He hadn’t even used her cell phone number to call or text asking her for a date. Other than using her ever-present binoculars to see if he was around, she’d been too afraid to go knock on his door again for fear he’d think she really was some psycho stalker chick.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why had she expected to be more like one of those dumb girls who call that radio show in Phoenix wanting a “Second Date Update.” When the caller explained the circumstances of her amazing date and strong connection with the guy she’d slept with, everyone knows there was no first date to begin with, only a hookup.
Only, this wasn’t even a hookup or dating scenario. Just two random chance meetings, a little B&E, and one incredibly hot, soul-searching kiss. Thanks to the MIA Mr. Anderson and her own overactive fantasies, Kate’s vibrator worked overtime. Hell, she was surprised the damn thing wasn’t billowing black smoke by now. Grant Anderson had gotten exactly what he’d wanted—to be left alone.
Bitterness swelled deep in her chest and she blinked back inexplicable tears. Ever since switching her birth control pills, her hormones seemed to be in overdrive lately. The timer buzzed, reminding her of the spaghetti she’d put on to boil. Barefoot, she padded into her kitchen and opened a bottle of her favorite red to let it breathe on the counter while she turned off the burners on the stove, having lost her appetite. Maybe she’d put in a depressing movie and cry to her little heart’s content. She poured herself a generous portion of cabernet and shrugged. At least that would give her an excuse to give in to the waterworks that threatened to smear her makeup and make her nose red and puffy.
Kate lifted the rim to her lips and sipped the smooth burgundy, allowing the liquid courage to warm her belly straight down to her toes. She sighed. A hundred dollar bottle of Ahnfeldt’s red would never let her down. Her lips quirked, but her heart squeezed with fresh loneliness.
“Why am I being so ridiculous right now?” she asked the empty condo, her words echoing off the high ceiling. Wine in hand, she paced her living room and pondered the unanswered question, aware of an acute depression threatening to take hold. Maybe she needed to go out on the town with friends, meet new people?
Her cell phone chimed with an incoming text. Welcoming the distraction, she flopped down on the couch and picked up her cellphone from the coffee table, frowning at the display. Just great. A wrong number.
5:45 PM: Unknown: Busy?
5:45 PM: Kate: Depends. Who’s asking?
5:46 PM: Unknown: Oh, right. Sorry. It’s Grant.
Kate stared hard at the screen for several minutes, heart pounding between her ears. Of course it was, she thought, a smile curving her lips. No text shorthand or emojis, just direct and to the point.
5:49 PM: Unknown: You still there?
5:49 PM: Kate: Yes.
5:50 PM: Unknown: Can I come in?
In? In where? The doorbell rang and she jumped, nearly spilling her wine. No fucking way. Kate shook her head in denial. There was absolutely no way this could be happening right now.
The bell chimed once more. Heart pounding, she set her glass on the coffee table and went over to the door, peeking through the peephole. Oh, shit! She gasped and looked again. No fucking way! she thought once more, shocked straight to her core. Yes there Grant was, standing tall and confident a few feet away. She turned and leaned her back against the door, unsure what to do. Let him in? Tell him to go away?
Don’t be ridiculous. Hadn’t you just been sitting on the couch boo hooing your sad little life because you hadn’t seen him?
Kate reached for the doorknob and froze, glancing down at herself. Oh, hell no! No way was she opening the door looking like this. “Umm… just a minute,” she called.
She rushed to the bathroom to check her appearance, hurriedly smoothing a few tangles from her hair with her hairbrush, and adding a bit of her favorite cherry gloss to her lips. She eyed her sweatpants and oversized Diamondback baseball T-shirt critically. Should she change?
The buzzer sounded again, this time followed by a series of short knocks.
Eek! No time. What if he left? Oh God, he would leave, too. Panic gripped her. Kate rushed back to the living room, chest heaving. Gripping the doorknob, she gulped in deep steadying breaths.
“Act natural,” she murmured.
Spine straight, she opened the door with a bravado she didn’t possess. The object of her obsession stood looking all hot and sexy in a navy suit, red tie, and crisp white shirt holding a cell phone in the palm of his hand and his other hand was behind his back. His chestnut curls tamed and slicked back from a recent shower. His yummy aftershave wafted between them, turning her insides to mush. Her legs trembled. She gripped the doorknob tight to keep herself upright.
When her traitorous heart skipped several beats and stuttered beneath her breast, she nearly swore out loud. Damn her weak knees and severe reaction to this man. Their eyes met and a shiver coursed through her body. Holy shit! He was just as hot as she remembered. Those dark-blue eyes, angled cheekbones, and full lips were the same as the ones that’d been haunting her both her waking and sleeping fantasies lately.
“Hi,” she finally managed after she’d found her voice. She sounded all out of breath and she could’ve kicked herself in the ass. Kate stood straighter and found the courage to meet his gaze just in time to catch him checking her out but she couldn’t read his expression. God, she’d wished she’d had time to change. The silence stretched out between them. Her palms grew sweaty, loosening her grip on the doorknob.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked. Need a cup of sugar? Spice? And me all wrapped up nice? She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from rattling off her wayward thoughts. Oh, Lordy, was she weak when it came to this one man. Never in her life had she had an attraction that tugged at her like this.
“Umm, yes. Hi. Sorry for the intrusion,” he said. He leaned toward her a bit and sniffed the air, revealing the bouquet o
f white long-stemmed roses he’d held behind his back. “What is that wonderful smell?”
A tiny well of hope sprang to life as she gazed at the flowers. “Spaghetti.” She’d be damned after a torturous week of silence and sleeplessness nights if she’d make this easy for him. “Did you need something,” she repeated adding, “Mr. Anderson?”
His attention snapped back to her face. He swiped a hand through his hair mussing the damp strands sexily and swore under his breath. “Shit. We are back to formalities. Guess I deserve that.” He hesitated a fraction of a second, turned as if to go back to his own condo, then faced her once more. “Can I come in? You have every right to be pissed at me and if you say no, I’ll understand.”
Kate searched his face. There were shadows under his eyes and that inherent sadness she’d first glimpsed in him once she’d settled him into the exam room was back. Her heart squeezed. She stood back and allowed him entry. Closing the door with a soft click, she leaned against it for support.
“No, I’m not mad—” she began.
“I’m so sorry, to intrude—” he said.
They both stared at each other then laughed, the awkwardness of the moment melting away.
Grant handed her the flowers. “These are for you,” he said, loosening his tie. “I wanted to apologize for being a complete asshole from the moment we met. I thought I’d take you out to dinner and explain, but it looks like you’re dining in.”