Gunderson hesitated, but then finally spoke. “Jensen just quit.”
Tim was initially stunned, but then smiled. “Why am I not surprised?” he whispered to himself.
“You knew about this?”
“No, but it doesn’t surprise me. Someone he cares about deeply was almost killed because of a leak, and not the first leak we’ve had. Now that Gianelli is out of business, I guess it’s time for him to move on.” Tim suspected Nick wanted to move on with the beautiful blonde nurse he’d fallen in love with.
Gunderson nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll see you at the office.”
“Sure.”
Tim watched as his disillusioned superior left the room. Nick was a good man, and one of the best agents they had. It was disappointing to lose him, but Nick had a different path to follow. Tim hoped now that Nick would no longer have to walk that path alone.
Chapter Forty-Two
The alarm sounded once Kelsey removed the needle from Nick’s arm. “Oh, shoot, sorry.” She rushed to quiet the noisy machine while trying to keep hold of the small piece of gauze against his skin. Once set, she lifted his arm up and guided his hand to place pressure on the IV site. “Hold that there for a minute.”
He dutifully complied, holding his position while she walked over to the nearby cabinets. She gathered up some supplies and stacked them on the tray beside her before digging through the large bottom drawer.
“Hmm. Stay put. I’ll be right back.”
He folded his arm to keep the gauze in place and reached for his water cup. He drank until the straw gurgled when he hit the bottom. Before he’d barely had a chance to realise the water was gone, Kelsey returned to the room with a fresh foam cup and an armful of folded fabric.
“I figured you’d be thirsty,” she said. She set her pile on the bed before switching his empty cup for the full one.
“You’re too good to me, baby,” he said with a smile, taking a large gulp of the fresh, cool water.
“Let me see this.” She peeked under the gauze he’d been holding. “Okay. This looks good. How about that shower now?”
“You sure you want to help me?”
She answered him with a smile as she flipped his sheets down to the foot of the bed. “Now, swing your legs around and let me help you up, okay? You might be a little dizzy, so take it slow.”
Nick followed her instructions, thinking she was exaggerating until he sat forward and felt his head spin. “Oh, man, you weren’t kidding.”
Kelsey laughed. “Take it easy.” She allowed his head to rest against her breasts. “I’ve done this before, you know.”
“Better not have been like this,” he mumbled into the buttons of her oversized shirt. It took him only a minute to regain his composure, but he was contented to stay nuzzled against her. Unfortunately, the overwhelming smell of smoke coming from her clothing forced him to back away. “You seem like you could use a shower yourself.”
“Are you saying I stink?”
“Your clothes certainly do. By the way, whose shirt is that?”
“Tim’s. I used mine to wipe the blood from your face last night.” She held her arms under his and helped him to stand from the bed, watching for any sign of dizziness.
As soon as he was on his feet, he reached behind himself to close the gown. Kelsey giggled at him. “It’s draughty in here.”
“Maybe you should wear underwear, then.”
“This is new. You want me to put on pants?”
Kelsey playfully shook her head. When he was ready to proceed, she began walking him towards the bathroom, grabbing the stack she had left on the bed on the way.
“Wait a minute,” he said as he stopped in his tracks. “Did you take your shirt off in front of Tim?”
“What did you want me to do? Leave you in a bloody heap so I could hide behind a bush?”
“Yes,” he said sincerely.
She laughed and urged him to continue the few steps that remained to the door. “Come on, let’s get you clean. You can be jealous of your friend’s ogling later.”
“He ogled you?” he asked, stopping again.
“Oh, would you…” She rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, okay? I was kidding. Now, can we please get into the shower? I feel like my skin is crawling.”
“You’re gonna get in there with me, baby?” All thoughts of anything but her suddenly drifted away.
“If you don’t mind sharing.”
“I think I can handle that. But I don’t have any clothes to change into.”
She lifted the stack in her hands. “Two sets of scrubs—one for you and one for me. Now, any more questions, or can we get into the shower?”
“Let’s get naked, baby,” Nick said with a slight cough from his exertion.
She walked him into the shower and sat him on the small bench on the side, waiting as his coughing subsided. “Okay. Let’s get this gown off you.” She leaned him forward and untied the straps. He tugged it off and tossed it aside, leaving himself naked.
“Now I have to take these off. Don’t worry, the tape doesn’t pull much.” She began peeling the bandages from the side of his face. “I’m going to leave a small patch on your eye to make sure you keep it closed. I’ll change it after we get out.”
Nick was in awe as he watched Kelsey work. He knew she was a nurse practitioner, and judging by the faith shown in her with the emergency clinic, she was a damned good one, but he’d yet to see her in action. Her confidence overwhelmed him as she pulled the small pieces of tape and gauze from his face.
“There, how does that feel?” She tossed the pile of used materials into the trash can.
“Better.” He wiggled his face around, making her laugh.
Without hesitation, Kelsey unbuttoned the large shirt that hid most of her body, tossing it in the corner when done. It was followed quickly by her jeans, bra and panties, leaving her as naked as he.
He wasn’t sure why, but Nick was stunned to see her strip so comfortably in front of him. They’d had a sexual relationship from the moment they’d met, and he was intimately familiar with every inch of her body, but her comfort in his presence and her seemingly free attitude were new.
She flipped the lever on the shower, starting the cascade of water. After a quick adjustment of temperature, she stepped to where he sat to help him get cleaned up. “What’s that look for?”
“You amaze me, you know that?” he said softly.
Kelsey helped him to stand and pointed to his protruding erection. “Um, you better put that thing away.”
“Come on, baby. You can’t strip like that in front of me and think I’m not gonna get aroused.”
“Aroused?”
“Okay, horny.”
She laughed. “It’s a good thing I love you.”
“It’s the best thing. I love you, too.”
“Unfortunately, you’re gonna have to put that thing away because you are definitely not up to that yet.”
“Baby, I don’t get more up than this.”
“You’re hopeless, you know that? Now, let’s get you clean.”
Kelsey grabbed a washcloth and soap and began cleaning his skin. She started at his shoulders and worked her way down to his feet, taking care to be gentle. Once finished, she directed him to sit down. “I can’t reach the top of your head.”
Nick was in a tough position, caught between heaven and hell as he stood passively while being cleaned. Her touch was amazing, the perfect balance of care and sensuality, but their touches could go no further until he recovered. So for now, all he could do was try to calm himself and enjoy her attention.
As soon as he sat on the bench, he realised the torture was far from over. When she washed the wounds on his face, her breasts were mere inches from his mouth. He tried to resist, and kept his hands in his lap while she cleaned the injured part of his face, but after she tossed the washcloth aside and began massaging the shampoo into his hair, he could no longer stop himself.
He reached around her waist and pulled her
closer. He began massaging her tit and guided it to his mouth. “I give up. I can’t resist you, baby.”
“Nick, we shouldn’t,” she said breathlessly when his mouth clamped around her stiffened nipple. “Nick, no. You can barely breathe after walking across the room. We can’t make love now.”
“Just let me, please. I have to touch you,” he huffed as he switched sides.
He felt little resistance when he lowered her body to straddle him. Just as her ass made contact with his legs, his coughing started up once again.
“Damn it, Nick.” She quickly rose to her feet. “I said no.”
His coughing turned into laughter. He loved it when she was riled up. “But your body was saying yes.”
“Oh, there’s a shock. You know I’ve never been able to resist you.” She pulled the portable shower nozzle from the wall and rinsed the soap from his body, still feigning anger.
He ran his hands through his hair to rid the excess moisture and carefully stood up. “My turn, baby.”
“What do you mean?”
“Now I get to clean you.”
“Oh, no,” she said defiantly, “I can handle getting clean by myself. If you promise to be a good boy, you can watch.”
Nick wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, the remaining tape tugging on his left socket. He sat down with his legs spread and his arms resting on the handrails, ready for his show. “I’ll be good, Bright Eyes, for now.”
Kelsey shook her head. Regardless of what she’d said, she was struggling just as much as he was. She couldn’t hide that from him. She turned her back to him and began to wash.
Nick wasn’t sure how much more he’d be able to take. His grip on the handrails tightened as he fought to remain still. He was succeeding, though with great difficulty, but when she bent down, he almost lost it. “Damn, baby.” Before he got too worked up, he forced himself to look away. She was just too hot to resist.
After what felt like an eternity, but in reality was probably the shortest shower a woman had ever taken, she shut off the water. She hastily ran a towel over herself and wrapped it around her body before helping him to dry off, neither making eye contact as they worked.
Once he was dry, she helped him into the scrub pants she’d got for him, but after he put on the shirt, he immediately took it off. “Ugh, that’s too tight.”
“It fits you fine.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Oh, you are such a baby.” Kelsey laughed. “You’re gonna have to put it on when you leave here, you know.”
“Fine, then I’ll put it on later.”
She dropped her towel and quickly slipped on the scrubs, Nick watching her every move.
“No underwear?” His voice was deep and husky.
“I don’t have a clean pair with me.”
He’d never be able to hide the pronounced bulge in his pants. Since they were the only thing he wore, it was hard to miss. “You expect me not to touch you when I know you’re not wearing a bra or panties?”
She rose up and gave him a very quick kiss. “I promise I’ll make it up to you just as soon as you’re able, how’s that?”
“Doesn’t help me now, baby.”
She shook her head and grabbed a few gauze packages. As he sat on the closed toilet, she bandaged the left side of his face, making certain to secure his eye and cover the various wounds. As soon as they were both decent, she kicked the dirty clothes away from the door and opened it.
“Well, there they are!” Faith exclaimed happily as soon as the two exited the bathroom.
“Oh, yeah, that’s what every brother wants to see,” Ronald said, shaking his head.
Tim also stood nearby, but he wore a grin a mile wide. Trying to avoid further embarrassment, Nick avoided looking his way as he and Kelsey crossed the room.
Nick got settled with Kelsey’s help. She then hugged each of their visitors. Before approaching Tim, she gave Nick a sexy wink over her shoulder. She laughed at the jealous sneer he gave her in return.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Nick called out to his friend after their hug had lasted a bit longer than he liked. “You can let go now.” Nick shook off Tim’s confused expression as Kelsey walked back to Nick’s side.
“So how you feeling, partner?” Ronald asked.
“I’ll live,” Nick replied with a cough. “Doc said I should be able to go home soon.”
“That’s good news,” Faith said with a smile.
“Gunderson came to see me, bro,” Tim said sternly and the mood of the room quickly changed.
Nick already knew the answer by the look on Tim’s face, but he asked the question anyway. “He tell you?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell him what?” Faith asked.
“He quit,” Tim replied.
“You quit the FBI?” Faith asked. Obviously she’d been briefed as to Nick’s whole story. “Just like that?”
“I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Nick said, directing his words to Tim. “Now that Gianelli is put away, I saw no reason to continue. Those inept morons couldn’t even keep Kelsey safe at a safe house! I have no use for those idiots.”
“Oh, well, hello, everyone,” Mike called out as he entered the room. “Didn’t know I was crashing a party here.”
“Hey, Mike,” Kelsey said with a smile.
“Good news, Nick. You are a free man. All your tests came back normal and I’d be happy to discharge you, provided you have arranged for someone to care for you.”
Nick looked to Kelsey, who wasted no time in answering on his behalf. “He’s coming home with me, Mike. I’ll take care of him.”
“You sure you want to do that, baby?”
“Of course I am.”
“You won’t mind having an unemployed, homeless invalid hanging around?”
She sat on the side of the bed facing him with a huge smile on her face.
“I’m not so sure about that invalid part, buddy,” Mike said. “You should be good as new in a couple of days.”
Ronald cleared his throat. “I…uh… I think I can take care of the unemployed part, Nick. If you are willing to give the Brookfield PD another shot, I have a spot waiting for you. I think you’d be a real asset to the force.”
Nick was stunned. He’d thought of applying to the force, but he hadn’t expected an offer to come quite so soon. He’d only quit his job a couple of hours earlier. “I’ll have to think about it, Ronald. Thanks. I may just take you up on that.”
“Well, that’s two out of three,” Kelsey said as she took his hand. “How about we make it a clean sweep? My offer still stands, you know.”
“Your offer?”
“Move in with me.” The shakiness in her voice reminded him of the day after they’d met. It’d been hard for him to say no when she’d asked over lunch.
Nick kissed her and whispered in her ear, “I’d love that, baby. I want nothing more than to be with you.”
She smiled when he returned to the bed. “We’re all set, then.”
Tim smiled. “Well, I need to get to the office and get some work done because my partner just bailed on me,” he said as he approached the bed. “I’m gonna miss working with you, man.”
Nick reached out and shook Tim’s hand. “Likewise. Thanks. For everything.”
“Likewise,” Tim repeated. “You made Pop proud, bro.”
“So did you, buddy.”
With their mutual goal having been accomplished, nothing more needed to be said. Tim looked at Kelsey and pulled something from his pocket. “Oh, before I forget.”
Kelsey looked stunned when she saw her cell phone. “How did you get this?”
“I was standing guard outside your room at Gianelli’s. Wally gave it to me.”
“Wally…” she began. Nick saw her expression of shock turn to fear. Her thoughts had obviously gone back to her captivity. “Did you…?”
Tim nodded.
“What happened?” Nick asked anxiously from his bed.
“
Wally Tapman.” Tim turned to Nick.
“The guy they found with Kelsey?” Ronald asked.
Tim nodded. “He was an idiot, but unfortunately he was also hooked on cocaine. I walked in on him…” Tim glanced at Kelsey, obviously trying to find a delicate way of saying it. “I heard a commotion and walked into Kelsey’s cell. She was unconscious and Wally was… He was removing his pants.”
“Oh, no,” Faith gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
“I pulled him off her and we got into it. He had to have been doped to the gills because he almost overpowered me and I was forced to pull my gun on him.”
“You killed him?” Kelsey whispered.
“He gave me no choice. He was going to kill me and rape you.”
“Thank you,” Nick said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Thank you for protecting her for me.”
“You would have done the same for me,” Tim said as he bent down for a hug.
“Anytime, man.”
Tim stood and hugged Kelsey. “You take care of him, okay?”
“Count on it. Thank you,” she replied. After a moment, Tim turned to leave the room.
“Hey, Tim,” Nick said, motioning for Tim to bend down so he could whisper something to him. “If there’s ever another emergency where my girlfriend needs to take off her shirt, I expect you to turn away. Got it?”
Tim burst out laughing, lightening the mood in the room. He turned his head and whispered in Nick’s ear, “You’re a very lucky man.”
Nick waved his arm to backhand him, but Tim quickly darted away. Nick and Kelsey laughed as Tim gave them one last wink and left the room.
Mike signed some papers and pulled Kelsey aside to give her Nick’s discharge instructions while Faith approached Nick. “Well, now that you are on the road to recovery, can you tell me why Tim said you’re the man I need to speak with about getting my husband out of jail?”
“Oh, yeah, that,” Nick said with a groan.
“Yeah, that. I have time now. I’d love to hear it.”
Chapter Forty-Three
The looks he received when walking down the hallway of the Brookfield Police Department made Nick want to laugh. Only the knowledge that a coughing fit would surely follow stopped him as they finally reached Ronald’s office.
Unexpected Consequences Page 28
