Illegal Procedure (Fair Catch Series, Book One)

by Christine Kersey

  “Oh.” Feeling stupid, she lashed out. “Thanks anyway, but I can manage on my own.” Uh-huh. Right.

  He stared at her a moment, then nodded. “All right. Have it your way.” Then he turned around and climbed onto his ATV.

  Wait! she wanted to scream. I can’t manage on my own. But it was too late. She'd already made it clear she didn’t need him.

  He grinned at her, then turned on the ATV and began driving back the way he’d come—towards his cabin.

  She stood there and watched until he’d disappeared over a rise. Then a thought occurred to her. Why was he heading home? Hadn’t he been on his way somewhere? Or had he only come this way because he was looking for her? Thrilled by the idea, she almost immediately dismissed it.

  Why would he do that? He didn’t know her.

  But she couldn’t help wonder if he’d only come this way to find her.

  Chapter Seven

  Now what, genius?

  She had passed up two rides. Yes, one would have been with a pair of creeps, but why hadn’t she gone with Josh? Did she love the feel of blisters rubbing against asphalt?

  Glancing at her bare feet, then back in the direction Josh had gone, Shay knew she’d let her pride get in the way of making a smart decision.

  Only one way to fix that.

  Staring in the direction Josh had gone, she shaded her eyes with her hand. Nothing was visible beyond the rise, so after sighing in resignation, she began walking in the same direction he had gone.

  Trying to console herself with the thought that it would be better to retrace her steps to a place she was sure of rather than to walk ten miles to a place she wasn’t sure existed, she plodded onward. Ten minutes later she crested the rise, and to her utter astonishment she saw an ATV parked at the bottom of the hill.

  She was pretty sure it was Josh’s ATV. Scanning the area near the ATV, she saw him sitting under a tree, his legs stretched out and his head leaning against the tree trunk like he was taking a nap. Was he okay? Why was he just sitting there?

  Unexpected concern swept over her and she trotted down the hill as best she could in the condition her feet were in.

  “Josh?” she called when she was about thirty feet away.

  He lifted his head and smiled at her. “There you are, Shay.”

  There she was? What? Had he been expecting her?

  “Are you okay?” Shay asked as she reached his side.

  “Yes.” He looked at her feet for a moment. “Are you okay?”

  Now that he mentioned it, her feet did hurt like crazy. “I’ve been better.”

  He stood. “That’s what I figured.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Softly chuckling, he looked past her shoulder in the direction she’d come, then smiled at her. “I kind of figured you’d change your mind. About wanting a ride. So I decided to stop here and wait for you to show up.”

  A little irritated that he’d figured her out so easily, but in too much pain to let her pride take over, she scowled. “Well, aren’t you the clever one?”

  His smile only grew. “I have my moments.” He gestured towards the ATV. “Come on, Shay. Get on.”

  Remembering the way he’d had her get on before, then had immediately demanded that she get off, she said, “Are you sure?”

  Laughing, he nodded. “Yeah. Come on.” He easily swung his leg over the seat, then placed his hands on the grips.

  The ATV wasn’t a two-seater, so she would have to wrap her arms around his waist to keep from falling off. At the thought, she hesitated.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  You know you want to. Giving in to what she knew was best for her aching body—and to be honest, the idea of being pressed against him didn’t sound too bad either—she climbed on behind him.

  “Hold on now,” he said as he started the engine.

  Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his middle, and when she felt his tight abs under the palms of her hands, and with her body pressed against his, powerful attraction ripped through her.

  Flushing with the sudden urge to lay her cheek against his back, she held herself steady as he put the ATV in gear and they began the drive back to his cabin.

  He stayed on the shoulder of the road, but he moved pretty fast, so she had to hold on tight. It didn’t take long to reach the road to his house—much faster than walking. As they bounced along the rutted dirt road, she saw his biceps flex as he fought to control the ATV, and she enjoyed holding on to him a little more than she was willing to admit.

  When they reached the cabin she reluctantly let go of him and climbed off.

  “Ouch,” she cried when her blistered feet landed on the hard dirt.

  Josh got off the ATV and turned to her. “Are you okay?”

  “It’s just…my feet.” They both looked down, and that’s when she realized how filthy her feet had become. Nice, Shay.

  “Let me see if I can do something about that.”

  Not in any position to refuse, she nodded, grateful. “Thanks.”

  He gestured for her to go first, but as she made her way to the cabin, she was hobbling more than walking.

  “Do you need some help?” he asked as he followed her.

  She’d made it to the base of the steps by then, and as much as her feet hurt, she preferred to climb the stairs unassisted. “I think I can make it,” she said as she ascended the first step.

  “Okay.”

  He was right behind her—she could feel the heat coming off of his amazing body. Holding tightly to the railing, she took the other two steps and stopped on the porch, expecting that he’d need to unlock the door.

  “Let me get that for you,” he said, then he stepped past her and twisted the door knob and the door swung inward.

  “Didn’t you lock the door?”

  He laughed. “No need.”

  Shay remembered how she’d had to break in through a window the evening before. “It was locked yesterday.”

  He gazed down at her as they stood on the threshold. “Yesterday I was out of town.”

  “Oh.” Deciding not to bring up anything else that would remind him of how she’d made herself at home after breaking and entering, she walked inside and stopped in the entryway.

  “You’d better sit,” he said, motioning towards the couch.

  Grateful for the invitation, she took off the backpack and set it on the floor before sinking onto the soft cushions. Sighing in relief, she watched as he walked out of the room.

  Enjoying the luxury of sitting in a soft place for a while, she lay her head back and closed her eyes. A few minutes later she heard Josh come back in the room. Opening her eyes, she sat up straight, and to her surprise she saw that he had a small basin full of water in one hand, a bottle of soap in the other, and a thick, fluffy towel tucked under one arm.

  He set the basin on the floor at her feet, then knelt in front of her.

  Alarmed by what he might have in mind, she asked, “What are you doing?”

  He grinned up at her. “I’m going to take care of your feet.”

  Take care of them how? As she imagined the intimacy of him handling her feet, then looked at how filthy they were, her face turned an unflattering shade of red. “I…I can do it.”

  He shook his head. “No. Let me.”

  Before she could object any further, he slid the basin right in front of her feet, then lifted each foot before placing them in a bath of warm water. Sensations bounded through her—his touch, the warm water on her tender feet, the way he looked as he knelt in front of her. She didn’t think she could stand it.

  Then he squirted foam soap into the palms of his hands before gently washing her feet. Her feet had always been sensitive, but that, combined with his touch…all kinds of sensations rolled through her. Even with the pain of the blisters, the way he was ministering to her made it all okay.

  “How’re you doing, Shay?” he asked as he lifted his gaze from her feet to her eyes.
<
br />   Trying not to moan with pleasure, she managed to whisper, “Okay.”

  A knowing smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Good.” As he finished washing her feet, then lifted them out and began to gently dry them with a soft towel, he looked at her again. “What happened to your shoes anyway?”

  Embarrassed by her impulsive act, she half-smiled. “Well, actually, I threw them away.”

  He stopped what he was doing and stared at her, a question on his face. “Why would you do that?”

  “They were making my blisters worse.”

  Softly chuckling, he shook his head as he finished drying her feet, then he lifted his gaze and captivated her with those amazing blue eyes. “Wait here,” he said.

  “Okay,” she breathed out. As if she could move just then.

  He stood, then picked up the basin, which was now filled with dirty water, and left the room. When he came back, he had a small first aid kit and a pair of socks.

  Curious about what he was going to do, and loving the way he was taking care of her, she recalled how that very morning he’d told her she had to leave.

  Why was she here now? Why had he come for her? Why had he changed his mind?

  He sat near her on the couch and said, “Here. Put your foot on my lap.”

  “Okay.” As if she would refuse that kind of request. She shifted her position to comply, and when he lifted her feet and set them on his muscled thigh, she had to work to slow her breathing.

  He dug around in his first-aid kit, then after putting a towel under her feet, he swabbed some iodine onto each of the blisters. “I’m going to drain these blisters and then bandage them, okay?”

  Thrilled that she might get some relief—not to mention how much she was enjoying having such a gorgeous man tend to her needs—she nodded. “Okay.”

  He took a needle and wiped it with rubbing alcohol, then he punctured the first blister and used a tissue to absorb the clear liquid that drained out.

  “Does that hurt?” he asked, concern on his face.

  “No.”

  His lips curved into a smile. “Good.” He drained each and every blister, then after spreading ointment on each one, he bandaged them and placed socks over her feet. Finally, he lifted her feet from his lap and set them on the couch cushions as he stood and moved to a chair next to the couch.

  Not able to restrain her confusion, she said, “This morning you made me leave. Why did you come for me?”

  Why had he come for her?

  As he’d watched her walk down the dirt road, away from his house, the backpack on her shoulders, wearing those ridiculous flip-flops on her feet, something had pushed him to go after her. Call it instinct—something he’d honed as he’d become a champion quarterback. Whatever it was, he didn’t regret it. Especially when he’d found her, barefoot, talking to those men on the side of the road. When he’d seen that, an unfamiliar sense of protectiveness had swept over him, and his interest in her had only grown.

  To his surprise she’d been reluctant to come back with him. Luckily his hunch had paid off, and after he’d left her on the side of the road after her refusal, she’d retraced her steps and found him waiting.

  Remembering the way she’d rushed towards him, apparently worried that he was hurt, he allowed a small smile to tug up the corners of his mouth. Then he thought about the way it had felt to wash her feet in the basin, to tend to her blisters. Holding her roughened feet in his hands, knowing the effect it had on her when he’d gently washed the dirt away, then holding her feet on his lap while he’d pierced and drained each blister…

  Caring for her like that had been strange for him. People usually took care of him, did whatever he asked of them. He worked his butt off for his team, but he was well-rewarded for his hard work.

  Maybe his first impression about her had been wrong. Maybe she wasn’t a groupie. Maybe she had no idea that he was the famous Josh Wisner, star quarterback for the Sacramento Vipers. Not that it mattered. She couldn’t stay. He would feed her, then he would drop her off in town.

  Josh thought about her question again. Why had he come for her?

  Because she intrigued him.

  He wasn’t about to admit that to her though. Scowling, he turned to her and said, “Does it really matter?”

  Chapter Eight

  Yeah, it kind of did. How else would she keep him from suddenly changing his mind again? “What would you say if I told you yes?”

  He stood and faced her. “You should just be glad I came.” Then he strode into the kitchen.

  “I am,” Shay called after him, afraid he was mad now and would kick her out at the first opportunity. “I really am.”

  He poked his head into the living room. “Then let it go.” A moment later he was out of sight and she could hear him doing something in the kitchen.

  “Okay,” she said to the room, too quiet for him to hear, hopeful he was fixing something for her to eat, although she didn’t want to make any assumptions at this point. She stayed where she was and stared at the ceiling as she tried to figure out what she should do.

  When she’d fled her apartment the day before, all she’d known was that she had to get away from Will, no matter the cost. Yesterday hadn’t been the first time he’d hit her, or even the worst of his beatings, but yesterday something had changed. It was like a switch had been flipped and the urge to flee had become overwhelming.

  She’d been lying facedown on the floor of her apartment, gasping for air, her fingers digging into the dirty carpet, when she’d felt his hot breath next to her ear.

  “Don’t even think about leaving, Shay,” he’d said. “I’ll find you wherever you go, and if you make me come after you…” A menacing chuckle had wafted over her. “Well, let’s just say that would be something you’d regret for the rest of your short life.”

  Then he’d stormed out of the apartment, completely confident that when he returned she would be there, waiting for him.

  At the memory, a shiver of terror raced from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

  She didn’t know where she’d found the courage to flee, but somehow she had. And now, as she looked around the living room—a living room that belonged to a man she’d barely met—a feeling of safety and security wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

  Maybe it was because there was no way Will would be able to track her here. How could he? She hardly knew where she was. Or maybe it was something about Josh, that even though his initial reaction to her presence was to kick her out, he’d come for her at the moment she’d needed him the most.

  Warmth towards the hot man in the kitchen pulsed through her, and she wished there was some way she could stay there, under his protection, forever.

  The heavenly smell of bacon mixed with a sizzling sound reached her, and her stomach began to rumble.

  Josh walked into the room a few minutes later. “Are you hungry?”

  Shay’s eyes swept over him, taking in his incredible good looks, and the semi-friendly expression on his face. She knew he wasn’t totally excited about having her there, but hey, he was making her something to eat before sending her on her way. “Yeah.”

  Motioning with his head toward the kitchen, he said, “I made something to eat.”

  Shay’s stomach growled loudly in reply, and one side of his mouth turned up in a smile.

  She stood and gingerly followed him to the dining room where he’d set two places, then she glanced at the window. The screen was still missing.

  Had he noticed that she’d taken it out the day before? That she’d bent it?

  Feeling only slightly guilty—she’d been desperate, after all—she slid her gaze his way to see if he was going to mention it, but he just pointed to the table and said, “Have a seat.” Then he turned and walked into the kitchen.

  “Do you need any help?” she called after him.

  “I’ve got it,” he said, and a moment later he came back carrying one plate piled with bacon and another plate fil
led with scrambled eggs. He set them on the table, then poured some coffee into their mugs before joining her at the table.

  “This looks delicious,” she said as her mouth salivated.

  “Help yourself,” he said, so she did.

  The clock told her it was nearly eleven, so she was a little surprised about the late breakfast, although she wasn’t going to complain.

  He must have noticed her eyeing the clock, because he said, “I didn’t have time to eat after you left.” His smile was on the sheepish side. “The ATV wouldn’t start right away.”

  So he’d come after her soon after she’d left? Interesting. “How did you know which way I went?”

  Why was she bugging him about that? She was just going to irritate him again.

  Instead of getting angry, he chuckled. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. You left little dusty footprints on the asphalt.”

  “Right.” She forked the eggs and placed some in her mouth. After swallowing, she said, “These are really good.”

  “Thanks.” He ate a slice of bacon, then he stared at her for several moments, making her fidget. “What’s your story, Shay?”

  She wasn’t about to tell him she was on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Not when she felt so stupid for letting things with Will get completely out of hand, for waiting so long to flee. She should have left him after the first time he’d raised a hand to her. But she hadn’t. If she admitted that, Josh was sure to think she was pathetic, to look at her differently. That was not what she wanted. Instead, she stalled. “My story?”

  Fork poised over his plate, he kept his blue-eyed gaze steady on her, which nearly disarmed her. “Yeah. This morning you told me you were stranded, but I get the feeling you don’t have a car nearby. Am I right?”

  She could admit to that. “Yes.”

  “Okay then. How did you get stranded?”

  Seeing her chance to get more information from him, she decided to bargain. “If I tell you, will you answer a question of mine?”

  He ate another bite of eggs before answering. “Maybe.”