by Reece Butler
A draft? From where?
Footsteps marched down the hall toward the room. Brisk footsteps. The door opened before she could react. Brenda took it all it with one sweeping glance. She grinned at Eric, then switched to her boss.
“I see you got the research project going, Doctor Meshevski. From the flush on your face, I’d say Eric did a decent job. Or did he pass out before you came? If so, I’ll help you do something nasty to him. Maybe a needle in the ass, like I did to Simon.”
Another wave of heat flowed over Nikki’s upper body. “Um, no need for that.” The two of them shared a look. Brenda snickered first, but Nikki wasn’t far behind.
“So, it was good?”
“Oh, my,” replied Nikki with a shuddering sigh. “I had no idea.”
“You’ve got a couple of weeks to jump his bones before he leaves.” Brenda grabbed a can of disinfectant. She sprayed the room liberally. “This should cover up the distinctive aroma of hot, mutually satisfying sex. Did you put the condom in the incinerator so it wouldn’t be found?”
“Condom?” All the air left Nikki’s lungs in a whoosh. She slumped into the visitor chair. “I hoped no one would find that out.”
Brenda looked from Eric, to Nikki. “You’re a doctor, yet you didn’t use a condom?”
Nikki ruefully shook her head. “I didn’t think. It all happened so fast—”
“You’ve given that lecture so many times I bet you could say it backwards. And didn’t you tell your sister off for using expired condoms? She got pregnant, which is fine, since she’s married now.” She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “If you get pregnant, will you marry Matt?”
“Matt? All I’ve done is dance with him. Once! Why would I marry him?”
Brenda set the can down and crossed her arms. “Because Eric said he was never going to marry and settle down, while Matt wants a wife and children.”
Nikki pressed her fist over her heart when it spasmed from dread. She shook her head violently.
“I’m not going to be anyone’s wife. Ever. I like my job.”
“Even if you created a baby with the gorgeous man snoring on that table?” demanded Brenda. “There’s no way Matt would let a Frost child be raised without a father or two.”
Getting pregnant wasn’t a total nightmare. Being forced to marry because of it was.
“What am I going to do?” she whispered.
“Oh, hon.” Brenda moved behind and rested her hands on Nikki’s shoulders. She squeezed reassuringly. “First, there’s not much chance of getting pregnant your first time.”
“I’m at the peak of my cycle.”
“Okaaay, so you might get pregnant. Are you going to tell Eric you two had sex?”
“What?” She turned to look at Brenda. “Eric didn’t do…this…in his sleep.” Her face heated at the reminder of what he’d done while very much awake. “He even has plans for—” She broke off before she said something really embarrassing. “For another time.”
“The last time Eric got stinking drunk was twenty years ago,” explained Brenda. “He and Max had a rip-roaring fight after a rodeo a couple of hours away from here. Max drove home with Eric riding shotgun, passed out. Eric couldn’t remember anything from about six hours before he started drinking until Max hauled him out and dumped him on the dirt. They were both cut and bruised, but Eric was far worse. He doesn’t remember anything and Max refuses to say.” A noise from the bed made them both turn. Eric’s long, narrow foot twitched like a dog dreaming of chasing rabbits. “There’s a very good chance he’ll have no idea in the morning that he rang your chimes today.”
Eric’s cock—and tongue and fingers—had made her sing. She’d enjoyed every single second of it, had already made mental plans to repeat some and expand on other parts, yet he wouldn’t remember a thing?
“Do you want him to know about the unprotected sex, or would you rather keep it secret?” asked Brenda. “No one else need know what just went on here. Unless you have a baby. The Frost men breed true, so any child will look just like Eric. Or Matt,” she quickly added. “He’d marry you in an instant even without knowing you were carrying Eric’s baby. Once he discovered it, you’d be hauled in front of Judge Gibson before you could pack a bag and run.”
“Run? I promised to take care of this town, and no one is going to force me out.”
“What if you’re pregnant?”
After what they went through growing up, she and Marci had vowed never to be single parents. But unlike their mother, Nikki had a profession that paid very well. Her child would never go hungry, be forced to wear hand-me-downs, or be hauled away in the night because there was too much month left to both pay food and rent. Her baby would never feel daily humiliation and shame.
“There’s lots of single mothers these days,” Nikki replied briskly. “I’ve got a good job. I can afford care for my child. Maybe I’ll take in another single mom to run my home. She could be a full-time nanny and housekeeper.”
Nikki rested her hand on her flat belly. No matter how much she’d insisted she’d never be a mother due to her career, deep down she’d always craved her own child. She wanted someone to love, and to provide with everything she’d been denied as a child. She could give this baby security, comfort, and a sense of self-confidence. Thanks to Marci and her husbands, and everyone else in the valley, her baby would have lots of relatives. Her child would never feel alone in the world with no one to protect or guide them.
Nikki gave herself a mental shake. She’d gone from virgin to potential mother in fifteen minutes. She still glowed from the sex—she wouldn’t call it lovemaking. There was only a small chance of a baby. It could be six weeks before she’d know for sure, and Eric would be long gone before then. From what Brenda implied, unless she chose to tell him, he’d never know what they’d done. Unless their gametes had already formed a zygote. In that case, if those cells kept dividing, she’d be a mother in nine months.
But what were the chances of that? That was not something she wanted to think about. Not when she looked at the huge man on the bed. Her nipples rose at the sight. As long as she used protection from now on, they could have a very good time before he left. Having tasted the fruit from the Garden of Eden, she wanted another bite. No, she wanted to gorge herself!
“That barn door already closed behind the horse,” said Brenda, gesturing at Eric. “Nothing we can do now but dispose of this carcass before it starts to rot.”
“Rot?”
“You’ve never lived with males, have you?” Nikki shook her head. Brenda rolled her eyes. “I had two fathers, a couple of grandfathers, and too many brothers and cousins to count. Trust me, males who’ve been drinking start expelling gas after a few hours. I’d rather it fill Max’s jail cell than our clinic.”
“Jail?”
Brenda hauled up the barrier on the nearest side of the bed. It slammed, echoing through the room. Eric jerked, but didn’t wake.
“Yep, sleeping beauty here is going to jail, just like anyone else who gets drunk and causes a disturbance.” She snapped up the barrier on the other side of the bed. “Shall we tell Max that you brought Eric here to check on him, and he fell asleep on you?”
Nikki’s brain was so scrambled that she hadn’t gotten that far yet. Just looking at Eric caused a physical reaction in her. She crossed her arms to hide her budding nipples. Brenda gave her an appraising look.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to stop your blush when you see Eric again. But since he’ll be checking you out as well, it’ll look like you’re shy.”
That was another good idea. Nikki got a few brain cells to work. “I’ll avoid him, so he has to track me down.”
“Now why would you want to do that?”
“So he thinks it’s all his idea?”
She didn’t like the way Brenda narrowed her eyes, but her friend turned away before Nikki could ask why. They shoved a pillow between Eric’s bent knees, and another at his back.
“That shou
ld keep him in place,” said the ever-efficient nurse.
The thump of approaching heavy footsteps made Nikki whirl around. “You didn’t lock the door?”
“Don’t worry,” said Brenda calmly, “that’ll be Max. When we saw you two were gone from the park I said you likely brought Eric here to treat him. Max said he’d finish his celebratory drink before coming over.”
Sheriff Max Gibson stepped into the room. Though he was in jeans rather than his uniform, he radiated power. He resembled Eric when he threatened her with a spanking. Only, Max didn’t make her body melt. His eyes swept the room, taking in the snoring man, his sister, Nikki, and likely everything else. Unfortunately, he was a trained observer. He scowled, though it was at Eric.
“He’d better wake up. I’m not carrying him.” His demeanor suddenly changed to that of an eager trickster. “I’ll round up a posse to haul his ass into jail. They’ll charge him a few rounds of drinks for the effort.”
His eyes flicked over Nikki, then moved to Brenda. “You might as well bring the doc to her new place so she can settle in.”
Max dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a house key. “This will get you in the front door, Doc.”
Brenda snatched the key before Nikki could react. She kept her arms over her chest, more to stop Max from seeing her hands shaking than anything. Marci had been terrified of the sheriff, thinking he’d know about her past and put her in jail. She was still a bit leery of him even though she was cleared of all doubt.
Like his sister, Max was known to keep his mouth shut. Unfortunately he could put two and two together and know they should add up to more than four. He wouldn’t stop looking until he found the correct answer to whatever problem lay before him. There was no way he’d miss what had happened in this room.
“I’ll take you over,” said Brenda. “Soon you’ll be sinking into a tub of hot water. That should help.”
Max’s knowing chuckle confirmed he knew what his sister meant. Another wave of embarrassment made Nikki’s ears burn. Max saw and gave her a wink. She lifted her chin, refusing to appear cowed.
She’d finally found a man who rang her chimes, and he wouldn’t even remember the deed. Should she tell him, or not? There was no doubt she’d see him around town for the next few weeks. From his instant reaction to her, she figured he’d be interested in pursuing her. What if she pretended nothing had happened and let him try to seduce her? She could enjoy the process while anticipating the result.
Or, for once in her life, she could go after what she wanted.
It was more than an unclothed pussy that brought a thrum of need between her legs as she walked. She wouldn’t play hard to get. She only had a couple of weeks before he’d be gone again. She needed to cram all the hot sex she could in that time.
Leaving Max to handle Eric, she followed Brenda out of the room. “I’ll follow you in a minute,” she said, and hurried to her office.
She went to her desk. The bottom drawer contained her samples. She’d recently received a box of condoms designed for men who were extra large. She stuffed them in her coat pocket. She grabbed the suitcase of spare clothes she kept in case of emergency and, head high, followed Brenda.
First she’d have a hot soak in a long bathtub to reduce her aches. Then she’d crawl into the first bed in a long time where her feet didn’t hang off the end. In the morning she’d move in her clothes, even the ones she’d stored with Brenda because there was no room in the apartment.
Somewhere she had a box of sexy clothing that she hadn’t thought she’d need in a place like Climax. Growing up with nothing, she held onto things if they could be useful. There was a time she’d tried to catch men’s eyes. She often succeeded until she stood up, or barked out an order. But Eric had already seen her in her doctor mode, and it didn’t faze him at all. She’d put on her vamp act and see if it ensnared him.
Eric Frost wouldn’t know what hit him.
Ten minutes later Nikki followed Brenda into her new home. It felt welcoming, with tall white baseboards and crown molding around the ceilings just like she’d seen in photos of Victorian homes.
The downstairs looked like a busy family had lived there, then taken everything with them. There wasn’t much furniture other than a couple of couches, lamps, and filled bookshelves. No photographs or personal items adorned the walls, nor was there any decoration. While it was clean and neat, small scuff marks on the walls and nicks on the corners showed where children, or busy adults, had cut too close. It was the type of home that she, and Marci, had dreamed about while sharing a two-bedroom single-wide trailer.
“Here’s what you need,” said Brenda.
Nikki stepped past her, and then stopped. She gaped at the size of the bed. It was bigger than a king. The dark green spread looked the size of a basketball court compared to the too-short, too-narrow cot she’d been enduring. A thick, round post rose from each corner of the bed. It looked like they were bolted to the floor and the ceiling. Did the owner get so much activity that he had to make sure it didn’t slam against the wall?
“Wait until you see the bathroom!” Brenda gave a flourish as if she was a TV game show hostess inviting Nikki to enter a stage full of prizes. “This used to be a four-bedroom house but the new owner turned one into this spa. What do you think?”
To her left was a counter with two sinks and lots of drawers. Giant mirrors were centered over each sink. The low wall at the far end must hide the commode. To her right, behind the door, was a floor-to-ceiling cupboard. Past that was a humungous shower. At the far end was a deep, long tub.
“That must be six feet long.” Nikki’s feet propelled her toward the tub. She looked down. “Oh, and the back slopes so you can relax in it!”
“Want me to help you pack your things and move them over tomorrow?”
“Are you sure the owner won’t mind me living here?”
Brenda shook her head. “Remember the Dickson family, and little Amanda?”
She nodded. “The little girl with heart problems. That foundation Marci’s starting will help them with her expenses.”
“When Amanda’s parents realized they had to live right near the hospital in Missoula to keep Amanda alive, someone with money bought this place. They paid top price, no questions asked. Otherwise the Dicksons would never be able to afford a home in the city.”
“But, it’s so clean.” Nikki opened the cupboard, finding stacks of thick bath and hand towels, as well as face cloths. “And look, there’s new toothbrushes and soaps in here.”
“You’re not the first person to stay here thanks to the owner.”
“Who is it?”
“Sorry, can’t tell you.”
“They want to be anonymous, like Marci’s foundation?”
“Something like that.”
The faint warning of suspicion warred with the thought of a bed Nikki could spread out in, a tub where she could straighten her legs, and a shower with water coming down on her head rather than her chest.
She could actually have enough space to get clean, and to sleep.
“Fine, I’ll take it. But I feel like I should pay someone.”
“You put in enough hours to make up for it already.” Brenda beckoned her forward. “You start the tub. I’ll let myself out.”
Chapter Twelve
“How’s Eric?”
Max glanced over the top of his glasses. He’d been reading reports at his desk when Brenda waltzed in. “Awake and pacing like a caged bear.”
His little sister had that look on her face that meant she knew something, and Max had a good idea what. He wasn’t blind and didn’t have a cold so all his senses worked fine. He’d seen the can of disinfectant with the lid off. A quick spray did not cover the evidence of sex.
He’d never seen Nikki rattled, but when he walked into the clinic her shirt was buttoned wrong, hair mussed, lips swollen, and there were creases in her skirt. When he’d hauled Eric to his feet, the man had glanced at his front
pocket. A scrap of red lace stuck out. Eric had flashed a satisfied grin and stuffed the scrap deeper with his fingers.
That was the second hint Max had that the good doctor had a wild side under her professional exterior. He’d seen the way Matt and Nikki melted together when they danced. Matt had held her as if he never wanted to let her go. She’d been the same. When Matt took off to get Eric, Nikki had looked for him. Others may not have noticed, but little went on in his town without him knowing the wherefore and the why.
“Eric still fighting to stay awake?” Brenda exhaled when Max nodded. “You think he’ll forget everything when he finally crashes?”
He didn’t hazard a guess. At eighteen, Eric had blacked out after a very stressful evening. If Max hadn’t hauled him off, he might have killed the guy. But that night was nothing like their enjoyable fight.
“He’ll sleep after supper, and we’ll find out in the morning.”
“That’s right, food knocks him out,” mused Brenda. She snickered. “Remember the party the Elliotts had that last weekend in June? Susie wanted him to think they’d finally done the deed so he’d propose. She even baked his favorite strawberry-rhubarb pie.”
“I got a piece before he took the rest home. I told Ellie to get the recipe.” Max rubbed his flat belly, thinking of his wife’s annual birthday treat. “Hope there’s enough wild strawberries for a dozen pies.”
“I’ll bring my buttermilk-fried chicken to the party. You’ll be what, thirty-seven? Or should I say forty-seven?”
Max ignored the sisterly jab. She’d had a hissy fit last year when she turned thirty-five. He, Jack, and Ellie took the kids so Brenda and Derek could have a long weekend of fun. Brenda came back with a satisfied smile while Derek strutted like a rooster for weeks.
Max tilted his office chair on its back legs. “How’s the doc?” He gave Brenda a look he’d been perfecting since he realized how well it worked for their father on his teenage friends.