Cherish Hard
Page 37
Ísa couldn’t take it anymore.
Fisting her hand in his T-shirt, she hauled him down to her mouth.
He tasted like red-hot sin and temptation designed to lure a woman into the worst mistake of her life. Ísa didn’t care. Sliding her hand around to the back of his neck, she gloried in the strength of him as he angled his head, and, thrusting one hand into her hair, licked his tongue against hers.
Her nipples furled into tight points, each brush against the lace of her bra making her want to rip off her clothes to free the excruciatingly sensitive flesh. So he could touch them with those big, capable hands. So she could press them to the hard wall of his chest.
When he broke the kiss to crouch in front of her chair, she bit down on her swollen lower lip. His eyes zeroed in on the act, his chest heaving as badly as hers. “We need some ground rules.”
Ísa blinked. “What?”
“I’m not your employee, but I am working for your company.” He pressed his finger to her lips when she would’ve parted them to speak. “The first rule is, when it comes to the physical stuff between the two of us, it’s only Sailor and Ísa. Not a contractor and the VP.”
Ísa was too far in to back away now. “Done.” That was when Devil Ísa took over her mouth. “Where are the handcuffs?”
A sucked-in breath, a dangerous smile.
Rising to his feet, Sailor held out his hand. “Come into my lair, my innocent redheaded spitfire. I promise to only bite a little.”
Breasts aching and skin electric, Ísa was about to go all in when her fantasies of being at Sailor’s mercy died a sudden death under the burst of a ringtone she’d already heard once earlier that night.
“This isn’t good.” She scrambled to grab her phone from her satchel. “Catie is scarily competent for all that she has to deal with. If she’s calling me again…” Phone in hand, she lifted it to her ear. “Catie?”
The voice on the other end made her blood run cold. “Martha? Why are you on Catie’s phone?” The former nurse’s answer had her trembling. “Where was she taken?” Mentally noting the location, she said, “I’m on my way.”
Hanging up, she looked at Sailor, her heart a huge piece of concrete in her chest. “I have to go. My sister’s had an accident.”
Eyes grim, Sailor put his hands on her upper arms. “How bad?”
“Martha—her live-in helper—says she’s fine, but I need to see for myself.” Breaking away, she grabbed her satchel. “Catie hates being in the hospital.” She wasn’t the only one; the mere smell of antiseptic was enough to send Ísa right back into a nightmare.
Looking up at Sailor, she forced herself to meet his eyes. “I know this wasn’t how you probably wanted the evening to go. I’m really sorry.” All the reasons she’d listed for why they were so wrong for each other and she’d forgotten one thing: the ties of family.
What twenty-three-year-old male would want to be with a woman who was basically the parent-on-call for two teenagers? Ísa would never regret giving Catie and Harlow the solid foundation she’d searched for her entire life, but she was horrified to find herself on the verge of tears at the idea that this was it with Sailor. That she’d never see him again, never kiss him, never make that horrible mistake.
He scowled at her. “Don’t think you’re getting out of the handcuffs, spitfire. That’s just been delayed.”
God, he was wonderful. “I’ll call you. I promise. Not like with the cookie date.”
But Sailor shook his head. “No need, because I’m going to be with you. Let me grab my keys. I’ll drive you to the hospital—I know my truck looks a little beat up, but it’s a smoothly oiled working machine.”
Ísa could think of nothing better than to do this with him, but it wasn’t possible. “No, you don’t understand. Catie lives in Hamilton.”
Sailor tapped his finger on the table. “It’s doable,” he said. “With the new roads and the lack of traffic at this time of day, we should be able to get there in an hour and forty-five minutes.”
“I might have to stay overnight. You have work here.”
“You’re my boss,” he pointed out with another one of those affectionate nose kisses that kept on sweeping her feet out from under her. “It’s not like you’re going to put me on notice.”
When she went to speak again, he just shook his head. “I’ll never forgive myself if you have an accident, Ísa. You’re too anxious to drive.”
Since her hands were trembling, Ísa couldn’t do anything but nod. “Thank you.”
“No need. I’m just adding it to your time-in-fur-lined-handcuffs tab.”
Grabbing his wallet and keys on that wicked statement, Sailor shoved his feet into an old pair of sneakers. They were on their way to Hamilton five minutes later.
* * *
“SO,” SAILOR SAID ONCE THEY were away, “what kind of an accident was it?” He didn’t immediately assume vehicular. With three brothers, he’d seen all kinds of accidents from falling off ladders, to falling off skateboards, to being smashed in a rugby tackle. “I once lost a tooth after Gabriel threw a small pumpkin at my face.”
A startled movement from Ísa, his words apparently slicing through her tense concern. “Were you two fighting?” It was a highly disapproving question.
“Nah, we were playing ‘dodge the pumpkin.’ All fun and games until Sailor loses a tooth and we both end up grounded.”
“How old were you?”
“Old enough to know better.” The two of them had laughed so hard while playing that most of their throws had gone wild. “Gabe caught the pumpkin in his gut at one point. We didn’t realize he had a cracked rib until after the tooth.”
“Good grief. And your poor parents had to deal with four of you?”
“Two at a time, really,” Sailor said in defense of his brothers. “Gabe and I had grown out of the idiocy by the time Danny and Jake grew into it. Mostly.”
He caught the twitch of Ísa’s lips in his quick glance. But it wasn’t until ten minutes later as they were streaming along the motorway, rock playing softly on the radio, that she spoke.
“Catie fell,” she said at last. “And yes, I know I’m overreacting. I can see myself doing it, but I can’t stop it.” A shuddering exhale. “When Catie was born,” she continued, “I was so happy. I thought she was the most wonderful little being ever created. I loved her at once, wanted to protect her from any pain—but I couldn’t. Catie was born with a heart problem. Not a big thing. Fixable.”
“But?”
Ísa pressed a hand over her chest, Sailor seeing the movement with his peripheral vision. “She got an infection after the surgery, has this scar on her chest from where her suture site threatened to go septic. But she pulled through, came out healthy on the other side.”
“Tough kid,” Sailor said.
“Yes, she is.” Fierce pride. “Despite all the pain, all the needles, she was such a happy baby. She used to smile and giggle every time she saw me.”
Ísa was smiling herself, Sailor could hear it.
“We’d cuddle for hours,” she added, “and when she had too many wires coming out of her to be moved, I’d sit there and play with her little fingers and toes, and she’d giggle at me in this contagious way that would set me off.”
Fisting her hand in his T-shirt, she hauled him down to her mouth.
He tasted like red-hot sin and temptation designed to lure a woman into the worst mistake of her life. Ísa didn’t care. Sliding her hand around to the back of his neck, she gloried in the strength of him as he angled his head, and, thrusting one hand into her hair, licked his tongue against hers.
Her nipples furled into tight points, each brush against the lace of her bra making her want to rip off her clothes to free the excruciatingly sensitive flesh. So he could touch them with those big, capable hands. So she could press them to the hard wall of his chest.
When he broke the kiss to crouch in front of her chair, she bit down on her swollen lower lip. His eyes zeroed in on the act, his chest heaving as badly as hers. “We need some ground rules.”
Ísa blinked. “What?”
“I’m not your employee, but I am working for your company.” He pressed his finger to her lips when she would’ve parted them to speak. “The first rule is, when it comes to the physical stuff between the two of us, it’s only Sailor and Ísa. Not a contractor and the VP.”
Ísa was too far in to back away now. “Done.” That was when Devil Ísa took over her mouth. “Where are the handcuffs?”
A sucked-in breath, a dangerous smile.
Rising to his feet, Sailor held out his hand. “Come into my lair, my innocent redheaded spitfire. I promise to only bite a little.”
Breasts aching and skin electric, Ísa was about to go all in when her fantasies of being at Sailor’s mercy died a sudden death under the burst of a ringtone she’d already heard once earlier that night.
“This isn’t good.” She scrambled to grab her phone from her satchel. “Catie is scarily competent for all that she has to deal with. If she’s calling me again…” Phone in hand, she lifted it to her ear. “Catie?”
The voice on the other end made her blood run cold. “Martha? Why are you on Catie’s phone?” The former nurse’s answer had her trembling. “Where was she taken?” Mentally noting the location, she said, “I’m on my way.”
Hanging up, she looked at Sailor, her heart a huge piece of concrete in her chest. “I have to go. My sister’s had an accident.”
Eyes grim, Sailor put his hands on her upper arms. “How bad?”
“Martha—her live-in helper—says she’s fine, but I need to see for myself.” Breaking away, she grabbed her satchel. “Catie hates being in the hospital.” She wasn’t the only one; the mere smell of antiseptic was enough to send Ísa right back into a nightmare.
Looking up at Sailor, she forced herself to meet his eyes. “I know this wasn’t how you probably wanted the evening to go. I’m really sorry.” All the reasons she’d listed for why they were so wrong for each other and she’d forgotten one thing: the ties of family.
What twenty-three-year-old male would want to be with a woman who was basically the parent-on-call for two teenagers? Ísa would never regret giving Catie and Harlow the solid foundation she’d searched for her entire life, but she was horrified to find herself on the verge of tears at the idea that this was it with Sailor. That she’d never see him again, never kiss him, never make that horrible mistake.
He scowled at her. “Don’t think you’re getting out of the handcuffs, spitfire. That’s just been delayed.”
God, he was wonderful. “I’ll call you. I promise. Not like with the cookie date.”
But Sailor shook his head. “No need, because I’m going to be with you. Let me grab my keys. I’ll drive you to the hospital—I know my truck looks a little beat up, but it’s a smoothly oiled working machine.”
Ísa could think of nothing better than to do this with him, but it wasn’t possible. “No, you don’t understand. Catie lives in Hamilton.”
Sailor tapped his finger on the table. “It’s doable,” he said. “With the new roads and the lack of traffic at this time of day, we should be able to get there in an hour and forty-five minutes.”
“I might have to stay overnight. You have work here.”
“You’re my boss,” he pointed out with another one of those affectionate nose kisses that kept on sweeping her feet out from under her. “It’s not like you’re going to put me on notice.”
When she went to speak again, he just shook his head. “I’ll never forgive myself if you have an accident, Ísa. You’re too anxious to drive.”
Since her hands were trembling, Ísa couldn’t do anything but nod. “Thank you.”
“No need. I’m just adding it to your time-in-fur-lined-handcuffs tab.”
Grabbing his wallet and keys on that wicked statement, Sailor shoved his feet into an old pair of sneakers. They were on their way to Hamilton five minutes later.
* * *
“SO,” SAILOR SAID ONCE THEY were away, “what kind of an accident was it?” He didn’t immediately assume vehicular. With three brothers, he’d seen all kinds of accidents from falling off ladders, to falling off skateboards, to being smashed in a rugby tackle. “I once lost a tooth after Gabriel threw a small pumpkin at my face.”
A startled movement from Ísa, his words apparently slicing through her tense concern. “Were you two fighting?” It was a highly disapproving question.
“Nah, we were playing ‘dodge the pumpkin.’ All fun and games until Sailor loses a tooth and we both end up grounded.”
“How old were you?”
“Old enough to know better.” The two of them had laughed so hard while playing that most of their throws had gone wild. “Gabe caught the pumpkin in his gut at one point. We didn’t realize he had a cracked rib until after the tooth.”
“Good grief. And your poor parents had to deal with four of you?”
“Two at a time, really,” Sailor said in defense of his brothers. “Gabe and I had grown out of the idiocy by the time Danny and Jake grew into it. Mostly.”
He caught the twitch of Ísa’s lips in his quick glance. But it wasn’t until ten minutes later as they were streaming along the motorway, rock playing softly on the radio, that she spoke.
“Catie fell,” she said at last. “And yes, I know I’m overreacting. I can see myself doing it, but I can’t stop it.” A shuddering exhale. “When Catie was born,” she continued, “I was so happy. I thought she was the most wonderful little being ever created. I loved her at once, wanted to protect her from any pain—but I couldn’t. Catie was born with a heart problem. Not a big thing. Fixable.”
“But?”
Ísa pressed a hand over her chest, Sailor seeing the movement with his peripheral vision. “She got an infection after the surgery, has this scar on her chest from where her suture site threatened to go septic. But she pulled through, came out healthy on the other side.”
“Tough kid,” Sailor said.
“Yes, she is.” Fierce pride. “Despite all the pain, all the needles, she was such a happy baby. She used to smile and giggle every time she saw me.”
Ísa was smiling herself, Sailor could hear it.
“We’d cuddle for hours,” she added, “and when she had too many wires coming out of her to be moved, I’d sit there and play with her little fingers and toes, and she’d giggle at me in this contagious way that would set me off.”
