“Ryan still takes cares of his girls, sweetheart and beautiful, even if they don’t really need it. His sister, Carly, aka sweetheart, is away at college now with her best friend, Leslie. He’s even paying for her apartment off campus in an attempt to keep them away from those wild college boys. I guess he remembers well the trouble we managed to find on campus. He makes sure his mother’s every need is taken care of. She’s the one he calls beautiful. Even Bambi is spoiled beyond repair.”
“Bambi?”
“Yep, even his mom’s little mutt terrier.” He gave her a little wink and changed the subject. Somehow he knew what she’d thought, but was kind enough to set the record straight without commenting on her terrible assumptions.
“How’s your side?”
“It’ll be fine, I think.” Her side? Oh yeah, the wound along the lower edge of her ribcage where they said she’d been shot.
“Have you checked it yourself? No fever? I think I managed a decent patch job but seeing as you’re a nurse, maybe you should take a look. It’s probably time for a bandage change anyway. Here, let me help get the tape so it doesn’t pull.”
With a gentleness that contrasted with the size of his big hands, he raised the hem of her shirt to just below her bra line. “Hold this for me?” Carefully, he pulled the tape and gauze away from her skin.
“I’m sorry, I know you’re supposed to pull it fast, but I don’t want to risk pulling off the butterfly strips.” His kind eyes drew her attention from Ryan and his phone call. “What do you think of my handiwork?” He held her, putting one hand on her abdomen and one on her back with her injury framed between his thumbs. The heat of his touch branded her with a shocking intensity. Her heart paused in shock, then double-timed it as if to make up for the lost beats.
The wound was not much more than a deep scratch and he’d done a good job of tending the laceration with steri-strips and antibacterial ointment.
“I’m afraid it will probably leave a scar.” His thumb grazed soft sweeps just below the smear of ointment. His soft and warm attention to her skin combined with the focus of his blue eyes created a sensual haze, tempting her to crawl deeper into the stirring solace she imagined he offered.
“That’s okay, it won’t be much of one, and I’ve got a one-piece swimsuit body. I won’t be wearing any bikinis.”
“That’s a shame. Scar or not, you’d be a knockout in any kind of swimsuit. Seriously.” His eyes raked her from head to toe with a searing, intense gaze. A man couldn’t fake a look that hot, he was dead serious.
He replaced the bandage with a waterproof one, made sure the edges were sealed, and pulled her shirt down.
“Come here and let me give you a hand. You don’t have any buttons on your shirt and that material is stiff. I promise not to bite.” He grasped the hand of her uninjured side and carefully pulled her to her feet as if she might break. Without missing a beat he pulled her into the dimly lit bathroom. “Face the tub away from me. I just want to make sure you don’t have any trouble with your clothes.” She didn’t see why he bothered with instructions if he was just going to place her where he wanted like a little porcelain doll.
“Okay, let’s get this off your good side first.” With a soft touch he somehow managed to work her good arm through the sleeve of her scrub top. She hadn’t even realized she’d been wearing the damn thing for more than twenty-four hours at this point. Suddenly, she needed to get out of her old clothes and into the bathtub.
With a little work they were able to get the sleeve of her good arm free. Then it was child’s play to take the top over her head and slide it down her other arm so she didn’t have to pull at her injury. Then she was standing in nothing but her pink lace bra and red scrub pants with him directly at her back.
A sharply indrawn breath whispered by her ear, sending a stampede of chills through her flesh. A single finger traced a heated path so light she might have imagined it from her nape to the waist of her pants.
“Damn, but you’re beautiful, Lacey.” His voice was little more than a breath of air in her ear, but she heard it clearly. His blatant appreciation of what he saw as he looked down over her shoulder put a new brick in the wall of her self-esteem. Her breasts felt full and voluptuous, making her want to arch her back and give him a view like he’d never seen before.
That lone finger blazed a slow tortuous path back up her spine, stopping at the clasp of her bra. Skilled fingers unhooked the clasps and held the ends together, as if hesitating. A frustrated grumble sounded in her ear and a sucking kiss pressed at the bare skin of her shoulder.
“Mind your wound in the bath, love. I’ll probably be gone in the morning when you wake up. If you need anything at all through the night, come and get one of us. I think Ryan hid all the car keys, so I have no choice but to stay the night and sleep. He’s stubborn and protective over those he loves.” Parker’s voice was all business now as he let go of the ends of her bra, releasing her breasts beneath the lace and then left her alone with her warring thoughts.
She groaned her frustration and dropped her bra down her arms and set it on the counter. She shook her head and quickly slipped the rest of her clothes off. She hadn’t felt even a small flicker of attraction to a man in months and now in the space of two days she had wicked thoughts about two of them? They were best friends! If that didn’t spell drama, she didn’t know what did.
She slipped into the warm bath and sighed. Whether it was crazy hormones or genuine attraction on her part didn’t matter. Ryan had made it clear he wasn’t interested and Parker was more than likely just being a nice guy. A nice guy who liked her curves, a lot.
Hopefully this would all be over in a few days and she could go back to her busy, boring world. It’s what she knew best. She couldn’t handle one hot-blooded sexy male, let alone two.
She slid down farther in the tub and closed her eyes.
“Lacey? Gorgeous?” A low murmur snuck through the cloud of sleep. Long, muscled arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.
“Where is she?” Another deep voice.
“Shhhh. She fell asleep. Grab a towel and turn down her bed.”
The haze of sleep faded, leaving her in Ryan’s arms as he lifted her from the bathtub. Cold and groggy with a headache, she turned her head into the warmth at her side.
“It’s freezing in here.”
“That’s because you fell asleep in the tub, silly goose. The water’s cooled. It’s been over an hour since I left you there. My fault, I should have checked on you sooner,” Parker whispered into her ear and kissed her forehead.
“I’m cold.”
“Yes, dear, that’s because you’re naked and that water was probably sixty degrees by now. We’ll get you warmed up.” She heard the indulgent smile in Ryan’s voice, but one word caught her attention and thrust her into full alert.
“Naked? And you’re both in here!” And they were both barely dressed. Ryan’s chest was smooth and bare beneath her. Parker wore nothing but a pair of black gym shorts. His chest was broad, ripped with muscle and sprinkled with dark blonde hair.
“We couldn’t leave you in the tub. You’d be a naked and sexy popsicle by morning.”
“You can go now. I can dry off on my own.” The heat of embarrassment spread from her face to her toes.
“Shush. We’ll get you warmed up and let you rest.” Parker pulled down the bed’s comforter and moved out of Ryan’s way.
Shivers rattled her as Ryan passed under a vent blowing cool air. He laid her on the bed and took a towel from Parker. Each man took a foot in hand and began to dry her, their movements so coordinated she briefly wondered if they’d done this before.
But no, surely not.
In no time they dried her and chased away the worst of the chill. Though their actions said business, their eyes said differently. The raw appreciation in their gazes did just as much to warm her up as their toweling off had.
“Scoot over.” Ryan handed his towel to Parker and pulled the blan
ket up to her chin. The bed dipped and he snuggled into her side.
Shocked and speechless, she could do nothing as Parker returned and took up the remaining space on her opposite side.
Ryan kissed her temple and Parker kissed the corner of her mouth. The ease they seemed to have with being in the same bed at the same time stole her ability to speak.
Had they done this before?
Sure, steady hands petted her to sleep.
Chapter 7
Ryan would love to blame his sleepless night on the couch. It was much smaller than his sprawling bed, but even if he hadn’t insisted Parker sleep in his room for at least eight hours, he wouldn’t have slept well. Prying himself out the guest bed and leaving Lacey had been the ultimate test of willpower. The softness of her body and the scent of her hair had worked a spell, ridding him of a week’s worth of stress. She’d already been through too much and no matter how at peace he’d been, he couldn’t add more upheaval to her life. Waking up nude in bed with two strange men would be a shock for anyone.
He stood at the rail of the cabin’s front porch and watched the sun rise. A glorious rainbow of pinks, purples, and oranges chased away the last vapors of night. He breathed in the crisp air and sipped his coffee, bracing himself for a new day.
His rage had finally cooled and his thoughts had settled. The anger still simmered low and steady, but it was under control. He might be able to carry on a normal conversation without snarling now.
He’d taken care of both personal and author business yesterday evening. He’d felt like an ass ignoring Lacey while he made all of his phone calls, but he couldn’t just leave town without telling his family. His girls had noses for drama that rivaled a bloodhound’s. It was always best to do damage control early and prevent their snooping whenever possible. His calendar would be a pain to sort out later but at least his slate was clear for a few days and all he had to do was keep Lacey safe and write.
He’d spent very little time with her yesterday. Between letting her sleep off the exhaustion and trauma and his phone calls he’d all but ignored her. He was more than willing to entertain the lovely Lacey now that his grownup responsibilities were settled. No doubt as long as she was here she’d be as sweet as pie, but as soon as it was all over she’d probably run from him like a scalded cat. What sane woman wouldn’t? He’d knowingly put her in danger and turned her world upside down. He’d probably do the same in her shoes.
The front door opened and a heavy presence entered the silence. He turned to find Parker leaning back against the opposite rail. Seeing that his friend looked much better today after a little sleep, a shower, and fresh clothes lifted a weight from his own shoulders. Jeans and a navy polo may not be his usual work attire, but it was all Parker kept here.
“Are you sure you got a full eight hours, man? I’m thinking it was more like six. I’m not sure I can give you Lacey’s keys.” It was second nature to give Parker a hard time. Even at the darkest of times, they were smart-asses. And if they weren’t? Watch for the end of the world because it was Armageddon time.
“That’s all right. I found them behind the coffee. Really? For an author you should be more creative.”
It went without saying that Parker probably could have found the keys last night, but he knew it had been important to him that he got some rest. He wasn’t going to have his best friend fall asleep behind the wheel of a car, no matter how eager he was to have the bastard responsible for this mess caught and behind bars. Or accidently beat to a bloody pulp with a lead pipe. Either way he’d be a happy man.
“What’s up?”
Parker wore a look on his face that said something serious brewed in that head of his and he wasn’t sure where to start the conversation. “Just spit it out, man.” He waited while Parker figured out what he was going to say.
“How serious is this thing between you and Lacey? How important is she to you?”
* * * *
He watched as Ryan mulled over his answer. Truly, just watching him think about how to answer was an answer all in its own. Well, he had his own decision made before Ryan opened his mouth. He needed to back off of Ryan’s girl. As sweet and attractive as Lacey was, she wasn’t for him.
Ryan wanted her and wanted her bad. He’d seen her first. That’s all there was to it. He owed his life to Ryan. Despite knowing she might be the one for him, Ryan would get the girl this time.
He tried not to be angry when his friend gave his ridiculous answer.
“She’s not that important. I mean, she’s a wonderful little lady, but she’s not for me. She’ll flee hard and fast as soon as she’s free from this mess. We may fool around a bit, I mean the chemistry burns hot, but she’s not for the long term. Why? Are you interested?”
Ryan never could mask his heart. It was always there for everyone to see if they took the time to look in him in the eye. He might have made the unspoken offer to let Parker stake a claim on Lacey, but his heart wasn’t in the offer. Hopefully the man would wise up soon for all their sakes.
“No, man. It’s good. I was just curious. It’s been a while since you’ve been serious so I couldn’t help but wonder if she was the one for you.”
* * * *
She walked out to the front porch just in time to see the men give each other a hug. No, it wasn’t a touchy-feely hug but a full-fledged man hug, full of back slapping and gruff “see you later, man,” comments.
Ryan noticed her first, standing awkwardly in the open doorway, probably with her hair standing on end. Here she stood in front of two of the sexiest men she’d ever met in nothing but her bare feet and a black V-neck T-shirt that must have belonged to one of them. She hadn’t even combed her hair. She’d only wanted to get a moment of peace and look at the scenery in the early morning fog and now she stood before the two of them looking like a child, fresh out of bed. Yep, she had some serious seduction skills.
“Good morning, gorgeous. Did you sleep well?” She couldn’t help but blush at his compliment. Even if Ryan was full of crap, his kind words soothed and helped put her at ease.
“Surprisingly, I did. What are you two up to today?” She really wanted to step back inside and put her bra on, but now she was caught. She tried to discreetly hide her breasts by folding her arms and leaning against the porch rail. She knew it was a waste of time considering they’d both seen her completely bare-assed nude last night, but she couldn’t shake the awkwardness.
Parker stepped down the porch steps and turned to look up at them. “I’m going to work while you two play it safe and take a vacation. Lacey, I’ll drive your car back to town, if you don’t care and swap it out with mine later today.”
“That’s fine. When will we know something? I mean, I understand you can’t know when you’ll solve this mess, but how will I know what’s going on?”
“I’ll try to touch base with Ryan every evening. You won’t be left in the dark, I promise. Well, I better get going, it’s a long drive.” He took a step toward her, speared her with his blue eyes, paused, and then took two steps backward. “Ryan, take care of our girl.” He said it playfully, but the fun didn’t quite reach his eyes as he turned to her car and stuffed himself inside.
“Lacey? How about I fix us some breakfast and then take you on a tour of the area?”
Chapter 8
They made an easy hike to a nearby cave and time sped by. On a good day she loved the outdoors, but she might have overestimated her ability. She’d told Ryan her wound was okay, but on the way back a dull throb set in.
She’d have to give his observation skills credit. He’d slowed his pace despite her white lie.
He paused by a small stream and directed her to look at the view stretched out before them. Her brother, the photographer in the family, would have swooned at the sight. She’d never seen so many shades of green and brown in her life. The midday sun warmed her skin even as a light breeze cooled it.
“I’m fine. You don’t have to stop for me.”
“N
ah. I’m sure you’re fine. I thought I’d show you one of my favorite places. I often sit on the bank here when I need quiet. I stood in your exact spot when I made the decision to follow my gut and pursue a writing career.”
“As a reader, I’m glad you did. Are you happy with your decision?” The water tinkled and gurgled in the creek. The leaves above shading them ruffled quietly.
“Most days I don’t believe it’s real. Sometimes, I want to pull my hair out in frustration because a plot’s not making sense or a character won’t speak to me. But every now and then I have a day where it’s all real and the shot of happy makes it all worthwhile. I love it.”
His hands rested a moment on her shoulders. She felt his thumbs at the base of her neck. They pressed and released in a slow and sure rhythm, a hypnotic dance she wasn’t capable of protesting. Tension she hadn’t known she stored in her neck eased.
“I know they’re working you hard, but do you enjoy working at the hospital?” She felt the solid muscle of his chest against her back. His low voice rumbled and the vibrations tingled through her chest. Despite the sun’s warmth, she shivered. In a good way.
“Most days the work part is okay, but I love my patients. Each shift is a different story and you never know what it will bring or who you’ll work with.” Soft sweeps of his fingertips grazed up and down her upper arms.
“I bet you’re a soft heart and everyone loves to work with you. I can’t imagine you not getting along with anyone, even the doctors.”
She did get along well with just about everyone and there was only one doctor she avoided like a plague. She’d tired of being the mouse to his cat.
The subtle grazes of his fingers migrated to her wrists. His words whispered deep and dark into her ear.
“Why do I have a feeling that a story lurks inside you and when I put the pieces together, I’m not going to be a happy man?”
A single word caught, stuck somewhere in her throat. She didn’t even know which word it might be, but there was no dislodging the lump when he blew a warm breath across the slope of her shoulder and took her wrists in his hands.
Lacey Temptations [Crave 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5
