by Lori Foster
Emma loved it.
All objections scattered, as insubstantial as a hot summer breeze. Aware of her surrender, Casey groaned low in his throat and tilted his head, fitting his mouth to hers more securely. He continued to hold her immobile, pressing her to the wall. She felt the muscled hardness, the vitality of his body against her breasts, her belly and thighs. She tried to squirm, to get closer, but his grip didn't allow it.
The kiss was an onslaught, never broken, always going deeper, taking and giving, and Emma forgot they were in a hospital with people milling around outside the room.
Casey didn't forget. Slowly, reluctantly, he pulled back. His thumbs brushed the corners of her swollen mouth. Emma fought to get her eyes open.
"I love your mouth, Em. So damn sexy." He nipped her bottom lip, licked her upper, took her mouth again. He sank his tongue in, soft and deep.
Emma groaned.
"I used to imagine your mouth on me," he whispered, "and it made me nuts."
Hearing him say it made her imagine it now. "Yes." She would love to taste Casey – everywhere. "Yes." She reached for him again.
Casey stepped them both away from the wall and urged her head to his shoulder, then wrapped his arms around her to hold her tight. He took several long, unsteady breaths, which allowed her to do the same. Emma was so shaken that if Casey hadn't supported her, she thought she might have melted into a puddle on the floor.
"I'm going to give you time, Emma."
She flattened her hands against the firm wall of his chest, relishing the feel of him. Time? She didn't need time. At the moment, she didn't want time. Unless it was time enough to explore him, to kiss him everywhere, to feel him deep inside her. Oh God, she would melt.
"I'm going to wait so you won't feel rushed."
She couldn't stop shaking. "I won't."
He went still, cursed softly, then turned his face in and kissed her ear. "Shh. Not yet. First you're going to get comfortable with me again. Then we're going to talk, and I want the truth this time, Emma."
Her heart, which had only just begun to calm, kicked into a furious gallop again. "No..."
"And then." His tongue touched her earlobe, licked lightly inside to make her shiver. "Then I'm going to lay you down, strip you naked and sate myself on you." He groaned as if being tortured. "I've got nearly a decade of lust to make up for, sweetheart, so it's going to take me a really long time to get my fill. I hope you're up for it."
Emma shuddered. She had no idea what to do, what to say. But in that single moment, she made a decision. She wouldn't leave Buckhorn again without having Casey first.
If that made her feelings for him harder to deal with, so be it. She wasn't a weak woman with silly illusions. She knew from past experience that Casey wouldn't want her as a permanent fixture in his life. She knew she'd never fit into Buckhorn. She never had.
When she'd left, there'd been a lot of things she wanted. Security, respectability, a close family...and Casey Hudson. But of all those things, it was only Casey who had kept her awake at night.
She had the security and respectability that came with a good job, an attitude adjustment, maturity. She had a family; not her own, but the Devaughns were very special to her and she loved them. She'd attained things of value, but she'd also learned that they weren't enough. She hadn't admitted to herself what was still missing in her life until Casey made it clear that he wanted her.
She'd never be close with her own family; seeing her father again had proven that. But she could have this – she could have her memories of Casey. With everything combined, she'd make that be enough for a lifetime.
She looked into his mellow golden eyes, glittering with excitement. His sharp cheekbones were flushed with arousal. For her. Emma whispered, "All right."
The heat in his eyes flared, but was quickly banked. "God, Emma." He took several deep breaths, leaned back and finally managed a smile. "The minutes are going to seem like hours until I can get you alone."
Emma nodded.
"Until then, let's talk about your dad – and what really happened the night he dropped you on my doorstep."
CHAPTER EIGHT
CASEY SAW the shuttered way Emma guarded herself. Well, too bad. Sometimes the truth proved painful but, damn it, he deserved that much.
He couldn't stop touching her, smoothing her warm cheek, relishing the feel of her. He could barely wait until she was naked so he could rub his hands, his face, over her whole body. He wanted to stroke her breasts, her belly. Between her thighs.
The second she'd agreed with him, he'd gotten semihard and he had a feeling he'd be that way until he got her alone. Heat snaked through him, adding to the sexual tension and making his voice gruff. "Come on, Em. You know you can tell me anything."
She closed her eyes tightly. "People don't just fall into old relationships that easily, Case."
"You and I do." Spending the day with her had reaffirmed that much. Emma looked different, and her attitudes were wiser, more confident. But the closeness between them existed as strong as ever. No other woman had ever touched him so easily. "Regardless of what you ever thought, Em, you've always had a special place in my heart."
"Casey." She sounded strained and covered her face with her hands.
He couldn't keep from kissing her again, but he contented himself by pulling her hands away and brushing his mouth over her forehead. "I care about you – I always have. In all the time you were gone, that hasn't changed."
"No? You want to sleep with me now. That's sure not how I remember it."
Something else that was different – her lippy comebacks. They amused him. "I always wanted you and you know it." He leaned down to see her face. "I think you enjoyed tormenting me, sending me home with a boner, knowing I'd be miserable all night long." The fact that he could tease even when he was this aroused said a lot about Emma and how relaxed he was in her company.
She denied his accusation with a quick shake of her head. "You didn't have to be miserable. I would have taken care of you."
Casey's moan turned into a laugh. "You're still tormenting me. Now, enough with the distractions. What happened that night, Emma? Why were you so desperate to get out of Buckhorn?"
"You don't really want to know."
"Of course I do."
"Then you don't really need to know. Casey, I don't want to involve you. It wouldn't be fair."
She looked truly set in her decision, and Casey knew she wouldn't tell him a thing. He was contemplating ways to get around her stubbornness, when the waiting-room door opened and Dr. Wagner stuck his head in. "Am I interrupting?"
Casey stepped back from Emma. To keep her from ushering him out of the room, he said, "Not at all. We're anxious to hear how Dell's doing."
Emma made a sound, clearly aghast at his audacity in including himself. Casey pretended not to hear. She wanted to shut him out again, but he wasn't about to budge. She'd agreed to sleep with him, to accept him as a lover. She could damn well accept him as a friend and confidant too. Whatever Dr. Wagner had to tell her, he could share it with them both.
Lois, peeved and hostile, stepped in behind the doctor. The way she watched Emma was so malicious, it should have been illegal.
Casey had never paid that much attention to Lois before now. He'd thought her cute, a little silly. He'd been out with her once or twice, casual dates that didn't amount to much and definitely didn't go beyond a few kisses. But he hadn't known how catty she could be. Poor Emma, to have put up with her and the other women like her.
He had new insight into what Emma's teen years must have been like in Buckhorn, and it was decidedly worse than he'd thought.
"Let's sit down," Dr. Wagner suggested.
Emma went to a chair and Casey stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, making it clear to the doctor and to Lois that he was there for her.
Many times in the past, he'd stood in front of her, trying to shield her. He knew now that she was stronger than he'd ever suspected. She ha
d to be to have survived with her naturally generous nature still intact. Standing behind her, offering her support in what she chose to face, and respecting her strength to do it, seemed more appropriate.
The doctor pulled up his own chair facing Emma, and Lois sat beside him. Dr. Wagner pasted on his patented reassuring physician's smile. "Ms. Clark, your father is doing much better today. I see improvement not only in his mental capacity in identifying objects, but also in his mind/eye coordination." The doctor turned grave. "But, to be truthful, for a little while there I thought we might lose him."
"Lose him?" Emma stiffened in alarm. "But I thought..."
"You're seeing him now, with much improvement. For three days he had no clear recognition of most things. He knew what he was seeing, but he couldn't find the word in his memory to identify it."
Emma bit her bottom lip. "I came as soon as I was told, but I had to pack up and I didn't arrive in Buckhorn until late last night. I stopped here first. My father was asleep, so I just looked in on him." She twisted her hands together. "The nurse said he'd be okay."
"And she's correct. But I anticipate quite a bit of therapy not only to help him deal with what he's suffered and his diminished capacity – which should be only temporary – but to help rebuild his coordination. We'll get his meds regulated – blood thinner and blood pressure medicine to keep him from having another stroke."
For several minutes, the doctor explained the causes and effects of a stroke, and Emma listened in fretful silence.
"He'll need to be monitored for TIAs – or mini strokes."
Emma nodded. "The nurse said that he also fell?" Dr. Wagner's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Your mother didn't tell you he fell off the porch steps when she called you? She said she found him unconscious, which is why she called the paramedics. And good thing too, as I've already said."
Lois made a face. "He'd been drinking, so his wife thought he'd just passed out."
Scowling, Dr. Wagner twisted around to face the nurse. "Incorrect, Ms. Banker. Alcohol had been spilled on him, but he had not consumed any noticeable amount."
When he turned back to Emma, his expression gentled and he reached out to pat her hand. "It's my guess that he was carrying a bottle of whisky when he had the stroke. It spilled all over him and, yes, we could smell it. I had thought to question his wife about it, but haven't seen her yet."
Emma stammered, "Mom d-doesn't get out much."
Casey wanted to roll his eyes at her understatement. Her mother was a recluse. She was seldom seen around town, and apparently she hadn't even ventured out to visit her husband.
"I see." The doctor gave her a long look, then referred to his notes. "Well, he did some further damage with his fall. We got the MRI back on his ankle, and luckily it isn't broken, though it is still severely swollen and I'm certain it's causing him some pain. Add to that the bruising on his ribs and shoulder...well, he took a very nasty spill. I'm relieved he didn't break his neck."
Emma nodded. "Me too."
"You say you're from out of town. Will you be able to stay around to attend him, and if not, is your mother capable of the task?"
"I..." She glanced at Casey, who squeezed her shoulder, then back at the doctor. "What kind of care will he need?"
Appearing to be a little uncomfortable, Dr. Wagner explained, "I don't anticipate he'll go home for a while yet. But when he does, he'll need help with everyday tasks until he regains control of lost motor skills. He'll need transportation back and forth to the hospital for therapy. He may even need help feeding himself, dressing...at least for a while. As I said, his improvement so far is quite promising, but we can't make any guarantees."
"I understand." She waited only a moment before giving a firm nod. "I can be here as long as I'm needed."
Casey wondered if she could stay indefinitely. She'd made a life in Chicago...by all accounts, a happy life that suited her. But her roots were in Buckhorn. Whatever had driven her away the first time, he'd be here with her now, offering her support in whatever way she needed. Maybe it'd be enough.
Emma dropped back in her seat, and Casey noted the weariness in her face. She looked beautiful to him, so he hadn't at first noticed. But now that he did, he felt guilty. She'd been given worrisome news, spent several hours on the road yesterday with only a few hours' sleep to recoup, and then faced her father.
And he'd been bulldozing her straight into an affair. He suddenly felt like a bastard. No, he wouldn't change his mind. He couldn't. But he would treat her gently, give her plenty of time.
"I hope I've relieved your mind," Dr. Wagner said.
"You have. I'm sure I can handle things, as long as you tell me everything I need to know."
"Yes, of course. When he's ready to be discharged, we'll give you a list of his prescriptions, along with instructions on his general care. He'll have regular checkups and you can always reach someone here at the hospital or at my office if you have questions. Thanks to his injured ankle and ribs, he'll spend a good deal of time in bed, so you'll also need to rotate his position until he's back on his feet. He's going to be very sore for a while."
Wearing a half smile, Emma admitted, "I'm a massage therapist, so I know about sore muscles."
"A massage therapist?" Lois asked, looking down her nose.
"Excellent," Dr. Wagner said at almost the same time. "It's too bad you don't live here. I could have used your services last week after a day spent fishing." He chuckled as he rubbed the small of his back. "I'm getting too old to sit on the hard bench of a fishing boat for hours on end. I was stiff for two days. But the wife had no sympathy. None at all."
Emma laughed with him. "I'll be glad to help you out while I'm here. Just give me a call. The desk has my number."
Dr. Wagner brightened. "Careful now. I'll hold you to it."
"It'll be my pleasure. A thank-you for all the good care you're giving Dad."
Casey wasn't at all sure he liked the sound of that, and then he caught himself. Dr. Wagner was a grandpa, for crying out loud. A kind old man who'd known his father forever. Yet...Lois had the same damn thought, given her spiteful expression. She smiled, but it was a smile of malicious intent.
Casey wondered how much Emma would let him help. Considering what he'd learned, he knew it wouldn't be easy for her to be home with both her parents. Yet her father's health dictated that she do just that.
He wanted to do what was best for her, and if that meant helping her with Dell... He and her father were not on great terms – not since the night Dell accused him of getting Emma pregnant – but Emma would have cleared that up with her father by now. Dell would certainly have realized that he wasn't a grandfather, and Casey wasn't a father.
Not that he didn't want to be. Someday. With the right woman.
He looked at Emma again and felt a strange warmth spread through his chest. Emma was such a gentle, affectionate, sensitive woman, she'd make a wonderful mother.
And if she knew your thoughts, Casey told himself, she'd probably head directly back to Chicago. Hell, he scared himself, so he could only imagine how Emma would react.
"You'll be hearing from me." Dr. Wagner shook her hand, then clapped Casey on the shoulder. "I'm off to see the rest of my patients."
He went out, yet Lois lingered. She looked Emma up and down with a sullen sneer. "A massage therapist? Is that what they're calling it these days?"
Casey felt like strangling the little witch for her insinuation, yet Emma only smiled. "Far as I know, Lois, that's what they've always called it. You didn't know that? I'm surprised, since the field of massage therapy has become an integral part of health care, and you are a nurse, after all."
Stung, Lois pursed her mouth. "It sounds like a shady front to me. I remember you too well. I can just imagine what you do while massaging someone."
Emma leaned toward her, taunting, egging her on. "It is scandalous. Why, I light scented candles and play erotic, relaxing music. But I'm good, Lois, so good, that I get a lot of repeat cu
stomers." She held up her hands. "I'm told I have magic fingers and that I can work the tension out of any muscle."
Red-faced, Lois said, "It's an excuse to get naked and get...rubbed."
"You make that sound so dirty!" Emma laughed. "Actually, people with real physical ailments come to me. Strained muscles, stress, rehab after an injury..."
Lois sputtered in outrage. "You should encourage people to see real professionals."
"Oh? You mean like the massage therapists employed by the hospital? I noticed their offices downstairs. They're not quite as well equipped as I am, but they're still adequate."
"They're accredited."
"Me too." Emma fashioned a look of haughtiness. "I'm certified with the AMTA and licensed by the city of Chicago. You know, you look so puckered up, you should really try a little massage. All that frowning ages a person and gives her wrinkles."
"I do see a few frown lines, Lois," Casey managed to say with a straight face. It was strange, but seeing Emma so confident, even cocky, turned him on. "Maybe the folks downstairs will give you an employee discount."
Clearly knowing she'd lost that round, Lois stalked out in a snit.
Unwilling to let Emma leave the same way, Casey caught her elbow. She'd put up a good front for Lois, but he could see that she was miffed over his interference with the doctor. "Do you want to visit with your father some more before we head off?"
She considered it, and finally nodded. "Maybe just to smooth things over before I leave."
Casey hated for her to face him alone again, but he already knew he wasn't welcome. "Hey." He touched her chin and resisted the urge to kiss her. "Don't let him get you down, okay? He's bound to be a little grouchy, all things considered."
"It's not that." She started out of the room. "There are some things my father and I will never agree on, that's all. But I don't want to argue with him here, not while he's hurt and sick."
This time Casey waited for her in the hall, but he could hear them speaking. The words were indistinct, but the tone was clear: Emma calmly insistent, Dell complaining, even whining. Casey winced for her. Under the circumstances, being Dell's caretaker wasn't going to be easy.
