Hard Ride

by Opal Carew

  He smiled and ran his hands up her sides, his thumbs tracing the curves of her breasts, making her long for him to cover them with his big, warm palms. Her nipples hardened at the thought.

  “Not at all. I would love it,” he murmured against her ear, sending tingles down her spine.

  She leaned in and nuzzled his neck, loving the roughness of his coarse stubble against her lips. “I’m glad,” she whispered, sliding her hand down his chest, then over his thickening bulge under the denim.

  She unzipped them and put her hand inside.

  * * *

  Shock’s breath caught as her soft fingers wrapped around him. God, there’d been so much turmoil between them. All he wanted to do was to make love to her. Sweetly and tenderly.

  He captured her lips again as she stroked him, a wave of pleasure surging through him.

  “Oh, baby, what you’re doing feels so good.” He held her tighter, enjoying everything about her body against his, her gentle touch arousing him.

  He wanted to touch her, too. To taste her and bring her to orgasm while she called out his name.

  Someone rapped loudly on the door and he ignored it. He caressed her breast, anticipating taking the sweet bud in his mouth.

  “Shock.” It was Rip’s voice.

  Shock dragged his mouth from Liv’s. “What?” he barked.

  “There’s a call for you.”

  “Take a fucking message.”

  “Man, it’s from a hospital. Something about Liv’s sister.”

  Liv’s eyes went wide and her hand slipped away from him. Shock zipped up as he strode to the door, Liv on his heels. As soon as he pulled it open, Rip held out the phone. Liv took it.

  “Hello? This is Olivia Hughes. You’re calling about my sister, Julia?”

  Shock watched her as she listened, his gut clenching as tears glistened in her eyes.

  “I understand. Yes. I…” Her voice broke and Shock’s stomach twisted. He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

  She sucked in a breath. “Yes, thank you.” Her voice was soft. Resigned.

  She handed the phone back to Rip.

  “Julia … my sister. She’s in the hospital.”

  Shock nodded, waiting for her to tell him what she had to say in her own time.

  “She’s been really sick and … they said she’s taken a turn for the worse.”

  Her hand clamped on Shock’s forearm and her fingers dug into him. “They said…” She sucked in a ragged breath and couldn’t continue.

  “What is it, Liv?” he prompted. “Tell me.”

  She gazed up at him, her eyes blue pools of pain. “They said she’s dying.”

  Part Three

  Shock watched helplessly as Liv’s eyes flooded with tears. He pulled her into his arms and held her, but she was stiff and unresponsive.

  “We’ll go see her right now¸” he said.

  “But…” She choked back a sob. “We’re so far away.”

  It was true the drive here had taken the better part of a day.

  “I know, but I’ll get you there in three hours. Rip, stay with her while I make some calls.”

  * * *

  As Liv watched Shock stride from the room, she felt guilty for having been so stiff in his arms, but she couldn’t give herself over to the comfort he offered. She couldn’t allow herself to start relying on him, even for emotional support.

  A few minutes later, Steele and Tempest came to the door.

  “What’s going on?” Steele asked.

  “Liv’s sister is”—Rip glanced at Liv uncomfortably—“in the hospital.”

  “She’s dying,” Liv said. Oh, God, how could this be happening? She’d done everything she could to prevent this. To see that her sister got healthy again.

  She wobbled as her knees threatened to buckle, and Rip caught her elbow, then led her to the bed. She sank onto it. Tempest hurried over and sat down beside her. Liv welcomed the feel of the other woman’s arm around her waist. She rested her head on Tempest’s shoulder, needing the warmth and comfort of another person desperately.

  A moment later, someone handed her a glass of water and she took a sip, still trying to stifle her sobs.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Tempest asked, her lovely face filled with warmth and concern.

  Liv drew in a deep breath. Maybe it would help.

  “Julia’s been sick for quite a while now. She’s been in the hospital. I thought—” Her throat closed up and her fingers clenched into a fist as pain tore through her. She sucked in a breath as a tear streamed down her cheek.

  Tempest pulled her close and hugged her and Liv settled into the hug, resting her head on Tempest’s shoulder and closing her eyes. Tempest stroked her back and Liv soaked in the warmth and support.

  When she had collected herself, Liv sat up, wiping her eyes. “I thought she was getting better. They did surgery and they thought she was improving. I…” She pushed away the insistent tears. “I never would have left her otherwise. Now she’s unconscious and unresponsive.”

  Tempest squeezed her arm and handed her the glass of water again. She sipped, but her hand was unsteady, so Steele took it from her and Tempest pulled her into a hug again. Steele put his hand on her back, and Liv felt grateful for their presence.

  “Oh, Liv, I’m so sorry,” Tempest said.

  Liv just nodded.

  “Liv.”

  Liv eased away from Tempest, her gaze locking on Shock, who stood in the doorway.

  “I’ve arranged a flight. A car will be here in five minutes.”

  Liv stood up, feeling shaky. “I need to pack.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll buy what we need when we get there.”

  “I want my bag,” she said adamantly as she stood up. She walked to the closet where she’d stowed it and pulled it out, then walked into the bathroom and started tossing things into it, like her hair dryer, toothpaste, and moisturizer. She didn’t know why, but she had to have her bag. She had to have her things, even if it was just a collection of toiletries, like her own hairbrush.

  Shock followed her into the room and rested his hands on her shoulders.

  “Liv, it’s okay. You really don’t need to worry about this right now.”

  “I…” Then her chin quivered and tears fell from her eyes. “I just … I’ll feel better with my own stuff.”

  He squeezed her shoulders gently. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

  He helped her pack the things into her backpack. Once the counter was clear, she glanced around helplessly.

  “Liv,” Shock said softly, “why don’t we go now?”

  Why? Maybe if she stayed here—if she ignored the call from the hospital altogether—she could make herself believe it wasn’t true. That Julia wasn’t really …

  Tears welled in her eyes again and rolled down her cheeks. A sob clutched her throat and escaped.

  “Oh, God, Liv.”

  Shock swept her into his arms and this time she welcomed him. Her arms wrapped around his big solid body and she let him pull her tight to him, then melted against him.

  “Shock, I…” Her tears flowed freely now.

  Shock’s lips brushed the top of her head in a kiss. “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “I don’t want my sister to die.”

  “I know, sweetheart. Neither do I. And we’ll do everything we can to stop that from happening.”

  * * *

  Shock took Liv’s hand and helped her from the town car. A driver had picked them up from the house and got them to the airport in twenty minutes. Now the private jet he’d arranged was waiting for them.

  Liv sank into the cream-colored leather seat and Shock sat across from her. Soon they were in the air.

  Shock watched her. In the hustle of getting here, they hadn’t really spoken. He hadn’t wanted to push her to talk.

  “Liv, that’s why you needed the money? To help your sister?”

  She bit her lip and nodded.


  “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was sick and that’s what the money was for?”

  She looked blankly at her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes were wet. “I don’t know. I guess I … didn’t want to beg for my sister’s life.”

  “Ah, Liv.”

  Then she shook her head, her fingers gripping the armrests of her seat. “I also didn’t want you to pity me. I’ve always valued your opinion of me and I guess that didn’t change even after we lost touch. And if I’m being completely honest I think … I guess I wanted to know if you’d actually lend it to me … just because I asked. I didn’t want to have to prove that what I needed it for was worthy.”

  “You wanted to know if I trusted you.”

  She nodded. “At least, that you trusted my judgment.”

  He leaned back in his seat. “You know, I actually thought you were borrowing it for that guy I saw you with. You never denied it.”

  She pursed her lips. “But you lent it to me anyway.”

  “Of course I did. And now I know what it was really for.” He reached out and took her hand, then enveloped it in his own. “Liv, I’m so sorry about your sister.”

  She just nodded and held his hand tighter. “You know, I just can’t believe I might lose her.”

  She looked so fragile sitting there, her eyes shimmering.

  She drew a deep breath. “I still remember when I was about four years old and Mom got Julia a teddy bear. It was brown with a plaid bow around its neck and she called it Mac.” She smiled tremulously. “And it was so soft and cuddly. I picked it up and hugged it and I fell in love with it. I didn’t want to let it go. Julia and I shared a room and she let me sleep with it that first night. In the morning, I didn’t want to give it up. Instead of being upset, when she saw how much I loved it, she told Mom that she wanted me to have it.” She stared at her hands, her lip quivering. “Even at eight years old, she took care of me. And as we grew up, she always looked out for me like that. That’s why”—her eyes met his—“I’ll do anything I can to save her.”

  He leaned in and held her close. “I know, sweetheart. And I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  * * *

  Liv wasn’t prepared for the sight of her sister, hooked up to monitors and machines, her face so pale she looked like a ghost. Liv hurried to the bed and rested her hand on Julia’s.

  “She’s in an induced coma, so she won’t regain consciousness,” the nurse said to Shock, who’d followed her in, “but you’re both welcome to sit with her as long as you like.”

  A moment later, she felt Shock at her side.

  “Liv, sit.” He had pulled a chair close to the bed. Liv sank into it.

  He pulled over another chair and sat beside her. He rested his hand on her arm as she sat staring at Julia, pain gnawing at her insides. She barely noticed Shock beside her, but on some level, his warmth and strength helped.

  Time passed, she didn’t know how much. Shock went to talk to the nurse for a little while, but other than that, he stayed by her side. He offered to get her a coffee a couple of times, which she declined.

  The hospital was quiet. They’d arrived after midnight and she knew it was the wee hours, but slowly light crept into the room with the rising sun.

  She could sense the increased activity around them, which made her feel even more weary than she was. The nurse who had led them into Julia’s room had stopped by several times during the night, but now a new nurse showed up to check Julia’s chart.

  Shock excused himself, then returned a few minutes later.

  “I talked to the nurse and she said the doctor will want to talk to you, but he won’t be available until this afternoon. Why don’t we go get a few hours’ sleep?”

  Liv was exhausted and knew what he suggested was wise. She nodded and squeezed Julia’s hand, then let Shock lead her out the door.

  * * *

  “Liv. It’s time to wake up.”

  Liv opened her eyes and glanced around, disoriented. She was lying in a soft, cozy bed, sunlight streaming in the window.

  She blinked as she glanced up at Shock, who stood leaning over her.

  “Where am I?”

  “You’re in the hotel.”

  She sat up. “How’s Julia? Can I go see her now?”

  Fear jolted through her. What if she’d slept too long? What if Julia was … if she …

  “Yes, that’s why I called you. The doctor wants to speak with you. Then you can see Julia.”

  Liv stood up and hurried to the bathroom to wash her face, then she followed Shock from the room. After a short cab ride, they stepped off the elevator and went to the nurses’ station near Julia’s room.

  Shock spoke with the woman behind the counter, then someone led them to an office. She and Shock sat in the two guest chairs facing a small desk and waited.

  A tall, blond doctor stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Hello, I’m Dr. Greyson,” he said. “Miss Hughes?”

  “Yes.” Liv watched him sit in the chair behind the desk, her stomach clenching, afraid of what he might be about to tell them.

  “As you know, we thought your sister was in remission after the surgery, but then she took a downward turn. We put her into a medically induced coma until we could talk to you and decide what course of action to take.”

  Liv nodded. “They called yesterday and told me that…” She bit her lip, trying to stop it from quivering. “That she was dying.”

  “Well, we didn’t have many options, and most of them were very expensive and with no guarantees.” His kind blue eyes locked on her. “Now, however, I have some promising news. It seems that there might be another course of action we can take. We did some tests earlier today—they were on the recommendation of a specialist from another hospital who has had great success in these cases—and it looks like there is a very new, very experimental drug we could try.”

  “Really?” Hope rose in her.

  “And don’t worry about the cost and the insurance stuff—I’ll handle all that,” Shock said, squeezing her shoulder.

  Anxiety washed through her. “I can’t let you—”

  “Nonsense,” Shock said, cutting her off.

  “We can start right away and we’ll know if it’s successful in a few days.” Dr. Greyson placed some paperwork and a pen in front of her. “All I need is for you to sign the forms.”

  Shock picked up the pen and handed it to her. She took it and signed the forms, then handed them back to the doctor.

  “Good. We’ll get started right away.”

  * * *

  That night, as soon as Shock turned out the light, Liv rested her head against his chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart.

  “I want to thank you for being here for me,” she said in the darkness.

  He stroked her hair. “Where else would I be?”

  “You could have gone back with your friends and just waited for me.”

  He tightened his arms around her.

  “No. I really couldn’t have done that.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now get some sleep.”

  She used to get annoyed when he told her what to do, but now she knew it was because he cared about her, not because he was trying to control her. Or that he thought she couldn’t take care of herself. He was just … being supportive. And right now, she really needed that.

  * * *

  The next few days were one big blur. Julia wasn’t awake very often, and when she was, she wasn’t very coherent, but by the third day the doctor called them into his office again and told them that the treatment had worked and Julia was going to be fine.

  “Hey, you’re looking pretty good,” Liv said as she and Shock walked into Julia’s room.

  Julia was sitting in one of the armchairs.

  “I’m feeling pretty good. I went for a walk up and down the hall. Now I’m having a rest. This afternoon I’m going out to the courtyard to enjoy the sunshine.”

  Liv sat on the side of the bed, and S
hock sat in the guest chair.

  “That’s great. That’ll be good for you.” She took Julia’s hand and smiled. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re going to be all right.”

  Julia squeezed her hand. “I know, Livvy. And I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I really do.”

  Julia glanced at Shock. “So who’s this?”

  “I’m Devin,” Shock said with a charming smile. “Liv and I knew each other in college.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Julia said with a big smile.

  Liv was relieved that Julia didn’t say anything about how she used to gush about Devin.

  Shock stood up. “I know the two of you have a lot to talk about so I’ll leave you alone.”

  Liv watched him leave, then turned to Julia again. Julia looked at her with a smug smile.

  “So tell me about this guy. He’s pretty sexy. And he doesn’t look anything like what I expected from your description of him in college. I would have expected someone in an expensive suit, not jeans and tattoos.”

  “He’s changed since college. Left the family business and made his own fortune. Now he spends his time traveling with his friends.”

  She squeezed Liv’s hand. “So, is it serious between you?”

  “What?” She glanced down at her hand. “No, not really.”

  “Are you sure? Because when he looks at you…”

  Liv was surprised. “When he looks at me what?”

  Julia shrugged. “I think he’s really hung up on you.”

  Liv’s stomach clenched. “Let’s change the subject. Did they tell you when you’re getting out of the hospital?”

  “In about a week.” She took Liv’s hand. “I’ll still need intensive outpatient therapy, but it’ll be nice to be home. My friend Jenn is going to come stay with me for a while. You remember her?”

  Liv had met Jenn a couple of times. She was actually a nurse, so Julia would be in good hands.

  “That’s great. I just want to let you know I’m going to be out of town for a few weeks.”

  “With Devin?” Julia asked, with a devilish grin.

  Liv wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t lie to her sister, so she nodded.