by Tiana Cole
I switched on the ignition and was rewarded by the powerful thrum of the motor. I tapped on the accelerator with my foot. The motor sounded smooth.
“Don’t wait up for me,” I said, dismissing him, but knowing he’d still be there when I got back.
If Steve had his way he would tuck me into bed every night just to guarantee I was safe and sound. The track was only a couple of miles long and I intended to make a few circuits with the Volvo.
I glanced at the speedometer as it climbed from 50 to 100 mph. I settled for 120 mph, taking the turns with ease. The windows were down and the rush of cool evening air felt good on my face.
I passed a few collapsible bollards and net meshing as I added pressure on the gas pedal. This was what I loved about driving fast. The sensation that man and machine were one and flying through the air. There was no greater feeling. The sense of freedom and exhilaration was difficult to describe. This was also the time when my instincts were at their keenest. I knew the sausage kerb was in the next turn.
I looked ahead and saw it. But there was something different about the way it was positioned. It should have been lying against the side of the turn. That was its main purpose, to protect the drivers from hitting the wall.
Instead, the sausage kerb was spread across the track. The crew must have dismantled it, intending to put it away, and left it there. I didn’t give prior notice that I intended to use the track tonight. My mistake.
Two things hit my mind simultaneously. If I stepped on the brakes the car would spin out of control and hit the wall. Or it could flip over and pin me beneath it. Either way could kill me.
At the rate I was speeding, there was no other possible conclusion. Another option was for me to jump the sausage kerb and hopefully land upright.
I could damage the tires, but tires were replaceable. My life wasn’t. When I told Steve earlier the airbags were state of the art, I meant I could launch it manually. Most airbags would wait for the moment of impact before inflating. Now was a good time to find out if those airbags were worth every penny I paid for.
I took a deep breath as I braced myself for what was ahead. I was approaching the sausage kerb by the second. As soon as my tires hit, I was launched into the air like a space shuttle.
I hit the manual button and felt the whoosh of the airbag as it pushed me back into the seat. I came down to earth and heard a tire blow as the car hit the ground. The impact was more severe than I expected as I felt myself thrown down hard with the Volvo. I lost consciousness just before the car came to a stop.
The next thing I remembered was someone flashing a light into my eyes. I distinctly heard Steve asking the paramedic if I was still alive. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.
I didn’t know how long I was out or where they took me. There was nothing except the total blackness. I surfaced every now and then from the dark, but this was the first time I had the strength to finally open my eyes.
Chapter 5 (Gareth)
I was either in a hotel room or a fancy hospital. I saw the door and wanted to get out of bed. I had the sense not to try that now, knowing that the sedative made me woozy. Wait…was that a figure on the couch? It was hard to tell in this semi-darkness.
Yes, I think it was a girl. A nurse? She was wearing scrubs and slumped down. Sleeping? Her hair was covering her face.
I moved my head slowly from side to side, careful not to overstretch the tendons in my neck just in case.
I was glad to note that I didn’t break my neck in the crash. There was a slim object by my bedside table. I reached across and picked it up. It was the remote lighting control. I pressed a button and the recessed lights in the ceiling came on. Great. Now I could see everything.
The girl or nurse on the sofa stirred. Her hair fell away from her face as she moved her head to one side, revealing her profile.
Wow! She was pretty despite the hornets’ nest on her head. ‘Pretty’ was putting it mildly. She was beautiful. She had an oval face with well-defined brows, high cheek bones, a strong nose, and full lips that hinted of a sexy pout. But it was her skin that took my breath away. It was a sun-kissed shade of brown, and her hair was like glazed mocha. I wondered what she looked like naked.
I felt the first stirrings of an erection. This was crazy. It was the sedative. God, I needed to pee. My bladder felt full.
I was suddenly aware that my muscles were sore. I should wake her up and ask her to help me get to the bathroom. The thought irritated me. I hated feeling helpless and dependent on a girl, even if she was a nurse.
My head felt fuzzy like it was stuffed with cotton and my temples were throbbing like hell. I’d been through this before. I knew it would take some time before the sedative totally left my body.
“Miss…”I whispered, not wanting to startle her.
Nothing. She was dead to the world.
“Miss…” I called, a little louder this time.
She stirred, half-opened her eyes, then closed them once again.
“Miss!”
I didn’t really mean to shout, but I had to do something before she fell asleep again. I must have disconcerted her because she jumped upright and stared at me with eyes like a deer caught in the glare of an oncoming car. In spite of my discomfort, it was hard not to notice they were a delicate shade of green.
“I need help.” She stood there muddled and confused.
“Nurse? You’re a nurse, right?” I was surprised at the sarcasm in my voice. With her hair free and tumbling around her shoulder, she looked more like she just had a romp in bed with a man. I wouldn’t mind getting inside her pants.
She approached me slowly, still unsure if she was having a dream. Her gait was light for a tall woman. She probably was a great nurse who was just having a bad day. But right now I didn’t care. I had to pee badly.
“Ye-yes, I’m a nurse. C-can I help you? What can I do for you? Are you feeling any pain? I can call the doctor if you wish.” She had a husky voice which I found rather sexy. Even with a full bladder, I couldn’t help the erection that bloomed. I felt mortified. Did patients come out of a coma with a hard on?
“I need to pee,” I replied curtly to hide my embarrassment.
What I needed was help to get up from the bed and was surprised when she scrambled for the bathroom instead. She came out shortly holding a bedpan in her hand. What the fuck?
“What is that?” I hoped she heard the mockery in my voice.
“It’s a bedpan,” she replied airily.
Of course I knew it was a bedpan. But what did she expect me to do with it? Take a bath in it?
“Miss, I need you to help me get out of bed so I can go to the bathroom and pee.” She looked skeptical. I wasn’t going to pee in a metal tin can for all the money in the world.
“You can’t get out of bed,” she replied.
“Of course I can,” I argued. I was on the verge of losing it. A few seconds more and I was going to wet my pants.
“No!” She cried in alarm as I attempted to rise.
“Miss…whether you like it or not, I’m going to pee in the goddamn toilet. Either you help me up or I swear to god I’m going to piss my pants and that means more trouble for both of us.”
The thought of her cleaning me up was…erotic.
“Alright,” she agreed hesitantly, “but please don’t faint on me. I don’t think I have the strength to catch you.” Her honesty was refreshing.
She came near and slid an arm around my neck. With her other arm, she grabbed hold of my shoulder and lifted me up slowly. Her nearness was intoxicating. Her breasts were inches away from my face.
The blood rushed to my head and I swayed by the edge of the bed. She held me tightly with both arms around my chest to keep me from falling. The sensation of her arms around me was something I never felt before.
“Put an arm around my shoulder,” she said. I needed no second prompting.
We hobbled to the bathroom door, where she hesitated momentarily. “Can you manag
e?”
I was tempted to say I couldn’t manage just to feel her hand on my cock but decided that might push her over the edge.
My pee tinkled on the ceramic of the toilet bowl as I shivered in delight. That felt good as my hair stood on ends.
I must have peed for ages when I heard her call out, “Mr. Smith, are you alright?” Who the hell was Mr. Smith? I decided to ignore her.
I checked my reflection in the mirror over the wash bowl to check for any bruises. There were none. I decided to splash some water on my face when she called out again. “Mr. Smith, I’m coming in.”
“I’m fine…I’m fine,” I replied as I opened the door.
She was standing there with a worried look on her face. We repeated the same procession going back to the bed, she with her arms around my waist. I wished the bed was farther away in the next room or somewhere down the hall, so she could hold me longer.
She fussed over me as we got back to bed, fluffing the pillows and tucking the sheets tightly. She took hold of my wrist and took my pulse. “Erratic,” she said under her breath. Hell yeah.
“Do you know why you’re here in the hospital?” Suddenly she was all business.
“I was in a car crash,” I replied.
“Do you remember who brought you here?”
“Probably my manager, Steve Truman.” Twenty questions? Or she was checking me for insanity.
“I need to leave you and tell the doctor you’re awake,” she said.
The thought of her leaving brought a strange pang.
I was a macho kind of guy, never clingy, but the thought of her leaving was unsettling.
Without thinking I grabbed her hand and said, “Please…not yet. I-I would love to have some water.”
I saw her hesitate. Would there be repercussions if she gave me water. I hoped not. I didn’t want to get her into trouble. But she obliged and filled a glass with tepid water from a jug nearby.
“Just take small sips,” she instructed, propping my head up.
“Thanks,” I replied as I gave my urbane smile, the one I normally reserved for the paparazzi.
I saw the intake of breath. Good. At least she wasn’t immune to my charms. I pressed my advantage and added, “Thanks for sitting with me, I appreciate it.”
“I should have left ages ago. You were my last patient, Mr. Smith. But I was out last night with my friend in this bar and barely had any sleep. I’m sorry I fell asleep on your couch.”
She was refreshingly candid. Probably had a few drinks too.
“It’s quite alright, Nurse…?” I wanted to know her name.
“Miller, Sienna Miller,” she replied.
“Well, Sienna Miller, I promise not to mention a thing to your supervisor if you promise to come back tomorrow.” Jesus! I was flirting with the girl. Not my style. But there was something special about her. I had to make sure I’d see her again.
“I’m taking the day off tomo…”
She never finished the sentence as the door crashed open. A procession of white-clad gentlemen followed by three other nurses entered the room. The person leading the pack was my manager, Steve Truman.
“Sienna, you’re still here?” One of the nurses’ called out in surprise.
A stricken look came over Sienna’s face. She did mention she should have gone hours ago. Damn Steve. Why did he have to make a dramatic entrance just then? Couldn’t he have waited a few minutes more?
“Gareth…Oh thank God you’re awake. I was so worried about you,” Steve said.
I hoped the irritation didn’t show on my face. I had never resented Steve like I resented him at that very moment.
“I’m fine, Steve. Probably just banged up, but I’m fine.” Get the hell out of here, my mind screamed.
I followed Sienna with my eyes as she talked in low whispers with the head nurse.
“Nurse Miller has been gracious enough to sit with me.” I said that out loud for her benefit.
“Gareth, these are the doctors that I assembled to look after you. They are the best in their field. They will be your medical team.” I tuned out whatever Steve had to say as I focused my attention on Sienna, who was frantically explaining to the other nurse.
I wanted to talk to her some more, but the new arrivals had me surrounded. I noticed with a sinking feeling that she was headed for the door. Goddamn Steve.
I could kill him right now. As she reached the door, she turned around and looked in my direction. Our eyes met for a split second before she was gone from sight.
I sighed in defeat. I didn’t know if I would ever see her again. I was taken aback by the way I felt.
I had been with a lot of girls before. I never lacked for female company. I had been propositioned by a few but had always managed to work my way out of any serious involvement. Beautiful women were a dime a dozen in the racing circuit.
I could take my pick and never ran out of choices. But the feeling never went very deep. I was usually the first to call it quits with the same B.S about not being around; it’s not fair to her, blah, blah, blah.
Chapter 6 ( Sienna )
“I’m in love with you, Sienna. I’ve never met anyone quite like you. Will you marry me?” The words astounded me.
I barely knew him and he was standing naked before me. But somehow that didn’t matter. I felt exactly the same way. I didn’t know a single thing about him and yet I was willing to take that risk.
“I love you too,” I replied as I began to take off my clothes one by one. He smiled as he watched me, an intriguing smile that promised unrestrained passion.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, “but first you have to drink up this whole pitcher of margarita.”
What the fuck? My eyes flew open. I realized I was in my bedroom…alone. It was just a dream. I was dreaming about him. Gareth. That was his name.
I wondered why his manager used an alias when he was admitted to the hospital. I’m still not over the embarrassment. Him finding me asleep was the worst thing that ever happened to me as a nurse. And now even in my own bed he was intruding in my sleep again. I felt restless and fitful as I glanced at my clock. It was only 6 o’clock in the morning.
I came straight home after the crew of doctors arrived inside his hospital room. Nurse Silva was surprised and I had to come up with some lame excuse.
She practically shoved me out of the room and made me promise to take the next two days off. Normally I would have been ecstatic to take that offer, but for some strange reason, I felt disappointed. Before I left the room, I gave Gareth a quick glance. He didn’t look too happy. But really, it wasn’t my concern anymore.
When I arrived home I wondered if Chantal was back. I called out for her. Wherever the bitch was, she wasn’t home yet. I wondered where she had spent the entire day. I felt parched. Alcohol always did that to me.
I rose from the bed and made my way out the bedroom. Maybe Chantal came home while I was asleep. I stumbled my way to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. I heard a key in the lock and checked to see if it was her.
“Sienna, I wasn’t expecting to see you up.” I was glad to note the look of guilt on her face.
I gave a smirk and replied, “And I was expecting to find you here when I got home earlier tonight.” Chantal had the decency to look remorseful.
“I’m sorry,” she replied, but couldn’t contain the look of excitement on her face. “I was with Eric the whole time,” she gushed. “Ohhh, Sienna, he asked me to spend the weekend with him. I think I’m in love.”
“Uh-huh,” I replied. I wouldn’t let her get away that easily.
Chantal knew that I was pissed, but she also knew that I would listen. We both sat down at the dining table as she gave me a rundown. Eric took her back to his hotel room after she shoved me unceremoniously to the back of the cab at the bar. They hardly left the room, she said, until dawn this morning.
“He’s everything I hoped he would be.”
I knew her too well. I’d heard thos
e lines before. This wasn’t the first time she’d said that about a guy. “And you plan to spend the weekend with him? Aren’t things moving too fast? I mean, you just met him.” I wasn’t planning to rain on her parade but I couldn’t ignore the warning bell that went off in my head either.
“I know, right? But he said that if I would, it would make him really happy.”
I wanted to say Eric would really love that. She was a free lay. But I held my tongue. It wasn’t a good idea if I tried to stop her. Chantal was determined to go. There was nothing I could do about it.
I gave a drawn out sigh and asked, “It’s just for the weekend, right? You are coming back Sunday night or early Monday morning before your shift starts at the hospital?”
Chantal nodded, happy that I was on her side. “I’ll pack a few things. He wouldn’t tell me where we were headed. You can have the whole place to yourself, catch up on more sleep,” Chantal soothed. “Anything exciting happen at the hospital while I was gone?” she added.
I wanted to tell her about Gareth but hesitated. “Aside from the fact that I fell asleep inside a patient’s room…nah, nothing exciting.”
I couldn’t convince myself that there was anything worth telling about a mysterious stranger who caught me sleeping on his couch even if strangely there was an undercurrent of tension, sexual tension, in that particular encounter. When he asked for help getting out of bed, touching him brought a strange longing inside my chest. Of course, it could have been the alcohol and I was imagining things. When he placed his arm across my shoulder, I thought we were a perfect fit. And the look he gave just before I left the room…that intrigued me.
That look was like he didn’t want me to go. How could I even tell Chantal about the erotic dream I had of him naked and asking me to marry him. That was surreal. Chantal would call me a loony.
