Monroe, Marla - The Carpenters' Helper [The Men of Space Station One #5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

“How are you feeling today, baby? Better?”

“Tired,” she managed to get out.

Brad looked over at Kirk. “She said
tired
.”

“Yeah, I heard. Keep talking to her.”

“I know you’re tired, baby. You need more rest, but you need to try and move, too. Move your fingers for me.”

He and Brad watched her hands, but there was no movement. He didn’t know who was more disappointed, Brad or Carmen. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Easy, baby. It will come. Just give it more time.”

She didn’t look all that sure herself.

* * * *

Carmen couldn’t stop the tears from rolling from her eyes. She was so frustrated. She’d been aware ever since she’d fallen in the kitchen. She’d slept off and on over the last few days, but she couldn’t do anything. It was as if she was paralyzed, and perhaps she was. How horrible was that? Unable to move for the rest of her life? Carmen couldn’t stand the idea, and cried.

The men talked around her and to her, but she couldn’t answer them like she wanted to. She finally managed to tell them she was thirsty, but couldn’t tell them she was tired of water. She could swallow and chew and now she found she could smile. Maybe she was getting better. But at this rate, it would be months before she was back to normal. She didn’t want to be a vegetable all her life.

“Carmen. Baby. Don’t cry. Everything will be fine. You’re getting better every day. Just hang in there, baby.” Brad’s voice soothed her.

She knew he wouldn’t lie to her. He was brutally honest. Kirk, on the other hand, would lie in a second if it would make her feel better. Right now, she wanted to scream in frustration. She concentrated on moving just her finger, but nothing she did or said or prayed seemed to help. She whispered out
tired
again and closed her eyes.

But closing her eyes didn’t put her to sleep. She was still aware of the men talking around her. They massaged and soothed her body, but she was helpless to respond. She could hear them worrying about her and discussing what they could do to help her. She wanted to tell them she loved them so much, and now she couldn’t. She wondered if she ever would be able to again.

After what seemed like hours passed, she felt the bed give. She opened her eyes and smiled. Kirk was climbing up on the bed next to her. He pulled her into his arms and whispered how much he loved her into her ear. She strained until she was able to push out two words.

“Me, too.”

Kirk grinned down at her and hugged her gently.

“Just wait, baby. You’ll be better in no time. Just keep pushing. We’re here for you.”

The next day, Brad was lying next to her and she was cold. She wanted to be closer to him. She reached hard with her hand to grab the cover and managed to close her hand over his.

Brad jumped, then rolled over and hugged her.

“That’s it, baby. You keep working at it.” He nudged Kirk on the other side of her. “She just squeezed my hand, man. She’s coming ’round.”

“Told you it wouldn’t be much longer. She’s tired of being in this bed.”

“Cold,” she managed to say.

“Hell, baby. Let’s get you covered up.” Brad pulled the covers up over her and snuggled in closer. “How’s that, baby?”

“Mmm.”

“I think she’s better now.” Kirk wrapped his leg over hers on top of the covers.

“I can’t wait until she can move more. I want to feel her wrapped around me, telling me she’s happy.” Brad brushed her hair from her face.

Carmen desperately wanted to be able to wrap her arms around both of them. She concentrated on her arms and managed to move them some under the covers, but with the added weight of the blankets and the man on top of her, she couldn’t move them much, and they didn’t notice.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep.

* * * *

Kirk finished weeding the garden and stood back to check on his work. It looked good. He was proud of how well it had all turned out. Carmen had known instinctively the best place to put it and what to grow next to each other. He couldn’t wait for her to be able to walk outside again and see all her hard work coming together. She’d been sick now for nearly a week. He was getting antsy to get back to work, but she was more important right now. It took both of them to take care of her and the house and garden.

“Hey, Kirk. Come here! She’s moving around.” Brad’s excited voice cut into his thoughts.

“Hot damn!” He ran into the house and up the stairs to where Carmen was kicking at the covers. She looked to be having a dream.

“Should we wake her up?” Kirk asked.

“I don’t know. She isn’t acting like she’s in pain or scared. I like seeing her move, man. Let’s let her sleep a little longer. I’m afraid she won’t be able to move again when she wakes up.”

“I’m going to pull the covers off of her. She seems to be trying to get them off.”

Kirk moved to the side of the bed and slowly pulled the covers off of her. She stopped kicking. Then she rolled over and buried her hand beneath her cheek. Both men grinned.

“She’s going to be hungry when she wakes up. She’s lost a lot of weight. I’m going to go fix something for lunch for her. I’ll be downstairs. Call me if she wakes up.” Brad left Kirk in the bedroom with her.

He pulled up the chair and waited for her to open her eyes.

Brad carried a tray of food into the room. Kirk smiled at the fruit and soup for Carmen and the sandwiches for them. They quickly ate so they could help her when she woke up again.

“Think she’ll be able to move more this time?” Brad asked.

“I don’t know. I hope so. She seems to be able to do more and more every time she wakes up, though.”

“Look, her eyes are moving. She must be dreaming again.”

“Hope she’s dreaming about us. She’s smiling.”

Carmen’s eyes opened wide and she smiled.

“Hey there, baby.” Kirk leaned over and brushed a kissed across her lips. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” She smiled wider. “Feel better. Hungry.”

“Way to go, Carmen! Here you go. How about some soup?” Brad picked up the bowl and moved to sit on the bed next to her.

She moved her body around, trying to sit up.

“Easy, there, baby. I’ll help you sit up.” Brad settled her into a better position to eat.

“Thanks.”

“I’m so glad to hear your voice and see you moving around again,” Brad said as he dipped a spoon into the soup. “Let’s get you full.”

Twenty minutes later, Carmen shook her head at another bite of fruit.

“Full.” She grimaced and reached for the coffee cup sitting on the bedside table.

Kirk grabbed it and held it away from her. “Honey, that’s old coffee. Do you want a cup of coffee?”

“Yes. Please. I want coffee.”

Brad jumped up and, grabbing the tray, hurried downstairs yelling over his shoulder. “I’ll make some for her.”

“Hold me, Kirk.” She reached out her hands to him.

“I’ve got you, baby.” He climbed into the bed with her and pulled her into his lap. “How’s that?”

“Good.”

Kirk could hardly believe that she was doing so well. When Brad returned several minutes later, he held the coffee for her in a cup with a large handle that she might be able to hold on to herself. He handed the mug to her. She gripped the handle and slowly moved it to her mouth. When she faltered some, Kirk helped her.

After the first sip, she smiled and hummed her approval.

“Glad you like it. Don’t burn your tongue. It’s hot.”

“Okay, Brad.” She smiled at him and took another sip.

Kirk watched her drink her coffee a sip at a time. When her arm grew tired of holding the mug, he helped her. Then when she was finished, he sat it on the bedside table and wrapped his arms around her.

“Downstairs,” she said out of the blue.

“What, baby?” Brad asked.

“Go downstairs and sit.”

The men grinned.

“Tell you what, pumpkin. First we’ll get you a bath and then we’ll go downstairs and sit on the couch for a while. How about that?”

Her eyes lit up like Christmas trees. She nodded her head enthusiastically.

They quickly ran the tub full of warm water and bath salts. Then Brad carried Carmen into the bathroom to settle her in the tub. Kirk hovered around in case she had trouble sitting up on her own. She moaned as soon as she was in the water. She leaned back against the back of the tub and the bath pillow Kirk had put there for her.

“Is the water too warm for you?” Kirk asked.

“No. It’s good. Feels really good.” She relaxed into the water and closed her eyes.

“Don’t go falling asleep and drowning on us, baby.” Brad grabbed a cloth and began soaping it up to bathe her.

Kirk helped Brad wash her from head to toe. They took turns watching her until the water grew cool. Then Kirk picked her up out of the water while Brad grabbed towels to dry her with. They paid close attention to her body, grinning when she moaned at their tender ministrations to her breasts.

“So good,” she whispered.

“Soon as you’re back to normal, we’ll take real good care of you, baby.” Brad kissed one nipple then the other one.

“Don’t want to wait.” She reached up with one hand and grabbed him by the hair.

Kirk laughed at the sight. Brad pulled down to her breasts with one handful of hair. Brad even chuckled as he gently extracted his hair from her hand.

“I don’t want to wear you out, baby. You’ve been so sick.”

“I’m good now. Please. Don’t wait.”

Kirk thought about it and realized she had a point.

“Brad. We never know when there won’t be a next time. She’s right. Don’t wait. Let’s make her feel really good right now.”

Brad frowned then nodded. “You’re right. We almost lost her.”

They finished drying her hair and combing it out. Then to her delighted giggles, they carried her back to bed and climbed in with her. Kirk settled between her legs and began to lay kisses across her tummy while Brad kissed her cheeks and eyes, making his way down to her lips.

Kirk watched as his friend gently kissed her lips then licked them. He heard her slight gasp as she opened her mouth to him. His cock jumped in reaction to it. He was hard as a rock and wouldn’t get any relief anytime real soon. This was about making Carmen feel good.

He slipped lower between her legs and began blowing warm air across her pussy lips. He was pleased to see that she was responding to their caresses. Her pussy already leaked her sweet juices. He licked her from the bottom of her slit thick with her juices, to the top of her clit. She shivered all over and moaned into Brad’s mouth. The sound was music to his ears. Music that he hoped to hear over and over for many, many years to come.

Chapter Eleven

Carmen couldn’t believe they were actually going to make love to her. She never dared dream they would actually do it when she asked. She fairly squealed when Kirk licked her wet pussy with his tongue. She jerked without meaning to from the sheer pleasure that suffused her body.