Candy Apple, page 13
“No, we were out at dinner when you called.”
Linc’s eyes got wide and he drew in a big breath.
Nathan stopped him. “Kiah knows.”
“He knows you’re dating his girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
“But he’s—”
“Listen, it’s an unusual situation and once Kiah wakes up, he’ll explain it all but for now, know that Tasha really cares for your brother.”
“I know but—”
“Don’t worry about my relationship with her. Worry about your brother’s feelings for Tasha and he’ll want her here.”
Linc’s chin went up a fraction of an inch and Nathan waited. Finally, the younger man nodded. “Be nice,” Nathan warned. He turned around and held out his hand to Tasha. She placed her fingers into his palm and allowed him to pull her forward.
“Tasha, this is Linc, Kiah’s younger brother.”
“How do you do?”
“So you’re Hez’s girlfriend, huh?” There was just a hint of challenge in Linc’s voice and Nathan’s spine straightened. He understood Linc’s feelings but he wasn’t going to let his cousin hurt Tasha.
“Yes,” she said, her soft voice carrying through the rumble of people around them. “Is he going to be all right?”
Linc reported to her what he’d told Nathan. Her outward appearance revealed nothing but calm and strength. But Nathan could feel her fingers tighten on his. He squeezed back, letting her know he was there.
“So is there some place we can wait?” Tasha asked.
Linc drew back as if he hadn’t been expecting that question. “Yeah, we’ve taken over one of the waiting rooms.”
“We?” Nathan asked at his cousin’s back as they followed Linc down the hall. They turned the corner. A sea of men covered the room, sitting, standing, a few lying down. Half of them were dressed in turnout gear. The others were in jeans and black t-shirts with the fire department logo on it.
Almost as one unit, they looked up when the three of them entered, clearly alert for anyone entering the room.
“Uh, guys, this is Nathan, my cousin and this is Tasha—” He paused, looking again at Nathan. Nathan kept his face blank. “She’s Kiah’s girlfriend.”
All the men in the room stood up as Tasha walked in. She shivered at the overwhelming mass of male bodies.
One in front who looked a little older and a little bigger than the others stepped forward. “I’m Elliot Johnston, miss. I’m Kiah’s captain.”
His huge hand enveloped hers making her feel tiny, which was something she rarely did. “Tasha.”
“He’s talked about you.” He glanced at Nathan and she knew Elliot was aware of the unusual relationship between the three of them. “He’s a strong man. He’ll pull through this.”
A lump formed in her throat as she realized how serious this really was. “Thank you.”
“Have a seat. We sent someone for real coffee. It should be here in a few minutes. You tell us if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” she said as she lowered into a seat. Once she was down, the others seemed to turn away, leaving her less the center of attention. Nathan stood, wavering like he might be thinking of leaving or walking somewhere. She tugged on his hand, pulling him down next to her. No way was she going to sit in this room with a bunch of strange men and have to talk to them. He wasn’t leaving her there alone. No way.
Whether to comfort her or needing that comfort for himself, Nathan wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close. His strength and heat surrounded her and she realized how cold she was.
He didn’t say anything and she could tell his thoughts were with Kiah. They fought—though that had also eased a bit in the past three weeks—but they were still family as Nathan would say.
“So, tell me about his name.” She bumped Nathan’s shoulder with her own. “Hez?”
A little smile formed on his lips.
“Linc couldn’t say Hezekiah when he was little, so Kiah became ‘Hezzie’ and eventually ‘Hez’. Of course that was before Kiah was big enough to tell the world he wasn’t going to go by Hezekiah.”
“And what about Nattie?”
He looked down and she could have sworn he blushed. “You can thank Linc for that one as well. My full name is Nathaniel.”
“Wow. Your family goes for classic names.”
“You know my father and Kiah’s were twins, right?”
She nodded.
“They love each other as only twins can but there was always a little competition between them.”
“Hmm, so that’s where you and Kiah get it from.”
Again Nathan revealed a soft smile. “Yeah, probably. I was born first, and my dad named me, wanting something noble and brave for the first grandson born. Kiah was born a month later and his dad tried to outdo my dad with an even nobler name.” He shrugged. “At least that’s how my father tells it.”
Tasha leaned on him, holding his hand, using his strength as they waited.
They’d only been dating about two months but it had been an intense two months. For some reason, she always imagined it would take a long time for her to fall in love. Kind of like when she’d dated Jason. Only now she realized, she hadn’t fallen in love with Jason…she’d merely become used to him.
The other firefighters came and went. Some of them stopped by and chatted with her and Nathan. He seemed to know a fair number of them.
Three hours—and four cups of coffee—later, the doctor came in. Linc waved Nathan over and Nathan brought Tasha along.
The doctor very calmly explained that Kiah was still in critical condition but he was hopeful. Kiah’s physical strength would help him along.
And now they had nothing to do but wait.
* * * * *
Kiah floated back to the awareness of faint pain and fuzziness. He knew the sensation. He’d experienced it before. It usually meant heavy-duty pain medication.
He took a shallow breath. Clean antiseptic air. A hospital?
Not knowing what he might have hurt—and having no memory of what put him down—he didn’t move, just letting his eyelids flutter open.
The dim light gave him just enough illumination to see. Keeping his movements to a minimum, he glanced to his left. Nathan lay curled up in a chair, asleep.
“Hey,” Kiah called. His voice sounded like a gravel road. Nathan didn’t move. “Nathan. Hey.” He tried a little louder.
This time, Nathan blinked and looked up.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Nathan came to the side of the bed.
“Yeah.” Kiah relaxed onto his pillow, tension easing from his body. Despite his battles with Nathan, he trusted his cousin. Kiah licked his lips. “What happened to me?”
The edge of Nathan’s mouth kicked up. “A house fell on you.”
Kiah’s laugh came out as a cough. “Well, that’s good because that’s how I feel.”
“Yeah.”
Nathan’s face grew serious. Kiah ground his back teeth together. He didn’t want to hear it but he knew he had to.
“How jacked up am I?” At least Nathan would give it to him straight.
“It’s not good. You’re pretty banged up. You fractured a vertebra. A couple of broken ribs. Broke your left leg in two places. Your right hand has some damage.”
“Am I going to be able to—” He couldn’t bring himself to ask.
“Play the piano again?” Nathan offered. “Probably not, because you sucked when you tried before. Having a broken hand isn’t going to make that better.”
That Nathan was trying to joke with him gave Kiah some comfort.
“Asshole,” he muttered.
Nathan took his hand and gave his fingers a squeeze. “Right now, the doctors can’t see anything that would stop you from making an almost full recovery. Whether you’ll be able to go back on the job, that’s something they won’t commit to.”
“That’s bullshit,” Kiah muttered as he let his eyes droop closed.
“That’s what I told them. I said if Kiah can walk, he’ll run and pretty soon he’ll be running into burning buildings carrying a shitload of stuff on his back.”
His eyes were too heavy to open again but he smiled, letting Nathan’s voice guide him back to sleep.
The sound got closer and Nathan whispered. “There is one problem though.”
“Hmm?” Kiah heard the laughter in his cousin’s voice and smiled, waiting.
“Yeah, you’re going to have a couple of scars on that pretty face.”
“Asshole.” Kiah found the strength to answer that. “You think that means you get Tasha full time because I’m not going to be pretty anymore.”
He didn’t really believe that. Not really.
Nathan huffed out a soft laugh. “I wish. She thinks they’re going to make you look dashing and dangerous.” Nathan patted his hand. “Go back to sleep. The nurse will be by in a few minutes to wake you up anyway. And Tasha will be in for the morning.”
Taking that happy thought with him, Kiah let himself drift back to sleep.
Nathan sighed as he sat back down, wide awake now, staring at Kiah’s beat-up face. Despite the doctor’s predictions that Kiah would recover, Nathan felt better having talked to his cousin.
They might fight but they were still family, practically brothers, and the thought that Kiah might not be there—Nathan shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it.
He’d spent too much time in the past two days thinking about it. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Tasha and Linc saying Kiah had woken up on his own—the nurses had woken him up before but he didn’t seem to remember that. This time, he’d been truly awake.
Awake. Nathan sighed and relaxed for the first time in two days.
* * * * *
The next time Kiah woke up, it was daylight, and Tasha was sitting beside his bed. She looked tired but smiled.
“Hey. Nathan said you opened your eyes last night.”
“Yeah.” He fluttered his hand, wanting to touch her but not quite sure what he could move without pain. She seemed to catch his meaning and stood close to the bed, taking his hand in hers.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a house fell on me.”
Her smile surged into his chest like a warm spring. “They are going to bring you breakfast in a few minutes.”
“It won’t be as good as yours.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do.” He smiled and closed his eyes but didn’t release her hand. “I’m sure the nurses here don’t serve breakfast wearing nothing but red panties.”
She gasped but the sound was more laughter than shock.
“No.” She leaned in, pressing her lips to his ear. “And they are candy-apple red. I’m wearing them now.”
His heart skipped a beat.
“Oh damn, baby, you’re going to kill me before I can get out of here.”
* * * * *
Tasha flipped open the newspaper. In the two months since the accident, she’d spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. Between her, Nathan and Linc they’d taken Kiah to his doctor’s appointments and physical therapy appointments. She’d learned to bring along something to read while she waited.
It wouldn’t be long now. The doctor had cleared Kiah to drive…and to have sex.
She snagged her lower lip between her teeth just thinking about it. And knowing that he’d likely be on her the moment they got back to the house. Except his leg was still in a half-cast so she would likely have to be on top. Hmm…she liked that idea.
Not that she’d gone without. Nathan and Kiah had somehow bonded over the fact that she needed to be fucked.
Because of Kiah’s mobility restrictions, Nathan had been the one taking her to bed most nights but Kiah was often present, either watching or directing.
Her cheeks heated up as she remembered Saturday night this past weekend. Kiah relaxed back on the couch, instructing Nathan how to fuck her.
With Kiah’s voice filling her head and Nathan’s cock in her pussy, she’d come screaming. And dang if Kiah hadn’t looked almost as satisfied as Nathan when they’d finished.
“You bastard!”
She smiled as Kiah’s curse floated through the air. She knew from experience that meant they were almost done. Kiah was determined to get back to work as quickly as possible so, surprisingly, he was a good patient at PT. But when he started swearing at his therapist, that was the sign he’d pushed beyond his limit.
She still had a few minutes and straightened the paper, scanning the weddings and engagement sections. Since Heather was a wedding planner, Tasha had heard of several of the couples.
Her gaze stopped on the photo at the bottom of the page.
Webster-Hiner Become Engaged. She looked at the picture. Jason’s smug face stared back. She barely noticed the woman sitting beside him.
They’d broken up less than four months ago and he was marrying someone else?
You’re sleeping with two men, her conscience pointed out.
Yes, she mentally countered. But I’m not marrying them.
Because neither has asked me.
Would they ever?
Dreams of her white-picket-fence life disappeared as she stared at the photo.
Sure, Heather and Cait seemed to be making it work—having two men as lovers—but they didn’t want what she wanted. Tasha had always dreamed of a home, a few kids running around.
The door opened and Kiah rolled in. He didn’t use the wheelchair much, but after a heavy session at PT, he needed it.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked, pushing up beside her.
“What?” She shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” She stood up and tried to smile at him and Jeremy, his physical therapist.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to Tasha.
She nodded but her thoughts were far beyond the doctor’s office. She stumbled out into the hall, having enough focus to hold the door for Kiah. The elevator arrived just as they approached. Kiah rolled on board.
“Tasha, honey, what’s wrong?” He reached out and grabbed her hand.
Tears tightened her throat. She squeezed his fingers and tried to smile.
“Nothing. I’ve just got some stuff to do so I’m going to drop you off.”
“Damn, baby…” The back of his hand skimmed across her thigh. “I was hoping you could stay for a bit.”
Her heart dropped. “Sorry. Can’t today.” The elevator doors blessedly opened and she rushed out, calling to Kiah she would bring the car around. She needed to get away from him and Nathan while she thought this out.
* * * * *
“What do you mean you don’t know where she is?” Nathan demanded.
Kiah straightened in his chair and glared back at him.
Damn, it still shocked him to see his strong, arrogant asshole of a cousin sitting in a wheelchair. Usually by this time at night, Kiah had given it up for the couch—with Tasha tucked against his side.
“I finished my PT appointment. She drove me home and dropped me off. Literally dropped me off. She probably wouldn’t have gotten out of the car if she hadn’t had to get my chair.”
“What did you do?” Nathan asked as he grabbed his cell phone, tapping the screen marked with Tasha’s name.
“I didn’t do anything,” Kiah defended. “Everything was fine when we went there. The doctor even approved me for sex. I thought I was coming home to some afternoon delight.”
“Maybe that’s it.” Nathan threw a pillow at Kiah. “Maybe she didn’t want to fuck you.”
Kiah glare just deepened.
The ringing in Nathan’s ear stopped without Tasha picking up. Instead, he got her voicemail.
“Tasha, babe, are you okay? I was a little worried when I got home tonight and you weren’t here.”
“Oh that’s good. Be passive aggressive,” Kiah said.
“Shut up,” Nathan snapped. “Sorry, babe. It’s Kiah.” He knew she would understand the sentiment. “Just give me a call tomorrow. Let me know everything’s okay.”
He hung up and looked at his cousin.
“Is everything okay?” Kiah asked.
Nathan shrugged. “I hope so.”
Chapter Ten
Dear Diary,
I just don’t know what to do.
Tasha sat on the couch sipping her wine, staring at the rim of her glass. The other occupants in the house—Heather, Cain and Paxson—were hiding in the kitchen. She knew she should go back to her room—no reason to depress everyone in her vicinity—but she’d spent the past four days hiding. Refusing calls and visits.
Finally tonight, Heather had managed to drag Tasha downstairs and slapped a glass of wine in her hand. Tasha hadn’t progressed to getting dressed. She’d dragged on her robe, feeling the need for terry-cloth comfort.
“Your cell is ringing again,” Heather said from the kitchen doorway, her voice soft and infused with sympathy.
“I know.”
“You’re going to have to talk to them.” Heather walked in and sat down on the edge of the coffee table.
“I know.”
“Soon.” The sympathy left Heather’s voice, replaced by the hint of a nag. Heather didn’t handle self-pity well and Tasha knew she was nearing the end of her “grace period”. Pretty soon Heather was going to start demanding she get off her ass and do something.
“I know,” Tasha finally said again. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“Talk to them.”
“And say what?” She looked up at Heather. “Do I tell them you’re great guys and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with both of you, but you know, I want kids. It’s old-fashioned and not hip but I want to get married and settle down and have two or three kids and really how is that going to work with me having two lovers?”
“Maybe that’s what they want too,” suggested Heather.
Tasha rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Really? Nathan is moving up the corporate ladder. There’s talk of him becoming the next partner. He doesn’t need a frumpy wife who bakes cookies. He needs a tall, slim blonde who can host cocktail gatherings and do charity work.”
Jason’s engagement announcement loomed large in her memory. The woman he was marrying was a financial lawyer. Hopefully she was smart enough to understand what his coworkers talked about.
