She groaned. Dear Lord, Roarke was going to be in his element, bossing her around. She looked over at Sam for help, but he was staring at her at least as ferociously.
“I think we need to keep a closer eye on her health,” Sam said.
“God, Sam, don’t you start, I’m fine.” She took a deep breath. Change the subject, distract them. “How did you guys know I was here?”
“One of your next door neighbors told us,” Sam told her. “Older lady across the hall.”
She nodded. “Mrs. Richards. Figures. She knows everything that goes on in that apartment building.”
“She said someone called young Joey was out walking when he saw the ambulance and recognized you.”
She snorted. “Young Joey is about sixty-eight if he’s a day and he’s as nosy as Mrs. Richards. Great, everyone is going to know I took a head dive.”
“Well, thank God someone is keeping watch because we may have still been looking for you,” Roarke told her.
“I was going to call you,” she said quickly, clenching her butt at the promise in his eyes.
“Where is your cell phone?” he asked.
She nibbled her lip. “The battery was flat so I left it charging at home.”
“While you were out running by yourself?” Roarke asked quietly. Oh hell, when he used that voice she knew she was in trouble. “And just what time did you go running?”
“Umm, about six-fifteen, I guess.”
“So, since young Joey goes for a walk at seven-thirty each morning, it’s a fair bet you were running for more than an hour then.”
She swallowed heavily. “Maybe.”
Sam shook his head. “Oh, honey, your ass is toast.”
Yeah, she’d kind of figured that out.
The same nurse who’d announced that Sam and Roarke were in the waiting room, stuck her head into the cubicle again, her frown ferocious.
“Ms. Scott, there are now three upset women in the waiting room demanding to see you. We do not usually allow more than one person in here at a time, you know. Are any of these people even family?”
“They’re my sisters,” she said quickly. “Please. Let them in. They won’t go away until they see I’m all right. I promise they won’t be here long.”
“It’s against hospital policy,” the woman replied.
Roarke turned and gave her a look. She blanched. Ava would have felt sorry for her, except if it meant she got to see her friends then she was willing to let Roarke intimidate whoever he needed to.
“The doctor will be here soon,” she replied. “As soon as he gets here they have to leave.”
With a huff of displeasure she turned away.
Ava looked up at Roarke and Sam. “Thank you for coming for me,” she said. “I was kind of lonely and a bit scared. I don’t like it here.”
Both men kissed her forehead.
“We’ll always come for you, little one.”
Her friends burst through the curtain before she could reply. Immediately they stilled, looking from Sam to Roarke then down to Ava. Casey moved first, coming to sit on the side of the bed, closest to Roarke. An interesting choice, Sam was by far the safer bet.
“Oh, Ava, are you okay?” she asked, peering down at her. “When Asia called me I was so worried. I got here as quickly as possible.”
“We all did,” Asia said solemnly, moving to the end of the bed, McKenna standing beside her. “What happened?”
“Dunno, guess I just pushed it a bit far when I was running this morning.”
McKenna scowled fiercely. “Did you eat before you went running?”
Flushing slightly, Ava shook her head.
“But you have been eating, right?” Casey asked urgently.
“Course I have,” Ava soothed her, even as she was horribly aware of Roarke and Sam’s interested gazes.
“Damn you had us worried, Ava,” McKenna scolded. “I almost had a heart attack when young Joey called me and said you’d collapsed and been taken away by an ambulance.”
“God, does the whole of Austin know?” she muttered.
“Probably,” Asia’s lips twitched before firming. “Dammit, though, Ava, do you want to give us all a heart attack? What does the doctor say? You know better than to go running without eating.”
Roarke and Sam remained silent, but she knew they were taking in every word.
Ava sighed. “I haven’t seen the doctor since he ordered this IV. I’m sure I’m just tired and a bit rundown.”
McKenna turned her scowl on Roarke. “You’re working her too hard. She’s never at home anymore. If you can’t take care of her then you don’t deserve her.”
“McKenna!” she scolded, shocked.
McKenna turned on her with a ferocious look. “Well, it’s true.”
Roarke squeezed her hand. “You’re quite right, McKenna,” he said calmly, surprising Ava and if she was reading the others correctly, they were equally shocked. “We need to take much better care of Ava. Believe me, that starts today. She’s going to find herself completely pampered. Of course, I’m sure she will object to that,” he said wryly. “But I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is happy and healthy.”
McKenna continued to stare at him then she turned to Ava.
“Are you sure about this?”
Ava shook her head. “Yes. I love them. I love them both so much.”
Casey smiled. “Good. You deserve to be happy.” Leaning down, she kissed Ava’s cheek. “I have to get to work, I said I’d be a few hours late and it’s been that now. Take care, honey. Call me.”
Asia slid a look to Roarke then Sam. “She’s special, you know. She deserves the best.”
Sam nodded. “And the best is what she’ll get.”
Asia stepped forward and gave her a hug. “No more running on an empty stomach, understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ava told her, hugging her back. “Now get to work.”
McKenna smothered her in a big hug. “I like them,” she surprised Ava by whispering that in her ear. “But I’m here for you if you ever need me. All of us are.” She stood then and spoke in a louder voice. “Call us. We’ll stop by and see you soon.”
Ava nodded. “Umm, I may not be at my place.”
McKenna grinned. “I know. I’ve always wanted to go to a BDSM club.”
With a wave, all of them were gone, leaving Ava alone with her men.
*****
“Sam, I can walk,” Ava protested, although she couldn’t deny how right she felt in his arms.
“You heard the doctor,” he replied. “You need lots of rest right now.”
“I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean you had to carry me everywhere.”
He shrugged. “I like carrying you.”
With a sigh, she snuggled into his chest. Truthfully, she did feel exhausted. And dirty.
“I can’t wait for a shower,” she said with a yawn. “I need some more clothes though.”
“Let me worry about your clothes and it’s a bath for you, young lady.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
“Hmm, must be feeling a bit off if she’s not arguing,” Roarke said as he walked into the bathroom. He turned on the water as Sam set her on the bathroom counter. “Feel like deja vu?”
Ava blushed a little, remembering his warning about what would happen if she pushed herself too hard again while exercising.
“I’m sorry, I was busy thinking and I lost track of time.”
“That’s no excuse. You could have really hurt yourself, little one. What if you’d fainted in the middle of the road? Or somewhere less public? Anyone could have hurt you in that state.”
She nodded. “Are you going to spank me now?” she asked bravely. She’d known the rules and she’d disobeyed them. She’d worried them and for that she felt awful. A spanking would help relieve the guilt she felt.
“While you’re ill?” Roarke stared at her incredulously as though he’d just suggested he fly to the moon. He shoo
k his head and muttering, left the room.
Tears welled in Ava’s eyes. “I just keep saying the wrong thing, don’t I?”
Sam wiped his thumbs over her cheeks, catching the tears that leaked out. “Shh, baby. He’s just scared. Roarke doesn’t like being scared, makes him roar like a bear. Don’t worry about it, okay? He’ll cool down. In the meantime, let’s get you in that bath and then bed for a sleep, okay?”
She nodded, totally wiped out and more than willing to let Sam take care of her.
*****
Sam found Roarke in the gym, using the punching bag to release his anger and stress.
“Roarke?” he asked then he moved gracefully onto his knees, straightening his back, his hands clasped behind his back, head lowered and just waited.
Roarke continued to punch the bag for a moment and Sam just waited for him to finish, knowing he needed this.
Finally, Roarke let out a huge sigh and stopped. His feet appeared in Sam’s line of vision before he reached down and clasped Sam’s chin, raising his face.
“She’s asleep?” Roarke asked.
“Yes,” Sam replied.
“Did she eat?”
“She fell asleep when I went to get her something. I thought it best to let her sleep. I was so worried about her.” Sam’s voice cracked as he said it.
“I know, pet. Me too. She’s only been in our lives a short time, but I really don’t know what I would do if I lost her.”
Sam nearly shook with the need to touch Roarke. He needed him. Now. Needed to touch him, feel close to him. As he thought over every bad thing that could have happened to Ava...
“Shh, Sam, she’s fine,” Roarke soothed. “And she’s going to stay fine, we’ll make sure of that.”
“Sir, please, I need you, may I?”
Roarke stared at him for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, pet.”
Sam eagerly reached for him, pulling Roarke’s shorts down, baring his thick erection. A loud groan filled the room as Sam slowly swallowed Roarke’s cock into his mouth.
“Faster, pet,” he ordered harshly, placing his hands on Sam’s head. Sam started to bob his head. He slipped one hand into his pocket, drawing out the small tube of lube he’d snagged from their bedroom.
Roarke laughed. “Always prepared, aren’t you, pet? Go ahead, then.”
Sam didn’t need any more prompting, quickly squirting some lube onto his fingers. He then parted Roarke’s butt cheeks, never once losing the rhythm he’d struck.
“Dammit, I’m going to come, pet. Take it all. Take all of me.”
Sam eagerly swallowed him down as he came in his mouth.
“Enough pet, move back.”
Sam reluctantly let go.
“Get over to the mat,” Roarke ordered. “On your back, arms above your head, legs spread.”
Sam bounced over to the mat, almost shaking with anticipation as Roarke stared over at him, squirting some lube from the tube Sam had dropped onto his hand.
Shudders ran through him as Roarke stepped towards him.
Roarke took his cock inside him, pumping up and down.
Now this was heaven.
*****
Sam knew he was grinning like a loon, but he couldn’t help it. He’d just had an explosive orgasm. That always made him happy. Plus, his plan was coming to fruition. Ava loved them. And they felt the same way about her.
He was getting his happily ever after and he couldn’t be more ecstatic.
Not bad for a kid who’d grown up in a loveless household. His smile faded a little as he thought of his mom, she’d loved him. He could remember that much. He’d been eight when she died, and totally devastated. He regretted that she couldn’t see him now.
“I’m happy, Mom,” he whispered as he poured some coffee into two cups. He’d already spooned the chili into bowls and heated up some cornbread.
“Hey, can I get any of that coffee?”
He jumped, almost dropping the cup he held as he turned to see Ava standing in the doorway, her eyes sleepy, hair still tangled from her sleep. She was dressed in a large t-shirt of Roarke’s.
“What are you doing up?” he asked, hastily putting down the cup before coming over to grab her shoulders. “You need to get back to bed, young lady.”
She screwed up her nose. “I woke up and I was lonely. Where’s Roarke?”
“Downstairs doing some work. He’ll be up here in a moment and I think you’ll want to be in bed by the time he gets up here.”
Biting her lower lip, she looked over her shoulder, almost as though she expected Roarke to suddenly appear. “I should be down there, helping him. I really need to get some clothes, though.”
“I’m going to go and get you some clothes, not that you’ll need them for a while, because you are staying in bed for the next few days. You heard what the doctor said. Lots of rest, good food and plenty of water.”
She sighed. “I feel fine, though.”
“Fine? You’re exhausted, underweight and quite possibly anemic. I think your definition of fine is a lot different from mine. Now get your butt back into bed.”
He turned her around and gave her a heavy whack on the butt.
“Hey,” she cried out, rubbing her bottom and glaring at him over her shoulder. “I thought there was no spanking me while I’m sick.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Oh, so now you’re sick? And that was no spanking, it was a reminder to behave. And don’t think because Roarke won’t spank you when you’re ill that you can get away with disobeying us, because we’ll be keeping track and you’ll be in for one hell of a punishment when you’re well.”
With scowl, she turned away and stormed down to her bedroom. The door slammed and Sam winced then sighed.
“Brat,” he muttered.
“What are you doing slamming doors?” Roarke asked with a scowl as he came through the door. “You’ll wake Ava.”
“Oh, I think she’s awake.”
Roarke’s brow rose. “That was Ava?”
Sam nodded and placed some food on a tray. “Don’t think our little one is going to be a very good patient.”
“Hmm, well, we’ll see about that.”
Ava stood at the window, looking out, fuming slightly. She hated staying in bed. And she was bored. There was nothing wrong with her.
“And just what do you think you’re doing out of bed?” Roarke asked in a deep voice.
She jumped and turned, her hand on her chest. “Jesus, have you ever heard of knocking? You scared the crap out of me.”
He raised a brow. “Well, since this is my bedroom, I didn’t really see the need to knock. And you have two seconds to get that butt back into bed.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll be adding this infraction to the others and it’s adding up to a very big punishment for you, young lady.”
“Does that mean I get a session over the spanking bench?” she said sassily.
“Bed. Now.”
She scrambled to obey him, unable to avoid the thundering crack of his palm against her bottom.
“Roarke, I really do feel better,” she said as Sam brought in a tray of food.
Roarke stared at her before plucking her up into his arms. He then sat back on the bed with her on his lap. He kissed her forehead as Sam placed the tray on the bedside table.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, but a few short hours ago you were in the hospital attached to the drip, so you’re going to take it easy for the next few days. Tomorrow, if you’re feeling better, you can get up for a bit, okay?”
She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t get him to bend further. “Okay.”
“Good girl.” He reached over and grabbed a sandwich, holding it up to her mouth. “Eat.”
“I can feed myself.”
He didn’t say a word, just held the sandwich up and she knew he was stubborn enough to keep them there all day if he had too.
“What’s in it?” she asked suspiciously. She knew she had to ea
t, the doctor had given her a rather stern lecture on her low body weight, but she didn’t eat bread. And she hated not knowing what was in something. Microwave meals were different; they came with a calorie count on the packet.
“Lettuce, tomato and ham with a bit of mayonnaise. And you will eat it,” Sam told her forcefully.
“I don’t really like bread, I think I’ll just eat the insides,” she said.
“Ava,” Roarke growled.
Tears filled her eyes. God, why couldn’t she just eat the sandwich? She took a tentative bite.
“Good girl,” Roarke told her, immediately making her feel warm inside with his praised. “How about one half of a sandwich and then you can just eat what you like.”
Okay, she could do that. She hoped. She managed half a sandwich and some of the insides of some others as well as some strawberries and grapes before she’d had her fill.
Sam cleared away the plates, coming back to join them on the bed. Ava snuggled down between them.
“Don’t you have to go to work?” she asked Roarke, worried she was keeping him from his job.
He shook his head. “I cleared my calendar for the rest of the day.”
“Oh, that’s good.” She clasped her hands together, suddenly feeling very nervous. “I-I have something I need to tell you. Something I really don’t want to talk about but you need to know.”
Both men took a hand each, squeezing tight, lending her their support. Warmth filled her insides, giving her the courage to continue.
“God, where do I start?” she muttered. “I had a really happy childhood. My parents were wonderful, loving, supportive. We didn’t have a lot, but I was loved. Then when I was ten, I was at the next door neighbors when the police knocked at the door. They’d been in a car accident. Both of them died.”
She took a shuddering breath and Roarke pulled her back onto his lap, holding her close, one arm surrounding Sam’s shoulders, drawing him into their circle.
“We didn’t have any family, so I ended up in foster homes. Some were all right.” She shuddered. “Some weren’t.”
Roarke tensed and she went on hastily. “It’s okay, nothing really bad happened. Mostly, I was just ignored. There was one man, he was, well, I didn’t like the way he looked at me. I was fifteen by then. One day he tried to corner me and I, well, I kneed him in the nuts and took off. The authorities found me and sent me to yet a different home. That last one wasn’t so bad. That’s where I met McKenna. She was a foster child too. We stuck together. As soon as we turned eighteen, we left. The next year we met Asia. She used to come into the bar where McKenna worked and the three of us hit it off. She introduced us to Casey, who she’d known for years. And well, we became best friends. Family.”
Her Old-Fashioned Boss Page 13
