by Marie Force
He inhaled a sharp deep breath. “Georgie.”
Her lips hovered just above his. “I need to tell you something, but I don’t want you to think it means, you know, that anything has changed.”
His hands found her hips, held her still. “What?”
“I appreciate you being here tonight and listening to me, but I still don’t have room—”
He captured her lips in a hot, searing kiss that sucked the oxygen right out of her lungs and all rational thought out of her head. His hand cruised up her back and into her hair to anchor her in place.
Georgie fought him. She had things she needed to say to him. “Wait,” she gasped. “Nathan. I need to tell you . . .”
“I’m listening,” he said as he kissed her again.
Her heart pounded, and it took tremendous effort not to give in to the desire that simmered between them whenever she was with him. She managed to free her lips and knew she must have seemed dazed as she looked down at him. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to concentrate. “Remember when you said you’d wanted me for weeks?”
“Uh-huh.” He kept his hand firmly planted in her hair, his fingertips massaging her scalp, his lips cruising over her jaw. “It’s true. I did.”
Georgie trembled. “Well, I um . . .” She took a deep breath. “I did, too.”
His eyebrows knitted with confusion. “Did what?”
A flush of embarrassment and desire started at her breasts and heated her face. “I wanted you, too. For weeks I watched you run by, and I . . . I wanted you like I’ve never wanted another man. Ever. So what happened between us had nothing to do with rebounds. I just . . . I needed you to know that.”
He studied her for a long moment during which Georgie had no idea what he was thinking. “How can you say that and in the same breath tell me you have no room in your life for me?”
“Because—”
“Make room, Georgie. I’m not going anywhere. I like the way I feel when I’m with you. It’s been a really long time since I’ve felt this way, and I can’t just walk away because you don’t have room.” He kissed her. Hard. “Make room.”
Taken aback by his intensity, she said, “I’m going home to Atlanta. Soon.” And I might have to have a double mastectomy like my sister.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but while you were busy trying to get things wrapped up so you could get back to your life in Atlanta, you went and got yourself a pretty nice life here. You’ve got an army of people at that center who’d lay down on hot coals for you, you’ve got two good friends living right here in your house, and last but not least, whether you want me or not, you’ve got me. Now I don’t know what you had going for you in Atlanta, but since your boyfriend saw fit to dump you over the phone, I can’t imagine it was much better than what’s right in front of you. Here.”
She fell back against the pillow and thought about what he had said. If she allowed herself to acknowledge that he might have a point, it would mean her whole world had once again turned upside down. She wasn’t sure she was ready to let that happen—and it certainly didn’t seem fair to him in light of what could be ahead for her.
“I’m right,” he said. “You know I am.” Propping himself up on his good arm, he looked down at her and leaned in to kiss her lightly. “When he kissed you, did your breath get caught in your throat the way it does when I kiss you?” His hand slid under her skirt to rest on her leg. “Did your skin heat under his hand the way it does under mine?” He caressed her leg. “When he made love to you, did you come over and over again the way you did with me?”
“No,” she whispered. “No.” As she gave herself over to him, Georgie’s eyes fluttered shut. He made love to her with only his words, and yet he was able to penetrate the wall she had put up around herself. He knew the effect he was having on her, so she didn’t try to deny it. Instead she reached for him, molded her lips to his, and sure enough, her breath got stuck in her throat, just the way he said it would.
His kiss was soft, his tongue gentle as he let her set the pace.
Georgie was drowning in him—his scent, the wet, hungry meeting of lips and tongues, his hand on her back holding her close to him, the warm, humid evening, the cadence of crickets drifting in through the open window. She had made love to him many times during that one unforgettable night, but here, in this moment, with just his lips sliding over hers, he touched her more deeply than anyone ever had.
He pulled back, and with one hand still resting on her face, he looked at her for a long time.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
“Anything you want.”
“Why me? I’m not even nice to you.”
Laughter rippled through him. “Oh, you kill me,” he said, still laughing as he wiped tears from his eyes.
“I’m serious!”
“So am I. You crack me up.”
She pushed him away. “Fine, if you want to be like that.”
“Come on,” he cajoled, reaching for her. “I’m only playing with you.”
“I know why you won’t answer me.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s because you have no idea what you like about me.”
“That’s not true—”
“Oh, wait! I know what it is.”
“I can’t wait to hear this.”
“It’s because I was easy.”
“Easy?” He roared with laughter, which only made Georgie madder. “Sweetheart, you’re a lot of things, but easy ain’t one of ’em.”
“I was that one night.”
“So was I.”
She gave him a withering look. “Men aren’t judged by the same standards.”
“No one’s judging you, Georgie, least of all me.” He brushed a hand over her hair. “No matter what happens between us, I’ll never forget the first night I spent with you. Ever.”
“I’ve never done that before,” she confessed.
“Done what?”
Her face grew hot with embarrassment. “On the first date . . . And some of the other stuff, too.”
“It was a special night, for both of us. I hope it was the first of many.”
“Which brings me back to my original question—why me?”
With a devilish grin, he said, “If I had to pick one thing, I’d have to say it was the dimples.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Those are fighting words, Nathan. You have to know that.”
“Luckily, I’m not afraid of you.”
“Maybe you should be.”
“Maybe.”
“I still don’t want to be involved with you.”
His eyes drifted closed. “Okay.”
“Are you going to sleep?”
“I think so.”
“Nathan . . .”
“Might be the pill,” he mumbled as he lifted his arm. “Is it bleeding?”
She raised the sleeve of his T-shirt and gasped. “It is! What should I do?”
“Do you have any Band-Aids?” He never opened his eyes as his breathing settled into a sleepy cadence.
Georgie vaulted off the bed and ran for the bathroom. She returned a minute later with a wet washcloth, gauze, and tape to find him snoring softly. With a deep sigh, she rolled up his sleeve, removed the blood-soaked bandage and gasped at the ugly, oozing wound. She pressed the warm cloth against his arm, all the while enjoying the view. He was so incredibly handsome, even asleep.
When the bleeding had slowed, she wrapped the new gauze around his arm. He never stirred, even when she pulled the tape tight over the bandage. Running her hand over his forehead, she was surprised to realize he had a fever.
The poor guy. He’d had a horrible day, and somehow he’d still had it in him to take care of her. Tess and Cat were right about one thing—men like him didn’t come along every day. She was going to have to be really careful, because it would be far too easy to fall in love with him.
With all she had going on at the moment, the timing couldn’t have been worse
. She had always imagined what it would be like when she fell in love. Nowhere in those fantasies had there been breast cancer genes or senior citizens or probate court or a big house to take care of or a life in flux in another city hundreds of miles away.
Even though the time wasn’t right for a serious relationship, maybe she could spend some time with him, have some fun and keep it light. As long as they both understood the score going into it, no one would get hurt, right? She untied his sneakers and pulled them off before she tugged the sheet up and over him. On an impulse, she leaned over and kissed his lips.
He murmured something in his sleep but didn’t wake up.
The house phone rang and Georgie went into her mother’s room to answer it.
“Georgie?” Bill Bradley said.
“Hi, Bill. How’s Gus?” She braced herself for the answer.
“Seems to be the same. The doctors aren’t saying much.”
“I just can’t believe this has happened. Have you heard any more from the police?”
“Roxy said they think his son Roger might’ve gotten into trouble with drug dealers. Apparently, they were looking for money he owes them at his father’s house. The theory is he hid it there when he came to take him to the doctor earlier this week.”
When her legs would have buckled under her, Georgie sat on her mother’s bed. “Has Roger been to the hospital?”
“No one’s heard from him. Gus’s daughter, Dawn, is flying up from Florida tonight.”
“Oh, well, at least he’ll have some family with him.”
“He has us,” Bill said firmly.
“Yes, of course he does. Will you let me know if you hear anything else? Even if it’s the middle of the night?”
“I will.”
“I should’ve gone over there myself when you guys told me you were worried.”
“Your mother talked about you and your sister all the time, did you know that?”
Surprised by the shift in conversation, Georgie said, “No, I didn’t.”
“It was always Ali this, Georgie that, Ali’s coming home, Georgie’s got a new apartment. The center was her job, but you and your sister were her life, honey. You two were her pride and joy.”
Georgie’s throat tightened with emotion. “Thank you for telling me that, Bill.”
“I think you already knew. She’d be so proud of the way you’ve stepped up at the center.”
“I hope so,” she said, blinking back tears. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, you will. Are you all right, Georgie?”
She glanced across the hall to where Nathan was sprawled out asleep in her bed. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Chapter Thirteen
Georgie woke up just after two the next morning awash in sweat to find Nathan wrapped around her, moaning softly in his sleep. As she disentangled herself from his embrace, she was startled to find his skin blazing. Resting her hand on his sweaty forehead, she gasped.
“Nathan.” She turned on the bedside light as she shook his shoulder. “Wake up.”
“Mmm, hot, Georgie, hot . . .” His mumbling descended into incoherence.
Georgie tugged the covers off him and went into the bathroom to run a washcloth under cold water. She brought it back and bathed his face.
His eyes opened, and he blinked until he had adjusted to the light. “What’s wrong?”
“You’ve got a fever. I’ll see if we have anything you can take for it. Will you be okay?”
“As long as you come back.”
She smiled as she ran the cloth over his face again. “You never miss an opportunity, do you?”
His eyes fluttered closed. “Can’t afford to.”
Georgie checked the medicine cabinets in all the bathrooms but couldn’t find what she needed. She remembered a cabinet in the kitchen where her mother had kept some medicines, so she went downstairs to find Tess leaning against the counter drinking a glass of water.
“What are you doing up?” Georgie asked.
“Haven’t been to bed yet.”
“Oh, no?”
“I went to have a drink with Ben that turned into two, and now I’m up way too late. I’ll pay for it tomorrow.”
“You and Ben?” Georgie asked as she searched for the medicine. “That’s an interesting pairing.”
“No pairing, just a drink. He’s okay once you get past all the BS. I brought your car home, by the way. The keys are on the counter.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m sorry about Gus.”
“Me, too.” Georgie sighed. “He’s one of the good guys.”
“What’re you looking for?”
“Something for a fever.”
“Are you sick?”
She glanced over at Tess. “Um, now don’t get all, you know, nutso about it, but Nathan’s upstairs, and he has a fever.”
With obvious restraint, Tess asked, “Did he take the meds they gave him today?”
Georgie nodded. “It knocked him out. That’s why he’s here.”
“That’s the only reason?”
“Tess!”
She laughed. “I have what you need upstairs. I’ll get it for you.”
“Great. Thank you.” Georgie took a fresh glass of ice water with her when she went upstairs.
Nathan had gone back to sleep.
Tess came down from the third floor with the pills and an ear thermometer. “May I?”
Georgie gestured for her to have at it.
Nathan didn’t stir as Tess took his temperature.
“Wow, 103. He was fine before. What brought that on?”
“Well, he ah . . . kind of carried me upstairs when I was upset earlier.”
“Georgie! He shouldn’t have done that!”
“I know. I said the same thing.”
“Let’s get his clothes off.”
“Do we have to?” Georgie asked, alarmed.
In full nurse mode, Tess lifted him and removed his shirt. As she reached for the button to his jeans, she turned to Georgie. “Are you going to just stand there?”
“Yeah, that was the plan.”
“Georgie! Come on!”
Reluctantly, Georgie helped to work the denim over his legs.
“Please tell me I’m not hallucinating,” he mumbled as the jeans cleared his feet, leaving him only in form-fitting boxers. “Both of you?”
Georgie rolled her eyes. “Clearly, he’s fine.”
Tess giggled. “Not tonight, big boy.” She shook two pills from the bottle and helped him sit up to take them.
Georgie watched the whole scene with an odd feeling of detachment. Tess knew what to do, so it was best if she just stayed out of the way.
He winced when he tried to move his arm.
“Who did this hack job?” Tess asked as she surveyed the bandage Georgie had applied earlier.
“That’d be me,” Georgie said. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Other than everything? Was it bleeding?”
“A little,” Georgie said.
Tess took off the bandage and inspected the wound. “It needs to be irrigated. I’ll get some stuff.”
When they were alone, Nathan held out his good hand to Georgie.
She laced her fingers through his.
“Why do you look so pale?” he asked.
“Do I?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I was worried when I woke up and you were on fire.”
“Don’t look now, but I think you’re starting to care about me.”
“Nah. I was worried about disposing of your carcass if you spontaneously combusted in my bed.”
Keeping his eyes closed and his fingers curled around hers, he laughed softly. “I’d love to spontaneously combust in your bed. Just say the word.”
Georgie laughed. “You’re too much.” As she studied him, so handsome even in pain, she wished she had met him before her life spun into chaos and uncertainty.
Tess returned with a bundle of towels and a large syring
e.
“What are you going to do with that?” Nathan asked, suddenly on full alert.
“It’s just hydrogen peroxide, a little bit of alcohol, and water. It might sting but only for a second.”
Nathan tugged on Georgie’s hand. “Lay with me.”
Tess nodded at Georgie to go ahead.
Feeling tremendous pressure to do what she was told, she positioned herself on the bed behind him so he could rest his head against her chest.
“What’s going on?” Cat asked from the door.
“Nathan’s burning up,” Tess replied.
“If Nathan’s burning up in Georgie’s bed, what the heck are you doing in there?” Cat asked with an amused expression.
“I wish burning up in Georgie’s bed meant what you think it does,” he said.
“Relax your arm,” Tess said, her eyes meeting Georgie’s over his head. “Keep him still,” she mouthed to Georgie.
Georgie nodded, her stomach clenching with anxiety. She tightened her arms around him.
“Just a small sting,” Tess said in a cheerful tone.
“Son of a bitch!” he hissed. His face drained of color as he bit down hard on his bottom lip. “Come on! Enough!”
Tess kept an iron grip on his arm. “One more minute.”
He moaned.
Moved by his distress, Georgie cradled his head against her chest and ran her fingers through his hair.
Tess dried the wound and applied a new bandage. “I’ll take a look at it again in the morning. Try to get some sleep.”
“Thanks,” he said, his voice weak and hoarse with pain.
“Come get me if you need me,” she said to Georgie.
“I will. Thanks, Tess.”
“Night, guys,” Cat said.
Tess went into the hallway, and Georgie heard her ask Cat about her date with Ian and Rosie.
Their voices faded as they made their way upstairs.
“Cat and Ian?” Nathan whispered.
“Apparently, Tess and Ben, too.”
“Damn! I’m out of the loop for one night and the world goes mad!”
“Are you okay?” His lips were white with pain. “Can I get you anything?”
“Just one thing.”
“What?”
“You. I want to hold you.”