“Thank you.” I needed the help at that moment. My head wasn’t in the game after my unexpected reminder of my past.
She picked up more empties as she walked around with me. “He wasn’t in his element here. He wanted to be back home with his son, who he said is out of town right now. I didn’t spot a ring on his finger, and he even said he wasn’t married, but my bets are that he is. Maybe he just didn’t want it getting back to the old ball and chain that he was out, I bet.”
“He’s got a son?” I felt that stab of jealousy again.
“That’s what he said. And when I offered to liven up his night while on break, he didn’t take me up on it.” She placed the empties on the bar as I got behind it to load them in the washer while spouting out what I needed to Patrick.
“Liven up his night, huh?” I mumbled. I knew what that meant. Taylor was still as forward as she’d always been. I should’ve expected as much. “It would please me very much, if you ever see him again, if you don’t offer him any of your favors, Taylor. He’s special to me in a way.”
“Wait a minute.” She stared a hole in me. “Is he?”
I didn’t want a soul to know that Kane was the father of the boy I’d given up. “No. That’s not him. He was just this guy who I messed around with once, that’s all. And if you and he did anything, it would upset me.” The lie came out so easily that it scared me.
“I see.” She didn’t seem completely sure of what I’d said. “He wasn’t into me anyway. And I doubt he’ll ever come in here again.”
I prayed he wouldn’t. “That would be nice. If he is married with kids, then I don’t really want to know that anyway.”
“I don’t see why not.” Taylor took one of the trays full of drinks while I took the other.
Going to serve the drinks, I said, “It’s just better to leave him the way he’s been in my memories all these years. Single, young, and still hot as hell.”
Placing the girls’ drinks on the table, I felt the tray slipping on the palm of my hand. “Oh, shit!” one of them shouted as she shot up to get out of the way.
Three of the glasses hit the table, splashing liquid and shards of glass everywhere. It all happened so fast that it stunned me. Taylor pointed at me. “Your hand!”
Looking down, I found a few small cuts and one big one on my palm. Blood poured from it. My head went light, and then all I saw was black.
“Hey, wake up, Zandy,” Taylor’s voice came to me. There wasn’t any noise in the background, so I had no idea where I was.
Opening my eyes, I saw Taylor and Rob looking down at me. “What happened?”
“You fainted when you saw the blood,” Taylor told me.
“You should go get stitches,” Rob added. “That’s a pretty deep cut. The club will pay the bill. Don’t worry about that.”
Picking up my left hand, I saw a white bar towel had been wrapped around it. There was only a little bit of pink color to it. “I’ll be okay.”
With a sigh, Rob walked away. “Well, I can’t make you go to the ER, but I can make you go home. See you on Monday. Hopefully with stitches on that hand.”
“You’re making me leave?” I sat up, then felt woozy, so I laid my head on the back of the sofa they’d put me on.
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Go home. Come back on Monday.”
Taylor looked a little concerned. “Do you need me to drive you?”
“Nah. I can make it.” I got up. It was easy to do when I thought about what kind of crap might be on Rob’s sofa. “I’ll see you at home later, Taylor. See you on Monday, boss.”
The ride home passed in a blur as all my thoughts were focused on one man.
Kane Price.
He was there. In Charleston. And he was most likely married. He also had a son—that much I knew for sure.
A son.
What would he do if I told him that he had more than one son? He had a son that I had had to give away. He had a son, and I had no idea where that son might be. He had a son, but I couldn’t tell him if that son was okay—because I didn’t know the answer to that myself.
No. If I ever did run into Kane, I would never tell him about the other son he had.
The apartment was dark as I walked in. I left it that way as I walked past the light switch, heading straight to my bedroom then to the attached bath. A nice bath would help soothe my sore hand and jagged nerves.
After putting a bandage on my hand, I soaked in the tub. And as I soaked, the memory of that night so long ago filled my mind …
“Hey, aren’t you in my chemistry class?” Kane asked me with a sexy grin on his gorgeous face. His dark blond hair hung in waves to his broad shoulders. His green eyes danced, making me weak in the knees.
“I am.” I looked away to find the girl I’d come to the party with. “Have you seen Ann around?”
“Nope.” His index finger trailed along my bare arm, leaving the oddest sensation behind. Heat mixed with cold—it was outstanding. And the way it made my bottom half pulse excited me.
“I should go look for her.” Slowly, I looked up at him, and his index finger moved up to trace a line along my jaw.
“Why?” he asked as he looked into my eyes. “What’s wrong with talking to me for a while?”
Everything.
“Nothing, I guess.” Shyly, I looked off to one side.
With just that one finger, he drew my head back to look at him. “I’ve always thought you were pretty, Zandra. Did you know that?”
I tried to speak past the shock clogging my throat. “How could I?” He’d never said more than a couple of words to me the whole time we’d been in high school together.
The smile he wore faded. “Yeah, how could you have known I thought that?” He brushed my hair back, away from my face. “I haven’t exactly been upfront with you, now have I?”
I shook my head. “No, you’ve never been upfront with me.” I had never been upfront with him, either. I’d had a crush on the guy since I was in seventh grade and he was in eighth.
“So now I’m being upfront.” His hand moved down to rest on my shoulder. “I like you.”
“You don’t know me, Kane.” I looked down at my feet, biting my lip. I wasn’t sure why that had come out of my mouth, but it had.
“Not well.” He nodded then leaned in close to whisper the rest. “But I’d like to.”
“I’d like that too.” I thought in that moment that I’d never like anything more than that.
When his lips touched mine, I felt my whole world change. No more shyness. No more inhibitions. Nothing.
When he ended the kiss, which had taken me away to a place I hadn’t known existed, he took me by the hand and led me up the stairs to a bedroom. I didn’t ask any questions; I just let him touch me, kiss me, make me crave him.
My clothes came off without me realizing it. Then his did too. Naked, we lay on the bed, facing each other. When he ran one hand between my breasts, over my stomach, down to my pulsing sex, my body became tense. “It’s okay, Zandra.” His lips pressed against mine again, our tongues tangled, and I let him explore me more intimately.
One finger slid into me, and I gasped at the odd feeling. It didn’t hurt at all, but it felt good—very good. I didn’t know anything could feel as good as his finger pumped into me over and over again. His thumb rolled in circles over my clit, which I could feel swelling with arousal.
My body heated as he played with it. Moans came out of my mouth involuntarily as he moved his finger inside of me. His lips left mine and he smiled at me. “Can I kiss you down there?” he whispered.
My body got even hotter, and I couldn’t believe what came out of my mouth. “Yes.” It was too late to take the word back, not that I wanted to, deep down.
Our eyes locked then a smile curved his lips. “You won’t be sorry, Zandra.” His eyes stayed on mine as he kissed one nipple then bit it playfully.
“Kane?” I bit my lower lip as I thought about what I was going to say.
“Yeah?” He w
ent back to nibbling my tit.
“I’m a virgin. I just wanted you to know that about me.” For some reason, shame filled me. I felt my cheeks go red with embarrassment.
Moving back up my body, his lips met mine again. “Thank you for telling me that.” He kissed the side of my neck as he played with one tit, guiding my body so I lay underneath him. “Do you want to give your virginity to me, Zandra?”
“I do.” I couldn’t believe what I’d said. But I meant it.
He made a sexy groan then bit my neck. “Good.”
Gripping his biceps, I arched up to him, feeling his hard dick press against my sex. I just wanted to feel it inside of me—feel him inside me. I couldn’t think of anything else.
“Easy, baby. I want to make sure this is something you’ll always remember with fondness.” He pulled his head up to look me in the eyes. “You just relax and let me do all the work, ’k?”
I nodded. “’K.”
His green eyes grew serious for a moment. “Should I use a condom?”
I shook my head. “No.”
One word was all it took to change my life. One damn word that would change me forever. What a goddamned fool I was.
Chapter 8
Kane
“Hello?” I sat up when I heard my cell go off. “Shit.” It was five in the morning, the Sunday after my night out, and even though I’d gone home relatively early, I was a bit out of it. Picking up the phone, I saw that it was another doctor from the hospital I worked at. “Hey, Jack. What’s up?”
“Me. With my sick daughter. She’s puking everywhere, and her mother’s out of town. I’ve got the day shift at the ER today, but I’m going to need to stay here to take care of her. Do you think you can go in for me today?”
“Yeah.” I was always one to help out others. “I’ll do it. You just take care of your little girl, Jack.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.” He hung up, and I rolled out of bed.
One hot shower, a cold blueberry muffin, and a hot cup of coffee later and I was on my way to the hospital. There weren’t any cars in the ER parking lot. Most Sundays were easy. I wasn’t worried about being swamped.
Heading in through the sliding glass door, I walked past the nurse’s station, calling out to the blonde who sat at the desk. “Buzz me in, please.”
“Good morning, Dr. Price. I thought Dr. Friday was scheduled for today,” she said just before I got to the door.
Grabbing the handle and pulling it open, I nodded. “Yeah, he was. His kid got sick, and he asked me to take this shift. How’s it been so far?”
“Quiet. A typical Sunday.” She went back to reading a book, and I went into the back.
An office had been set up for the doctors on duty. I went to it, using my key to open it. The smell of cleaning products stung my nose. I should’ve been used to it by now, but I didn’t think it’d ever be easier to smell. The scents were just so pungent.
Going straight to the coffee machine, I started up a pot before opening the computer to see what had happened the night before. “Gunshot. Stab wound. Rabies?” I had to look at that entry again. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”
Pulling up the results, I found that a man had come in with a bite from his pet bat.
Who the hell owns a pet bat?
I found there were a few patients who’d been admitted to the hospital for their conditions, and the man with possible rabies was one of them. I had to go meet this guy.
Heading out of the ER to go up to the rooms, I crossed paths with one of the men who worked in laundry as he was pushing his heavy cart along the hallway. “Hey, Gerald. How’s it going today?”
“It’s going, doc. How’re things with you?” He stopped as he got to the staff elevator. I decided to ride up with him.
“Well, I’m on my way up to see a man who was bitten by his own pet bat,” I answered after stepping on the elevator with him. “He’s worried about rabies.”
“No shit?” he laughed as he shook his head. “The things people do, huh?”
“Yep.” The patient was set up on the third floor. “Here’s my stop.”
“I think I’ll get off here too and go on ahead and pick up the dirty linen on this floor,” Gerald said with a grin. “I’ve got to take a gander at this gentleman.”
Heading to room 352, I tried to gain control over my expression. I didn’t want to bust out laughing or anything like that. A light tap on his door and Mr. Jim Jones croaked, “I’m up. Come in.”
Pushing the door open all the way, I was ready to see some kind of character. Imagine my surprise when a normal-looking older man sat up in the bed to welcome me in. Gerald was right behind me with his laundry cart. “Well, I’ll be. You ain’t what I was expecting.”
The old guy laughed. “Yeah, I know. Who owns a bat as a pet? And a vampire bat, at that.”
“A vampire bat?” I asked as I wondered how one even acquired such a thing. “Is that even legal?”
The old guy shrugged. “Not sure about that. You don’t suppose your hospital will tell on me, do ya?”
I truly had no idea. “Let’s hope not. Imagine the fine for owning a vampire bat. Well, let’s move past that. Was the bat—um.” I had no idea how to put it. The thing was the man’s pet, after all.
“Murdered?” he asked me with a straight face.
“For lack of a better word, yes,” I said.
“Yes. I had to kill Herman.” He raised his hand up high, then it came down swiftly. “I took my shoe and WAP! Right on the head. It was quick.”
I didn’t see a bandage anywhere that was visible. “And the bite is where?”
When his cheeks went red, I began to wonder. When he threw back the blanket, I really had to wonder. When I saw the lump underneath his hospital gown, I knew this wasn’t going to be easy to take. “On my junk, doc.” He pulled up the gown and there he was, stark naked except for the bandage wrapped around the end of his penis. “I know how this looks.”
“Yep,” Gerald said. “You were letting that bat lick your cock, weren’t ya? And he bit it, didn’t he?”
The old man shook his head. “It ain’t like that. And it wasn’t a he-bat. It was a she-bat. But it’s not what you’re thinking. You see, I’d fallen asleep in my lounger.” He might’ve look like an unassuming old guy, but it turned out he was a bit of a character after all. Seemed he wasn’t shy about sharing all this with a stranger—I could understand him telling me, a doctor, all this, but he seemed more than happy to tell Gerald all about it too.
“And what’s a lounger?” Gerald asked. “Is that some kind of a bat/man sex chair or something like that?”
A laugh came right out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Gerald! Please refrain from asking my patient any more questions.” I clapped him on the back. “Let me do that, ’k?”
With a nod, he said, “Sure, doc. Go on. Ask him about the lounger and what it’s for.”
Mr. Jones ran his old wrinkled hand over his face. “A lounger is what I call my old recliner rocking chair that I sit in when I watch television in the living room. You see, I was doing laundry. Now, when I do laundry, I like to do it all of it at one time. That means I strip down to nothing while it washes.”
“I get it now,” Gerald said. “So, there you was, just sittin’ there mindin’ your own business when this lady bat came at ya and started biting your junk. So you’re not some kind of freak after all!” He looked at me. “Thank goodness. I was startin’ to get real worried there for a minute or two.”
Mr. Jones looked right at me. “I feel asleep in the chair, and the door on Herman’s cage must not have been shut right. She got out and bit the tip of my junk for some reason. I woke up, found her there, licking up the blood, and jumped up, grabbed my shoe and murdered her right then and there.” He pulled his gown down and the blanket back up to cover himself. “It wasn’t easy taking old Herman’s life. But she’d never done anything like bite me before, so I thought she might’ve gotten rabies or something.�
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Nodding in agreement, I had no idea what to say. But Gerald did. “If she was a girl, why’d you name her Herman?” He put his hands on his hips, still looking a bit skeptical about the whole story. Despite what he’d said, it was becoming clear to me that Gerald still thought the old guy was some kind of a weirdo.
Mr. Jones clarified things for the laundry man. “When I first found the bat, I thought it was a male. I named it Herman after that guy on that old television show, The Munsters. You know, the vampire?”
“Ah hah!” came Gerald’s quick reply as his finger shot up into the air. “Herman Munster was no vampire. He was a Frankenstein. It was Grandpa who was the vampire, and so was Herman’s lovely wife, Lily. Their son, Eddie was a werewolf, and their niece Marilyn was the only one who was left out of the monstrous pack.”
Things were getting out of hand. “Okay, Gerald. Get the dirty laundry and get going while I check Mr. Jones’ bandages and his wound.”
I’d been curious about the story but had had no idea just how crazy this rabies case would be.
The wound was small and clean, without a hint of infection. “So you’ve received the vaccine and now we’re waiting on the results of the test. The vaccine should do its job, and you should be able to go home once we get them, Mr. Jones. It’s a good thing you came in right away. Tell me, do you have any more bats at home?”
“Nope,” he said with a toothy grin. “But I did find myself a little snake out back. I call it Thelma and keep her in the house too. She stays in the bathtub. I don’t ever use it. I shower outside, the way God intended.”
“A word of advice, sir,” I offered, “maybe don’t take anymore wild animals into your home. And that snake isn’t going to stay put in that tub either, I bet.”
“Shit!” he sat up and shouted.
“What?” I asked, not having any clue what he was going to say next.
“You’re right, doc!” He wore a worried expression. “I bet it was Thelma who let Herman out of her cage.”
And with that, I started making my way out of his room. “Yeah, probably. See ya, Mr. Jones.”
Dirty Little Secret: A Secret Baby-Second Chance Romance (Sons of Sin Book 1) Page 6