“I like that dress,” Frank interjected with a force that surprised her. She stepped forward to rest her hand on his arm. Vibrations of power surrounded him like an aura, yet there on the table, in the cold blaze of hospital lights, he looked like a man who desperately needed a simple touch.
“Yes, well, you’re blind.” Mike winked at her as he left.
“What did he mean by that?” demanded Frank.
“Never mind.” She leaned closer to say, “The man has no taste. You should see the tie he’s wearing.”
He chuckled warmly as a nurse tore back the curtain and marched in, followed by an orderly pushing a gurney.
“Hi, Allison. What did you find in your front yard?”
“Linda, how’s it going?”
“Busy as usual for a Saturday. Okay, Mr. Hughes, take it easy and just let us do the work here.” Smoothly, they transferred him from the table. Linda draped a sheet over him, tucking in the edges. “We’re just going to the adjoining building for your MRI. It’s a simple procedure, but will take a little while. Then I’ll bring you back here.”
“Allison, aren’t you coming with me?” His face puckered into a frown even as Linda and the orderly pushed him out of the cubicle and whisked him down the corridor.
“I’ll wait here,” Allison called.
She rubbed her face, suddenly very tired. Instead of settling in the chair, she headed for the nurses’ lounge. Her wet slippers made a sad, uneven plopping sound as she crept down the hall, her tiredness making her limp more pronounced.
With a cup of coffee that tasted and smelled like it’d been boiled twice, she sank onto the cushioned loveseat and lifted her feet to the rickety coffee table. The events of the night had been truly remarkable, starting with the horrid reunion and ending with the discovery of a fantastic man practically in her front yard.
Frank was obviously somebody. His clothing wasn’t inexpensive and his fingernails were manicured, not the norm for the men she usually encountered. He had the confidence of a sophisticated man who knew he held power. Unlike anyone she’d ever been attracted to, there was certainly an allure about him that pulled her, called her. She’d wanted him to kiss her when they stood at the fence. If he hadn’t been injured and in need of her professionalism, she might have kissed him.
No, probably not.
She’d wanted to, though.
Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift. Suddenly, she wasn’t wearing her noisy, ugly dress. She wore a gown light as air and silky soft, and she was naked beneath. Even without a mirror for confirmation, she knew she was beautiful, with no scars or limp. She floated across the floor, as the man in the store had. In her dream she frowned slightly, trying to remember the man, but her frown faded when she saw Frank.
In a blink, like events happen in dreams, they were naked. His cock was breathtaking in size, hard and erect.
“For you,” he whispered. “Only for you.”
“Yes, please.” She lay back and spread her legs. His lips seared a path of kisses up the inside of her leg. His tongue bathed her clit, while fingers probed her inner depths.
Then his tongue swirled around her nipple and she felt the initial tap of his cock against her nether lips. A slight nudge is all it took, she was so wet. Already she smelled the powerful scent of their combined arousal.
“Allison, I can’t wait any longer.” With a hard push, he drove into her. The stroke robbed her of breath, but she wrapped him with her legs and arms and rose to meet him—
“He wants you, you know.”
The voice came from far off, but it wasn’t in her dream. This was real.
“Allison?”
She jerked upright, narrowly preventing the spill of tepid coffee in her lap. “What? Who?”
“The impatient patient. He demanded someone find you, and here I am, finding you.” Pushing the door further open, Linda leaned her shoulder against the jamb while Allison put her feet on the floor and rubbed her eyes in an effort to wake up.
Linda looked at her with some amusement. “He’s quite a hunk and seems to have developed an attachment to you. Got a bear of a personality when you’re not around, and is a pussy cat when you are. Are you sure you just met this guy?”
Allison laughed. “Just tonight. You could say we met by accident.” Studying her friend she added, “Don’t you want to say something about my dress? This lovely gown was the hit of my reunion.” She tossed her Styrofoam cup in the trash can and walked back toward the ER with Linda.
“That’s right, your reunion was tonight. I hate those things, myself. My tenth is coming up next year.” Linda stopped and shot Allison a calculated look. “Tell me the truth, do I look like I’ve gained weight in the past few years?”
Truthfully, she did appear to have put on about fifteen pounds or so. “Not an ounce,” Allison said firmly.
Linda nodded, satisfaction spreading across her face. “Thanks, you’re a pal. And in the same vein of honesty, I think your dress is beautiful.”
Smiling, Allison left Linda at the nurses’ station and made her way along the wall of curtained off areas.
* * * *
“Where is the damn doctor?” Frank’s truculent tone was understandable but wearying just the same, after an hour of waiting for test results.
A fair portion of that time he’d spent talking via cell phone to someone named David. That’s all she’d heard of the conversations, except Frank’s tone, which was commanding. He was definitely a man used to giving orders.
Evidently David could also give a few. When she’d checked at the desk to ask what else needed to be done in the way of paperwork for admission, the clerk had told her everything was being handled. Not only had the tedious forms been taken care of and insurance approved, the X-ray and MRI results were being sent to Frank’s doctor’s computer in Washington so he could consult on treatment.
“The doctor will be here as soon as he knows something.” Allison gave him her best grim nurse’s look before remembering he couldn’t see her expression. Instead she patted his hand as though he were a child. “Stop being a baby. Everything that can be done is being done.”
Three different doctors had examined him in the time they’d been at the hospital, coming in, saying as little as possible then leaving with a “Hmm.” She knew it was the lack of information that grated on Frank’s nerves more than anything else.
While the doctors checked him over, she’d examined him herself, with as little notice as possible. He was as handsome as any man she’d ever seen, but in a rugged way, contrary to the citified, expensive clothes he wore. There was a bump at the top of his nose indicating at least one break. Long luxurious lashes swept down and up each time he blinked, hiding then revealing beautiful hazel eyes. He was tall and very fit, muscled without an ounce of fat. Brown hair, nicely trimmed, sparkled with good health and care. In the bright glare of ER lights, his face didn’t look nearly so sharply angled as she’d thought earlier, but the stubble from a day’s growth of beard made him look dark and rough.
“Tell you what. Why don’t I go and get you some ice? You shouldn’t have anything to eat, but a little ice will be all right.”
“Ice?” He said it as though he couldn’t believe anyone in their right mind would suggest such a thing, but in the end he agreed.
Ten minutes later, she approached his cubicle with a cup filled with shaved ice. Weariness dragged at her with every step, and she could hardly wait until Frank was admitted so she could go home.
“Here comes Allison now. We’ll ask her.” His voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the ER. She slipped through the opening to see Frank sitting on the edge of the table. Walter Neeley, the ophthalmologist, stood in front of him. Mike stood apart, his arms crossed over the metal cover of the hospital chart held tightly against his chest. His face was serious but a look of mischievous glee colored his eyes as he observed the verbal sparring between the two men. Beside him stood Richard Matthews, head of neurology, who nodded a greeti
ng to her.
“Ask Allison what?” She knew she’d have to referee something, based on the bull-headed expressions of both doctor and patient. Frank and Walt had already turned toward the opening in the curtains when she slipped in. This damn noisy dress.
“I want to hold Mr. Hughes overnight. He refuses. Says he’ll be all right at your house.” Walt Neeley arched a brow at her. “As he’s your friend, perhaps you can convince him that it’s in his own best interests to be admitted for the night.”
Unconsciously, she moved to stand beside Frank, touching his hand to let him know she was there. His head followed her every movement. “Actually he’s not my fr…”
“Tell him there’s no need for me to remain here overnight, Allison. If he’d give me something for this damn headache, I’d be fine. Well, if I could see, that is.” He practically growled out the last.
“They can’t give you anything that will make you sleep.”
“But it hurts like hell.”
“I know, but buck up,” she stage-whispered.
He snorted and turned away.
“Actually, Frank,” she stated in her most persuasive tone, “it is in your best interest to stay here. If anything should happen, the staff and equipment you need will be here.”
“No.”
Damn it! She couldn’t take him home. Besides the obvious medical risks, there was the unsettled feeling she experienced around him. It was unreasonable, but there, nonetheless. Why wouldn’t the obstinate man allow them to admit him so she could go home alone to her safe and ordered life.
“Mr. Hughes.”
Frank turned his head, his recalcitrant expression carved in stone.
“You don’t seem to realize the seriousness of your condition. You have a contusion, and as Nurse Hayes suggested, that’s bad enough. But if the swelling of your brain worsens during the night, you’ll need care she can’t give you at home.”
Frank seemed to consider this. “Dr. Matthews, is it?” He asked but continued without waiting for confirmation. “I think I do understand the seriousness of my condition. If you and the staff here haven’t explained it thoroughly enough, my own doctor, after examining the test results you sent, has told me plainly that I’m a jackass if I leave here tonight. However, he’s well aware of my nature and knows I’m a man used to taking judicious risks. I trust Ms. Hayes. She’s a well-trained nurse, is she not?”
“This has nothing to do with Allison’s capabilities,” spit out Walt Neeley. “This has to do with your welfare and the liability of the hospital if you leave and something happens.”
She sighed, knowing the men could butt heads all night without resolution. “What about the blindness?”
Walt spoke. “As far as we can tell, the problem is trauma-induced and will resolve itself when the swelling goes down. Tonight he’ll have to be checked every two hours.”
“Allison will do that.” Frank didn’t give the slightest intimation that she might say no.
She looked at him, really looked at him. He acted the tyrant, totally commanding, used to having every whim fulfilled and order followed without question. But there was an odd hesitance under it all. She’d noticed the characteristic earlier, too, when they were making their way out of the pasture. Discomfort, almost fear.
His hands fisted on his legs, his brows puckered ever so slightly in worry. Other than those tells, no one would know he wasn’t the controlling force he pretended to be. Maybe only she saw he had the false bravado of a man used to being in charge, suddenly finding himself at the mercy of fate. If so, she might not understand his attitude but she wouldn’t betray him.
She tried one more approach. “What if I stayed with you? I’d be here each time the nurse woke you up.”
He shook his head. “If you won’t take me home I’ll call my assistant. He’ll come down immediately and we’ll drive back to DC tonight.”
Walt Neeley threw his hands up and snorted in disbelief. Frank’s lips turned up in a tiny smile, probably secure in the knowledge that he’d presented an alternative worse than going home with her.
Mike gave a one-shouldered shrug when she glanced at him. “I strongly advise he be admitted.” Frank opened his mouth to speak, but Mike cut him off. “If he insists on going we can’t stop him. You’re one of the people I’d entrust him to. If you want him, of course.”
All four men waited to hear her judgment. “I suppose he could sleep on the sofa in the office. I wouldn’t want him climbing the stairs.” She spoke out loud, but more to herself, reasoning what to do. “I can get him back here very quickly if need be.”
“Good.” Frank spoke as though her decision had been a foregone conclusion all along. His hands relaxed on his thighs.
Dr. Matthews slid by on his way out of the cubicle. “You’ll have to sign an AMA form. That’s Against Medical Advice.” He turned to look sternly at Frank then at her. “I wish you’d reconsider, Mr. Hughes.”
“I appreciate your advice, Doctor, but get the form, please.”
“I’ll see to the rest of the paperwork so you can get home,” Mike said. He threw Allison a worried look before following the neurologist out of the cubicle.
Walt lounged against the wall, arms crossed, staring at her. “I assume you know who this is, Allison? If anything happens with someone of his position, I’d hate to think what the repercussions might be.” He studied her. “I had no idea you were friends with…”
“She doesn’t need you telling her about her friends, Doctor. And I’d appreciate your restraint when it comes to the rest of the staff. No one needs to know what I do since it has no bearing on why I’m here.”
“Huh!” Walt pushed himself away from the wall. “Call if you need help tonight, Allison. And I hope you make sure he pays for the fence, and your hospitality,” he advised before leaving.
“What is it with you people and fences?” Frank allowed her to help him with his socks and pants. He slid off the table to stand beside her while he finished. She put his shoes at his feet and tied them to keep him from bending. “Can we go now? I really do have a bitch of a headache.”
“I’m sure you do. I’m beginning to feel one myself.” She untied the back of the gown and handed him his shirt.
He dug a cell phone out of his pants and handed it to her. “Press three and hold it. My doctor said he wants to talk to you if I’m fool enough to leave and you’re fool enough to take me home.”
Would the night never end? While Frank buttoned his shirt Allison introduced herself to his doctor and answered a barrage of questions about her experience, where she lived in relation to the hospital and how she would handle Frank’s care during the night. Finally he seemed satisfied, if not pleased, and she disconnected.
She took Frank’s arm to lead him to the nurses’ station, but he didn’t budge.
“I’m sorry if I assumed too much tonight. About staying at your house, I mean.” He spoke in a low voice. “I didn’t want to stay here. That probably seems strange to you.”
“Yes, it does” she said just as softly, “Although I think I understand at least some of what’s bothering you, staying here would have been so much better for you.”
“I’m not risk-averse but I assure you, I’m not a reckless man. I’ve thought through my options.” He cleared his throat and dropped his voice yet again. “I’m in an unusual situation. I find that I’m somewhat in need right now. You strike me as a person I can rely on, and that’s no small matter for someone like me. I’ll manage whatever I need to, but I’d feel better being somewhere private while I feel my way through this problem.” There was no humor in his short laugh. “No pun intended.”
“Who are you? I mean I know your name because I read your chart, but I must have missed something.”
“Can I tell you on the way home? I have a real bitch…”
She sniffed. “I know, I heard.” Taking his elbow with one hand and jacket with the other, she guided him to the desk.
They completed the paperwo
rk remarkably fast and were out of the ER in only a few minutes. Neither spoke as they buckled themselves in the car, then Frank leaned his head against the seat, adjusting so the sore section in back was relieved of further pressure. He heaved a sigh.
She let him rest, using the time to process everything that had happened since leaving the reunion. Her tree and fence were damaged, as was the man who’d caused the damage. His blindness was horrible and she said a swift prayer he would recover quickly.
With instincts developed during years of caring for people, Allison knew a few things about Frank. His fear and almost visceral disgust with feeling helpless broke her heart. Despite the grumpiness he’d shown and his need to command, he was a good man. His eyes, hazel with little gold flecks, topped by bushy brows, were intense. There would be no hiding or turning from his look if he held you in the power of his stare. She imagined the trepidation one could experience under the steady gaze of those eyes. Or the approval. Or the kindness.
Or the desire. The thought made her shiver.
There was something about him, even without the strength she knew his piercing gaze would add. He couldn’t see her, yet she’d already known the kind of magic he could wield, when she’d touched his face before going to the hospital. The way he’d leaned into her hand had shaken her to the core. She’d wanted to kiss him, to hold him close and more.
As though they’d been friends instead of strangers, she’d understood that giving himself over to someone else’s care was alien to his nature. But she’d wanted Frank to give himself over to her. And she’d wanted to put herself into his care, knowing somehow the action would be right and good.
Which was why she hadn’t fought his coming home with her with more zeal. He needed her, at least until someone came for him tomorrow and took him home. And she needed him, to get past the fiasco of the evening and the feeling of loneliness that had plagued her ever since learning of the reunion. Having someone close by tonight would be a help, for both of them.
She slowed after turning onto the narrow county road a few miles from her house. “Are you watching for deer?” he asked.
Your Desire Page 12
