Full Throttle (30 page)

The moment she’d been allowed to check-out, she had made
her way to Josh’s ward. So, here she sat, waiting for someone to tell her it
would be okay to visit him.

She was desperate to see his face.
Mindless with the need to touch him.
But Sammy held back
from just going in, just in case she interrupted family visiting.

The door to his room opened and a tired looking
Jason stepped out. Sammy tried to stand up, but wobbled as her cast weighted
her down. Jason glanced up and Sammy could swear she saw relief light his gaze.
He strode over to her and Sammy swayed.

“Jesus. Thank God. I thought I was going to have to
run all over this fucking place looking for you.”

Sammy knew it wasn’t aggression or anger in his
voice. Jason showed his worry like Josh, with gruff words and temper.

“Is he—” Sammy was desperate to ask. She coughed
past her scratched throat and rubbed anxiously at her bruised wrists.

Jason stared at her for a long moment, swore and
shook his head. “Jesus, Sammy. What did that fucking psycho do to you?” He
reached for her arm and looked at her
wrists,
he
frowned deeply and swallowed hard. “Josh is going to flip when he see’s these.”

Sammy folded her arms into her stomach. “He wants to
see me?” Only realizing now that she had worried he wanted nothing to do with
her.

Sammy wasn’t sure she could take that.

Jason raised his brows. “Like a desperate man. He’s
going insane in there, demanding everyone find you.”

Jason half smiled. He tucked her under his arm and
turned for Josh’s room. “Come
on,
let’s put him out of
his misery.”

****

Josh shoved the offered water away and glared at his
brother. “I don’t want a fucking drink. Just find Sammy, I need to see her.”
His stomach hurt like a bitch and the drugs made him slur a little and his head
spin, but he knew his mind, and his mind needed to know if Sammy was alright.
Fuck being told she was okay, he needed to see her. All this avoidance from his
brother only made him think she had been more injured than they let on. The
image of her slumped over that chair, with a gag so tight around her face, had
him imagining the worst. His brain was so foggy. What had happened after he
blacked out?
Had the psycho done anything more?
Josh
tried and tried to clear his fuzzy brain, he remembered hearing sirens, but his
memories were on a time delay. He didn’t know if those sirens had arrived fast
or slow, but nothing came to him, no memories that could help him make sense of
those moments, except the image of Sammy so defenseless, so fragile.

Josh was man enough to admit, he was petrified.

“Look, just go to sleep and we will bring her in
after you have rested,” Tony said, but Josh didn’t miss the dark look Tony
shared with his wife.

He was going to go insane if people didn’t start
talking to him.

Josh tried to sit up, but Tony laid a heavy hand on
his shoulder. He was just about to fight when the door to his room opened and
Jason walked in with Sammy under his arm.

Relief hit Josh so hard he slumped back on the bed.
When her green gaze found him, he breathed a sigh of relief so deep his head spun.
Sammy surged forward a few steps, but she seemed to stop herself as she realized
the room was full with Tony, his wife, and Jason. Her unsure gaze roamed the
room until she looked at him and tears brimmed. She looked equal parts
embarrassed and disappointed. Josh had no idea why she didn’t just run to him,
but something in her gaze told him, she was confused.

Josh reached out to her, and Sammy reached out to
him. When their fingers connected, he barked, “Everyone out.” Sammy jumped as
if
frightened,
her gaze grew wide with fright. And those
tears brimmed over her tired looking lids and onto her cheeks. Josh tightened
his grip on her hand. “Not you, sweetheart.” He stroked his thumb over her hand
and reveled in the way she watched him, relief definitely on her expression.

Tony, Mandy and Jason filed out the room, but Josh didn’t
see as his gaze stayed locked with Sammy. He pulled her closer and Sammy
hobbled forward on her casted foot. She stared at him through tear filled eyes
and Josh sighed with relief.

“Fuck, Sammy. I was so worried.”

Her bottom lip trembled and she tilted her head.
“Me, too.”
Josh tugged her closer still and Sammy bumped
against his bed. She lifted her hand and swiped his hair from his forehead,
sniffing loudly. He reached for her hand to kiss her fingers. When he saw the bruises
on her wrists, anger ignited instantly and Josh closed his eyes, he tried to
breathe past the surge of emotion, but it was difficult as his mind filled, yet
again, with that horrible image.

“What that fucker did to you—” He growled, but Sammy
cut off his words with the sweetest kiss. She pulled back only an inch so her
breath mingled with his, and Josh heard the hitch in her voice.

“Thank you. I don’t know what would have happened
if—”

This time he cut her words off with a kiss. He
wasn’t ready to face what could have, or might have, happened. And he wasn’t
ready for her to name him her hero. If he hadn’t upset her that night, she
would have been safe with him. If he hadn’t made a complete mess of his words and
made her feel unworthy. He knew the upbringing she had,
knew
she would instantly jump to the wrong conclusion. He should
have chosen his words more carefully, with care and tact. Sammy deserved the
best he could give, and Josh wanted nothing more than to make up for that
night.

He threaded his free hand into her hair and held her
close for a soul-searing kiss. When she pulled back, Josh stroked his thumb
over her cheek.

“Sit.” He said as his head swam and his body pulsed
in pain. “Sit there, hold my hand, and wait for me to wake up.” Sammy moved on
her cast foot and sat in the chair he pointed to. She reached forward to take
his hand and kissed his knuckles.

She lifted her sparkling gaze upwards and smiled.
“I’ll stay. Sleep Josh, I’m not going anywhere.”

Josh nodded, shifted a little and closed his eyes.
He opened them briefly just to get another look of her beautiful face before the
drugs took him under.

“Don’t go.”

“I won’t.”

****

Another Day
Later

Sammy sat on Josh’s hospital bed. Her cast dangled
to the side and her hand tickled light circles on his bared foot. She watched
Josh lean against the headboard as he ate the hospital soup, grimacing in
distaste.

“Nice?” she asked and grinned when he shook his
head. He put the bowl down and groaned from the movement.

“Tastes like wallpaper paste.” He curled his lip and
Sammy smiled.

“Well, it will make you strong and fit quicker if
you eat, so eat up.” She pointed to the apple on the tray and Josh raised a
brow.

“Honey, I don’t need apples to get strong and fit. I
need bacon and eggs, man’s food.”

Sammy smiled, this time wider and shook her head.
“That stuff doesn’t make you strong and fit, that stuff makes you fat.”

Josh stilled and grinned. “Do I look fat?”

Cocky,
sexy male.

“No, Josh, you do not look fat.”

He grinned, a dangerously, dark grin and Sammy
barely resisted squirming. A small, comfortable silence extended between them
while Josh finished his food. He pushed the tray away and rested his head back
on the pillows.

“You need me to go so you can rest?” Sammy asked.
She had been in his room since the moment she had been brought in by Jason and
she didn’t want to be a burden. No matter how desperately she wanted to stay.

Josh scowled and shook his head.
“
I
want you to come here and kiss me.”

Sammy smiled and shimmied up the bed. Her cast
scratched on the floor, and when she knocked it, pain sent a shockwave up her
thigh. Sammy stilled and sucked in a breath.

“Fuck, Sammy, I’m sorry.” Josh said. He tried to sit
up to help her and groaned in pain. Sammy gasped and raised her hand to his
face and they stared at each other. Both cringing in pain, both concerned about
the other.

Electricity arced between them and Sammy swiped her
thumb across his bottom lip. “I am so sorry this happened to you, Josh. I am
so, so sorry—”

He shook his head, shutting off her words and gritting
his teeth.

“I am sorry.”

When Sammy frowned he continued.

“Fuck, if I hadn’t said what I said in the pub, you
would have been with me instead of at your home.” Josh swore and Sammy shook
her head.

“No, I was being overly sensitive. I shouldn’t have
left. It was silly, I knew the dangers.”

Josh stroked her cheek with his thumb and kissed her
lips. He groaned in pain and Sammy pulled back. She glanced down. “I am just
not used to someone being protective of me.” Sammy forced
herself
to look up, to look Josh in the eyes as she spoke. “When you said you felt
guilty for making me crash—”

“I meant—”

“Shh.” Sammy frowned and Josh shut up as if stunned.

“Did you just shush me?” he asked.

Sammy nodded.

“Yes, and I’ll shush you again, Mr. Grieve, if you
interrupt me again.”

Josh groaned. “Did I tell you the teacher fantasy I
have about you?”

Sammy grinned shook her head and then frowned. “Tell
me your fantasies later. I want to say this to you.”

Josh nodded. He held her hand and kissed her
knuckles, making Sammy melt from his sweetness.

“Go on, Sammy.
No
more fantasies until you’re done.”

“I thought when you said you felt guilty, that it meant
you were only with me because you felt sorry for me.”

“No fucking way.” Josh barked.

Sammy frowned. He closed his mouth, but her gruff
biker still scowled. “So, the reason I left that night was because I was
embarrassed. You see. I kind of couldn’t believe that someone like you could
like someone like me, a geek, for real.” Sammy smiled even though her stomach
was rolling. The idea he could reject her still echoed in her mind but Sammy
had decided to be honest, to tell him how she felt. “So, I am just going to say
this, so no one is confused. I really like you, Josh.
A lot,
actually.
And I want you to know that I would like this—what we have
between us, to go on to the next level.” Her confidence failed her when she
looked up. Her heart pounded hard, as if she’d ran a mile in ten seconds.

Josh was watching her with a dark, annoyed
expression on his face.

Sammy slumped a little and her stomach rolled.
What had she done?

Josh reached for her hands and kissed her knuckles.
He laughed and shook his head. “Fuck, Sammy, you frightened me. I thought you
were going to end it.”

Sammy opened her eyes wide and shook her head. “No
I—”

Josh laughed again.
“ I
know, baby.” He rested his head back and breathed deeply. When he tipped his
head forward again, his smile had faded. “Sammy, I think we have already
skipped the next level. Fuck, I think we have hurdled over ten levels. I am so
far past trying to find out if this works between us. I know it does.” He
stared at her imploringly, but Sammy saw doubt as he gripped her hands tightly.

“When I saw you tied to that chair—” He sucked in a
breath and Sammy watched as his jaw bunched in anger. “Sammy, I just about
died. Baby, I realized I loved you and I couldn’t live without you. Now, if you
need more time to know if you feel the same about me, then I’ll give it to you.
But Sammy, you’re the woman for me—forever.”

Sammy couldn’t believe her ears. Tears fell rapidly
down her face and laughter bubbled up. She shook her head and nodded, not
knowing how to respond to such gruffly beautiful words. She leaned forward and
kissed him. When his hands tunneled in to her hair, she fell closer and opened
her mouth to taste him fully.

Josh groaned, then she moaned, and when she pulled
back, Josh smiled. “I love you, Sammy. I think I have loved you from the very
first moment I saw you step off that sexy little bike. Fuck, all that blonde
hair and leather—”

Sammy laughed and kissed him again. This time when
she pulled back she whispered, “I love you too, Josh.”

Epilogue

Sammy stepped out into the daylight and squinted at the
sun. The day was pretty chilly but she didn’t mind as she zipped up her leather
jacket and tugged on her protective gloves. Her helmet swung in her hand at her
side as she made her way back to Josh where he leaned against his bike. His
arms were crossed over his black leather jacket, his booted feet casually
splayed out, his helmet balanced on the handle bars of his bike as he waited
for her.

She grinned wide when he tipped his sunglasses down
to look at her. Her man was sexy as all hell, and he stared at her like she was
made of diamonds. Heat spread across her cheeks and Sammy blushed knowing he
was thinking hot thoughts about her.
No doubt remembering
last night when he’d finally shown her one of his many fantasies.
Sammy
grinned when she recalled the cool bike metal pressed against her bared thighs,
the slight breeze in the air—and the sexy way Josh had gripped her hair as he
took her from behind. Sammy had been nervous, but the moment Josh had taken
control, she forgot they were parked up in the middle of nowhere. All she knew
was Josh and his amazing talents. All she wanted was to please Josh. She
trusted him to keep her safe, to make sure she would be okay, and Sammy knew
she would feel that way forever.