by Ann Lister
“It’s not that I don’t want you to take care of me. It’s more that I don’t want you to feel obligated to do so. I don’t want you to lose your job over this.”
“Obligated? Nick, I love you. What kind of person would I be if I walked away from taking care of you? And, so what if I lose my job? I’ll find another one. I’m not worried about it.”
“I understand. Really I do,” he exhaled. “I’m not used to being in a position of needing help. Typically, I’m the one offering it and I’m not comfortable with the role reversal.”
Colby smiled and touched his face. “We’ll get through it and I promise to make your recovery as painless as I can.”
“I suppose there are always your sponge baths to look forward to,” he said.
“Oh my, God! Stop it!” Colby said, playfully covering his mouth with her hand, then her expression turned serious. “I guess it’s safe to say, your mother isn’t too fond of me,” Colby sighed.
“She’s afraid to like you, Colby. She still thinks every woman I’m with is going to leave me, like Sarah did. A long time ago, I made a conscious effort to stop telling her if there was someone in my life, because she drives me nuts about it. That’s why I didn’t tell her about you.”
“Well, she definitely knows about me now,” Colby said, rolling her eyes.
“I’m sorry she was so rude to you.”
“It’s okay, Nick. I’ll talk to her.”
Chapter Thirteen
Colby stayed with Nick until he began to fall asleep, then she quietly stepped into the hallway to search for Nick’s parents. She found them sitting by themselves in the waiting room a few doors down from Nick’s room, sipping coffee. Colby took a deep breath and approached them, stopping in front of Ruth.
Colby nervously ran her hands down her thighs to dry them and smiled. “I was wondering if we could start over,” she said, extending her hand. “Hi. My name is Colby Hansen and I’m in love with your son.”
This time Ruth took Colby’s hand and lightly squeezed it. “Hi, Colby. I’m Ruth Gaffney and this is my husband, Phil.”
“Can I sit with you for a minute?” Colby asked.
“Yes. Please,” Ruth said.
Colby sat, anxiously wringing her hands together in her lap. “Nick is sleeping, so I thought I’d take a few minutes and talk to you,” she said, inhaling slowly. “I…ah, don’t know where I should start, Ruth. I’m sorry Nick never mentioned me. He really should have, but it’s complicated.”
“That’s what he said,” Ruth replied. “Can I ask how long have you been together?”
“We met last December. Actually, he rescued me from the side of a trail,” Colby beamed at the memory. “But, I was only at the resort on…vacation and had to return to Los Angeles.”
“You don’t live here?” Ruth asked with surprise.
“I do now, but I didn’t then. If he had asked me to stay back in December, I probably would have,” Colby lowered her head and sighed. “I told you it was complicated,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Nick is…very special and I want you to know I’ll do everything I can to get him back on his feet,” she said, her eyes rising to meet Ruth’s. “I’m not leaving him. I’ll stay with him as long as he wants me around and I’m hoping that will be a very long time.”
“Colby, forgive me for being blunt, but are you really qualified to take care of him after he gets discharged from the hospital? From what his doctor is telling us, Nick is going to need a lot of care to do just about everything. Do you think you can handle that?”
Colby shrugged. “I don’t know, but I want to try. Please, let me help him. If it proves to be too much, then I’ll make arrangements to have him moved to the triage building at the resort, but I really don’t think it will come to that.”
Ruth shook her head. “It sounds like a lot of stress for both you and Nick.”
Colby touched Ruth on the forearm. “I want to do this, Ruth.”
Ruth sighed. “I’ve never seen Nick look at anyone the way he looks at you - not even Sarah,” she said, lowering her head. “Did he tell you about Sarah?”
“Yes, he did.”
“He’s my son and I will always worry about him,” she laughed nervously.
“I understand,” Colby said. “But, I’m not Sarah and I have no intention of leaving Nick. I love him too much.”
Ruth patted Colby on the leg. “Thank you for talking with us,” she smiled. “I appreciate your honesty.”
“I thought it was important for you to know how I feel and what my intentions are where Nick is concerned. I promise, I won’t let him down - or you.”
“Phil and I will feel a lot more comfortable when we return to Connecticut now, knowing you’re taking care of Nick. Maybe when he’s feeling better you can talk him into bringing you out to see us?”
Colby smiled warmly. “I’ve never seen the east coast. I think it would be fun to see where Nick grew-up.”
“We’d love to have you, Colby,” Phil said. “You’re always welcome.”
“Well, I think we’ll go check on Nick before we head back to the resort for the night,” Ruth said, standing up from her chair. “Do you need a ride back to the resort, Colby?”
“Yes, actually, I do. If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Ruth said. “Let’s go see Nick.”
Over the next several days, Colby split her time between the hospital and work. She went to her office for a few hours each morning and then spent the rest of the day at the hospital with Nick. His progress was slow but steady. Each day Colby noticed subtle changes of improvement, even if Nick didn’t see it himself. She knew it would be a long, difficult road to his full recovery, but she could tell he was motivated to make it happen and she was very willing to help him achieve his goal.
Nick’s parents stayed four days, before heading back to Connecticut and leaving Colby in charge of his care. Colby had begun to forge a bond with Ruth and Phil, while they sat beside Nick’s bed, sharing stories of Nick’s youth. Her relationship with them was slowly evolving and, by the time they had to leave for the airport, Colby knew she’d miss them.
Nick remained in the hospital for ten days. On the day he was discharged, the triage unit at the resort sent a special transport vehicle for Nick, which delivered him directly to the door of Colby’s room. Glen and Colby helped move Nick into her room and got him settled into her bed, propped up against the headboard with several pillows.
The first two days of Nick staying in Colby’s room came with a succession of visitors, at times, coming one right after the other, until Colby finally secured a note to her door saying that ‘visiting hours’ had ended. Every one of Nick’s co-workers had stopped by, as well as several people from other departments at the resort, too. Even a few overly friendly women, which Colby assumed were old lovers of Nick’s, managed quick and uncomfortable visits with him.
“Are you second guessing your decision to have me move in here to recuperate?” he asked with a gentle laugh, after the last visitor had left the room.
“No, not at all,” Colby said. She eased Nick back against the pillows of her bed after another trip to the bathroom. “Although, I have to say, I’m not crazy about the parade of old girlfriends coming through my door,” she said.
“Girlfriends?”
“Yes, old girlfriend’s, Nick. Are you going to deny any of the women that visited you weren’t old girlfriend’s?”
“Maybe a few…but it was a long time ago,” he grinned.
“I can’t believe how bold they were to visit you in the room of your current girlfriend.”
Nick shrugged. “What can I say?”
Colby climbed onto the bed and curled up against Nick’s uninjured side. He turned his head and kissed her forehead. “Thank you - for everything,” he said, running his fingers through her hair.
Colby set her head onto his chest and smiled. “I’m happy to do it,” she said, gently gliding her hand across his torso to his opposite side. �
��I can’t believe you’re finally here and out of the hospital,” she said quietly.
“I know,” he sighed. “There were times when I was unsure if I’d ever be discharged.”
“Your recovery will go quick, now.”
“You think so?” he asked, turning his head to look at her face. “I’ve got another six weeks before the cast comes off my leg and the doctor said it would be at least eight more weeks before my ribs heal.”
“Don’t think of it that way, Nick,” she said, lifting her head level to his. “Think of how far you’ve already come and the things you’re able to do now that you couldn’t do last week.”
“I suppose, but it’s difficult for me to be in this position,” he said, holding her gaze. “I don’t like feeling helpless.”
Colby lightly brushed her lips across his. “You’re not helpless, Nick. You’re the strongest man I’ve ever known.”
A few minutes later, Colby heard Nick’s breathing deepen and realized he had fallen asleep. She stayed with him, curled against his side, thankful for so many things, but mainly for the simple twist of fate in meeting him.
In the morning Colby assisted Nick into the bathroom, watched him shave and brush his teeth, then cleaned-up herself.
“Do you want to eat breakfast first or would you like to take a shower and then eat?” she asked him.
“Shower,” he said, leaning up against the bathroom sink vanity for balance.
Colby stepped toward him and lightly touched his stomach. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he nodded, his arms loosely circling her.
“Okay,” she said, moving her hands to his sides. “Raise your arms for me,” she instructed, as her fingers gently began to ease the fabric of his t-shirt up over his ribs.
She had done this task for him every day while he was in the hospital, but doing the same chore on this morning felt completely different to her. They were alone now, with no chance of interruption, and their movements together were graceful, like two people dancing, and extremely intimate.
Colby heard him moan, when she tugged the cotton shirt over his head. “Does that hurt?” she whispered, looking up to make eye contact with him.
“A little bit,” he said, his eyes holding hers.
Colby studied his expression. His warm brown eyes were fluid and thoughtful. She did not see pain in them, she saw lust, and as much as she would have loved to explore that, she didn’t want to hurt him. She pressed her face to the heat of his bare chest and pushed his sweat pants below his waist and onto his thighs. She could feel his arousal growing between them and closed her eyes. His hands went to the waist band of his boxer briefs and slid them below his hips.
“Nick…wait.”
“Can you tug the sweat pants off my cast?” he asked, trying to hold his balance against the sink.
Colby removed the pants from Nick’s foot and stood level to his face. She touched his cheek with her fingers and sighed with regret. “I know what you want, Nick, and Lord knows I want it too, but I don’t want to hurt you. I think it’s still too soon to attempt anything physical that could strain your ribs.”
“I know,” he said with disappointment, then slowly kissed her mouth.
“I need to cover your cast with a plastic bag,” Colby said, pulling away from him when she felt herself responding to his kiss. She stepped back and grabbed a bag from the box the hospital had supplied them, then had Nick sit on the toilet lid while she secured the bag around his leg and started the water in the shower.
“There, are you ready?” she asked, standing and holding her arm out for him to use.
He slowly rose to his feet and held onto her. “Join me in the shower,” he said beside her ear.
Colby tipped her head and looked at him. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” she asked softly.
“I’m not going to strain anything by standing against you with a boner,” he said. “You can help me get all the shampoo out of my hair and maybe wash my back. How's that sound?”
Colby grinned and shook her head. “You’re trouble, Nick. Do you know that? You can be very persuasive when you want to be.”
“Is it the desperation you see in my eyes that's getting to you, or is it the hard-on that's convincing you this is a good idea?” he asked.
“Stop it!” she laughed. “I’m not having sex with you in the shower.”
Nick stepped forward and grabbed her by the belt loops of her pants, easing her against him. “No sex,” he whispered, and unzipped her pants. “I just want to hold you in my arms for awhile,” he said.
“Naked?”
“Unless you prefer to wear your clothes” he said. “But, I'd enjoy it more if you were completely…and beautifully naked.”
Colby sighed loudly and pulled her sweatshirt over her head, then removed her bra and kicked off of her pants, leaving them on the floor beside his. “Don’t make me regret this decision,” she said, stepping into the shower first, then helping him into the tiled stall beside her.
She secured Nick’s good arm onto the handicap wall bracket, then reached for the soap. She started lathering his neck and shoulders first, gently massaging the skin she touched, then worked down the length of his arms. His gaze followed her wherever she touched, intently watching every move she made. By the time her fingers reached his stomach, Nick was already in a heightened state of arousal, his breathing beginning to strain.
“You’re still really bruised,” Colby said, her fingers softly grazing over his ribs.
“It’ll take a long time for that to fade,” he said.
He slid his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her against his chest, causing her body to make full contact with his. “You feel so damn good, Colby,” he whispered, his fingers slowly moving down her spine.
Colby set her face into the bend of his neck and ran the bar of soap onto Nick’s back and began soaping his skin, while remaining firmly pressed against his front. The shower water flowed between their bodies, cascading in tiny rivers down their torsos and blending at their lower bellies, making their skin deliriously slick and fluid, perfectly lubricating every square inch.
As she washed the soap from the muscles on his back, her stomach was sensually making contact with his groin, slowly swishing side to side, from one hip to the other, while her breasts rubbed a circular pattern across his chest.
Nick moaned loudly and bent to kiss her. Colby stood on her toes and gave him better access, as his his tongue teased hers.
“I would do just about anything to be inside you right now,” he said, kissing her a second time and driving them both closer to insanity.
“I know, but we can’t,” she said breathlessly.
“What you’re doing with your body right now feels so good, Colby, I could come.”
“Really? Do you think it would hurt your ribs if you did?” she asked, her hands dropping down onto his buttocks.
“I don’t know.”
Colby shifted her hips against him again and heard him groan louder. “Do you want to try?”
“If you keep moving like that, I may not have much of a choice,” he said, his voice straining. “This feels like a lap dance, except we’re standing.”
Colby licked the water from his chest, then sucked the skin. “Do you want me to try using my hand?’
“No, your body moving like that feels…incredible,” he said, one arm tightly holding onto the wall bar, while the other clung to her, holding her in place. “It’s so fluid…” he sighed, and his eyes closed, his voice trailed off in mid-thought, as her hips maintained their slow and slippery pendulum swing rolling across his cock.
“I could use my mouth…” she started to say, but before Colby could even finish her thought, she felt Nick’s body tighten and his head fell backwards over his shoulder.
“Oh God!” he screamed, and released all over her stomach, then his mouth found hers. “You shouldn’t have put the visual in my head of your mouth on my cock, baby. There was no way
I was going to last with that picture dancing in my brain,” he said, trying to regain control of his breathing.
“Did that hurt your ribs?” she asked, still gently rocking against his body.
“At that particular moment, the only thing I was feeling was…euphoria,” he smiled against her lips. “Pure bliss.”
Colby stepped back and glanced down at her stomach. “Wow! Nick, that’s a lot of bliss you just left on me,” she said.
Nick laughed and used his hand to wash off her belly, then inched his fingers lower to settle between her thighs. “Maybe I could do something for you to make up for the mess I made,” he said, the grin on his face fading, as his fingers slid into the wetness between her legs.
Colby latched onto his biceps and pressed her forehead to the base of Nick’s throat, feeling instant heat spreading through her body from his touch. “I like your…messes.”
Nick found her mouth and teased her lips with his tongue. “I know you do,” he said. “And, I like yours - especially when it’s all over my face.”
“That’s really dirty, Nick,” she exhaled, feeling him slide another finger inside her.
Nick smiled lazily, loving the way her body was responding to his touch and wishing he could do more to pleasure them both. “You know, I’d rather be doing this to you using other parts of my body…” Nick said beside her ear. “…Like my tongue, or even better, my cock.”
“I’m not complaining about your fingers, Nick,” she said, standing on her toes and rising against his body.
Colby moved against his hand, doing her best not to unbalance him. His fingers continued to thrust, in and out of her pussy; the momentum building, his thumb rubbing over her clit. As the arousal began to overtake her senses, she pressed her lips to his throat and sighed his name, then slid her arms around his neck and sought his mouth.
Nick felt her beginning to tighten around his fingers, her breathing becoming erratic; her kisses hungrier. “What I would give to lift you against this wall and slide into you,” he said, taking her mouth again.
