Bad Seed

“Better,” I said with a nod. “Last night was pretty fucking brutal, but today, I’m all right.”

“Did the pain keep you awake?” Tara asked, ready to take notes on her chart.

“Yeah,” I said. “Most of the night.”

“What did they give you?” Tara asked, frowning and looking down at my chart.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Whatever it was, it worked.”

“Good.” She nodded and looked back at me. Her eyes roamed over my face and then down my body. I felt myself flush as she looked me over. I knew she was just visually assessing me, but it felt like more. My dick twitched, and I shifted on the bed. “Mind if I take a look at your leg?”

“Sure.” I nodded, and Tara moved forward.

“Tell me if anything I do hurts, okay?” she asked.

“Got it.”

Tara lifted the bottom of my blanket. I felt a sense dread wash over me. What would she say if she saw my erection? Fuck, why couldn’t I get the damn thing under control?

Thankfully, Tara didn’t lift the blanket far enough for it to matter. She moved it off my leg and examined the surgical dressings. Gently, she ran her fingers down the length of it, pausing every so often to apply pressure.

Her hands were warm and felt electric against my skin. I trembled at her touch and prayed she didn’t notice. I stared at her face while she worked. God, she was beautiful. I’d spent ten years imagining her face, but seeing it in person was better than I ever dreamed it would be. I could have stared at her for hours.

Now that my pain was gone, I felt more like myself. As Tara gently massaged my leg, feeling around for any tenderness, I felt a rush of confidence rise inside my chest. She ran her finger up my thigh, stopping just before she reached the blanket covered part. When she glanced up at me, I grinned.

“Don’t stop there,” I said, my voice low and husky.

Tara’s eyes instantly hardened. She lifted her hand off my leg and glared at me, not bothering to hide her irritation.

“What?” I asked, laughing lightly. “I’m just saying what we’re both thinking.”

“I’m not thinking about your dick,” Tara said boldly.

“You weren’t?” I raised my eyebrows. “Not even a little bit.”

“Did you feel any pain, Caleb?” Tara asked, sighing deeply and rolling her eyes.

“Only when you rejected my offer,” I said playfully.

“This little game you’re playing right now?” Tara said. “It’s not going to work on me.”

“What game?” I asked innocently.

“We’ll start your PT as soon as you’re discharged,” Tara said, ignoring me. “Your leg seems to be healing just fine.”

“Tara,” I began, but she was already heading toward the door.

I sighed and leaned back against my pillow. She disappeared almost as quickly as she appeared and yet again, I was left thinking about nothing but her. Her face. Her body. That tight little ass of hers. Everything about her called out to me, and I knew she felt the same way whether she wanted to admit it or not.

As the day progressed, my pain returned with a vengeance. Dr. McGee ordered more painkillers, but they were a different kind. Instead of easing me into a relaxed sleep, they were designed to keep me awake, so I could ease myself through the pain as it slowly reduced. I soon felt better, but I wished I could close my eyes and forget about Tara for a little while.

I knew I ran her off with my comments, but I didn’t regret them. I did what I always do: spoke my mind. If Tara ran away from me, it was only because she knew I was right. After all these years, there was still a spark between us, and damn if I wasn’t about to set it ablaze.

CHAPTER SIX - TARA

Yet another headache hit me on Tuesday morning. I woke up and immediately rushed to the bathroom, in so much pain that I heaved into the toilet before I even had a chance to eat breakfast. My day wasn’t going to be fun, so I called work, asking Joan to cover my sessions and look in on my patients. She agreed with an eagerness I knew had everything to do with Caleb. It annoyed me, but the pain in my head left me unable to focus on anything.

I spent the day in bed, not eating and leaving the blinds closed. When I wasn’t asleep, I was holding my temples and trying to breathe through the pain. These headaches were only getting worse, and there wasn’t anything I could do to ease them. I needed to make an appointment, but between work and the sudden arrival of Caleb back in my life, I hadn’t been able to find the time.