by Unknown
"Only getting started." He knelt beside the bed and grabbed my knees, pulling me closer to the edge before spreading my legs. Sparks ran up my thighs, and I arched against the bed, though he hadn’t touched me yet. But I knew what he was thinking as he smirked at me and hitched up my dress, displaying my underwear.
He had an insatiable appetite. He tugged at my panties, and I lifted my ass so he could pull them off, but he inched them down only enough to bare my pubis before he planted a kiss on my knee. "You want my mouth on your pussy don’t you?"
I nodded, and he lowered his lips to my other knee and slid his hand half way up the inside of my thigh. A groan escaped through parted lips, my pussy clenching with anticipation that sharpened the ache. He trailed his mouth over the skin below his hand and then continued on the other side. Each kiss rocketed to my clit, pushing my need for him to touch me there. His rough stubble against my thighs and the damp spots his tongue left made me wetter. I rolled my hips. "Please Drake, stop teasing me."
Murmuring something against my skin, he grasped my legs, holding them still while his mouth moved inch-by-inch closer to where I needed him to go. I grabbed his hair and tugged at him to no avail. Instead of bringing him closer, he pulled back and tortured me more. The flick of his tongue over the crease between thigh and pussy made me cry out with need. My panties yielded to his fingers, ripped from my body in haste. So close now. He kissed my hood, and I could feel him grinning against my thighs. "I’m going to fucking devour your sweet pussy, darlin’. I’ll never get enough of you."
His tongue flicked over my slit in a sensual caress that had me writhing. Over and over, he slid his tongue against my swollen folds, dipping between them to taste me as I arched into his mouth. Pushing his tongue deeper inside me but never enough to ease the heat he created.
He leaned back on his heels and pushed two fingers into my core. "You’re so wet."
I wriggled and tried to pull him deeper into me.
"Want more, do you?" He slid another in and began to fuck me slowly. His tongue worked my clit, turning my whimpers into begging. Moving slowly, he made me feel every moment of his torture while I sobbed for release. The intensity fractured through me, filling every part of my being as I shattered, my pussy contracting around his fingers as he pulled my orgasm from me.
He climbed up beside me and pulled me against him. "Watching you cum is the highlight of my day."
I trailed my nails over the bulge in his pants. "Don’t think I’m not going to get you back."
He snorted. "I know you will, darlin’, I know you will."
My muscles liquid, I snuggled into him waiting to recover enough to continue what he had started.
"Shower?" He kissed the top of my head. "And then, I’m going to crawl inside you and fuck you all over again."
Even sated, his words stirred the neediness he’d created in me. Would his voice and his touch ever stop having that effect on me? I nodded and let him pull me into the bathroom.
He turned the shower on and dragged my dress up over my thighs. I lifted my arms, and he pulled it over my head and tossed it. Steam filled the bathroom, settling over the mirror and the glass walls of the double shower. He turned me in his arms and undid my bra, letting it fall to the floor. Palming my tits, he kissed my shoulder. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"
I leaned back against him. I was too skinny, my ribs jutting from my skin, my boobs small but perky.
Turning me to face him again, he lifted me onto the counter before he shed his own clothes. "My beautiful Birdie. I’m never letting you go."
And you’re mine. It was the first time I’d thought of him as mine, as belonging to me, and my stomach fluttered. He wasn’t the kind of man who could be owned, could he? He confused me and made me feel things I had never expected to feel. I wanted to believe he was mine and let that be enough.
He picked me up, and I could feel his erection against my pelvis as he walked into the shower. The water was hot and hard, kneading my already relaxed muscles. Pressing me against the shower wall, he squirted soap into his hand and began to massage it over my skin. I grabbed the bottle and poured some into my hand. The soap foamed as I explored his chest, covering his tattoos. Words ran across his pecs, and I couldn’t work out what language they were in, but it seemed from how close they were to his heart that they would be important. "What does this say?" I asked, running my hand over the word.
He glanced down at his chest and then stared at me, the skin around his eyes bunched as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was quick, that pain that lanced across his features, but I caught it and knew he wasn’t going to answer my question. The smile he forced didn’t quite reach his eyes before he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "It says I’m going to fuck you against this wall here."
They didn’t, but he needed a distraction, whether to keep me from asking questions or from thinking about it. It didn’t matter which. Knotting my fingers in his hair, I pulled his mouth down to mine while he pushed inside me. He gripped my ass, sliding me over him as he pumped into me seeking what he needed. His need for me, his desire set me alight. Nipping my shoulder, he groaned as he came, and I knew out of all the times we’d had sex this one was my favorite. I slipped down his body, and he turned the water off as I grabbed the towels from the rail and handed him one. My lips were swollen from his kisses, my core so sensitive I would be walking funny for days, but he’d fucked me like he needed me, and for the first time not the other way around. Our gazes locked on each other while we dried off, and he pressed tender lingering kisses to my lips and temple. "Stay?"
I nodded. I would be here as long as he needed me to be.
Chapter Fourteen
Drake
I sat on the bed beside her. Her hair splayed over her face, and I itched to push it out of the way, but I wanted to gaze at her without her seeing me. Once she opened those beautiful eyes, I’d be pulled in to her gaze and unable to drink her all in.
God, she was in my veins. She was a natural high that made me crave more of her with each hit I took. I ran my palm over the thin sheet she’d managed to tangle around her, and I smiled at how this tiny girl had the balls to push into my life the way she did. "Birdie?"
She moaned and rolled onto her back as she stretched her arms over her head. Arms she wrapped around my neck to pull me into a kiss that left me wanting to climb back into bed with her. Our tongues tangled in an intimate slow dance, and I pressed my chest to hers, my hands gripping her sides as she moved to fit her curves to my body. I groaned, and she beamed up at me. Her voice was husky. "Good morning."
I was coming home.
The thought jolted me, and I sat up on the edge of the bed. She couldn’t be home for me. Home was something I’d had with… Hailey, and it had been stolen from me. I rubbed the back of my neck. Even if I wanted… "I have to go into work. I don’t know when I’ll be finished so I’m not going to be able to get you home. You can stay if you want."
She ran her fingernails down my arm. "I’ll get Mellie to pick me up. I have to go to work this afternoon too."
I struggled to pull my gaze to her face as I leaned over and brushed my lips over her brow. "I’ll call you when I get off."
I walked over to the nightstand and picked up my wallet and keys. She turned back onto her side and pulled my pillow into her arms, her cheek pressed into it, her eyes shining in the rays of light that penetrated the blinds. The warmth in my chest made it difficult to breathe. Turning my back on the glorious picture she made in my bed, I stalked toward the door. "Bye, darlin’."
The short ride to the hospital gave me time to think. It would be better for both of us if I held back as much as I could. That I wanted every inch of her, inside and out, for each second of time left in my god forsaken life made my stomach turn to rock. That I would choose to let go of Hailey, after all these years, made me feel sick and my throat close up. Could I put that part of my life behind me, for the woman who had broken through the pain and defenses
I’d built around myself? Even if I could, I was certain I wasn't a good enough man to be what she deserved.
Perhaps it would be better if I didn’t see her at all. I steeled my spine as I entered the ward and got swept away in the rhythm of the hospital.
***
Three days at work had kept me from calling her, but not from thinking of her. She snuck in at the most inopportune times, making me think I saw her turning the corner in front of me, or I would hear her voice and follow it only to find it wasn’t her. Exhaustion messed with my ability to shut her out. I’d be fine once I had time away from the hospital. I just needed to stop in and check on the baby I’d delivered this morning, and then I was out of here. Striding down the corridor, I caught a glimpse of her. Rubbing a hand over my face, I did a double take. Birdie walked around the corner, and I sped up to catch up with her. Three days had left me jonesing for her, and I couldn’t stop my body from responding to my need for her. The fact that I couldn’t let her go slapped me in the face.
The apple smell of her perfume hit me, and I breathed it in like oxygen. My lungs ached as though I hadn’t breathed in days. I’d been kidding myself thinking I could stay away. Glances down both ends of the corridor yielded no sign of her. I was so certain she’d been right in front of me. Pushing open the door to the nursery, I glanced around. She was near the first row of cribs, her back turned to me. With a grin I rushed up behind her. Hannah had gone home this morning so she had to be here to see me. "Hey, darlin’, couldn’t stay away?"
She turned, and I froze. The woman gazed at me as I stared at her. A slight frown marked her features. "Sorry," I mumbled as I took a step away from her.
How had I thought it was her? They looked nothing alike. As I rushed out of the nursery I checked my phone, my heart dipping when I realized she hadn’t tried to contact me in three days either. I could feel my pulse in my ears, my mind filled with her, the taste of her skin, the smell of her hair, and that tiny smile she threw in my direction whenever she thought I wasn’t looking.
Slumped against the wall, I tried to shake off the insanity that gripped me. All I had to do was check on one more patient, and I’d call her. I stood up straight and took a deep breath before I re-entered the nursery. Humidicrib row's newest arrival's chart looked perfect and his monitors showed the appropriate data. Hanging the chart back on its hook, I made my way to the locker room to change.
Come over. I need to see you. Focused on texting her, I made my way blindly to my motorcycle. She didn’t reply, and I grinned as I climbed on the bike. That had to mean she was already on her way. I kicked the bike to life under me and roared out of the parking space. She was an addiction I couldn’t beat, and I’d be damned if I wanted to.
I’d pictured her waiting for me at my door, and I scowled when I got out of the lift to find she wasn't there. Letting myself in, I checked my phone before tossing it on the bed on my way to the shower. She couldn’t be far away.
Stepping out from under the water, I heard the knock on the door I had been waiting for. Heat suffused me, bringing with it a sense of calm as I grabbed a towel. Winding it around my hips, I went to answer the door. My cock stirred at being mere seconds from having her where I wanted her. Slack jawed; I almost dropped the towel that hid my arousal. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Louisa blinked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Do you always greet your visitors in a towel?"
"No." I tucked the towel securely around my waist as she pushed past me. Following her, I shut the door behind us. "What are you doing here? How did you figure out where I live?"
She waved a hand. "That was easy. There aren’t that many Doctor Barclay’s in Reverence."
I waited for her to continue. Birdie would be here any minute, and I wasn’t ready for the two women to get to know each other. There was more I needed to tell Birdie before I could deal with her getting involved with my past.
Louisa plunked her bag down on the counter and lifted herself onto a stool. Crossing her legs, she swung one sandaled foot. "We need you to come home, Drake."
"What do you mean?" My heart thudded in my chest as my gaze narrowed in on her.
"It’s been ten years." She studied her nails and dropped her voice to almost a whisper. "Almost ten years."
"I know how long it’s been." I growled as I stalked around the counter to face her. "I’ll never forget."
She gazed up at me and her shoulders sagged. "I know you won’t."
I pressed my palms against the counter. "I can’t come home, Louisa. I don’t belong there anymore."
She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "We miss you. Your family misses you. Hell, I miss you."
Pain lanced through me as I envisioned my mother’s face the day I left. The sad note in her voice was present in every phone call, and yet I still couldn’t bring myself to go home to see them. "Maybe one day."
She pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it to me. "Maybe on the nineteenth. My parents… they want you to come."
The nineteenth was scorched into my brain and always would be. I didn’t need to open the envelope to know what I’d find inside. Dropping it on the counter, I shook my head. "I don’t think I can."
"Well…" She stood up and shouldered her bag. "... I hope you change your mind."
I walked her to the door, opening it for her to step out into the corridor. She fidgeted for a moment while she looked for her keys, and I leaned against the door frame. "So you and that girl?"
"It’s something."
"Good." She smiled, her eyes watery. "Have you told her everything?"
"Not yet."
"Don’t hold off too long."
She was right.
I leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Goodbye, Lou."
Birdie
I paced the living room as I stared at the screen on my phone. His message taunted me. Come over. I need to see you.
Once I’d gotten home, I’d started thinking about all the things he wasn’t telling me. When I was with him it was easy to forget we had secrets, but alone they crowded my mind, a crippling cocktail of anxiety, curiosity, and what ifs.
I’d considered multiple options before I realized I was falling for him, which left me with only two. I’d tell him my secrets, and he’d tell me his, and we’d find a way to get past it, or I could ignore him. Grabbing my bag, I tossed my phone into it before stalking out the front door. Ignoring him wasn’t working for me at all. A five-minute drive, and I’d be where I wanted to be, beneath him.
Mind racing, I tapped my foot as I rode the elevator up. What if I couldn’t get the words out? What if he realized I was falling for him and turned me away? My heart pounded. It was too soon to call these things I was feeling love, but they were something. The elevator settled and the doors slid open. Stepping forward, I peeked into the hallway and halted with my hand reaching for the door. A bitter taste filled my mouth, my stomach heaving, and my head swimming. I swallowed it down, but it wasn’t my stomach in my throat. My heart slammed, cracking as it leapt into my throat. One hand clutched to my chest, the door bumped against my other hand as it tried to close.
Sinking back into the elevator, I stared at him. A towel covered his hips and water droplets clung to his skin and hair. He was leaning against the wall on one elbow as he rubbed the back of his neck. But it wasn’t his state of undress that made me shrink back into the elevator. It was her. The woman from the restaurant in Carlton - Louisa.
Her hand rested on his bicep as she gazed up at him like I had so many times. She said something I couldn’t hear, and he put his arm around her. They were mere inches apart, and he closed the distance between them. He was going to kiss her.
Letting the doors shut on the scene in front of me, I squeezed my eyes shut. I jabbed at the buttons blindly until the elevator shifted and then slumped against the wall. Tears dripped down my nose. I brushed at them. What the hell was I crying about? What had I expected, really? That he was mine? That he needed me? Stupid girl.
My phone beeped and I grabbed it to see his message on the screen. Where are you, darlin’?
I wanted to throw my phone. Darlin’. I heard it in my head the way he said it, like it was a dirty word, a sensual word. Did he call her darlin' too? I would never be able to hear that word again and not think of him.
Had he wanted me to see him with her? Was that why he’d asked me to come over? Well, mission accomplished. I tossed my phone into my bag. Had he been fucking her while he’d been…? Shit! I snatched my phone back up and punched in numbers. "I need an appointment with Doctor Hanley."
The receptionist asked my name. "Lance, Birdie."
I flicked my fingernails together as I waited for her to give me a time.
I checked my watch. "I’ll be there."
I switched off my phone as the elevator doors opened and stepped out into the bustle of a world that went on regardless of the fact mine seemed to have stopped. Wandering the pavement, I bought coffee from a cart as I made my way to the doctor’s office. How could I have let him get so under my skin that I'd forgotten to be careful? I had, I guess, expected that since he was a doctor he would be clean, but if he’d been sleeping with her, then… I didn’t want to think about the ramifications of my decision to let him into my life. Fingers crossed, I stumbled into the doctor's office.
***
I pushed through the front door and stumbled into my bedroom. The doctor had told me to call in three days for my results. Those three days were going to last an eternity. I groaned as I threw myself down on the bed and pulled the blanket over my head. I’d expected this, hadn’t I? It was inevitable, wasn’t it? I’d gone into this with my eyes wide open, knowing that sooner or later it would end. But I hadn’t expected to find myself obsessing over whether my health was at risk, and I hadn’t expected to feel the way I did when I saw him with her.