by Tina Maurine
“Shh. You need to rest. We can talk about all of this
later.”
later.”
“Rhea. You and I both know there may not be a I couldn’t resist, and I reached out—running my
chilled fingertips over his forehead, across his eyebrows, gently down his nose to his lips. I slid my hand to cup the right side of his face, lowering my head to within inches of his face. “Can I kiss you Mr. Matthews?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” His left hand that was sandwiched between our two bodies, lifted and rested on my hipbone, pulling me tighter to him. His hand was so warm, so strong and large that it was hard to distinguish dream from reality. Am I dreaming? Was he really shot? Maybe this was all a nightmare? These thoughts flashed through my brain like bolts of lightning. All I knew was in our cocoon, I felt safe. Happy even.
I leaned in, closing the distance between us, never taking my eyes off his as our lips met. His left hand on my hip dropped its hold as I rolled my left leg over his. His right hand limply reached up, settling on my thigh that was draped
over his own, finding strength to grip me more firmly that he should’ve been able to…considering his condition.
Our lips danced with one another’s, our tongues flirted and our teeth nipped. Holy hell he was not a guy shot, lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Was he? I broke-off our intense, passionate kiss for fear that he couldn’t breathe.
“Your heart’s racing—that’s a bad thing considering you’ve already lost so much blood.” I said, fear and concern palpable in my tone.
“Don’t remind me. Rhea, just one more?” His left hand was pulling my ass even higher and tighter into his own hip. In spite of his injury, he was sporting an impressive erection that I could feel against my inner left thigh I’d draped over him. My apex clenched with need.
“Isaac…”
“Rhea, just because I’ve been the consummate instructor, doesn’t mean that I didn’t develop feelings for you.”
“Isaac, how…I mean, look at me.” I reached up to try to fix my hair.
“I am looking at you.” His eyes were so clear, so intently focused on me that now it was my breath that came in shallow gasps.
“I know you think that my feelings for you all stem from this experience, Rhea. But that’s simply not true. I’ve loved you since I first asked you about why you chose advertising two years ago and you answered that if you couldn’t be a doctor and improved people’s lives that way, then you wanted to influence them through smart, honest ads.” His lips turned up in a wicked smile. “That’s right, I broke the Cardinal Rule—never fall for a student.” He coughed, and again I saw intense pain register in his eyes.
“Shh, Isaac. Rest please. You’re worrying me.” “Oh stop it. I’m fine—and I need for you to know
this. I want you to understand that I never approached you before yesterday with this, for two reasons. The first is I am under extreme scrutiny by faculty members, other graduate students, and my own students. My hope for a tenured position as an Assistant Professor weighs heavily on everything I do, and I NEVER wanted you to feel like you didn’t earn your grades from me, or that you needed to perform to get the grades you so desired. We’ve spoken, and I knew that you’d planned on working on your Master’s…so I knew there’d be time. Time for me to reveal myself to you—and don’t think I haven’t caught those looks you’ve given me—that you’ve always given me…and those flirtatious smiles.”
Oh wow! He had noticed that I was sending him signals…
He paused long enough to shift slightly and place his hand over his wound. He must be in so much pain—I couldn’t even wrap my brain around it.
“Secondly, and in spite of the signals I thought I was reading from you; I feared rejection. I was nervous as hell that if I went out on a limb like I am today and told you how much I really liked you that you’d laugh it off and that would be that. I mean, there’s a lot of girls who just like to dangle the bait, but once you go after it, they throw you back in the pond…so-to-speak.”
I nodded and rubbed my fingers across his lips. Isaac was an incredible man, and here he was telling me—me— how much he wanted me!
“So, what I’m trying to say, is that I know you. I have watched your interactions with others in small groups, I’ve heard your contributions in small classes and large
lectures, and I have read numerous papers of yours. I am taken by you Rhea Kenzee—really taken—and I love everything I know about you…even down to the last tack, and even when you come to me for more time because of some silly mishap with your assignment or because you’ve procrastinated and can’t turn in a half-ass project.” He paused long enough to draw in a shaky breath. “Rhea, do you see those flashes of light? Do you hear the waves rushing towards us? We should get up.”
I looked up from Isaacs lips that I had been transfixed on and into his eyes. They had glossed over. Panicked, I reached over to check his pulse as his hand fell away from my ass. His chest heaved heavily, sucking in shallow breaths.
“Isaac. Isaac! Stay with me baby! Stay with me! I need you here. Jeezus, stay with me…” my voice cracked, choked out by sobs. I threw back the blanket and there was Eli not five feet from me standing. He looked panicked.
“Eli? You’ve been here? For long?”
He shook his head, “No. Just long enough to hear him making no sense. I just got up here, the swat teams have already started to move.”
Just then there was a loud bang as the door to the attic was thrown wide and heavy footsteps ascended the stairs. Eli rushed over to where I was lying and knelt down beside me. I looked into his blue eyes, now dark with fear. “You led them to us?” He caught the betrayal in my voice.
“No. No…I, I was just trying to find out details and got caught on the other side of the building. I thought I had a break so I went for it, and they must have seen the door to the storage room close. I would NEVER jeopardize you or place us as risk. Why would you even think that?” The hurt in his voice was tangible.
“You were gone for so long,” I choked out an accusation. The hurt that splayed across his face stung me. “Eli…I’m so…”
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I knew that voice, it was the voice of the ring-leader Mercy. “Thought we wouldn’t find you ehh?” He looked pin pointedly at me. Dark, cold, unfeeling eyes devoured my own timid ones. “I knew you’d come out of the walls eventually. I set the bait, and like the rat you are…you took the cheese.”
Was he referring to Isaac? He had shot Isaac to lure me out?
I was reeling from my realization and I heard him talking but couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Isaac might die because of me. Life was so fucking unfair!
“Bitch, on your feet!”
I looked up at him as he advanced menacingly on me.
Eli was already up and extending his hand to me. Mercy walked over and rammed the butt of his AK-47 into his lower back, dropping Eli to his knees with a pained wail.
That is it! I’ve had it.
“Who the fuck do you think you are!” I screamed in a voice much stronger than my own.
Mercy’s eyes narrowed. “I’m the guy that’s gonna teach your bitch-ass mouth a lesson.” He continued to leer at me as he stalked me; again I felt like prey.
I glanced in Eli’s direction where he was still lying crippled on the attic floor, shaking my head, my eyes willing his not to do anything stupid. Mercy reached me and yanked me up. I fought him and protested, but he was just too large. He took me to the end of the room and threw me down on the ground below the window. The sun was streaming in— the light warmed my face.
“On your knees bitch!” I hesitated. I knew what was coming but somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hopeful that it wouldn’t really happen to me. He motioned with the barrel for me to obey him. Once I was on my knees, he slammed the muzzle into my temple as he undid his fly with his other hand. His small cock fell out of his pants. I looked at it and
back up at him.
“FUCKING SUCK IT BITCH. SUCK IT UNTIL
IT’S HARD.” I cautiously went to put my hands around it and was drawing it to my mouth when he took a fist full of my hair and crammed my face into his crotch. The stink of sweat and musk were overwhelming and bile rose into my mouth. I struggled to choke it down as he struggled to force my jaw open and cram his limp dick in my mouth. Taking a better fistful of my hair, he yanked my head back. Thank God it was small because he kept cramming and thrusting that thing into my mouth.
I let the fight go out of me, my eyes hazed and I moved robotically. It was as though I was watching a low- budget rape porno. He had my head at his control, and he was slamming my mouth into his cock with every forceful thrust he made.
“That’s right bitch, just like that. Take it all, take it
all.”
The next few seconds felt like someone had my life
on fast-forward. Out of nowhere, I saw Eli from the corner of my eye clock Mercy in the head with a piece of wood, and he crumpled on me like a wet towel. I struggled to get him off of me as the window I was directly below imploded with the force of the SWAT team as they shot through the pane.
Mercy was hauled off of me by two heavily armed officers as the others swept the room. I could hear him
fighting them and voices coming up the stairs shouting and yelling for Mercy. Tears streamed from my eyes. Hot. Angry. Scared tears fell with no apologies.
Is this really almost over?
I shook my head trying to clear the mental fog that had wrapped around my brain, and Eli came into view. He knelt beside Isaac and was alternating pounding on his chest and giving him breaths. I looked up at the officers restraining Mercy and the depth of hatred that stared back at me from those dark pools chilled me to the bone. The fog began to encroach on my vision, it drew everything in and began to spin. I hear a gunshot fire twice in rapid succession…
“I’m going to come for you bitch! Bitch—do you hear me? If it’s the last thing I do, I’m coming for you.”
Mercy’s threat was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.
Afterward
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Am I dead?
I strained to lift my eyelids and the intense fluorescents assaulted my already dimly focused and blurred eyes. I struggled to push myself up into a seated position, but shearing pain splintered through my brain and my shoulder protested.
What the fuck?
“Hey, Rhe…don’t move.” Blinking and confused, it was unclear who was talking to me; he was familiar but I couldn’t place his voice. “I’m so glad you’re okay. After you were shot, I was sure that I’d lose you.”
What? I was shot? When? How? Who?
Unanswered questions rapidly fired through my brain as I tried to lift my hand to my face, but it barely moved. I willed my eyes to clear—just to be able to see who was at my side—who’s been by my side.
“Rhea? Can you talk? The doctor said that it would be touch and go for a while, but I was hoping, praying actually that you’ve made it into the clear.”
“Eli?” The feeble, raw sound that escaped from me in a squeak was not me.
“Yea, Baby. It’s me. Thank God you’re talking.” “What…” An intense, searing hot pain shot through
my brain, forcing me to close my eyes. I winced from the pain.
“Shh, it’ll be okay. I’ve been here, Emmory has been by, Eisah, and some of your other friends.”
I heard the hospital room door open, and rubber footsteps made their way to my bedside.
“Eli,” the deep voice began, “There’s no next of kin, we’ve spoken with a social services representative on Ms.
Kenzee’s behalf, and we need to consider other, more permanent arrangements since the likelihood of Ms. Kenzee waking up is becoming less and less of a viable…”
Eli interrupted. “Dr. Brouski, Rhea’s awake.”
I struggled to open my eyes against the stinging light. “Hiya, doctor.” I struggled to smile, and am not sure what actually registered on my face, but the doctor sucked in a gasp of amazement.
“Holy Hell! Well, I’ll be damned Ms. Kenzee! Miracles never cease to amaze me. Welcome back!”
I heard him walk hurriedly to the door, “Nurse Sumpters, Rm 803 is awake from her coma.”
I heard footsteps, a barrage of people came in, took my vitals, touched me. I felt hands on my face, but they were familiar hands, and pried my eyes open to find Eli’s shining, hopeful eyes only inches from my own. I opened my mouth, trying to find my voice—to be able to say ‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for getting me through this. For loving me.’ but my mouth and mind refused to cooperate.
“Shh, love. My precious, Rhea. You did it, you beat the odds baby. We have nothing but the future ahead of us.”
“Eli…” I manage, “Isaac?” “I love you, Rhea.”
Eli’s loving, compassionate, and troubled voice held promise for the future, but also shrouded secrets he wasn’t yet ready to share with me. Darkness enveloped me, and I sank back into a deep, but this time restful slumber.
Look for: Volition
A Uniform & Lace Romance Book One of Noah & Tessa’s Story
Coming soon: Vexed A Uniform & Lace Romance
A Novella in Noah & Tessa’s Story
Coming soon: Veneration A Uniform & Lace Romance
Book Two of Noah & Tessa’s Story
Coming soon: Tina Maurine’s story in: Kissing Midnight
A New year’s Crazy Ink Anthology
Excerpt
Volition
A Uniform & Lace Romance
Noah & Tessa’s Story
~Book One~
All Rights are Reserved and Copyrighted 2018 by Tina Maurine
(Excerpt shortened from final publication.)
Ari walked up with drinks for the three of us. He sat down on the shore with his. I took mine, leaned back on my elbows and closed my eyes, taking a long drink.
“Perfect,” I purred. “Thank you, Ari. It’s just what I needed… a drink to get over my hangover.” I smiled at him sincerely and winked before dreamily closing my eyes. Even holding my glass, and with my elbows in the soft silica mud, my legs floated effortlessly on top of the hot mineral water. No trace of my headache lingered.
“So, baby girl, did you ever figure out who Noah Garren and Dirk Archibladt were?”
I peeked at him under hooded eyes as he jounced his eyebrows playfully up and down.
“Dirk, no, but there’s something about Noah…”
“Are you effin’ kidding me?” Sam shot me a look like I was slow as I moved back away from the group a bit into even shallower water. I didn’t want to have to worry about getting the seawater in my drink as I half reclined with one elbow in the mud, my legs floating out in front of me. I closed my eyes, cogitating on her snide comment and judgmental look, but they did nothing to my mood—I was healing from my hangover—as I absorbed the heat, steam, mud, my elixir… everything. I wasn’t going to let her ruin my good mood. It had taken me all morning to get it.
A strong hand glided up my left calf. My eyes flew open and Mr. Familiar-For-Some-Reason Noah sprawled on his elbows in the mud floating beside me. He smiled, and I noticed how straight and pretty his white teeth were; a good sign that he didn’t chew or smoke. He walked himself up on his elbows until he reached shoulder to shoulder with me. I took my time once again admiring his tanned, rugged good looks, thick hair, strong shoulders and back, nice firm ass and killer legs. His legs extended a good ten to twelve inches or so past mine, so he was about a foot taller than me, easily over six feet. I’d have to see him standing to be sure.
He smiled a shit-eating grin at my blatant perusal, before turning over onto his back. As my gaze combed back up his body, I noticed his strong thighs, taut six-pack, and an amazing chest that had a hint of ink hiding under the silica mud that covered most of his body. His chuckle brought me back from my lollipop walk down his yummy
body.
“Like what you see?” Noah gave me a notably arrogant smirk. Then it dawned on me… his voice. It was the same husky baritone that had whispered in my ear last night after the last dance. Those amazing hands had been on my hips. The real kicker though—those full, sensual lips and
already nipped at my neck. My nipples grew hard at the thought. Now, it was my turn to blush.
What were the fucking chances Ari would invite him?
A million to one? How could he know? He wasn’t even at the club. If he had known, would he have invited him?
“I could ask you the same thing,” I countered back flirtatiously, successfully playing off an arrogant indifference just for the fun of it.
“I knew you’d look good, but had no idea… I mean, damn.” His honest admission caused crimson to creep across his cheeks and ears in a blush I wouldn’t have expected from this hunk of a man. He was, after all, security, and many of them had been Special Ops or skilled Artillerymen who had seen action on previous tours, and I had made him blush. It brought a genuine smile of victory to my lips.
“You never did answer me,” he prodded back. “Well shit, Noah—what do you think?” With that, I
arched my back, dipping my hair in the water and thrusting my chest into the air. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. God, the water feels amazing. Its heat eased the tension in my achy, hung-over muscles and felt luxurious as it gently swathed my throbbing head. Right now, there’s no place I’d rather be. I’m so glad I came. I’ll have to make sure to thank Ari for such an incredible hangover cure.
I felt Noah’s confidence radiating from every pore in his body; our chemistry undeniable, mutual sexual tension so thick you could cut it. He sidled up, saucily—hip to hip with me and turned on his side, his package firm against my hip, and draped his forearm across my taut abs. His hand rested on my hip farthest from him as his fingers gripped me in a possessive gesture. “Maybe you’ll give me the chance to take you out on a real date?”
