Love Like This

by Sylvia Hubbard

  Ethan had to insist she take the money he offered, and reluctantly she did and left.

  When the nurse left, he returned to Nicole's room. She was changed in a nice pink gown, her hair freshly combed, still down although the front drawn back out her face, and looking very refreshed after the warm sponge bath.

  He placed the tray carefully on her lap. It was big enough to hold both of their bowls. He made tea for her while he took a cold beer. She looked amused at this as she tasted the soup and smiled with pleasure. Ethan told her who had cooked it and then explained the neighbors had been more than helpful with him since they found out he was taking care of a sick "friend."

  "They've never met you, but they knew I wasn't out as much as I usually am and David's mother let them know I was taking care of an ill friend. They've been giving me so much help I'm almost overwhelmed with saying thank you so much."

  Her voice was but a whisper when she said, "Thank you cards."

  He snapped his fingers. "That's a good idea." A wink for her in thanks for her great idea.

  They ate and he talked non stop throughout it about everything from Nanna's condition to who Parker Mills was. Nanna was getting worse, but holding on. What they were telling her about Nicole's whereabouts were unknown to anyone.

  Parker Mills had offices out in Southfield and as soon as she was well she could contact him for a meeting.

  Again she thanked him and he told her to quit that. It was no problem.

  Nicole looked away seeing the look of concern in his eyes. Why he'd offered his hand of friendship out this way was a mystery to her, but she intended to get down to the bottom of it. When they were done eating, he took the dishes away, and then brought in a toothbrush, with rinse and a bowl. After she brushed her teeth, he asked if she needed anything else. She pretended tiredness and he left her so she could rest. When he thought she was asleep he came back in and sat down beside her to stare at her.

  Nicole kept her breathing even and slow. She was glad when Cleo came by. He left them alone and Cleo filled her in on the other things he had gone out his way and done. Cleo even helped her to the bathroom which she'd been too embarrassed to ask him to help. There was one connected to the room.

  Nicole tried to speak, but was only good at muttering one word sentences with hand gestures. Cleo let her know she was at one of the houses he was fixing up. Nicole was shocked to know he was the one who had bought the houses next to Cleo. He was working night and day on them and his other projects, until she had came here. He never left the house now at all and had said he'd gotten someone to assist him on the other projects.

  Before leaving the bathroom, she paused at the mirror and was shocked to see herself. Cleo explained she had taken the liberty of doing that. Nicole had never had her hair done except to have her ends cut and her hair washed and pressed. Other than that, she oiled it every three days and put it up in a pony tail or corn rolls.

  "Do you like it?" Cleo asked.

  She nodded her approval.

  Cleo helped her back to the bed and tucked her in. "I'll be back in a couple of days. Don't try to rush yourself. If you need me, make him come get me, okay?"

  She assured her she would.

  ####

  The next morning while he was passed out in the chair by her bed, she got enough strength to make it to the bathroom by herself. When she came out, he was by the door and startled her making her trip over her feet, but he caught her and carried her to the bed. Her throat was feeling much better, but she didn't strain it by fussing over him carrying up. When he laid her in the bed, he didn't draw away and she didn't force him to move his arms from around her.

  They stared long into each other's eyes. His then wandered down to her lips and she felt him edge closer.

  "How do you feel?" he asked genuinely concerned.

  "Fine." She cleared her throat. "I feel good."

  The intenseness in his eyes affected her greatly, but she hoped he didn't notice and think her shivering was because the room was cool, when it was her body reacting to his proximity. How could she possible be thinking of making love to him at this point in time although the nurse said she was fine to carry on any usual activities? The nurse had even noted her boyfriend seemed very concerned about her well being and would need "comfort." She hadn't gotten over the idea of the nurse thinking she was his girlfriend let alone assure her she wouldn't be doing any "comforting."

  He released her and sat in the nearest chair. "You sound better."

  "I feel better."

  The doorbell rung. "That would be breakfast," he figured and rushed off.

  Before returning, it looked as if he'd gotten washed up and changed into another shirt. He smelled nice and he hadn't button the shirt up at all. She tried not to notice the well defined muscles on the bare darkly tanned skin, with the rippled stomach muscles. This time there wasn't an extra plate of food on the tray for him and he watched her eat quietly staring at her.

  She was famished and quickly downed the grits and eggs with toast on the side. There was another bowl of left over soup from last night and some orange juice. When she was done, he again brought the toothbrush and bowl. It was too kind of him and she was feeling rather spoiled.

  "I think I should leave soon." She said when he returned after disposing of the dishes.

  "Where will you go? Back home to Marvin?"

  "Back home to Nanna."

  "I could help you get her out of there."

  "And do what? Take her to a hospital. She wants to stay at home."

  "Even when they could kill her?"

  "I'm not going to argue with you." She pushed the covers off her legs and sat up with her feet on the floor. "I would like my clothes to leave."

  "I threw them away. They were filthy."

  "Then I can borrow some from Cleo."

  "I have some more for you, but you'll rest. A couple of more days won't kill you to rest. The rest was much needed and you don't need to be out in that whether after that horrible infection in your throat."

  "You don't have any right keeping me here."

  "I will and you'll like it."

  Angrily at his stubbornness, she said, "You're no better than Marvin."

  He came over to the bed in two strides. "Then maybe I ought to rape you like he did," he seethed over her.

  Her breath caught in her throat at his cruelness but she fought the tears that wanted to come at the painful memories. When he reached out to comfort her, she snatched away and moved from him. "Get out!" she ordered.

  Ethan huffed and left slamming the door behind him. Damn woman drove him to lose his calm. She thought nothing of herself or her safety. If she wasn't the most unselfish person he had ever met.

  Nicole stood up and went over to the closet. There wasn't anything in there so she went over to the dresser where only gowns and underwear were. Cursing she went back to the bed. She wouldn't stay here another moment with him. He was kind one moment, hurtful the next. Not another moment.

  He didn't come back to her room until dinner when he delivered pasta in cream sauce. He didn't eat with her, but left some books to read which she eagerly read to keep her mind occupied. When she awoke the next morning early, she listened out for him in the hallway. When she didn't hear anything, she opened the door and walked out the room to the bare floor of the hallway. There was some hammering going on downstairs so she assumed that was where he was. There was a chill in the air, but that was fine and she wouldn't be out here for long. Going down the hallway, she opened the first door she got to. This was another bedroom and she gasped as the bed was even bigger than hers with bars at the top. The decor was a beautiful lavender and gold and she could tell this had been an extra room with the wall taken out. There was a private bathroom in there and curiosity got the better of her and she entered it.

  The largest bathtub she had ever seen occupied this one and along with the gold and black decor was a beautiful bear rug in the middle of the floor. She couldn't resist kneeling
down and touching the soft fur, then froze at the light chuckle behind her.

  Turning around she gasped seeing him naked standing over by the sink located behind the door. Quickly turning away from him, she huffed. "Could you put something on?"

  "Excuse me, I'm in my bathroom," he snapped.

  "Then I'll leave." When she started to do that, the door closed and she refused to look in his direction knowing he was purposely standing in her way.

  "Why? Obviously you came in here for a reason."

  She flushed and angrily turned to him not caring he was standing there akimbo naked as the day he was born. "I came to find some clothes."

  "And who do you know puts their clothing in the bathroom?" he questioned.

  "Shut up!" she snapped.

  "If you think that's going to get you out of here then you've another thing coming."

  "I don't care if I was dying you are the most frustrating man I've ever met and I wish I never met you!"

  His eyes narrowed to slits and he moved towards her slowly like an animal stalking. "Then maybe I ought to take you right back to Marvin so he can kill you."

  "He won't kill me."

  "He'll just molest you."

  So angry, she slapped him, then gasped and quickly apologized stepping back from him. "Leave me alone."

  He rubbed his cheek, then moved over and put a towel around his waist. "You aren't stepping foot in that house, Nicole. Not as long as he's there."

  "I need to see Nanna."

  "You need to take a rest. I'm sure Nanna would agree. You almost died out there and he almost killed you. I won't take you back there so he can kill you."

  "They'll hurt Nanna."

  "What if I go over there and see her?" he suggested.

  "I want to see her."

  "You don't think I can?"

  "I want to see her!" she stressed even more frustrated. "She's my grandmother. I've taken care of her since she got sick. They'll hurt her just like they always wanted to."

  "Then they'll hurt you. We can call her doctor tomorrow," he assured her coming back over to her. "I swear Nicole. I'll do what I can to help you as long as it doesn't jeopardize your life."

  "What do you care for?"

  His long strong fingers gently caressed her cheek. "Because it's a free country."

  "Or because you think this is going to get you a good fuck. Well think again, Ethan." She walked away from him towards the door. "I'm not the least attract-"

  She would have finished if his lips were covering hers and she wasn't responding like her life depended upon it. She would have finished telling him how much she detested him, if she wasn't pushing the towel off of him and touching his beautiful body like it was the last thing she would ever touch.

  So when he laid her down on that bearskin rug and began to kiss her all over, pushing her gown off her body and suckling the tips of her breast sending waves of ecstasy through her nerves, she couldn't think of one thing disgusting or disliking about this gorgeous man. Ever part of his body worshipped her deep chocolate skin to passion's goddess and as his mouth paid homage to her womanhood sending mind and body in a fit, she knew she would want this man again and again.

  His mouth moved up to capture hers and she could taste herself on his lips increasing the eroticism. Carefully he placed a towel underneath her as he also placed the tip of him at her womanly orifice. She was way past caring how he would end her wanton torture, she just wanted him more and more, but felt him stiffen slightly.

  He was straining, holding back from giving her any pain, but her writhing was driving him crazy. Wrapping her legs around his waist securely, she thrust upward and at the same time pushed his wrist away so that he buried himself deep inside of her. The hot searing pain made her scream so high pitched she couldn't hear her voice in her own head, but he'd heard it and he thought he'd killed her by the way her whole body stiffened.

  Slowly her eyes opened and Ethan waited for her to tell him to continue, but the seriousness caught him off guard. He leaned down to kiss her, but she turned her face away.

  She spoke deep and slowly. "Get… off."

  He wasn't sure if he heard her right. "Nicole, we haven't finished-"

  "Get off!"

  Ethan was sure she just didn't understand what was going on. She had just lost her virginity and it was okay to be scared. "Let me finish-"

  "No!" With great strength she dislodged him and jumped up. "Stay away from me!" Running out the room, she didn't stop running until she had gotten into her bathroom where she locked herself up in there.

  He was right behind her with the towel loosely around his waist, but he didn't catch the door before it close. Knocking, he said, "Nicole, you can't just leave like that in the middle of it."

  "I can and I did," she screamed from the other side of the door.

  "You're just confused."

  "No, I was confused before all this, but now I know why Marvin never wants me to do it. I should have listened. Stay away from me, Ethan."

  "Dammit, Nicole. Give me a chance."

  "You had your chance, Ethan." She was making a lot of racket, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out what the hell she was doing. Water was running suddenly and he heard her getting in the shower.

  He wanted to break the door down, and just as he was preparing to throw his shoulder against it, the door opened. She'd straightened her gown. Her hair was thrown back into the ponytail and she walked straight back in his room. He followed her waiting for her to say something - anything regarding what just happened but she was paying more attention to the walls than to him.

  "Nicole, it was your first time, it was supposed to hurt."

  "It was?" she asked. "I guess next you're going to say I shouldn't tell anybody. Or it's our secret?" Tears welled up in her eyes at the horrible memories of Marvin's words.

  "No. I'm not him. I'm not your uncle." He sounded hurt, but she didn't care. He'd hurt her.

  She found a drawer with some jogging suits and grabbed a shirt and pair of pants, then slipped them on. "I'm leaving. I'm going back home and you aren't going to stop me."

  "Dammit Nicole-"

  "If you aren't going to stop me, then don't stand in my way, Ethan."

  He came over to her. She was being stubborn and hardheaded. Was she crazy? Did she understand Marvin could kill her? "Do you even care about your own life, Nicole?"

  "Not when Nanna's life means a lot more to me. She means more to me than my own, because she fought so hard for me to be here, Ethan. If I could I would give my heart to her to make her better. Don't you understand?" she cried tears streaming down her cheek.

  He pulled her in his arms to hold her. "Yes Nicole, I do. I'll help." His kissed her cheek as her arms went around his neck in appreciation for his understanding.

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 7

  He pulled the company truck two houses away from Nanna's house. He would have pulled closer, but the police and ambulance were blocking the middle of the street.

  They both looked at each other wondering what was going on until they both saw Nanna being carried on a stretcher and placed in the ambulance. An ESO was on top of her pumping her chest to resuscitating her. Before he could stop her, Nicole was jumping out the truck and running towards the ambulance, but the police stopped her. She demanded to get inside the ambulance, but the double doors closed and the police still held her back. The ambulance took off for the hospital with Nanna inside.

  Nicole wailed her pain for her grandmother.

  Looking through the crowd toward the house, she saw Marvin and Lynne standing there signing some papers for an officer then he walked away.

  Ethan watched from the truck her heading towards the house and gripped the steering wheel wondering if he should get out the car to join her. To follow her meant letting Lynne and Marvin know of his involvement with Nicole, but he wasn't sure if he wanted them to know yet. Would Nicole be hurt enough when she found out? Would Nicole's pain be worth it all?
Damn his guilty conscious, when did that start coming into play in his quest for the ultimate revenge against his now ex-wife?

  He waited and watched.

  Nicole went straight up to Marvin and shoved him with all of her might and anger she had inside of her. "What did you do?" she demanded to know. "What did you do to her?"

  Marvin grabbed her arms to keep her from hitting him in the chest. "If you were here then you would know what happened. Nanna had a relapsed."

  "Relapse? You're lying! You tried to kill her didn't you."

  "If you weren't running off then maybe Nanna would be fine."

  "I ran off to save my life."

  "You ran off to find your lover, you selfish bitch."

  She backhanded him with all her might and she wasn't sorry about it.

  Lynne stepped up quickly between them seeing Marvin bawling up his fist to hit Nicole back. "Maybe we should calm down," she insisted.

  They glared heatedly at each other, both knowing the truth as to why she ran away. His eyes glared her to speak the truth.

  "I think we all need to get inside," Lynne suggested.

  Nicole broke eye contact with Marvin and glared at her mother. "I think you ought to tell the police exactly what he did to Nanna. Don't you care one bit about her? She was your mother. Your flesh and blood. The only one who cared about your selfish horrible self was Nanna because I don't care whether you live or died. I wish you were dying. I wish you had the bad heart because you don't deserve to live another day!"

  Lynne stiffened at the hard words of her daughter. Nicole turned to walk away, but Marvin grabbed her arm.

  "Where do you think you're going?" he sneered jerking her back to him.

  She tried to snatch out of his grip but he held tight.

  "I think you should come into the house," he said pulling her towards the door of the house.

  Nicole desperately tried to get away without making a scene for the crowd that was now dissipating. She looked back over her shoulder to see if Ethan had left her.

  "Come Nicole, you can go to the hospital with us."

  She knew Marvin had no intentions of letting her out the house again. If he had his way, she would forever be locked up in that room for the rest of her life. She didn't want to go through that again. Lynne only stood there watching, not doing anything. Nicole began to struggle more.