Alexander (7 page)

He was drowning in her. She tasted like hot sex and honey. When her mouth opened under his, he pulled her closer, careful of her arm. His hand met warm flesh and he groaned. Moving his hand up her ribs, he felt the heavy weight of her breast just beneath his thumb and rubbed it along the underside. Her groan had him cupping her breast in his hand and lifting it up. His cock leapt to attention at the hard peak that he encountered.

“
Heather James? Excuse me, are you Heather James?” He lifted his head at the question and nearly dipped his head back for more.

Her eyes were closed and her lips were swollen from his kiss. Her breast still filled his hand and he wanted to taste it, but the voice on the other side of the curtain spoke again.

“
I’m Doctor Phillips. I’ve come to have a look at your burn, Mrs. James. Are you dressed yet?”

Alex watched her become aware by degrees. Her eyes opened slowly and her tongue came out and licked along her lips as if to savor his taste. He groaned when she smiled.

“
If you do that again, I’m going to be laying us both back on this bed and damn the doctor.” Her eyes popped open. “Christ, I want you.”

“
What do you think you’re…back up. What, doctor?” she snapped at him as she shoved him away.

“
Me, Mrs. James. I’m Doctor Phillips. Let’s have a look at that arm shall we?”

~Chapter
7~

Heather listened to the doctor with half an ear. The man behind her had her full attention and she didn’t like it one bit. The nerve of the man to kiss her like she was…like she was someone who wanted to be kissed. And she didn’t, not really. She didn’t think. Nor did she want to think about her name linked to his.

But the kiss was amazing. Every time she thought of his mouth over hers she tingled everywhere. She tried to clamp down on that thought. And when he’d touched her nipple…she flushed again just thinking about it. Well, she thought, he’d better back off now. She wasn’t in as much pain thanks to the pain pill they’d given her.

“
You should make an appointment to see your family doctor as soon as possible. If you’d like, we can make the appointment for you from here. Doctors always have room when we call them,” Doctor Phillips said to her with a smile.

“
I can do it. I have to…I need to find his number.”
And find a doctor too,
she thought. “I’ll call him as soon as I get back to work.”

“
Oh no, Mrs. James. You shouldn’t go back to work. With the medication we’ve given you, you might want to go home and rest for a few days. I’m sure your husband can take care of your boss for you.” She turned to glare at her “husband” when he laughed. “He can make him understand that you need your rest. And I’d like to see you put on a few more pounds as well. You seem to be very underweight and that can contribute to you being able to fight any infection you might get. Burns can be very serious.”

“
I assure you, doctor, I’m going to handle my boss. Thank you for your time.” She pulled the gown out in the front and hoped no one noticed her nipples were poking through the thin material. “I’ll just get dressed now.”

There was tug of war between her and Mr. James, but in the end, he gave her the bag with her clothes in it. She’d been taken down to x-ray for whatever reason and when she’d returned, all of her things were in a white plastic bag instead of on the bed where she’d left them. When she came out the bathroom, a nurse was there with her paperwork and Mr. James. She ignored him.

She was just signing off that she understood what she needed to do in case of infection when she asked where the billing office was.

“
It’s on the second floor. But your insurance should cover this, Mrs. James. And we have your address to send anything that it doesn’t.”

“
But I don’t have any ins—”

“
Come on, honey. If you’re all signed out, let me take you home and get you to bed.” She shivered when she thought of getting into bed with this man. “And if you’re really good, I’ll let you be on top,” he whispered to her as he put his arm around her.

Her entire body responded. She wanted to bash him in the head with the nearest object and snuggle under the protective feelings of his arm around her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized that.

“
You need to step back from me or so help me they will be putting you in a body bag before I get to the door.” He did take a step back, but not far enough for her comfort. “I don’t have any insurance. What did you tell her to make her think…you put me on yours.”

“
Yes. And before you get your panties in a twist about it, I’ve already made arrangements with my insurance company. They know that I’m good for it so when the bills come to them, I will simply pay them. End of story.”

“
I want you to give them to me. They’re my bills and I’ll pay them.” She didn’t know how she was going to manage that, but she would if she had to take another five jobs to do it. “I don’t know why you’d do something so stupid, but it was not necessary.”

They were outside now and the wind was biting through her coat. She hadn’t been able to put her arm in the sleeve, but she did manage to get it wrapped around her. When he tried tugging her along, she stopped.

“
My car is over here. And I warmed it up. The sooner I get you out of the cold, the sooner you can stop shivering.” He pulled again, but she didn’t budge…not too much anyway.

“
I’m not going with you. I have to get home. And I have to get back to work.” She thought of Jack and wondered what time it was. “If you’ll just make sure you give the bills to Miss Caroline, I’ll take care of them.”

“
Why are you so damned stubborn? Never mind, I don’t care. Get in the car, Heather, and I’ll take you home. It’s the least I can do since I’m the one who caused you to get hurt in the first place.” He stood in front of her like a wall. “Am I going to have to carry you again?”

“
You most certainly will not.” When she turned to go to the street to see if she could catch a bus, he moved in front of her. “Do you mind? I’ve already told you I’m not—”

The rest of what she was going to say came out as a squeal. He picked her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. When he gave her a little toss, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and hung on. When he put her down, she was going to kick him in the balls.

“
I can feel you thinking of all sorts of things you’re going to do to me and none of them are as pleasurable as the kiss we shared in the hospital. If I were you, I’d keep my feet and hands to myself until we can get to somewhere more private. I’m thinking your bed or mine.”

Suddenly, she was dizzy. Not just dizzy, but going to throw up dizzy. The doctor had mentioned that she’d feel the effects of the medicine they’d given her in about half an hour, but she was sure it didn’t wait. When her head rolled back on her shoulders, she heard someone shout her name then nothing.

~~~

Terrified out of his mind, Alex sat her on the seat of his car and reached for her pulse. He’d never seen anyone go out like that. She had been spitting mad one second and out cold the next. When he found her pulse beating steadily, he leaned his head on her shoulder. Then he looked up at her.

Christ, she was beautiful. He knew the doctor was right in saying she was underweight but it didn’t take from her. The blue of her eyes had him breathless and when she was mad like she’d been since he first laid eyes on her, they were dark, like they’d been when she looked up at him from their kiss. Her skin was so fair he wondered if she would ever be able to walk in the bright sun without burning, and the dozen or so freckles across her nose made his mouth water.

“
Christ, you have me wanting you because of a few freckles across your nose.” He pulled the seat belt across her and couldn’t help but cup her breast again.

They were large and full, firm and soft. He wanted to pull up her blouse and suckle at the hard nipple he could see even through her bra. Shutting her door before he did something stupid…or stupider, he adjusted his cock again for the eightieth time since he’d kissed her and got into his car.

Now what? He supposed he could take her to his house, but was reasonably sure she really would hurt him. He hadn’t picked up her purse so he didn’t have a clue where she lived. He thought about calling Caroline and asking where she lived, but he wasn’t sure he wanted Heather on her own turf yet. He thought about his sister, but knew she was at a job site and then thought of the one person he knew would understand. Putting the car into gear, he pulled out his cell phone and called his mom.

“
Hello, dear. I was just thinking about you. There is the loveliest girl that lives next door to us. You really should meet her.”

He glanced over at the woman next to him. “No thanks. Mom, I have this problem…well, she’s not a problem.” He glanced over at her again. “Not yet at least. She’s going to be really mad when she wakes up, but that could be at least another hour yet. I hope.”

“
Alexander, what are you talking about? You have a woman you’ve rendered unconscious. I do believe there are laws forbidding that sort of treatment.” He could hear her laughter and smiled. “Please tell me you aren’t so desperate for a date you’ve taken to drugging women.”

“
No. Well, not really. The doctor is the one who…Mom, do you think I can bring her to your house? I’m pretty sure she won’t kill me with you there and I’ll explain when I get there.” He hoped so anyway.

“
Of course. But I do expect a full explanation when you arrive. Shall I call someone for her? Or for you?”

“
No, ma’am. Not yet at any rate. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Alex had plenty of time to think while he drove. This was so out of the ordinary for him that he really couldn’t blame his mother for being suspicious. He’d never had to beg a woman for kisses. Hell, he’d never had to even ask. Women just found him to be irresistible. Until this one. She hated him on the spot. Of course he’d done nothing to make her like him. He’d called her a liar and he’d made her burn her arm. Then on top of that, he’d ripped open the burn bad enough to make her have to seek medical treatment. By the time he pulled up in the front gate at his parents’ house, he was no closer to figuring out what made this girl so different and so hard to not want than he’d been when he’d picked her up at the bakery.

He picked her up out of the car and carried her into the house. His mom was there waiting as was his dad. His dad was laughing and his mom was scowling at him.

“
For heaven’s sake, Alexander, what have you done? I thought you were kidding when you said you were bringing a woman…oh the poor dear. Take her up to the guest room and I’ll come with you.”

Heather started to come around about halfway up the stairs. She stretched in his arms and smiled up at him. His heart took a serious skip and he had to stop moving or fall. She wrapped her arm around him again and snuggled deep into his neck before he could catch his breath. Then breathing became impossible. When she pressed her mouth to his, Alex was lost.

He knew she was dreaming. There was no way she’d come this willingly into his arms without the drugs. But damn, it felt good to have her there. When she moaned against his mouth, Alex let her legs fall as she adjusted herself around him. Everything around them faded away as she slid her tongue along his and wrapped her fingers in his hair. His mom’s “oh my” had him wishing he’d taken Heather to his house. She stiffened in his arms and nearly launched herself away from him.

“
What do you think you’re doing? You can’t…where am I?”

“
My parents’ house. And you kissed me first so don’t go blaming me for that.” She looked ready to explode and he wanted to pull her to him and start again. “You were asleep and I didn’t know where you lived.”

“
So you brought me here? And kissed me? Are you…I need to go.” She made to move away from him and he stopped her. Without waiting for her approval, which he was sure she wouldn’t give, he scooped her up in his arms. “Put me down. I don’t feel so well.”

He carried her up to the bedroom and laid her down. When she didn’t protest, he knew she was sick. Going to the bathroom, he wet one of the hand towels there, took it to her, and put it gently on her eyes.

“
Alexander?”

He looked over at his parents. “She got burned at work this morning and then we had a…thing and I tore open the blisters. The ER doctor gave her something for pain and it hit her when we were getting in the car.”

His mom stood there and looked at him. He couldn’t even begin to wonder what was going through her mind. She finally reached out and brought the door nearly closed before she spoke. “Call us if you need us.” Then the door closed.

Alex looked down at Heather then sat on the bed beside her. She started to sit up, but he simply pushed her back. When she tried it again, he rolled over her and covered her with his body. “This is nice.” It was too. Her body fit beneath his as though she’d been made to be there.

“
Let me up right now.” She pushed against his shoulders. “I mean it, Mr. James. This is no longer funny.”

He took both her hands in his and pulled them up to the head board. “First of all, my name is Alexander or Alex, whichever you prefer. Secondly…” He leaned down and nipped at her neck where the shoulder met. “You calling me Mr. James when I bury myself deep inside of you could be scary.”