Rose grumbled. Her mental clarity was of the utmost importance, and she rarely took medicine of any kind, even over-the-counter painkillers.
As soon as she felt the warm summer sun on her face and smelled a florally breeze in the air, which told her she was now outside, she asked, “How bad will it be if I don’t take anything?”
“Rose,” said Carter, “you don’t want to do that to yourself.”
She didn’t argue, but in the back of her mind she knew she could handle it. Pain was sobering. It had the power to focus her, and she’d rather be sharply focused and suffering than in a haze of confusion.
She heard Taylor pop the passenger’s side door open, as he said, “Just getting the ramp down.”
“Was this necessary?” she asked. “I mean, I can walk.”
“Technically, you can,” he said, “but you’re pretty drugged up, so until you’re on the other side of taking these meds it’s best if you stay in the wheelchair.”
As Taylor rolled her up the ramp then got her wheelchair strapped inside the SUV, Carter and Layla set her belongings in the backseat and shut the door.
“We’ll be right behind you,” said Carter.
“Actually,” said Rose, “I might need an hour or so. I’d like to get settled and maybe nap. Could you come by after, and we’ll go over the reports before we e-mail them to Harold?”
“Sure,” said Layla. “Whatever you want. You can give us a call?”
“I’ll do that,” she said before giving Layla’s hand a squeeze as soon as she felt her friend reach for her. “See you later,” she added, then reconsidered. “I mean...oh God, what do I mean?”
“We’ll see you later, Rose,” said Layla through a smile before shutting the door.
As soon as Taylor climbed behind the wheel, he started the engine, but she didn’t feel the SUV lurch forward.
In a whisper, he said, “I’m just watching them walk to their Jeep in the parking lot because I want to kiss you before we head out, and I’d rather they not catch us.” After a moment he added, “That is, if you don’t mind me kissing you.”
Smirking, she said in a low tone, “I don’t mind.”
Sensing him nearing her, it felt as though every cell in her body was poised in anticipation of feeling his lips meet hers, and when he did, his smooth mouth pressing firmly, warm and passionate, she melted, breathing in deeply his scent and drifting into his kiss that seemed to convey a world of care.
Soon his hands held her face, though gently, helping her tilt her head to deepen the kiss, as his tongue delicately probed the velvety curves of her mouth. When he slipped back, she sensed him studying her.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am this happened to you,” he said in a tone so quiet it was barely audible. “I’m going to do everything within my power to make this right.”
“Will it ever be right?” she asked, not to challenge him, but to gain a sense of his highest belief. If he truly believed he could make this right, then she would trust him, but who could be so optimistic when tragedy had struck so severely?
“I’ll find a way,” he said.
Finally, Taylor put the SUV in gear and pulled away from the curb, starting off on the long drive from Bellevue Mercy to the Escala in downtown Seattle.
The hum of tires over asphalt and the gentle rocking of the highway lulled Rose into a sleepy state.
“Mmm, I’m nodding off,” she murmured.
“That’s okay,” he said softly. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”
And he did.
It was the pop of the passenger’s side door opening that lifted her from a deep sleep.
“We’re home,” he said, pressing the button for the electronic ramp to edge out. “We’ll get you inside, and then you might want to sleep for a bit before you call your people over.”
Rose braced the armrests of her wheelchair as Taylor rolled her down the ramp. His hand rested on her shoulder as he ascended the ramp into the SUV and tossed his keys to the valet, who quickly climbed in and drove off.
As he rolled her over the red carpet and into the air-conditioned lobby of the Escala, Rose noticed that because she’d been stripped of the ability to see, her other senses were kicking into high gear. The specific scent of the lobby, the chilled marble floors slick with lemon-fresh cleaner, struck her first, then the particular tinge of AC mingling with the distinct scent of lilacs filled her nose. The shape of Taylor’s hand, which remained on her shoulder as he rolled her to the elevator banks, held new meaning. She now understood his precise dimensions—the length of his fingers, the width of his palm. And when the elevator arrived with a ding, the sound was sharp and hit her ears in a way she’d never noticed for all her years of having perfect eyesight.
After he rolled her inside, turned her around, and the doors whooshed closed, the way in which the air pressure changed from that one simple action was so apparent that it made her feel strangely alive, as did rising swiftly to the fiftieth floor.
It occurred to her as he rolled her down the long carpeted corridor towards his suite that she would finally set foot in his bedroom, maybe even lie down on his four-poster bed, but without sight, what would the experience hold?
“I didn’t realize you had a guest room,” she remarked, though it was only a guess.
“There are many rooms in my suite,” he offered, “but I thought you’d be most comfortable in my room.”
“You installed a hospital bed in your room?”
“I did,” he said, keying into the suite then pushing her through. “But you have the option. Unless your vitals dip for the worst, I see no reason why you can’t sleep in my bed. That is, if you like.”
“That might be nice,” she said through a smirk.
“I’m glad you’re smiling.”
As soon as he slowed her wheelchair and Rose felt the afternoon sun on her face, reminding her where the bay windows were, she stood and took a few cautious steps towards it. Taylor neared her and took her right hand as her left fingertips pressed against the warm glass.
“Tell me about the view,” she said, already imagining the Seattle bay, the skyline of buildings before it, and Bellevue in the far distance.
“The sun is bouncing off the buildings, off the windows and steel. The Space Needle is to the left, piercing the azure blue sky. And there are a number of popcorn clouds floating slowly by. The bay is calm. The water looks like glass, but there are a few sailboats cutting north around the bend.”
Suddenly, Rose felt overcome with emotion. “Will I ever see it again?”
She sensed him tensing beside her, and it was enough of an answer that she didn’t press him.
“One day at a time,” he reminded her. Then Taylor leaned in until she could feel his warm lips brush her hair, her ear beneath. “Keeping you relaxed and happy is the key to a speedy recovery.”
“Is that right?” she asked coyly.
“As a medical professional, I can tell you for a fact that it is.”
She caught an edge of flirtation in his tone that sent a flutter of arousal through her, though she couldn’t be sure the sensation wasn’t heightened thanks to the many opiates surging through her veins. She was starting to feel loopy.
“How about that nap?” he whispered.
“Why do I get the feeling I won’t be doing much sleeping?”
“I’ll be good,” he said in a cooler tone. “I’ll let you rest, if that’s what you need.”
“As my doctor, what do you think I need?” she asked in a smoky voice that surprised her. Who would’ve thought the major upheaval that was befalling her could be so easily overlooked when in the presence of a man who never failed to turn her on?
“Well, no one can argue with rest,” he said, brushing his warm hand through her hair to expose the right side of her neck that went unmarred throughout the ordeal. “But I think a gentle massage could help you sleep better.”
“Really?”
“I can keep my touch very light a
nd relaxing. Stimulating your circulation is very important, and until you’re well enough to exercise, we’ll have to be creative about how we get your heart rate up, get you breathing heavily, get the blood flowing. Come here.”
He guided her to the bed where he angled her to face him and grazed his fingertips up her arms until he settled a tender hold around the nape of her neck. When his lips met hers, she reached for his waist, gripping the firm wall of his abdomen and kissing him deeply.
“I know one way to get your blood circulating, but I might need to remove your clothing,” he whispered.
The very notion sent a hot wave rolling through her, and she smiled, but then an edge of apprehension caused her stomach to clench.
“Don’t I look awful?” she asked, feeling her face, the bandage, and then her head where her hair had been cut by the burn unit to save her scalp.
“Rose,” he whispered, pecking her in between each word. “You’re beautiful. I’m hard for you.” He took her hand and placed it over the bulge beneath his slacks, breathing his final statement, “I want to fuck you. Let me make you feel good. Let me help you forget all this shit you’re going through, at least for a little while.”
“I can’t believe I still turn you on,” she said in disbelief.
He took her hands and helped her to sit on the edge of the bed, as he settled so close beside her she could feel the heat rolling off of his strong chest, his thighs, his face so near hers that she tipped her chin up, expecting another kiss. “I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, but I was in the hospital for months after I tripped into a pool at my father’s charity event. I didn’t have anyone except assistants who were paid to give a shit. I’d lost eighty percent of my cognitive ability. I practically had the mind of a child. I was terrified and alone and I thought I’d never recover. I’d never abandon you. My interest in you hasn’t changed. If anything, I feel closer to you, because I was once in your position. I didn’t think it would be possible to come out of it and once again be myself, be as smart as I was, have my life back. But I got it back. And you will, too. That’s why I don’t want you to worry. I want to keep your spirits up. It’s only a matter of time. You have to believe me.”
She pressed her mouth into a pained smile, believing him but also feeling so blown away by his care and attitude that she wasn’t sure how to trust it. But when his lips touched hers, first brushing then pressing into a deep kiss, she let go of her worry and confusion, the sadness and panic that had been gripping her heart, and let Taylor ease her down on the soft bed.
Angling her legs along the bed and helping her head to reach the pillows, Taylor cradled her and began stroking her gently, his warm hand traveling downward between her breasts, along her stomach, and over her jeans until he cupped her between her legs, sending a wave of heat through her that relaxed her tense muscles.
Kissing her cheek, he popped her jeans open then eased the fly down so that his hand could slide slowly beneath the fabric of her panties. With a feather touch, he caressed her labia with his fingertip, sliding up and down and inspiring the warmest friction. She let out a breathy sigh and he kissed her cheek again, working his way to her mouth, to which he pressed a long, firm kiss, then whispered in her ear, “I want you so bad.”
“Oh, you’re turning me on,” she breathed.
“Good. I’m going to take off all of your clothes and lick every inch of you.”
Hearing that, a fresh wave of heat surged through her.
Naturally, her hips rose in response to Taylor pulling her jeans down, and in an arch she bent her knees for him to free her of the garment. The cool air on her skin was tantalizing, but not more so than his hot lips wrapping her crotch, though her panties still separated them.
Feeling eager, she pulled her sweater up and over her head, her nipples hardening as soon as the crisp AC hit her skin. Not a second later, she felt Taylor’s hot tongue flick her left nipple then the right, as his fingers settled between her legs, stimulating her with a gentle massage that made her grow hot and wet for a deeper touch.
He kissed her lips tenderly, then again flicked her nipple with his tongue and sucked the mound between her legs, his cool breath commingling with the heat of his tongue before turning his mouth to hers.
“Oh,” she sighed, as he worked through the same arousing pattern, moving from her lips to her breast to her clit. All the while she spread her legs, aching for him to fill her with his thick, long erection. “Taylor,” she whispered, “I can’t wait. I need you.”
He groaned in her ear and soon she felt the hard, wide head of his dick pressing against the thin cotton of her panties, fitting perfectly in the concave hollow of her natural shape.
“I’ve wanted you so badly,” he groaned.
“I need you inside me, now, please.”
“Okay,” he said softly, pulling her cotton panties down then grazing his index finger along her slippery labia, exploring the outer and inner folds of her body.
He must have shifted onto his knees to look down at her writhing hips, because she sensed he had eased off before he finally stripped her panties away, discarding them to the floor.
She wished she could see him grasp his hard erection to angle it against her throbbing sheath, but feeling his tip press against the apex of her body was just as good. As soon as he made contact, a burst of electric arousal fluttered through her loins, and she began aching even more for him to fill her.
Rose grabbed his waist, guiding him to thrust inside. Her body expanded, as he pressed deeper and deeper until he was met with firm resistance when having consumed her.
Gently, he rocked, thrusting and grinding and helping her burning ache blossom into a soothing flutter. Just like earlier in the lobby, she noted that every sensation was heightened. She was infinitely more aware of his shape, the firm pressure he delivered, the sensual rhythm he kept to work her higher and higher, heat and tingles building in a slow rolling wave that coursed through her.
Taylor pressed his lips to hers and she parted her mouth, eager to feel his tongue delicately probing the smooth curves of her lips and tongue, as he quickened the pace of his thrusting.
She gasped, feeling a quick clench in her loins, the first hot burst towards climaxing, as though her body were pitching upwards towards the peak.
“Is this okay?” he whispered, breathing the words against her cheek then finding her lips again as she murmured that it was perfect.
Then she felt a strong surge, the sheath of her clamping around his hard erection. Savoring every inch of him, she focused on the slippery friction he was stirring over her deepest and most sensitive spots, and soon a huge wave of tingles shimmied through her. She arched her head back, moaning and riding the heightening flutter until a muscle-melting orgasm seized her.
“Oh, baby,” he groaned, intuiting her climax and pumping her harder to come in tandem. “I’m coming apart.”
“Come with me,” she moaned, grabbing his hips then frantically finding his ass and squeezing it, holding him deep inside her to maximize her pleasure.
In seconds, he was bursting inside her, hot and hard, as his rhythm calmed and he sighed, shoulders relaxing and chest lowering against hers, sweaty and with a pounding heart.
After taking a moment to catch his breath, he rolled beside her, scooping her into his arms. She settled into his embrace, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and then drifting into sleep so calmly, she could’ve forgotten she was blind. She could’ve forgotten who she was.
Chapter Ten
Taylor lifted out of sleep, feeling Rose’s warm body in his arms. Lying still, he listened to her breathing, the soft flutter of her rising and falling chest. If he concentrated, he could feel her heart beating faintly, its rhythm hitting the side of his chest. He stared at the ceiling then angled his eyes towards the bay windows to his left, studying the dim light seeping through. It told him it was dusk. The sun hadn’t yet completely fallen beneath the horizon. The moon hadn’t entirely risen in
the sky. The strange magic of twilight was filling the room.
He didn’t want to wake her, but needed to tend to a few matters in his study, make arrangements for dinner, and wrap his head around her medical treatment, both managing her pain and recovery and thinking long term. Would she be permanently blind, or was this condition temporary? In so many ways he felt responsible. If she ever regained her sight, it would be because Taylor did everything in his power to make it so. He wouldn’t give up. The difference between failing and succeeding would boil down to sheer will and determination.
Easing her off his shoulder and onto the pillow, he slipped out from beneath her, holding his breath not to wake her in the process. When it seemed she remained in a deep sleep, he pulled the comforter back and slid out, his feet meeting with the cool wooden floor.
Stepping softly, he found his robe in the closet then pulled a fresh pair of boxer-briefs on that were in a dresser drawer. He padded through the bedroom and carefully closed the door all but for a crack so he’d be able to hear her should she stir and need him.
He turned on a few of the lights in the living room, expecting nightfall to darken the suite. After pouring himself a glass of water and drinking half of it, he walked into his study where a number of documents concerning the pipeline were resting atop his desk.
The vast divide between what his father and the government found acceptable when it came to chemical use in the construction of a tristate pipeline and what Rose and One World believed was hazardous was the difference between two foreign languages. Because of this, Taylor had no idea how to reconcile the two. Rose wouldn’t have gotten hurt had she not been there. The only people authorized to handle the chemicals used for the pipeline were those from Davey Construction, namely because of their hazmat gear and experience. But was that level of protocol enough to convince an entire community that they’d be safe living a mile from the pipeline for the rest of their lives? According to the government, it was. Yet according to Rose, and what Taylor had witnessed as a result of her coming into contact with that toxic chemical, it clearly wasn’t.
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