Taxi (Take It Off #11)

by Cambria Hebert

  She fell silent, the only sound the scraping of the metal.

  I’d been trying to get the metal cuff from around my wrist for a while. Basically, the only way I was going to get it off would be to break my hand so I could slide it through.

  If I broke my hand, I wouldn’t be able to do the surgery on Rocco.

  On anyone.

  A surgeon’s hands were his bread and butter.

  Frustration smacked me in the face. A growl erupted out of my throat, and I snatched her hand away from the floor. Her fingers curled around the makeshift weapon so she didn’t drop it, but otherwise, my sudden movement didn’t startle her.

  It was that act of complete trust that pulled me back. My fingers gentled, and the upset erupting inside me moved out like the tide on a beach. Rose didn’t flinch away from me.

  “I didn’t scare you,” I said. It was a real asshole thing to sound kind of in awe about that. My tone implied I’d wanted to scare her.

  I didn’t.

  Rose knew.

  “I trust you.”

  So simple.

  So incredible.

  “Why?”

  She smiled, rueful. “You don’t think I should?”

  “Under these circumstances, absolutely.”

  Her brow puzzled. “So there is a circumstance when I shouldn’t?”

  “Oh, definitely,” I drawled, scooting a little closer. I released her hand to play with the ends of her long light-cinnamon strands.

  Her breathing increased. If I felt her pulse, it would probably be elevated, too.

  I affected her.

  Good.

  “If we were somewhere I didn’t have to be on high alert for your safety and mine…” My words trailed off because I noticed the way she stared at my mouth when I whispered.

  Frankly, it was the worst best kind of distraction.

  “Yes?” Her voice was breathless.

  “I would take advantage of you, Rose. Your body would betray you when it handed over its loyalty to me.”

  “You can’t take advantage of me.”

  “No?” I raised an eyebrow. Was she doubting my skills of seduction?

  Slowly, her head shook, the tip of her tongue jutting out to wet her lips. “You can’t take what I’m already willing to give.”

  Hot damn.

  My stomach muscles bunched with anticipation. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with skill.

  “It’s a damn shame, fairy.” I sighed regretfully.

  Rose drew back at my words. She misconstrued their meaning. Well, not really. She just thought I was replying to her blatant admittance of attraction.

  I wasn’t.

  Before I could lose her completely, I yanked her back into the moment.

  “It’s a damn shame it took being kidnapped and chained to a pipe for me to finally get some alone time with you.”

  Her lips pulled into a smile, relief lighting her eyes.

  I couldn’t help but notice the dryness in her usually luscious lips. The way they were cracking from lack of moisture.

  “You could have just asked me out.”

  “How about it, Rose? How about some pizza, maybe a movie, a totally boring and mundane date with me?”

  Her white teeth flashed. The reply was rueful. “Something tells me nothing with you would ever be boring.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Her eyes skittered away from mine to take in our surroundings. I saw awareness flood back in. The bleak reality we were stuck in threatened to ruin the moment I’d managed to create with her.

  I wasn’t ready to let go yet.

  “On second thought.” I spoke up. Her eyes came back. “I’d like to suspend that invitation.”

  She laughed. “I think that’s the fastest any man has ever run away from me.”

  I chuckled. “No one’s ever run from you.”

  “I eat, sleep, and breathe my business. It’s not exactly a turn-on.”

  “You always smell like coffee,” I murmured, scooting closer to brush the hair back behind her shoulder. Even now, the rich scent clung to her, even though she’d been prisoner for over a day.

  Rose shrugged. “Hazard of the job.”

  “I want to kiss you.”

  Her breath caught. Then a shaky laugh exhaled. “I have enough injuries already without adding the whiplash you’re giving me.”

  “Not whiplash,” I murmured, stroking the pad of my thumb over her lower lip. “Bad timing. Worst circumstances ever for a first kiss.” I allowed.

  “But…” she murmured, turning her face into my touch.

  “But I still want to taste you. I want to lick across those chapped lips and soothe some of the dry. If you and I can get lost in each other here, now, then that invitation for a date… it’s going to turn into a demand.”

  Her sigh was the only reply I needed.

  Her skin was smooth and cool to the touch when I cupped her jaw. Using gentle pressure with my thumbs, I tilted her face up because absolute full access was what I desired. At the base of her neck, my fingertips burrowed into her hair, and her eyes fluttered closed.

  The first taste hit my senses when I licked across her lips. Every single taste bud clamored for more; once just wasn’t enough to satisfy. My tongue dragged gently over the fullness of her mouth, eradicating the worst of the dryness to give way to a hot trail of want.

  With a sigh, her mouth opened, and like a puzzle, my lips fit into hers the exact way they should. I couldn’t stop moving; my body took complete control. With gentle ferocity, I attacked her mouth. She moaned, and her tongue slipped past my teeth to seek out mine.

  We tangled together, fused as one. Needing even more, I grasped her around the waist, lifting her into my lap. The chains binding us made a rattling sound, but we ignored them.

  I was lost. Lost to a world that was infinitely better than reality.

  Rose grabbed me, the pads of her fingers kneading the back of my head and mussing my hair. I loved the way she kissed. She didn’t hold back, didn’t give in.

  When I licked, she licked. When I moved, so did she. Her fingers were like vises, anchoring me in place, and the sounds erupting from her throat… made me desperate to get her beneath me.

  A sound in the distance interrupted. Both of us stilled but didn’t pull apart. Even an imminent threat couldn’t keep us from fusing together. It would have to be absolute to break the bond. Our lips rested on each other’s as we listened for signs we were no longer alone.

  I felt the weight of her stare and opened my eyes.

  I stared back, noting the golden flecks accenting the green of her irises. Neither of us moved, but my hands tightened on her back. The instinct to swiftly tuck her behind me was fierce. The second I heard another sound or voice, it wouldn’t even be a thought, just an action.

  Long beats passed.

  I felt the rise and fall of her chest against mine. Our breath mingled as we listened.

  No one was here.

  We were still alone.

  Leaving my eyes trained on hers, I kissed her softly one last time. Her pupils flared, and it pulled my mouth into a smile. I lifted my head, noting how much less dry her lips appeared.

  Rose surprised me and swiped her thumb under the swell of my lower lip. It did nothing for my rock-hard cock when the tongue that just slaughtered my mouth came out and licked across the area.

  I thought about attacking her again. God, I wanted to.

  Even as I had the thought, she ducked her head into the space between my neck and shoulder as if she were suddenly shy.

  I liked the juxtaposition of her spice with a little bit of sweet. She sure could keep a man busy for a long, long time.

  Like forever.

  What the fuck?

  Did I hit my head when they kidnapped me? Was there some kind of hallucinogen in that dart? One kiss in the middle of a literal cage and I was thinking about forever?

  I was going mental. Now was not the time. If there was ever a time I needed
to keep a clear head, it was now.

  She shifted. By the way she moved, I was given the distinct impression something was hurting her.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “This chain is heavy.” She grimaced. The fingers in my hair slid away, and her shackled wrist dropped onto my shoulder with a thump.

  “I’m sorry,” she rushed out. “My arm’s tired. I didn’t mean to drop it like that.”

  The chains were thick and heavy, the metal cuff bulky and tight. I was larger than her, wider, and it was uncomfortable on me. I could only imagine the exertion it took for her to hold up her arm.

  “Don’t try to fight the weight,” I replied. Gently, I lifted her hand and wrist, supporting the weight and bringing it down to rest between our bodies.

  “We’re tangled together.” She pointed to the chain.

  The impromptu kissing session certainly did tangle us up in more than one way. The knots in the metal were only increasing the tugging on her wrist.

  “I’ll fix it,” I whispered and got to work.

  It took me a while to work the chains apart. When I was done, my own wrist stung with raw skin, and the paleness in her cheeks told me all I needed to know about her.

  I stood, bringing her with me. The muscles in my body screamed. I worked out a lot. I took good care of myself to help offset the busy schedule I constantly worked. But being chained up and left on a concrete floor was enough to make any man a little sore.

  Not to mention I’d supported the majority of Rose’s weight while she slept.

  I bent, sitting her down so she was supported by the pipe. Once I made sure our chains really were untangled, I paced away to work some blood flow through my limbs and work out some of the soreness.

  Rose watched me. I could tell by the way she sank against the pipe she was fading fast. Over twenty-four hours without any hydration was taking its toll. I looked around for the hundredth time as I stretched, hoping I’d see something I’d overlooked.

  “I have to pee,” Rose announced.

  “Have you gone at all since you’ve been here?” I asked, entering doctor mode.

  “No.”

  “You’re dehydrated,” I intoned darkly.

  “I should get up and move around, too. Maybe it would help with the soreness.” She pushed away from the pipe, then slumped back. Her shackled wrist landed on the floor, boneless.

  “Stay there,” I ordered.

  I ripped off more of my shirt and crouched in front of her.

  Neither of us said anything when I lifted her wrist and rested it on my thigh. The skin beneath the cuff was raw and swollen. I was sure beneath the metal, it was bleeding. I pretended not to notice, but her muscles quivered. They were so exhausted they quaked.

  “This might hurt,” I told her. “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded.

  Working as quickly as I could without being too rough, I pushed the edge of the fabric beneath the cuff. Rose stiffened and hissed a breath but otherwise said nothing.

  “I know it hurts, sweetheart,” I whispered. “But putting this between your skin and the metal will help.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  It took a few minutes to work it around and beneath as much as I could. Her toes curled in on themselves and her knees pressed together… The skin I couldn’t see was definitely in rough condition.

  “When do you think they’re going to come back?” she asked as I finished.

  I sat back on my haunches, noticed the fabric I tied around her hands was coming loose, and reached to fix it. “Probably soon.” I paused. “I wish I knew what time it was.”

  “It’s probably morning. It seems less dark in here than when they brought you in.”

  I thought about Rocco, about the dwindling hours until his surgery. A low swear permeated the space around us.

  “What?”

  “I’m supposed to be somewhere.”

  “The hospital?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Well, when you don’t show up, maybe they’ll know something’s wrong.” Her tone was hopeful.

  “Oh, they’ll know,” I muttered. “But if we don’t get out of here soon, it’s going to be too late.”

  The ominous tone in which I said the words scared her. She thought I was implying we were going to die.

  I sighed. “My nephew has been on a waiting list for a kidney for years. He’s really sick.”

  She made a sound, and her free hand covered my leg.

  “I’ve never said it out loud.” I hedged. “I’ve barely allowed myself to think it…”

  “What is it, Derek?”

  “He’s been worsening over the past year. I’ve… I was beginning to think we were out of time.” Every single patient I lost in recent months was especially hard because my mind would morbidly wander to Rocco and if next time it would be him I’d lose.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said gently, giving my thigh a squeeze. “How old is he?”

  “Ten.” I felt my mouth kick up. “He’s my best friend.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded. “You think it’s lame my best friend is ten?”

  “It makes me like you more.”

  Dread and anxiety pressed in on me. The emotion was so much heavier than the chain weighing on my wrist. “I got a call yesterday. They matched him with a kidney. It’s being transported in today. I’m supposed to do the surgery this evening… It’s his only chance at survival.”

  Rose gasped. “Will another surgeon be able to step in… just in case you don’t make it?”

  “I sure as hell hope so.” I worried. If I couldn’t be there, I wouldn’t want Rocco to suffer. I’d rather him have a chance than none at all.

  “I promised him I’d be there. I promised my sister.”

  “I was literally sleeping on you when I should have been helping you get out.” The guilt in her tone was unacceptable.

  I shook my head adamantly. “No. None of this is your doing. Taking on even a margin of blame for anything is not allowed.”

  Her chin jutted out and a stubborn glint not only crossed her eyes, but her entire body.

  “Ah, so you do have some of that redhead heat in you,” I mused.

  “Yes,” she rebuked. “So arguing with me is futile.”

  I stood up, pacing away again. “You needed some decompression time. Your body was about to give out on you, Rose,” I said quietly. “I know what that looks like.”

  She didn’t say anything, probably because she could feel the intensity coming off me. You ever notice that? How sometimes feelings were so much louder than words?

  Vibes, the physical weight of our body’s invisible energy was a powerful thing.

  That’s why when people said mind over matter, I believed it.

  I spoke quietly. “Sometimes our bodies need a break. Sometimes our minds do, too. I needed to sit there with you just as much as you needed that break.”

  “Why?” Her quiet tone matched mine.

  I swung around, the chains an ever constant sound to remind us we no longer had the freedom we’d always taken for granted.

  “Because you’re important.”

  Our eyes locked. I hoped she understood. Understood everything I didn’t say.

  I should have asked you out when I first followed the sound of your laugh. It shouldn’t have taken a literal kidnapping to make me see you’re inevitable. This isn’t a tease to what could have been. It’s a prelude to what will be.

  Even from several feet away, I saw her swallow thickly. Yes, I knew her throat was dry, but I liked to think it was partly a reaction to what was swirling around between us.

  “I feel stronger now.” The hand without the shackle flattened on the pipe firmly planted into the floor, and she hoisted herself up.

  The weight of the chain seemed to drag her body sideways, I hurried to her side and slipped an arm around her waist, supporting and lifting her into place.

  Rose didn’t act like the fact I had to
help her stand was anything that would hold her back. Her shoulders squared as she stepped back and held up the handle. “Even if I ground this against the floor the rest of the day, I still don’t think it would be the right size to pick the locks on the cuffs.”

  I agreed.

  “While you slept, I did some recon with the pipe. I’m pretty sure it goes deep underground. I can’t knock it over or even displace it enough to remove the chains,” I said.

  “So we fight. Two on two. Like you said, we can take them.”

  I hated taking that chance with her life like that. Just because they said they didn’t want us hurt didn’t mean if push came to shove they wouldn’t.

  “If I crush the bones in my hand, I can pull it out.” I reasoned. “Then I’m sure I could find something in here to free you.”

  I hated that was our best plan. But it was. Breaking my hand and slipping lose didn’t require us to physically fight. Rose was determined, but she was weak. She was in no condition to be fighting against a grown man.

  If I did this, we could hopefully escape before they even came back.

  She gasped. “Would that work?”

  I nodded.

  Her eyes flared with hope, then dimmed. “But your hand. You need it for surgery.”

  “I won’t be doing any surgeries if I’m dead.” Harsh? You bet. The truth? Unfortunately.

  Besides, Rose wasn’t the type of girl I had to mince words around. It was frankly refreshing.

  She shook her head like it was filled with water and she was trying to knock it out. “I’ll break mine instead.”

  “No,” I said, flat.

  She made a huffing sound and put both hands on her hips to glare at me. “Why is it okay for you to break your hand but not me?”

  “You’ve been through enough,” I replied, gruff. It was beyond ridiculous if she thought I would let her cause physical harm to herself to save my ass.

  But what about Rocco…? Would you risk her for him?

  “I can still oversee Rocco’s surgery. I can assist another surgeon. At least I’ll be there to make sure the operation goes as scheduled.”

  “His name is Rocco?”

  I nodded.

  She smiled. The next thing I knew, she had the metal bucket in her hand, extending it to me. “Use this. You’ll be able to use more force because you can swing it down from a better angle.”