Bedding The Biker Next Door Page 14

  “He’s coming here to the hospital?” Jill cried. She felt bad. She most likely looked bad. She hadn’t seen herself in the mirror yet, but her body and head throbbed even with the pain meds they’d given her.

  It’d been a very long night. She’d already gone through a scan for her head and x-rays on her arm. Her arm was badly bruised but not broken. She’d had a mild concussion, however, so they’d had her stay overnight for observation.

  “Were you able to call all the kids’ parents?” Jill asked Liz.

  “Yes. I didn’t tell them what happened, just that we were going to have to close today due to an emergency.”

  Jill sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to run from everything. Normally, she dealt with issues head on. But this? She felt violated. Invaded. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, scared. She didn’t feel safe in her own home anymore. That was too bad. She’d built a happy life in that house, baked cookies, taught the kids, played with them, even made love with Cole…

  She started to drift off.

  “Jill?” Liz’s voice sounded strange, a little different.

  “Hmm?” She turned toward Liz’s voice, and in the low light of the room, she saw a very tall, broad figure dressed in a suit. At first she thought she was dreaming, but Cole really was standing at the end of the bed, staring at her in disbelief.

  Liz quietly left the room.

  “You didn’t have to come,” Jill whispered.

  Shaking his head, he moved closer and pulled in a chair to sit by her bed. “Of course I did,” he said. “I wanted to come.”

  “But what about your meeting?”

  “I was done by the time I got Liz’s call.” Gently, he touched the unhurt side of her face while looking over her other side.

  “It looks worse than it is.”

  “I want to kill whoever did this,” he mumbled, the hand on his lap balling into a fist.

  “Cole, it’s just a few bruises.”

  “It’s not just bruises! That was your home, your safety. Your business. I shouldn’t have left…” He shook his head and turned his face away.

  “What do you mean? How can you possibly be feeling guilty for this?”

  He lifted her hand, pressing a single kiss on each knuckle then her entire hand to his mouth. “I’m just…I’m so sorry you got hurt.”

  She sucked in a quick, shaky breath. “Cole…”

  “Shh, it’s okay.” He soothed her hair back from her face. The gesture made her close her eyes. Sleep pulled at her again. “It’s okay, Jill. You can rest. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  * * *

  Cole watched Jill’s facial muscles relax. He listened to her breathing even out. He held onto her hand, wishing he could kiss away her injuries. She looked so beautiful in sleep, but it pained him to see the purple bruises blooming up one side of her face. Her left eye was black and swollen, making his stomach flip over. Her left arm was in a sling to keep her from moving it.

  Jill looked like a porcelain doll, one he’d break if he so much as bumped into her. Her hand felt so delicate in his. How could someone do this? Rage filled him, and he had to take deep, even breaths to control it.

  His phone buzzed. He looked down, seeing it was Luke calling. “Hello?” he said softly.

  “Hey, man,” Luke jumped right in. “Is Jill okay?”

  After getting Liz’s call earlier, Cole had called Luke about the break in, but at the time he hadn’t known much.

  “Hang on just a sec,” Cole said leaving the room so he wouldn’t disturb Jill’s sleep. “She doesn’t have a severe concussion or any broken bones, but she’s black and blue.”

  “God, I’m sorry, man. Any leads?”

  “No, but there was a daycare dad who seemed interested in her. I’m going to check it out. And Luke?”

  “Yeah, buddy?”

  “I’m not leaving her side until I know she’s safe,” Cole said.

  There was the buzz of silence over the line before Luke said, “I’ll ask the senator if he’ll accept another body for the job since you’re out of commission at the moment.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You okay, man?”

  “I…I don’t know.” Cole paced to the corner fifteen feet away and back. “It’s hard to handle. I should have done something to prevent this.”

  “Cole, you didn’t know. If you had, there’s no way you would have left her.”

  True. But same as with his mom, he hadn’t been there when Jill needed him most. “Yeah, well, I’m sticking close to Jill now. I don’t want her alone if there’s even the slightest chance that someone out there might come back to hurt her.”

  “Well, don’t worry about things back here. We’ve got everything under control. Take as much time there as you need, okay?”

  “Thanks, man.” Cole said goodbye and went back to Jill’s bedside.

  Liz came into the room right behind him, and they nodded to each other. Liz sat down on the other side of the bed. “Seems like we’re all feeling guilty about this,” she said quietly.

  He nodded, glad to have someone understand.

  “I didn’t mean to, but I heard part of your conversation. You’re going to stay with her?”

  “Yes. We’re also going to be upgrading security on the house, doing some investigation to make sure you’ll all be safe before opening your door again.”

  Liz smiled slightly.

  “What?” Cole asked, confused by her expression.

  “You said we. We’re going to upgrade security. Are you and Jill a ‘we’ now?”

  He remained silent, not sure how to respond.

  Biting her lip, Liz looked torn. “She really cares about you, you know. It hurt her when you left.”

  Cole clenched his jaw. “It hurt me to leave. I’m not in the best place right now. I’m confused about what’s right for both of us long term. But I’m not confused about what’s right for us at this moment. I’m not leaving her until I know she—and you—are going to be safe.”

  Liz searched his face for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

  He watched her leave then sat at Jill’s bedside again. She rested peacefully, though at some points, she twitched and moaned. “Hey, shh, it’s all right. I’m here…” Cole took her hand, watching her sleep until she stirred again half an hour later. When her eyes opened, he bent close and whispered, “Morning.”

  “Morning?”

  “Well, it’s afternoon, I guess.” He tried for a light laugh to cheer her up.

  She barely shifted her swollen mouth into something resembling a smile. “Cole…”

  “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said, closing her eyes. The medicine was making her drowsy.

  It felt like his fault, though. Protecting people was his job.

  Protecting Jill far more than that.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jill was in the process of being discharged when Cole told her she shouldn’t go home. “It’s not safe to return to your house. Not until we have answers. What if it wasn’t a random break-in? What if someone is watching the house or stalking you?” He reached for her hand. “I’m not trying to scare you, Jill, but I want you to come back with me.”

  “Back to Stella’s, you mean?”

  She couldn’t do that. They were over. Yes, he’d come to the hospital, but she couldn’t let him pause his life to take care of her out of pity or a false sense of responsibility. Still, the depth of concern and care in his eyes was real. Would he want to stick around after she’d recovered? Would this be like pulling a Band-Aid off slowly instead of all at once? They’d already yanked the Band-Aid off once, but the second time could be even more painful.

  “I’ll take you back to my place. You can rest while I get some guys to update the security at your place.”

  “How much will that cost?”

  “You don’t need to worry about that.”

  Of cours
e she did. “I’m going to pay you for whatever security you put in, Cole. I won’t argue about that.”

  With a sigh, Cole nodded. “You can reimburse me for the material. Labor is free.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he placed a gentle finger against her lips. “I won’t argue about that, Jill.”

  When he dropped his finger, she nodded, but his heated touch had affected her. “Fine. But let’s not fool ourselves about why you’re really here, Cole. We ended whatever was personal between us yesterday. This is about you wanting to protect me, an instinct you have, and while those instincts are lovely, I don’t want either of us getting confused about what’s going on here.”

  Cole gave her a side-glance. “Okay, I’ll give you that. I want to protect you. But it’s more than just that. I don’t know what I feel for you, Jill. I don’t know what I should do about it. But I do know I shouldn’t have walked away like I did.”

  “Listen to me. You can’t take care of me just because you feel guilty. It’ll only draw things out longer, Cole.” She tried to keep her composure. It was hard enough to have a serious talk like this in a hospital gown. She didn’t need to start crying, too.

  “Is that what you think?” He sat up straighter. “I feel guilty, so I’m trying to make myself feel better?”

  “Aren’t you?” Her volume went up just a notch.

  “No. I made a mistake by walking away.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We’ve only known each other a week. I was so determined to run from any potential commitment, but we don’t even know if that’s what either of us will want. I can’t make promises, but why should we ignore the attraction between us? You were brave enough to see the other option. To ask if we could still see each other. Is there a part of you that still wants that?”

  In her heart, she knew the answer was both no and yes. She didn’t want to see him for a while to test things out. She already knew what she really wanted—a long future with Cole. It would be foolish for her to try and convince herself otherwise. Because Cole hadn’t come to the same conclusion yet, and he might never do so.

  “I don’t know, Cole.” She smashed her tired eyes against the palms of her hands.

  “It’s okay. We’ll make it okay. Just let me take care of you right now. No pressure. No expectations.” Cole slid an arm under her shoulders and gently held her.

  “Okay,” she finally whispered. “I’ll stay at your place.”

  * * *

  “This feels odd.” Jill looked at Cole, jammed in the driver’s seat of her little two-door, which Liz had left in the hospital parking lot for them. His cologne floated around her, making her swoon a bit, whether from meds or Cole’s body, she wasn’t sure.

  “Leaving with me?” he asked.

  “No, sitting in the passenger seat of my own car.”

  They shared a laugh. Cole drove them through a flashy neighborhood to a tall but sleek building that didn’t look anything like the houses back in the suburbs. He slung her smaller bag over his shoulder. She felt bare not carrying anything but her small purse, but appreciated his help. They took the elevator up to his floor.

  “Welcome to my abode.” Cole swung the door open and gestured for Jill to step inside.

  Definitely a man’s home, it was an open space with a weight set taking up the main part of the room and not much else for furniture. A black leather couch sat against one wall facing a large flat screen TV. Across from that was a small kitchen. She moved further into the space, looking around and wondering if this felt like home to him. The one decoration was a painting resting against the wall—it wasn’t even hung up—of a dark-haired woman leaning over a cafe table. Startled, Jill realized who it looked like…

  “I saw that in a street fair a few years ago and had to have it,” he explained. “I didn’t know why.”

  It definitely looked like her. Did he see it?

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Do you need a pain pill?”

  She shook her head. Her head spun a bit, but the ache that had started earlier was blissfully gone.

  “Jill?” Cole craned his neck to look at her.

  “I’m just sleepy…” She said, feeling weak all of a sudden. The room began to swirl. He lifted her gently in his arms and carried her through a doorway into his bedroom. She came down on a soft pillow top, a perfectly fluffy bed. The light flicked off, and she was falling… But I wanted more time with him. Not sex, just more time. To talk. Look at him. Hold him.

  Breathe in all that was Cole.

  And cherish him for as long as she could.

  Before it was too late.

  Chapter Eighteen

  While Jill slept, Cole made some calls to get her house cleaned up and her security upgraded. A couple of hours passed, and when she finally emerged from his bedroom, hair ruffled, he fixed her a late breakfast. He noted her black eye was starting to fade. It still pained him to see her hurt, but he smiled. “You look better already.”

  She stifled a yawn. “I didn’t mean to kick you out of your bed. But it’s amazing what some sleep in a handsome man’s bed can do for a girl’s constitution.”

  He chuckled. “When you’re feeling better, maybe we can explore what other things we can do in my bed to make you feel better.”

  She didn’t brush away his comment, didn’t say no, only blushed, looking so cute he wanted to grab her up in his arms. He forced himself to turn back to the meal he’d been preparing, dishing out two plates of scrambled eggs, fresh peach slices, and buttered toast.

  “This smells beyond amazing. Thanks for cooking,” she said. They sat down to eat while he poured them coffee. Jill lifted her mug to inhale the strong aroma then took a sip. “Hmm, this is good too. All of this is really nice, but…am I keeping you from work?”

  “I took the rest of the day off.”

  After their food was gone, and they’d drank several cups of coffee over conversation, Jill said, “Would it be okay if I…if I took a shower?”

  “Of course. I’ll show you where everything’s at.”

  * * *

  Cole headed to the bathroom with Jill trailing behind him. He opened a cabinet and she watched him pull out everything a person could possibly want for their shower. Towel, soap, shaving cream, razors… Was he trying to tell her something?

  She laughed, and when he glanced at her she just gently shook her head.

  “I might need help,” she said timidly. A blush rose into her cheeks. “I mean, getting my shirt off.”

  “And why does that embarrass you?” A small smile tugged on one side of his mouth. He opened the shower and turned on the water to warm up. “I’m happy to help. I suppose I can close my eyes if you want.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I just…it’s a little embarrassing to need help.” It didn’t make sense after everything they had shared, but this felt much more personal.

  “Don’t be.” He stood in front of her and leaned close to gently kiss her lips before lifting her T-shirt ever so carefully up and over her arms. She hadn’t been expecting the kiss, but then again, she hadn’t been expecting anything that had to do with Cole—the way he entered her life or the way he surprised her at the hospital.

  She knew she was covered in bruises, but he didn’t flinch or stare. Cole acted as if everything was normal, except for treating her with tender care. She appreciated that. A few times in the hospital, a sudden movement had made her flinch. Now, with Cole, she felt safe. Once he had her shirt off, she let her pants slip off and fall to the floor so she was naked.

  He paused to look at her.

  She’d never felt more on display in her life. She felt like Botticelli’s Birth of Venus standing on a giant oyster shell after having emerged from the sea.

  Cole moved toward her slightly and placed his hands on her hips, running his hands along the curves there. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

  “Cole, please…”

  “Jill, it’s true. Your shape, your soft skin…” Gently, he ran a hand up her side and let
it rest at the curve of her breast. He lifted slightly and felt the weight of it while she closed her eyes to savor the sensation.

  She shouldn’t be doing this. She was a masochist, she knew, a glutton for punishment, but she couldn’t resist his touch. He leaned in closer and she could feel his heartbeat, his breathing right in front of her. She placed one hand on his smooth, rock-hard chest. He lifted his other hand and cupped both her breasts, squeezing softly and gently pinching her nipples.

  “Do you want me to leave?” he whispered.

  “No. I mean, maybe. Ugh, I don’t know…” She covered her face with her hands, but he gently took them aside.

  “It’s okay.”

  No, no it wasn’t okay, she thought. It wasn’t okay to keep going back and forth on her feelings. She had to decide what she wanted and stick to it. She looked up at him, into his deep caramel eyes. “Do you want to join me?” she asked. “I mean, I can’t…I’m not feeling up to…you know, but I might need help. Is that okay?”

  “It’s more than okay.” He smiled at her.

  She stepped into the warm spray of water, and after stripping down, he followed. His soap smelled refreshingly spring-like, and he lathered his hands on the bar, rubbing the suds up and down her good arm and all over her torso, trying to avoid the bruises. She urged his hands over the lighter ones, and he understood what she wanted, and very softly massaged her entire body. The soft, intimate touches sent tingles all through her, though he never lingered long enough to cross the line of no return.

  He washed her all over, then held her under the cascade of warm water. It felt so nice, she wanted to fall asleep right there in his arms, but they used up all the hot water. As it started to cool, Cole turned it off, then helped wrap her in a towel.

  Jill could see him struggling with his desire; there was no chance of hiding it given he was naked. He leaned in to kiss her, then pulled back, cursing under his breath. “I want you so bad. I’ve really missed you,” he said.

  “It’s only been a day, Cole.”