by Iris Bolling
“My sensors have been shutdown,” Genevieve advised.
“Thank you Genevieve,” Samuel replied before he could stop himself from talking to the automobile.
“You are welcome Samuel, brother to Joshua.”
Samuel shook his head as Roc surveyed the area and what was happening. Above she could see cameras in the ceiling watching as they drove through. About two miles in, Samuel stopped again, waited as the white wall in front of them slid open. Before them appeared a garage, with several vehicles, and a woman standing at a door, with a huge dog beside her. Samuel drove through and parked. The wall closed.
“Where in the hell are we?”
“We are amongst friends,” Genevieve replied.
“Yes, Genevieve. We are home,” Joshua replied, then passed out.
Chapter Eleven
Quantico, VA
Day Three
Joshua awakened the next day, knowing exactly where he was but having very little memory of how he arrived there. It didn’t matter, it felt good to be in his own bed. The pain in his back wasn’t throbbing as it had the previous day. He smiled, that to him was a good indication that he would be up and back in action in another day or two. Hell with Lucy taking care of him, there was no doubt in his mind, he was ready to start moving around again. Pushing the comforter aside, he put his legs over the side of the bed, attempted to stand and fell flat on his face.
Roc was on the sofa in the sitting room connected to Joshua’s bedroom. Lucy offered her a room down the hallway, but she declined. She need to be close to him to ensure he didn’t do anything stupid, like trying to get out of bed too fast. When she heard the thump, she threw the throw aside, and walked into his room to find him on the floor turning onto his back moaning. Commando ran by her, straight to Joshua’s side. He turned back and looked at her.
“I got him boy,” she rubbed Commando behind his ear as he licked Joshua’s face. “Good morning,” Roc said as she bent over where he lay on the floor. “Well, his coloring looks better, doesn’t it boy.” She patted Commando and he licked her hand. “Let me help him up.” She reached down, but he pushed her away.
“I can get up on my own.”
She kneeled down beside him, “Yes, you can, in time, if you take it slow.”
Commando watched as Joshua attempted to sit up. He whined then barked at Roc. She sighed at Commando, then looked at Joshua. “Would you like my help?”
“Don’t you get it? I don’t want anything from you. Just leave me the hell alone.”
“I can’t do that yet Joshua. Move aside Commando.” Commando pulled the comforter on the bed back with his teeth.
“No bed for him boy. We’re going to get him to bathe, then moving around today.” Roc reached down and picked Joshua up, being careful not to touch certain areas on his back. She put him over her shoulders than took him to the bathroom.
At the time, Joshua was too shocked by her strength to complain. “Where the hell are you taking me?”
“To your tub,” Roc replied. “You are going to start doing those things that will make you feel like you again. Besides, your Jacuzzi will help with your muscle soreness.
“What?”
She sat him on the edge of the tub. “I spoke with Lucy at length last night. She showed me pictures of you. To my surprise, you know what I found out? You are not a bad looking brother.” Commando stood in the doorway watching. She turned on the faucet to begin filling the tub. “I mean, you could give Sammy a run for his money.”
“Hell, I know that,” Joshua replied, as he willed his mind not to accept the pain.
“Arrogant too, I see.”
“Where is Sammy?”
“Samuel went home to his wife. Then he is going to bring your mother here.”
“What?”
She turned to him as she grabbed a towel and washcloth from the closet located inside the huge bathroom. “He wanted to ensure she arrived without being detected. He also had to return Genevieve to Mr. Thompson.”
“Genevieve is not the name of the automobile, it is the computerized system inside. I have her in all of mine. Why is he bringing Sally here?”
“I take it she was designed by a man?” She asked as she walked back to him with the items in her hands.
“Sally?” He snatched the towel and washcloth out of her hand.
“No, Genevieve.”
Commando lay near the door and watched the two go back and forth.
“Ned designed her. I named her.”
“Figures,” she said as she walked out of the room. “He feels you need to see her.”
“Genevieve?”
“No,” she walked back into the room, “your mother.”
“No.”
“No, what?” Roc stopped in front of him.
“I don’t want to see anyone.”
“Why? I’m certain your family and friends are concerned about you.”
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need friends and I damn sure don’t need you. I’m home now. Consider your job done.”
Commando’s head came up at the sound of Joshua’s voice rising. He whimpered and tilted his head.
She turned the water off. “You are upsetting Commando,” she turned to the dog. “He’s okay boy.” She turned back to Joshua. “Please don’t raise your voice around him again.”
Joshua looked over at Commando and could have sworn he smiled. Commando put his head back on his paw and continued to watch the battle between them.
Roc sighed. “I can’t leave you just yet Joshua,” she put her hands on her hips. “Are you ready for your bath?” She watched as his eyes seared through her. For a moment, on the highway, she had a glimpse of the playful Joshua she’d heard so much about the night before. She knew the man was still in there. She just had to find a way to pull him out. Her job was not to just recover agents, it was to restore them to themselves. Usually, after a day or two, her patients tended to come around. This man was proving to be more of a challenge. She needed him to not be this way. Between his mahogany skin tone, the bold, cocoa brown eyes, the killer body, even in a hurt state, he was more of a turn on than she could manage. For her own sanity, she needed to get him well, so she could get the hell out of Dodge.
“Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. As soon as you can take care of yourself, physically, I’m out of here. I give you my word. My word is my bond.”
“That’s a man’s motto,” he seethed. “As much as you try, you are not a man.”
She smiled. “You noticed.” She sighed, then looked at Commando. “He knows I’m not a man.”
Commando barked.
Joshua rolled his eyes. “That’s my dog. Don’t try to seduce him.”
“I’m not seducing your dog or anyone else.” She noticed he was having trouble raising his arm. “Here, let’s get you undressed.” She reached out to move the towel from his lap to help him stand. “Time to get you in the tub.”
“I don’t need your help.” He yanked the towel from her with a little more force than he should have. The quickness of his movement did not give her time to react. She let go of the towel, causing him to fall backwards into the tub.
The water splashed in her face and all around her feet, soaking her from head to toe. Roc gasped at the impact, and froze. Commando jumped up and began barking. Lucy came running into the room. She looked around, saw the water on the floor and Joshua submerged in the tub, with his pajamas still on and the towel covering his face.
“What in the hell did you do Roc?”
Joshua was splashing more water as he tried to sit up. Roc gave Lucy a ‘don’t try me’ look. She stepped inside the tub and pulled him up.
The sight was hilarious, and Lucy did all she could not to laugh, but it came bubbling out of her anyway.
Roc turned and gave her a murderous look.
“Come on boy,” Lucy said to Commando. “We’re going to leave the children in here to play.”
Roc turned back to Joshua and could see the
pain on his face. His body was tense and he was mentally willing the pain away. She had been there before. She sighed, “Well, that wasn’t the way I intended for you to get into the tub, but since you are here, lets get that bath out of the way.” She pushed the wet hair out of her face, and knelt beside him.
Joshua sighed with relief, once the pain began to subside. The tub was set on low, pulsating. Other than his vehicles, it was one of the most luxurious items he owned. It was made from European marble, and encased in dark wood, which allowed for heating.. Its extra long length accommodated his long legs and it was wide enough for him to stretch his arms out to either side. At that moment, all he wanted to do was yank her ass down into the water so he could drown her. He could sense her laughing at him.
“Get the hell out.” He did not want her, his mother or anyone seeing him weak. He was the protector, the one everyone should turn to when they needed help. Who in the hell could he help right now? No one, not a damn soul. He couldn’t even help himself.
Roc felt his pain. Not just from his back, but from his pride as well. She walked over to the vanity, opened the drawer, searched around, closed it, then opened another. She pulled out a pair of scissors.
“Joshua,” she spoke softly to him as she sat on the side of the tub cutting away the bandaging. “Trust me, this will pass. Your strength will return and you will be the agent you once were.” She sat the scissors aside and picked up the washcloth, lathered it with the body wash and began washing his chest. “Your injuries are bad, however, you will recover from them. Give it a day or two and you will see.” She began singing, This Too Shall Pass, by Yolanda Adams, and continued to wash him.
Lucy stood outside the door listening for a while. She smiled at Commando. “He’s in good hands. She won’t let him walk over her. I like her. What do you think?”
Commando walked back over to the bathroom door and looked inside. He began wagging his tail, then turned and walked back to Lucy. He licked her hand and the two walked out of the suite.
Joshua didn’t have the strength to fight her. The gentle motion of her hands, and the soothing tone of her voice began to ease the pain away. She pulled him towards her and began to wash his back. It felt as if an angel from heaven was caring for him. Massaging each wound, until it was only sore, not throbbing. Then she laid him back and began to wash each arm, gently, massaging the muscles until they were so relaxed they simply fell to the side, back into the water. She then began to wash his thighs. Every vein in his body began to vibrate, bouncing as if they were about to pop out of his skin. Akande came to his mind, and the pain returned, but it wasn’t alone. Anger accompanied the pain.
He reached down and grabbed Roc’s wrist. “Get out,” he seethed.
Roc wasn’t sure what caused the change. One minute his body was relaxing. The next minute, she felt his muscles begin to tighten. Before she could react, he had grabbed her. However, his strength in his current state was no match for hers.
“Joshua, I want you to think about where my hand is,” she moved her other hand, which was very close to his manhood. “Please release me.” She wrapped her hand around him as she stared into his eyes.
He almost leaped from the tub at her touch, causing him to loosen his grip on her other hand.
She removed her hand from him and stood. “You soak for a few and I’ll be back to dry you off.”
Joshua watched as she walked out of the room. There was no way he could let her stay around. He closed his eyes. God help him. He was beginning to like her. There was no way he was going to open his heart to another woman. With her looks, gentle touch and soothing voice, he could feel her slipping inside. That, he would not allow to happen.
Fighting the pain, he pulled himself up, to sit on the side of the tub. The towel she had left was soaking wet. He pulled it from the water, wrung it out, then placed it on the floor under his feet. Putting most of his weight against the tub, he pushed himself up to a standing position. His back throbbed in protest, but he stood, gave himself a minute, then took small steps to the closet. He pulled out a towel to dry himself as best he could, then took one of the robes out and put it on. He leaned against the closet, willing the pain to stop.
Roc walked back into the room to find him standing in the closet doorway. He needed her. There was no way she could see him in pain and not help. She wrapped her arms around his waist, then put his arm over her shoulder. “Lean on me,” she said. She felt him hesitate, then he complied.
“I don’t want you here,” he said as he took a step.
“I know, Joshua. I know.” She helped him back to the bed. She pulled out a clean pair of pajamas but he waved her off.
“I don’t sleep in those,” he dropped the robe to the floor, eased back on the bed, then turned onto his stomach.
Damn she wished he would stop doing that. She closed her eyes, and regained her equilibrium enough to complete her task. Roc rubbed her hands together to warm them, then took a bottle of baby oil from her pocket. She poured some into her hands and tried to determine where to start. Every part of his body was tempting to touch. However, that wasn’t her purpose. The task was to massage him with oil and relax him to a point where he would sleep without medication. Today needed to be a turning point for him.
She decided to start with his feet. She nodded. Yes, that was the place to start. There was nothing sexual about the feet. The man had big feet, with long toes. She started singing There’s A Stranger In My House by Tamia, to keep her focus on the task at hand.
She was proud when she completed massaging them and was confident her reaction to his naked body could be controlled. Next she massaged his calves. They were solid, nothing but muscle. Then she did the back of his thighs. She was beginning to see a pattern with this man’s body. All of it was muscle, not an ounce of fat anywhere. And they were thick, the thighs, that is. They were thick, and had the nerve to pulsate under her touch. By the time she finished singing she had reached his back, her voice reaching high levels as she massaged his firm behind, his back, and his arms. She turned him over and to her surprise he did not fight her. She could feel him watching her beneath his lowered lashes as she put oil on his arms, then his chest. Yes, she was more than half way through when she reached his manhood. Not one to tempt fate, she decided to leave that part of his anatomy to his own hands and went down to his thighs. She did everything in her power to keep her eyes away from the rise of his temple as she worked the front of his thighs. Her inner lips vibrated with every touch. Why was she able to block this out with every other patient she’d done this for, including Samuel, but with Joshua her body was not listening to her command. She forced herself to quickly complete the task. Never once did she look into his eyes for she knew what she would find. His body gave him away as did hers. She closed the bottle and put it back into her pocket. She turned him back onto his stomach and re-bandaged the injured areas on his back. She pulled the comforter over him, then turned to walk from the room. As she reached the door, she heard him speak.
“Thank you.”
She nodded, then continued on. Reaching the sofa, she sat down and sighed. How in the hell am I going to make it through this mission? It is my job to care for him, but Lord, this is just a little too much for you to ask of your child. I know you said you would not give me more than I could handle. But Lord, this man is…he is more than I can handle. She looked up to the ceiling. How in the hell am I supposed to not see what the man is packing? You know it’s been a minute and you send this to me. She sighed. I need a break. She went to the room Lucy had given her, and jumped into the shower.
❖❖❖
The aroma hit her before she walked into the kitchen. “Don’t stand back there wondering. Come on in here and get some breakfast.”
Roc walked into the kitchen smiling. “You knew I was there.”
“Before you hit the hallway,” Lucy smiled. “I can’t take the credit. Commando’s tail started wagging.”
Roc reached down and rubbed Com
mando behind the ear. “Hey boy,” she tilted her head. “You can go to him.” Commando stood. “Don’t let him out of bed.” He barked and went on his way.
“He likes you,” Lucy put a cup of coffee in front of her.
“Coffee?”
“No caffeine?” Lucy asked. Roc nodded. “Not a problem. Joshua doesn’t do the coffee thing either?”
“Have a seat,” Lucy removed the cup and poured the coffee out, replacing it with a cup of hot water and a tea bag. “So, you are the person that beat him out of the job.”
“I guess so,” Roc shrugged as she accepted the cup.
“He’s not taking that too well, is he?”
“No, he’s not.”
“He will just have to get past it then, won’t he?” Lucy placed a plate of hash brown potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of Roc. “You’re not one of those people who doesn’t eat meat, are you.”
“No, ma’am. I’m a carnivore for life.” Roc smiled. “Thank you.”
“Then we can hang,” Lucy sat across from the woman and studied her for a minute. “What’s your story Roc?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you leave the agency? What are you thirty?”
“Thank you,” Roc said as she sat her cup down. “Thirty-five,” she shrugged. “I was ready to settle down, have a family. Never found the right man.”
“Is that a fact? Hmm, I hung around until I was in my fifties,” Lucy began to eat. “Took a year off when I had my baby girl. Missed it. I thought I would go crazy with the normal life.”
Roc shook her head. “Not me. I love my life.”
“Just missing the man and a family?” Lucy asked.
Roc shrugged. “My life is full. It could be enhanced a bit, but I’m patient. As Samuel says, it will happen when it happens.”
“You knew Samuel before this?”
Roc looked down as if the food was suddenly the only thing in the world. “Yes, we’ve worked together before.”
