Wounded Souls

by R J Nolan

Logan snagged the bag off the floor and handed it to Dale.

  Dale put on the liner, stood, and donned her prosthetic. After shifting her weight several times, she smiled. “I’m good.” She held out her hand to Logan and tugged her to her feet.

  Her thoughts turned to Logan’s earlier teasing. “Let’s get out of here.” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was in sight, brushed her hand down Logan’s ass, and gave it a firm squeeze. “Someone promised me repeated ravishing.”

  Logan’s eyes darkened. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that.”

  “Promises. Promises.”

  Logan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. “Come with me.”

  Dale grinned. Oh, I plan to. Repeatedly.

  CHAPTER 37

  Logan stretched and rolled over in the bed. A moment of disorientation swept over her at the unfamiliar surroundings. She had to remind herself that this was her bedroom. While her new home was modest by most people’s standards, after two years in a tiny motor home, she felt a little lost in all this space. She sighed. It hadn’t felt quite so empty when Dale was here. She turned on the bedside lamp and sat up on the side of the bed, automatically ducking to avoid a cabinet that wasn’t there. Her gaze swept the sparsely furnished room. Maybe a rug on the floor or some pictures on the wall would help. The thought wasn’t the least bit appealing. She’d done more shopping in the last two weeks than she had in the past few years combined.

  The click of nails on the hardwood floor alerted her to Drake’s arrival. “Hey, boy.”

  He trotted over and tried to climb into her lap.

  Logan straight-armed him in the chest. “Off.”

  Huffing, he backed away.

  “You want to go outside?” Logan laughed at his enthusiastic woo-woo. While she might be uncomfortable with all the space, Drake had reveled in it, especially having access to a yard and not having to be on a leash. She slipped on her shoes and snagged her robe from the foot of the bed. “Outside.”

  He headed for the bedroom door.

  Logan followed him to the sliding glass door in the living room. Although it was only five thirty in the evening, it was already twilight. It took her a moment to find the switch to the exterior lights. Drake butted her hip. “Hold your horses.” She flipped the switch and slid open the patio door.

  Drake charged out.

  Leaning against the doorframe, Logan smiled as he gamboled about the yard. She wrapped her arms around herself and pulled the robe closed as the evening air chilled her. “Hurry up. Do your dog business,” she called out to him. While she hated to cut his fun short, she still wasn’t comfortable leaving him in the yard alone even though she had checked every inch of the fence line to make sure he couldn’t get out. She promised herself that she’d try leaving him in the yard alone for a little while during the day. That way she could keep an eye on him out the window.

  Drake trotted up.

  Logan shook her head at the sight of grass hanging out of his mouth. “I told you before. You’re not a cow.”

  The doorbell rang.

  Drake raced for the front door; his booming bark echoed through the house.

  While she normally would have shushed him, Logan let him bark. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and they had been in the house only a few days, so she didn’t know any of the neighbors yet. Dale had called earlier. She had gotten hung up at the VA with a patient she was mentoring and planned on heading home to get some sleep before their shift tonight. And she doubted Casey would drop by without calling. Wishing that the door had a peephole, she tugged the belt of her robe tight. “Drake. Quiet.”

  With Drake standing close to her side, Logan opened the door just enough to see out. Her breath left her lungs in an audible whoosh. “Dale! What are you doing here?” She pulled the door open wide.

  Dale caught hold of Drake’s collar as he tried to bolt out the door.

  “Drake. No.” Logan’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “You know better than that.” She hauled him back into the house. “We’re going to work on that, bud.”

  He pulled away from Logan and went straight to Dale.

  Dale greeted him, then turned to Logan with a smile.

  Logan mock-scowled at her. “Really? You greet the dog first?”

  The stunned look on Dale’s face was priceless. “But he—”

  Laughing, Logan pulled Dale into her arms and kissed her soundly. When the kiss broke, she stepped back, having learned that she couldn’t think clearly wrapped in Dale’s arms. “Not that I’m complaining, but what are you doing here?”

  Dale shifted, and a blush dusted her cheeks. “Couldn’t sleep.”

  Logan drew Dale back into her arms. “I missed you too. I woke up and this place seemed so big and empty.”

  Dale’s arms tightened around her. “Are you sorry you gave up your motor home?”

  Hearing the worry in Dale’s voice, Logan leaned back in Dale’s arms so she could gaze into her eyes. This was about more than just moving into a new place. So much had changed. She was in love with an amazing woman—something she had thought she would never experience. And she had a permanent place to live, as well as a family at the VA. While it was a lot to take in, she was happier than she’d ever been—happier than she deserved.

  She could feel the tension radiating from Dale at her delayed answer. “No. I don’t regret it. Not for a second.” She stroked her fingers across Dale’s cheek. “I like this place. And Drake loves it here. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”

  “I understand. I’ll do anything I can to make it easier for you.”

  Her heart filled to overflowing with the love she felt for Dale. She kissed her long and lovingly until the press of Dale’s body became too much to ignore. “You could take me to bed.” She nipped at Dale’s pulse point. “But I can’t promise how much sleep you’re going to get.”

  A sexy growl rumbled through Dale’s chest. “I’ve got no problem with that. No problem at all.”

  Her heart feeling as if it were going to beat out of her chest, Dale gripped the sheets and held on for dear life as Logan’s tongue plunged repeatedly inside her. Her second orgasm was rapidly approaching. Logan’s lips closed around her clit, triggering her climax. Her body arched as pleasure blasted through her, blowing away all coherent thought.

  After the aftershocks subsided, Logan moved up next to her and gently stroked her body.

  Dale’s muscles were too limp to even lift her arms. She opened her eyes and peered up at Logan. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.” Logan leaned in and kissed her.

  The taste of herself on Logan’s lips made Dale groan. “Give me a few minutes to recover, then it’s your turn.”

  “We need to get some sleep. Rest now.”

  Logan’s gentle touch was lulling her to sleep. She shook away her drowsiness and made her sated body move. “No fair.” Dale shifted and pressed Logan onto her back before settling down next to her. “Don’t deprive me of the pleasure of getting to touch you.”

  She traced the tattoo above Logan’s left breast, then leaned down and placed a lingering kiss in the center. Goose bumps broke out in the wake of her touch. Unable to help herself, she dipped her hand lower and stroked Logan’s breasts, brushing her thumbs over Logan’s already hard nipples.

  Logan’s hand captured hers and held it in place, allowing Dale to feel the rapid beat of her heart. “We should sleep.”

  Undeterred, Dale shook her head and straddled Logan’s thighs. She rose up on her knees and took her time visually surveying all the delights laid out before her.

  “Dale.” Logan’s gaze flickered to the nightstand, where a lamp illuminated the bed in a soft pool of light.

  While she knew that Logan still harbored some insecurities about her weight, just as she did about her scars, Dale loved Logan’s body exac
tly as it was. Logan had given her the gift of total acceptance, and she offered Logan nothing less in return. “You’re perfect.” She gazed deeply into Logan’s eyes, seeing the restrained passion lurking just below the surface. “Please. Let me love you.”

  A soft whimper escaped Logan’s lips.

  Dale leaned down and kissed her deeply, sealing her surrender.

  She filled her hands with Logan’s full breasts, then captured a taut nipple and rolled it between her fingers.

  Logan’s body arched beneath her.

  Dale began her quest to love every part of Logan’s body. She explored every inch of her, first with her fingers and then with her mouth. “I could touch you all night.”

  Logan’s head thrashed, and she squirmed as Dale stoked her passion higher. “God, Dale. Please.” She wrapped her arms around Dale and pulled her down on top of her.

  Dale groaned at the feel of Logan’s lush body beneath her. When Logan shifted and pressed her thigh against Dale’s soaking wet sex, her clit twitched warningly. So much for being sated. Logan had a way of stirring her passions as no one else ever had.

  Trying to ignore her own arousal, Dale slipped her hand between Logan’s legs. She bit her lip as she buried her fingers in slick, heated folds. Her own hips rocking against Logan’s thigh, Dale stroked Logan ever closer to orgasm.

  “Go inside,” Logan said, her voice low and husky.

  Dale pushed deep inside in a single thrust. At the feel of Logan’s internal muscles clenching around her fingers, a moan was torn from her lips. She stroked her deep, her own hips following the rhythm of her fingers.

  Logan grabbed Dale’s ass and squeezed, matching Dale’s thrusts.

  It was too much for Dale. Her climax struck with stunning force.

  Logan’s hips arched beneath her, lifting them both from the bed. “Dale!” Her shout echoed in the room.

  They collapsed back onto the bed, panting for breath.

  Dale tried to move off Logan, only to have her tighten her arms around her.

  “Stay.”

  Not having the willpower to resist, Dale relaxed against her.

  When Logan shifted under her, she wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Dale moved off to the side. The chilly air quickly took its toll on their sweaty bodies. Shivering, Dale tugged the covers over them and cuddled against Logan, who ran her fingers through Dale’s shaggy hair.

  Sated and content in Logan’s arms, Dale felt the sleep that had eluded her earlier overtake her.

  Dale stifled a yawn as they headed for the staff lounge. “It’s going to be a long night.”

  Nudging her in the side, Logan said, “Whose fault is that?”

  Another yawn cut short Dale’s grin. She waggled her eyebrows. “It was worth it.”

  Logan’s eyes went dark. “Yes, it was.”

  Unexpected arousal skittered down Dale’s spine. She shook a finger at Logan. “Behave.”

  “Me?” Logan’s attempt to look innocent totally failed.

  “Yeah, you.” Dale pushed open the door to the lounge and stopped short.

  Jess was sitting at the round table in the center of the room.

  “What’s going on?” Dale asked as they strode in. The intake board had been full when they passed the nurses’ station, but no alerts had been issued that would account for Jess’s presence at this time of night.

  A grimace flashed across Jess’s face.

  Uh. Oh. That’s never a good sign.

  As if realizing she had allowed her feelings to show, Jess donned the professional expression she normally wore. “Carlton called in sick at the last minute. With Karen on vacation and David on temporary disability, we were short staffed. So I pulled a double.”

  While Dale had not worked with him, she’d heard through the grapevine about some of the stunts Carlton pulled: calling in sick right before his shift was due to start, claiming to be sick in the middle of a shift and leaving, as well as dodging the difficult patients. She didn’t understand why Jess put up with it.

  “Well, Logan and I can take it from here. Why don’t you head out?”

  Jess glanced at the clock. It was forty-five minutes until the end of shift. “Actually, I need to talk to Logan before I leave.” She turned her attention to Logan. “Would you prefer to go into my office?”

  What’s going on? Dale glanced at Logan, who looked just as startled and clueless.

  “Uh. No. We can talk here,” Logan said.

  “Okay.” Jess motioned for her to take a seat at the table. She glanced between them, then said, “Dale, why don’t you join us? This affects you too.”

  Dale shared a worried look with Logan as she slid into a chair next to her at the table.

  Jess steepled her hands. “I didn’t want to say anything about Gretchen until it was official.”

  Panic flashed through Dale. Why was she coming back early? She couldn’t imagine Gretchen returning to work two weeks after the birth of her little girl. While she was holding her own, the premature baby was still in the neonatal unit. Did Gretchen need the money? Although Dale knew that she and Logan would eventually no longer work together, she wasn’t ready to face that yet.

  Logan’s hand on her thigh calmed her runaway emotions. She forced herself to smile at her, then focused back on Jess.

  “Gretchen decided that working nights isn’t a viable option for her any longer. She won’t be returning to the night shift.”

  Dale’s gaze darted between Jess and Logan. Did that mean what she thought it meant? Oh please, offer her the job!

  Jess smiled. “Before I open the position to applicants, I wanted to officially offer you the job, Logan. You’ve been a great asset to the department, and I’d be pleased to have you on my staff permanently.”

  Equal parts fear and hope coursed through Dale. This was the moment of truth for Logan. Deciding to give up the nomadic life she had been leading and actually taking that final step by accepting a permanent position were two very different things.

  Logan’s hand tightened on Dale’s thigh, and a look of fear chased briefly across her face.

  Dale’s stomach sank.

  Her eyes met Dale’s, and their gazes locked. A thousand unspoken words passed between them.

  The stress left Logan’s face, and she smiled before turning to face Jess. “I’ll take it. And thank you.”

  She’s staying! Dale barely resisted the urge to pull Logan into her arms and kiss her senseless.

  Jess reached across the table and shook Logan’s hand. “Great. Glad to have you. Personnel will contact you in the next few days to work out all the contract details.” She tipped her chin in Dale’s direction, and a little half smirk appeared. “I take it this meets with your approval?”

  Dale grinned. “Oh. Absolutely.”

  “I thought that might be the case.” Jess pushed back her chair. “Well, then, I will leave you ladies to it. Good night.”

  When the door swung shut behind Jess, Dale turned in her chair and pulled Logan against her. Uncaring who might walk in, she kissed her with all the joy in her heart.

  When the kiss broke, Logan rested her forehead against Dale’s. “Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you.”

  “Never. I love you too.” Dale didn’t know what the future held for them, but she had faith that whatever came their way, they would face it—together.

  ABOUT RJ NOLAN

  RJ Nolan lives in the United States with her spouse and their Great Dane. She makes frequent visits to the California coast near her home. The sight and sound of the surf always stir her muse. When not writing, she enjoys reading, camping, and the occasional trip to Disneyland.

  CONNECT WITH RJ NOLAN:

  Website: www.rjnolan.com

  E-mail: rjnolan@gmail.com

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