“How in the hell did you get here? You had to shift. What did you do, steer with your knee?” Jacob chuckled in the dark. She couldn’t help it; the need to scold him came from deep within her. “Really! You were trying to get yourself killed before our date? So good to know!”
Tori flipped the switch to warm the glow plugs and the light of the dashboard illuminated the cab. She could tell he watched carefully as she expertly started the complicated vehicle. Tori reached down, pulled off her heels, and threw them into the back seat.
She moved the seat forward giving in to the sudden joy of the simple act. She knew she giggled like a child. A look to her right and a wink preceded her explanation. “I’ve never had to move the seat up before…that was new!” Her bare foot pushed in the clutch in she shifted the machine into reverse. “Okay Jacob, you’re the navigator…navigate.”
Twenty-five minutes later, Tori pulled the Hummer in front of his Georgetown mansion. A red brick, two-story colonial with the prerequisite white columns. Situated at the end of a cul-de-sac, the house dominated the neighboring homes. The house was old, restored to perfection and without a doubt magnificent.
Tori put her shoes on and jumped down from the vehicle. Conversation between them had all but ceased during the ride to his home. Jacob didn’t open the passenger side door until she reached it. She let him lean on her as they went up the stairs. It was then she felt the warm sticky wetness on his back. Tori opened the front door with his key and walked with him into the living room after Jacob turned off the alarm system.
“Alright soldier, sit down here. Where is the bathroom and are there medical supplies in there?”
Jacob almost fell into the couch and nodded towards the hall. “There is a medical kit in my bedroom. Last door at the end of the hall. Under the bed. Small black pack.” His tight, clipped responses confirmed her fears. At a minimum, he was in pain. With his slowed movements and reactions, her guess was Jacob was in trouble.
By the time she made it back to the grand living room, Jacob had removed his sling, jacket, tie and weapon. Tori knelt in front of him and unbuttoned his shirt. His eyes locked with hers as she smiled. Careful not to jolt his arm, she unfastened the gold cufflinks at his wrists and peeled off the shirt, revealing the thick, corded muscles of his chest and shoulders. A six-inch square bandage covered his pectoral just under his collarbone. Fresh blood saturated the bandage, but the amount of dried blood told more of the story. His wound had opened up, not once, but twice, tonight. The adhesive tape on a blood-soaked stack of gauze, hung limp, glistening with fresh blood that seeped from the visible bullet holes. She cleaned around the wounds and placed a new dressing on his back.
Tori pushed him gently backward and stroked his cheek as she knelt in front of him. “The wounds have opened up again. There’s been significant blood loss. You need help, more help than I can give you. Do you want to go to the hospital or is your doctor friend back in the States with you?”
Jacob pulled her up and she straddled his lap facing him. In a tender gesture, his hand pushed her hair from her face. His pupils were blown, almost all the blue gone but his voice was strong as it rumbled deep and sexy, “The last thing I want right now is to go back to the hospital or have another man in my home.”
“Jacob, you have lost a lot of blood and the bleeding isn’t stopping. Either we call your teammate or I’ll call an ambulance when you pass out. It’s simple for me either way.” She bent over his shoulder and looked at the new wound dressing that was now soaked through with fresh blood. She stacked another layer of prepared gauze over the top of the old pad. It did little to staunch the flow.
Tori reached for Jacob’s jacket and pulled out his phone. At her request, he rattled off the numbers to unlock the phone. Still astride his lap, she scrolled through the contacts until she reached the number for someone named Doc. She pushed the contact number when Jacob leaned back and relaxed into the couch. His hands caressed her upper thighs under her dress. She smiled and raised an eyebrow at him and wiggled onto his cock. He groaned and attempted a grab at her hips.
The phone was answered on the first ring. “What’s up, Skipper?”
Tori cleared her throat. “Doc, I’m not sure if you remember me, but you and your skipper helped me out of a sticky situation about a year ago.”
There was silence on the other line. “Yeah, I remember, shoulder, leg, and feet.”
“And a lot of dirt.”
Doc chuckled, “Yeah a lot of dirt. Why are you calling from the Skipper’s phone?”
Tori looked at Jacob, his face was relaxed and his breathing was regular but shallow. “His wounds have opened up and I cannot get the bleeding to stop. The blood flow has soaked his shirt and two standard wound dressings in less than three minutes. He needs more help than I can give him. I think he just passed out.”
“Where are you?”
“At his house in Georgetown.”
“I’m on my way.”
*
The front door slammed before heavy footsteps echoed running down the hall. Tori leveled Jacob’s .45mm point blank at the stranger’s chest bringing him to a dead stop in the doorway to the living room.
The man dropped the bag he was holding and lifted both hands slowly. “Ah, lady you called me, so how about we lower that cannon and let me take a look at my Skipper?”
Tori rode the hammer back slowly and put the weapon on safe. She motioned to the dressing she prepared. “I don’t know if the bleeding has slowed. I didn’t pull any of the bandages off again, I just added more.”
Tori watched the tall blond. He didn’t move until she put the gun down on the table beside Jacob. When she did he walked to the massive leather couch. “Okay, let’s get him into the bedroom.”
The man pulled Jacob into a fireman’s carry and started towards the back of the house. Temporarily astonished at the strength the doctor possessed, Tori had to rush to get in front of him. They quickly moved down the hallway. Doc was careful not to allow his boss’s limp body to hit any of the expensive artwork that lined the impressively decorated walk space. Tori pushed the heavy, solid mahogany door open, but the cargo Doc carried still required he enter sideways. She kicked several mission packs out of the way before she pulled back the covers on Jacob’s huge sleigh bed.
“Thanks, would you please get my bag from the living room?”
Tori didn’t hesitate to get his equipment. She padded back into the bedroom with the kit and waited at the foot of the bed while Doc finished assessing the damage. “Most of the stitches are ripped. From what I can see a couple of the subdural stitches have pulled out too. What in the hell happened?”
“When we got to the restaurant, his brother gave him a couple hellacious whaps on the back and a bear hug that would’ve crushed a grizzly’s spine. He slapped him again as we left. From what I could tell, it was just love taps between the two of them. The force amazed me, but they acted like it was nothing unusual to either one of them. When Jacob winced and almost passed out, I knew something wasn’t right. We got here, and I could feel the blood on his back. He didn’t mention bullet wounds.”
Doc nodded. “Two through and through.”
“Bigger than a handgun. I’m guessing 5.56 millimeter bullets by the size of the wounds.”
Doc glanced up. “Yeah, could be.”
The corners of Tori’s mouth quirked. “No, not could be; 5.56 means either the bad guys had American weaponry or you were the bad guys…and I refuse to believe that.”
Doc focused on his work as he replied in a casual tone, “We were not the bad guys.”
“Figured as much.”
He laid out his equipment and donned his gloves. “Put these on. I need you to hand me the needle and floss and use the scissors to cut in between my finger and the knot. You good with that?”
“Yes. I was raised on a ranch; I know a thing or two.”
Doc affixed the sterile thread through the suture needle and muttered, “Yippee-Ki-Yay.”
>
“I believe that particular saying ends with a cuss word or two.”
Doc laughed. “We’ll leave those for the Skipper. He is going to be pissed when he wakes up.”
Tori cut the thread when and where Doc indicated she should. “Pissed? Why?”
Doc’s eyes never lifted from the intricate work his fingers performed. “Because I would be a fool not to assume you are more than he hoped you would be, and now he is down for the count.” Tori assisted Doc until the last stitch was knotted.
“See…perfection. Damn, I do good work. No way will the Skipper be able to complain about the scar.”
“Are you an M.D?”
Doc shook his head. “Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, but I don’t usually practice in a hospital environment.” He nodded towards the man he had just rolled onto his back. “He’ll be fine. He has lost more blood and then run three miles. I don’t know why he is out. Perhaps it’s just exhaustion from the injury, the trip back, and the medication they have him pumped up on.”
Tori raised an eyebrow. “Medication? I would guess the consumption of wine with that medication would be a no-no?”
Doc looked at her and then back down at his friend. “Oh man, that’s one hell of a way to spend the night, Skipper. Yeah, that would explain why he is out like a light. He probably had no clue they juiced him with pain meds. He would never willingly take narcotics, so they shoot it in the IV. He’s going to have a mean headache when he wakes up. He’ll be angrier than a bear when he finds out about the pain killers.”
Doc put his gear away and looked at Tori. “Ma’am I don’t know how to say this in a polite fashion so...”
Tori looked at him expectantly.
“Are you going to stay with him tonight? He shouldn’t be left alone. If you’re not, I’ll…”
Tori gave a throaty chuckle at Doc’s awkward probing. “Yeah. I’m spending the night.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” To Tori’s immense amusement, Doc shook his head mournfully as he examined Jacob passed out on the bed. “Oh crap, Skipper, you are going to be pissed.”
“My name is Victoria or Tori, not ma’am. Why don’t you stop by tomorrow and check on him? I promise I’ll try to be a good nurse.”
Doc grabbed his bag. “You have my number if you need me. He is out for the night at least, probably longer. I’ll lock up on my way out.” He walked to the door and turned. Clearing his throat, he motioned to the unconscious man on the bed. “I think the Skipper found a diamond under all that dirt when he found you.” He left without looking back.
Tori sighed and looked down at the man asleep on the bed. His chest hard, defined, and dense with muscle rose and fell in a soft rhythm as he slept. His shoulders and arms, even relaxed, were huge. God, she wanted to see and feel those muscles tight and straining as he took her.
Tori’s eyes widened as she chastised herself. Oh my God! That was nothing but unadulterated lust. Woman, are you that pathetic? He’s out cold! Would you really take advantage of an unconscious man? Tori’s eyes consumed the gorgeous male in front of her. A slow smile spread as she looked at Jacob. Oh hell, yeah. She was unapologetically that pathetic. She reached to his waist. His body heat radiated under her fingers as she unfastened his belt and pants because, after all, who wanted to sleep in their pants, right? He was too heavy to lift so she attempted to pull his fine wool trousers down over his hips. The waistband of his slacks caught on his boxers and dragged them down about three inches before she noticed. She could see the dark line of hair on his lower abs now exposed almost to “trails end.” Tori stopped, looked at the clothes and then the man, and held a mental debate.
Take them off or pull the briefs back up?
The edge of his hip showed the deep cut of muscle that formed the V pointing to his sex.
Oh, God. Would he be offended?
No…no…of course not, he said he wanted her. He said he would take her on the table if they wouldn’t be arrested.
Yes, but, HELLO! He was conscious then!
Tori chewed on her thumbnail.
Oh, what the hell. Off…definitely off.
With a firm grip and tug on the cuffs, the tenuous grip of his clothes released. Tori moaned in appreciation at the beauty of the man sleeping in front of her. A line of dark black hair formed on his six-pack stomach and trailed in a muscled vee to his navel. Oh, yeah…happy trails to you. Wasn’t that how the old Roy Rogers’ song went? She laughed silently. Below he was long and… thick…without being aroused. Oh, sex with him would be amazing…thank you very much!
She removed his socks and brushed her finger over the sole of his foot. His leg jerked and his low groan of pain brought her back to reality. An accusatory hand of guilt and shame slapped her hard. Tori covered the sleeping Adonis and turned off the overhead light.
She undressed to her bra and panties and slid into bed. Her hand touched his shoulder with a light caress. His male scent and expensive cologne played with merciless intent on her senses. “Not what I wanted to be doing right now, cowboy. Sleep is definitely overrated.”
Chapter Six
Consciousness whispered against the dense darkness of his slumber, and his mind engaged slowly. He lifted his eyelids but shut them almost immediately when pain sliced through his skull. He was in his Georgetown bedroom. He relaxed and shifted his body, moving his good arm across his bare skin. A different type of pain seized his muscles in a vise-grip. His chest and back burned like fire. Shit. Inside his head, all the demons in hell pounded out a demand for release. Images of Tori straddled over his lap flashed and then…nothing. Oh, just fucking kill me now if I’ve forgotten sex with Tori. Eyes closed, he took a deep breath and concentrated. Alright, you can figure this out, King. Apparently, you passed out. But how the fuck did she get you into the bedroom? Unless you blacked out and walked into the bedroom under your own steam? Fuck. Who knew?
Jacob pried his eyelids open to see Tori asleep beside him, her face peaceful and relaxed, lips parted and cheeks flushed. Of course, he lifted the sheet that covered her. Why wouldn’t he? The flame red lace bra and thong panties almost made him forget his pounding head. Her thick blond hair spread over her shoulder and curled around a full breast as she lay on her side. Holy shit! His cock jerked to life as it came on board with the idea he had a nearly naked woman lying beside him. The fact he was nude also registered.
He circled her waist and pulled her to him. She moaned and slid her leg against his. He absorbed the soft feel of her long, lean body against him and didn’t attempt to resist the temptation to pull her closer. Her body was soft, compliant, and warm, and his morning wood grew stiff as steel.
Jacob pressed a light kiss against her forehead as his fingers drew a line down her spine. With a shudder, Tori snuggled deeper into him. He smiled and caressed her shoulder and up her neck. She squirmed. Her hand moved in her sleep in an attempt to stop the tickle. His smile grew as he stroked his fingertips down her waist and to her hip. She jerked awake and grasped his arm with the strength he remembered from the plane. Perhaps it had not been adrenalin that night after all.
“Good morning, honey.” She took in her surroundings and seemed to remember where she slept. He watched her body relax and melt into him. “Good morning. How’s your head?”
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Which one?” He prodded her stomach with his stiff cock.
Tori laughed. “Umm…the one with ears?”
He groaned and closed his eyes. “I have a bitch of a headache. What happened last night?”
Tori propped herself up on one elbow and drew her mass of hair behind her. “Your brother. Apparently, he didn’t know about your wounds, and he gave you those great smacks on the back.”
Jacob grimaced. “Yeah, I remember that and the ride here. I remember you on my lap, and then lights out.” With a groan he whispered, “My God, how could I black out with you straddling me?”
Tori traced his cheek with her fingertips. “Easy enough to do when you mix opi
oids with two bottles of good wine.”
“Painkillers? No. I don’t take narcotics. My brother got addicted to that shit. Didn’t happen.”
Tori waited until he had finished his mini rant. “Doc said they probably administered them to you through an IV so you could rest.”
“Doc? Doc was here? Last night?” At her barely concealed smile and nod, Jacob let loose with a violent string of expletives. “I hate hospitals. They mess you up and addict you to drugs.”
Tori pulled her hand through his hair. “It’s okay. Doc carried you in here, stitched you up, and said you would be as mad as a grumpy old bear when you woke.”
Jacob closed his eyes and groaned. Damn her hands felt good, soothing. He pulled her back down to him. “Thank you for staying with me.”
*
Tori ran a finger down Jacob’s side and watched his muscles ripple and jump. “You couldn’t have made me leave.” When she filled her hand with the warm, silky skin of his hard cock and stroked, his hips thrust forward immediately.
“Honey, if you do that again, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“And I won’t be responsible for you pulling out more stitches.” Tori nearly drooled at the thought of his hot, thick cock throbbing in her mouth. She wanted, needed, to know this man in this way. “But I’m going to be selfish. I want to taste you. Stay right where you are. Do. Not. Move. Do you understand?”
He started to speak and she placed her hand over his mouth. “Shhh, Jacob. Just be quiet. Don’t move, or I’ll stop. Got it?” Jacob’s eyes held hers entranced. His head slowly nodded.
She leaned up and teased his lips with her tongue, moving away before he could deepen the kiss. Tori enjoyed the feel of his hot skin. She marveled at the way his body reacted to her touch. The low growl that rumbled through him as she slowly worked her way down his body, licking and kissing his heated skin. She smiled against his stomach as his muscles rippled and twitched in anticipation when she continued lower.
Jacob Page 6
