Looking into my eyes, Xavier shakes his head. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says softly, caressing my lips with the pad of his thumb. Just as he leans in to close the distance between us, someone clears their throat. Xavier lets out a frustrated breath.
“Miss Jones?” I pull away from Xavier’s hypnotic stare and turn towards the same nurse I spoke with earlier.
“Yes?”
“Follow me, I’ll take you to your dad. He has been moved up to the ICU on the third floor for now. Once he comes out of the coma on his own and no infections settle in, we will move him to another, more private room."
“Thank you." We follow the nurse in pink scrubs to the elevator. She pushed the up button on the elevator, kindness in her hazel eyes.
“You’re welcome,” she says.
The elevator dings and the doors gently open. We step inside and she pushes the button for the third floor.
“I was here when they brought Mr. Jones in. I’m happy to hear he is doing better. I’ve been a fan of his for years. I normally don’t miss a Friday night race, but I had to work tonight.” she says trying to make small talk. I snuggle against Xavier’s side, holding on for support and nod my head at the nurse.
“Thank you. That means a lot to me that someone here actually cares.” The nurse turns her head toward me.
“Dr. Smith.” she states. “He does need to work on his people skills. He is one of the best surgeons we have on staff and he is great at what he does, but he doesn’t connect with people."
“Yeah, I’m sorry, but he is a dick.” I respond.
She tries not to laugh. “I hear that all the time, don’t be sorry for speaking your mind." The elevator stops, and the doors open. I hesitate to get out, memories of my mom being here before she died flood my mind and my feet are frozen to the floor. My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth and I can’t breathe. A panic attack is starting.
Xavier holds onto me tighter, grounding me, giving me strength to get out of the elevator. We follow the nurse in pink scrubs down a long hallway and through another set of doors.
The smell of bleach is strong here and I shudder for a moment, thinking about my mom again. Xavier knows what’s going through my mind as his arm tightens around my shoulders and he kisses my forehead.
“It’s Ok B, it’s not like last time.” he whispers in my ear.
This time my body shivers for a whole other reason. He’s making it hard for me to resist him. Xavier doesn’t let go of me as the nurse opens the door to a room and the beeping of monitors invade my hearing. She leaves us at the door as we slowly walk in.
We round the corner of the room and I see my dad lying on the bed, he looks so helpless. Tubes and wires are hooked up all over him. There is a tube down his throat and his hair is covered with a white bandage. A machine is hooked up to the tube, breathing for him and a bunch of wires are hooked up to his chest, monitoring his heart. His lightly bearded face is pale, bruised, and swollen, and his left leg is in a cast. The doctor told me he was in a medically induced coma and didn’t come out of it, but I wasn’t prepared for this.
I lose it.
I start sobbing uncontrollably, as Xavier holds me tight. I can feel his body shaking under my hands from crying too and I grip him harder. I bury my face in his chest and let the hot tears fall against his dark shirt.
Chapter 8
Xavier
I hold Izzy as tight as I can, without crushing her as she sobs against my chest. Tears sting my eyes when I see Austin. A man I’ve looked up to almost my whole life, lying in a hospital bed, helpless and the conversation I had with my dad runs through my head.
We went outside after I brought Izzy here and he told me Officer Iverson called him. He told my dad he didn’t think the accident was really an accident. The car appears to have been tampered with, but he wouldn’t go into detail.
He told my dad to be careful and if any of us remembers anything or notices anything odd to call him immediately. He also told my dad he really needs to talk with Izzy and I’m not letting her go alone. I need to find the proper time to tell her what I’ve learned.
Izzy pulls away from me, her green eyes are red rimmed from crying. She touches my stubbled cheeks tenderly, drying away my own tears I didn’t realize fell. Her soft fingers linger on my face and I cherish in the contact. It’s been so long since I felt a connection with anyone, that I soak it all in.
“Thank you, X, for everything.” Izzy whispers, her mouth is inches from mine. I peer into her beautiful, green swollen eyes.
“B, I’ll always be here for you. I’m not going anywhere."
She nods her head and gives me a small smile. My heart rate speeds up as Izzy licks her lips, her eyes drifting from mine and dropping to my lips.
I suppress a groan and pull her tight against me, her supple curves are pressed against my body and my cock hardens. She rests her head against my chest, her body relaxing into mine, melting together. My heart beats wildly in my chest, thumping against my rib cage. Holding her like this, a part of me is back and I can take on the world. I don’t want to let her go, but she only has a few minutes with her dad.
I lift her chin up to my face. Her eyes are filled with tears again as she blinks her long dark lashes. One trails down her cheek and I wipe it away with my thumb.
“I’ll be right out the door. Go talk to your dad and come out when you’re done. You need this few minutes alone with him before they kick us out for the night.” Her tired eyes shine with tears.
“Thanks X. You always seem to know what I need, when I need it." She says quietly.
I kiss her forehead, inhaling her vanilla scent and walk out the door, closing it quietly behind me.
I lean against the wall outside of the hospital room door, listening to all the different monitors making steady beeping noises from all the different rooms and my eyes are suddenly heavy. I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the time. It’s almost five o’clock in the morning. I have several messages from friends and drivers wondering how Austin is doing, but I ignore them and put my phone back in my pocket.
I lean my head against the wall and doze off for a few moments. I hear the click of a door, my eyes immediately snap open and the fall onto the one woman who still takes my breath away. Izzy’s watching me. I take in the slump of her shoulders, the fatigue in her eyes and I open my arms to her. She walks into them and rests her head against my chest. My nose fills with Izzy’s vanilla scent and I know I’m lost to her again. There is absolutely no way in hell am I letting her get away again.
I let her go once because I was young, dumb and scared of commitment, but as she wraps her arms around my waist I’m not letting go this time. I will fight with all I have to keep her by my side.
“X.” she says looking up at me. “Take me home."
The pleading in Izzy’s eyes is my undoing. I bring my lips to hers and give her a soft and gentle kiss. The taste of her sends my heart into overdrive.
“You got it, B.” I answer, watching her reaction.
She blinks a few times and gives out a soft sigh, her eyes darken with desire, not leaving my lips. We walk to the elevator and take it down to the main floor. The doors open softly, making a whooshing sound. I have my arm around her shoulders, she’s still snuggled tightly against my side. We walk out the emergency doors and towards my car.
The sun is starting to rise, kissing the horizon with a deep red color and the air is muggy with summertime heat as I unlock the doors with my key fob and open hers. She slides into the leather seat and clicks her seat belt into place as I close her door. Izzy’s eyes are on me as I walk to the driver side and get in.
I push the button to start my car, the engine coming to life and the V8, 370 horsepower rumbles under my feet. I back my car out and put it in drive. As I pull out onto Main Street, I take Izzy’s hand and hold it in mine.
We reach her driveway a half hour later and I pull in. The house looks deserted without her dad’s race car in the d
riveway. She turns to me when I shut my car off, her green eyes searching my blue ones.
“Stay with me?” She asks.
“Of course. I already told you, I’m not letting you go."
Izzy opens her door and I follow her to her front porch after I grab her bag from the back seat. The house is a small, white two-story home, with an attached garage. Austin’s pole barn is off to the right side of the house, with a dirt driveway leading back to it. There are trees lining the front of the house, enclosing it from the street.
She finds her keys in her bag and unlocks the door. We enter the foyer and she kicks off her white sandals. I follow kicking off my boots, remembering Austin always yelling at us for wearing our shoes in the house. She surveys the small home and takes a deep breath.
“It’s just like I remember. He didn’t change anything."
I look around too, the foyer we’re standing in leads to a small living room, there are pictures of all of us hanging up on the walls. There is a matching couch and chair in front of a big screen T.V. with matching stands at the end of each. A dark, oak coffee table sits in front of the couch. The dark curtains are closed, blocking out the rising sun.
To the left of the living room is the kitchen with marble counter tops and brown cupboards, a stainless-steel refrigerator, stove, and sink. Austin’s bedroom is behind the living room on the other side of the stairs. The downstairs bathroom is in front of the stairs. Izzy walks to the stairs and turns to me.
“Are you coming?” The sound of her voice pulls my attention to her. I nod my head.
I follow her up the stairs, remember playing on them when we were little. We would race down them in our sleeping bags, seeing who could reach the bottom first. I usually let Izzy win because I would do anything to bring a smile onto her face. She would light up my soul even when I was in a bad mood.
She reaches her white bedroom door and opens it. Looking around I notice Austin didn’t touch her room either. She still has the oak queen size bed with a black and white comforter on top against the wall next to her window. The matching oak dresser is in the other corner and her closet to the left of the dresser.
Izzy goes over and opens her curtains, letting the sun shine in. Her room smells like the vanilla shampoo she uses, and I close my eyes at the onslaught of memories from the last time I was in here. Where I showed her my love for her on this very bed, thinking I was the luckiest guy alive. Then the next night happened, I got scared and fucked it all up.
I set Izzy's bag down on her bed while she is looking out the window into her backyard lost in thought. I walk over to her and bring her back flush against my front, holding her tight. It feels so right having her in my arms again. I lean into her and whisper in her ear.
“I know you said you wanted to wait, but I can't wait any longer B. I've loved you my entire life and I never stopped. Seeing you again, all those feeling came rushing back and I want to make this right with you. I want to have you and call you mine. Like I've been yours for the last several years." She turns in my arms, a sad smile on her beautiful face.
“Xavier, I've never stopped loving you either. I've tried, believe me I have tried. No one could ever compare to you. No matter how far away I was, a piece of my soul and my heart were missing. Being back here with you, that piece has finally clicked back into place. I don't know how things will go, but I do know I want you by my side. I’m tired of fighting with myself, fighting with my heart."
Izzy rests her head on my chest and I close my eyes reveling in the way her body fits perfectly with mine. As she pulls her head back, I open my eyes. Her green eyes give me a spark of mischief as I watch her, anticipating her next move. She licks her lips which immediately draws my attention to them. I cup the back of her head and lean down, our lips are only inches apart. Just as I am about to kiss her, there is a loud bang on her front door.
Startled, she pulls away, confusion on her face, “Who could be here?"
“Just ignore it.” I tell her, keeping her in my arms. She gives me a look of bewilderment and there is another loud bang.
“I can't ignore it X, what if it's about my dad."
She pulls away and heads to her bedroom door. I need to tell her what the cops told me before she finds out from them and gets pissed because I didn’t tell her.
“Izzy, wait. There is something I have to tell you.” I blurt out.
She stops at her door and turns to me. Whoever is at the door isn't giving up as they bang on the door again.
I reach into my pocket and pull out Officer Iverson’s card with shaking hands. Preparing myself for her blowback, I take a deep breath.
“I was going to tell you about this earlier, but there wasn't enough time. It seems like we can never catch a break. This cop wants to talk to you about the accident.”
Izzy watches me intently as I cross her room in three quick strides and she takes the card.
“What about it?”
“He doesn't think it was an accident. I don't have any details yet and he wants to talk to you. I was going to tell you, I swear. But after your flight, the stress of last night, I didn't have the heart to drop this on you."
She looks the card over and instead of anger, there is tears in her eyes.
“He thinks someone tried to kill my dad?” She asks quietly.
I take her in my arms again and nod my head. “Yes. I swear I was going to tell you when we woke up."
She nods her head and sniffs her nose. The person at the front door bangs again and I let out a deep groan. Izzy goes stiff and clutches onto my arm tight.
“What if that isn't the cops?” She asked frightened.
“Stay behind me.” I tell her as I open her bedroom door and make my way down the stairs.
Izzy is clutching onto my t-shirt, her hands are trembling as we approach the little window next to the front door. I push the white curtain back a little and peer out. I don't see the driveway from this angle. There is another bang and it makes me jump while Izzy let's out a little squeal.
A loud familiar, smart ass voice booms through the door, “C’mon fucker. Open the door. I can hear you.” The voice sing songs the last part.
Izzy relaxes her grip on my shirt as I throw the door open and come face to face with my best friend Nolan Ryan, his eyes are alight with mischief.
Nolan has been my best friend since we were in our senior year in high school and he has always been a smart ass. Some guys grow out of the middle school syndrome when they reach adulthood, but not Nolan. Unless it’s something serious he is always making jokes.
Right now, my smartass best friend is smirking at me.
“What's up fuckhead?” He asks me.
He pushes his way into the foyer and walks to Izzy. Nolan gives her a bear hug making her giggle. If I didn't know any better, I'd be beating his ass for touching my girl. He sets Izzy down.
“Damn, you're a welcome sight, Izz." He says while running his hands through his chestnut brown hair, his brown eyes are alive with mischief. He is a little bit taller than me, so Izzy’s head is at Nolan’s shoulders. He doesn’t have as much muscle as I do, but if you piss him off, he packs a hell of a punch.
“Hey Nolan, it's good to see you, bad timing like always, but still good to see you,” Izzy says. I watch her as she turns and heads towards the kitchen. “I'm going to start a pot of coffee, obviously we're not getting any sleep,” she says, throwing a glare at Nolan.
He raises his hands with mock innocence. “How was I supposed to know you were going to sleep, Izz? I saw Xavier’s car out front and thought you would be up."
He winks at Izzy and she rolls her eyes at him, mumbling something under her breath about a jackass and walks to the kitchen.
I punch him in the arm as we walk into the living room.
“Fucker. Are you kidding me?” I ask him, exasperated. He grins a white toothy grin at me.
“I knew it.” Nolan says rubbing his arm. “You're back together."
“Yes. No. Fuck!
I don't know. I know we're both miserable when we're apart. With all this shit going on with Austin and her just getting back in a few hours ago, we haven't had a time to really talk about it.” I say rubbing my hands down my face. I sit on the couch, fatigue overtaking me. I can feel the stubble growing on my face from not shaving yet.
Izzy walks into the living room carrying two coffee cups. Sitting next to me on the couch, she hands me a cup of coffee and takes a sip from hers.
“Where’s mine?” Nolan asks with a fake pout.
Izzy raises an eyebrow at him. “In the kitchen. You want to bang on my front door like that, scaring the shit out of me, you can get your own damn coffee." She smiles at Nolan. She never takes his shit and I love her for it. He gives her another fake pout and walks into the kitchen to get his cup of coffee, a smile on his face.
I can hear him banging around and I know I won't have much time before he comes back. Setting my cup down on the coffee table, I turn my body and look at her.
“Izzy, I’m sorry I didn't tell you about what the cop said."
“It's OK. I understand." She sets her cup on the coffee table next to mine and turns to me, “X, I don't know what I'm doing." I take her hand and pull her next to me, our lips inches apart.
“You're going to kiss me before fuckhead comes back in here. Then when he leaves, we're gonna finish what we started upstairs.” I watch her eyes as she decides her next step.
“I’m not ready to go there, just yet,” she says.
Her green eyes zone onto my lips as she licks hers and I let out a low groan from the back of my throat. Her voice is telling me no, but I know her body. Her body wants to say yes, it’s just a matter of time before I can convince her we’re meant to be together.
Izzy leans into me and I cup the back of her head, our lips finally connect. Lust roar through my veins. I press my tongue against her lips, asking her for entrance. She opens her mouth, without hesitation, allowing me in and I kiss her hard and deep, with such passion and hunger, it leaves me breathless. I don't know how I survived these last five years without her taste.
Racing Dirty Page 5
