“Daddy, I’ll be back tomorrow.” He nods and starts the very same coughing that gives me nightmares.
“Daddy?” Jason holds me as a nurse barges in with a syringe that she injects into a tube on his wrist.
I watch my father’s eyes roll back and his head falls forward as if it’s too heavy for his neck. But the coughing stops. I must make a sound because Jason holds me tight in his arms and the nurse looks confused. “He’s fine,” she says. “Trust me, we are taking great care of him.”
I want to scream. He’s not doing fine—he’s dying. Instead I focus on Jason’s hands as he takes charge.
“Thank you, Harper. This is Eve, his daughter. She’ll be coming and going.”
If I wasn’t trying to pull myself together I would roll my eyes. Because Harper the nurse looks at Jason like he’s a god or something. He is, but he’s mine.
“We’ll let you take care of him.” He laces our fingers as he gently walks us out and nods at the doctor as we pass by.
Jason pushes open the side door and I scrounge around in my bag for my sunglasses. I’m wired yet tired. My heart feels like it’s racing and Jason stops and turns toward me. He’s so tall his body blocks the sun for me as his warm hand tilts my chin up, and I almost choke on how absolutely perfect he is. Suddenly I want him. Like it’s almost primal. His thumbs caress away my tears and he leans down and licks my lips and his spicy, smoky scent envelops me.
“I’m sorry.” His mouth is on my forehead.
“He’s dying?” I can’t believe I said that. Of course he’s dying—has been for years. “I don’t know why, but I thought you could save him.”
“I’m not God, Angel. And he’s not dead today, so stop crying.” His gravelly voice makes my skin hot and butterflies of excitement snake all the way down to my sex. I look at him and he either feels the same way or it’s all over my face because I’m burning.
“Fuck.” He looks around the parking lot, which is packed but certainly not deserted. He grabs my arm. “I can’t lean you over my bike to fuck you right now, so stop looking at me like that,” he says, his voice gruff.
“I need you.” It’s the most honest, vulnerable thing to come out of my mouth. And for a brief time, I let myself acknowledge that he can take away this sadness and make me feel better. I shift, the wetness of my need already making me flushed. His green eyes change, his nostrils flare as if he can smell my want. Suddenly he’s urging me back toward the nursing home. Instead of entering, he pulls me around to the side and up against the warm wall. Then his mouth is on mine as a growl rises from deep in his throat. Our tongues touch and it’s as though the world, maybe even the universe, has stopped existing. People, staff, nature vanish as I cling to him, his strong arms holding me up. His hand unbuttons my jeans and I hear myself make a sound I didn’t know existed inside me as he starts to rub my clit with two fingers.
“I’m going to rub this plump clit until you scream, and then I’m going to take you home and fuck you.”
His fingers are like magic. “Oh God.” I roll my head and look at him. My fingers dig into his chest, the cotton a slight barrier as my nails latch onto him. “I need this… I don’t know why…”
“Look at me.” He pulls back and my eyes lock on his. “That’s it… Now come, Eve.”
“How do you do this that quickly? Holy shit, I’m coming.”
His strong fingers thrust inside me as I clench around them and see stars, white light, and him. Death, despair, sadness vanish as I orgasm.
His voice rumbles in my ear. “Jesus, that’s it. Squeeze my fingers.” He kisses my forehead as he leans toward me. “I’ve been neglecting you, haven’t I?” He kisses my tearstained eyes and I shudder. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he pulls his fingers out and shoves them into my mouth, his eyes like green fire.
“Suck.”
My tongue licks his wet fingers and he smirks as he dips his head to plunder my tongue with his as we both suck and kiss. I taste myself and him and almost want to shove his wet fingers back down my pants to match him in naughtiness.
He kisses the tip of my nose. “Feel better? Less needy?” He grins as he kisses me again.
“No, but you take the pain away.” His face is almost too pretty to belong in the life he lives.
“Such a fierce little badass.” He gently brushes my lips then zips me up. Taking my hand, he brings us back to his Harley.