Unable to stand it any longer, he enveloped her in his arms.
Maggie placed a soft kiss on the warm skin beneath his lips. It tasted salty but there was another spice there that was all Court. Unable to resist, she pressed her lips against him again, and savored his taste. He was so warm, comforting, caring.
A sharp hiss came from above her head and she felt Court’s body tense. “Maggie, I don’t think…”
He knew pain. Knew what it was to fail someone. She kissed his chest again, before looking up.
“Maggie, I don’t want you to regret this in the morning.”
Still his mouth didn’t come closer. Her hand slid to his waist and she kneaded his skin with the tips of her fingers. Time seemed to become an eternity before his mouth found hers. It had been worth the wait. His lips were cool and dry. A white-hot stream of need shot though her. Court allowed her freedom to explore, but made no effort to deepen or control the kiss. Maggie feasted as Court remained uninvolved.
When she groaned in complaint, he pulled back. “Whether or not we act on this up to you but know that if we do, there’ll be no holding back. Also know I’m not your future. It would only be two people enjoying each other.”
“I’m a big girl. I know what I’m doing.”
Like iron to a magnet, her hand wrapped around the nape of his neck. Fingers combing through his hair, she tugged him closer. Her back arched in her eagerness to have him near. Her hand slid up from his waist to rest on his warm, hard chest. Smoothing her fingertips across the fine hair, Maggie reveled in the feel of him. His muscles rippled beneath his skin in response to her touch. Mewling in frustration, she touched the tip of her tongue to the crease of his lips, begging him to join her.
He accepted the invitation.
Court opened for her, his tongue twisting and teasing hers as she drew him closer. The moment was perfect. She been in the dry wilds too long and Court was a welcome storm.
Dared she ask for or want more?
As if his control had snapped, he stretched out further and pinned her legs with one of his, gathering her to him. Maggie burrowed against him, unable to get close enough. He became master of their kiss, made demands she welcomed. Maggie had no complaints; she wanted it all. Offered it all.
Court leaned back and yanked the sleeping bag away. His hand ran across her belly, gathering a handful of thin T-shirt as he brought her closer. Her knee slipped between his thighs. Releasing the shirt material, his long fingers traveled up to cover a breast. He lifted and weighed it, before flicking a finger across the puckered tip.
Removing his lips from hers, he said, “Perfect,” before he brushed small kisses along her cheek as his head moved downward. Her fingers caressed his dark strands of hair as his mouth drew her nipple, shirt and all, into the warm cavern of his mouth. A sizzle of pleasure filled her.
His head lifted, a small chuckle of male satisfaction tumbling from him. “Liked that, did you?”
At Maggie’s slight nod, his sexy grin grew larger and his eyes blazed. “Then we both should enjoy this even more.”
His hand pushed at her shirt until he’d bared her breasts. With the same show of control she’d found so excessively aggravating earlier, he lowered his lips to reclaim their prize. This time hot, begging skin was blanketed in sweet, soothing moisture.
Court gave his complete attention to first one breast and then the other. His hand moved lower on her flat stomach. He paused when his fingers touched the long scar that lay off to the right side.
His eyes lifted in question.
She winced as the memories flooded back. “The car accident.”
He moved his hands so they rested at the curve of her waist. “I’m sorry.” He kissed the spot and the memories were securely locked away again. A feeling of being cared for and understood filled her. Only a few had seen the nasty scar but none had reacted as Court had.
“Thank you.” She tugged him up. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she kissed him in gratitude.
Court shifted so he lay on top of her. Maggie loved the pressure of his weight and the bliss that the fluttering kisses along her neck and behind her ear were producing. She shivered.
The hand on her breast stilled. Maggie’s looked flashed in the direction of where the sound had come. Zena stood in the doorway.
“Neetie sick.”
CHAPTER SIX
COURT’S gut clenched. That elated mood he’d felt while making love to Maggie was instantly replaced with the old festering feeling of self-doubt and loathing he’d carried for so long. Once again he’d been too distracted to check up on his little patient.
Maggie was already heading out the hut door by the time he grabbed his medical bag and followed. They climbed into the truck and drove around to where Neetie was staying. Maggie jumped out before he’d parked the truck.
He found Neetie lying in the fetal position on a pallet to one side of the hut. Maggie was on her knees beside him, and she looked at him, her eyes full of expectancy. Court’s chest constricted further. She trusted him to make it better. He sure hoped he deserved her belief in him. He’d disappointed others before but he planned never to let it happen again.
“His fever has spiked.” Panic filled her voice as it rose an octave. “I’ll get some water and start trying to bring the fever down.”
Maggie sprang to her feet, dashing across the floor. Court breathed a sigh of relief. If she was in nursing mode, she would worry less. “Now, Neetie, tell me where it hurts.”
Neetie stretched out his legs and rubbed his side.
Court felt Neetie’s lower right quadrant with the tips of his fingers. It was tender and the ridge of his liver more prominent than it had been earlier.
Neetie rubbed high on his arm. “My shoulder hurts too.”
“I’ll give you something to help you feel better in a minute. I need to check you out first.” Court reached into his bag and took out his stethoscope.
He was listening to Neetie’s heart when Maggie returned. She dropped to her knees again and dipped a cloth into a bucket before placing it on Neetie’s forehead.
He took out a small penlight and said, “Neetie, look at me a minute.”
Neetie rolled his head toward Court.
He shined the light into Neetie’s eyes.
The sharp intake of Maggie’s breath told him she’d seen it too. The churning building in Court’s stomach became more pronounced. He had to get control of the situation, manage the panic growing in him, in her. He didn’t want to scare the boy.
She clasped his arm. “His eyes are yellow.”
“The hepatitis has advanced. Rapidly. I’ll need to do tests to know how bad it is.” He hoped he’d caught it early enough to save the boy’s life. This time Court wasn’t at some gala but he was just as helpless being so far away from adequate medical care. He was going to do all he could for Neetie, unlike what he’d done for his other patient. At least he was here for his patient this time.
“We’re going to need to leave at first light to return to the hospital. I don’t want him moved. He’ll need to stay here tonight.”
“I’m going to sit up with him. I’ll tell Zena.”
“He needs a fever reducer. Go get some bottled water out of the truck.”
When Maggie returned she helped Neetie sit upright to take the medicine and tucked him in again.
“I’m going to pack up and go speak to the chief,” Court said.
Maggie didn’t even notice when he left she was so absorbed in caring for Neetie.
An hour later Court entered the hut with two sleeping bags under his arm to find Maggie still sitting beside Neetie.
She looked up in surprise. “What’re you doing here? You should be getting some sleep.”
“He’s my patient and I’m going to be here if he needs me.” Court dropped the rolls on the floor. “I brought you this so you could lie down. Get some rest.”
“I’m not going to sleep. Neetie may call out for me.”
“Okay, if neither of us are going to sleep then we might as well be comfortable.”
Court opened one of the sleeping bags and spread it out on the floor between Neetie and the wall of the hut. He sat down, leaned his back against the wall and patted the space next to him. With a sigh Maggie got up and came to sit down beside him. During the wee hours of the morning Court felt her head lean against his upper arm. Court put an arm around her shoulders and cradled her head to his chest.