Wild Boys - Heath (17 page)

Strangely, it wasn’t the fear of being cheated on that rushed to the forefront of her mind. That was the one thing she’d always thought she was trying to avoid. But as Heath’s arm tightened around her, she knew that wasn’t her greatest fear. Her greatest fear was allowing herself to feel the emotions she’d never felt before and the worries
that came along with them.

She was falling head over heels in love with Heath. Love, like liquid, had infiltrated her entire being, joining with her blood and settling into her bones, saturating her so completely that she knew she couldn’t easily shake it off or pretend it didn’t exist. Not that she wanted to do either. But the sense of realness, the sense of complete and utter belonging,
was upon her.

If she gave in to these intense emotions and let the last of her resolve go, would Heath
really
always be there to catch her? Or, like wayward cells, would their feelings change into something ugly and unstoppable?

“What’re you thinking about?” Heath asked as he rolled Ally onto her back. Sleep hovered in his blue eyes, and a curious smile played across his cheeks.

“Us,”
she answered honestly.

“Mm. Well, you didn’t take off in the middle of the night—that’s a good sign.”

She smiled. “You held on to me all night like a seat belt.”

He pulled her side against his warm skin. “Too confining?”

“Not in the least. I slept great.”

“Then why do I sense something serious brewing in your mind?”

This was another part of Heath she was completely drawn
to. He paid such careful attention to her that even when she thought there was no way he could notice anything out of the ordinary, he did.

“You know how all it takes is one aberrant cell to destroy a person?”

“Yes.” He pushed up on one elbow, and his gaze turned serious.

“All it takes to destroy a relationship is one rogue thought. Or one wrong move. Or…”

“Or someone not really
caring enough to protect it?” he asked.

She shifted her eyes away with the truth of his question.

“Isn’t that what relationships really come down to?” Heath gently drew her chin toward him, so she had no choice but to look at him. “With illness, control is an illusion. You can eat right and exercise, stay away from cigarettes and alcohol, and still a cancerous cell can turn into many and
steal a person’s life.” He paused, and his eyes softened as he brushed his finger over her cheek.

She loved that he took his time to intimately touch her in the middle of an important thought. He wasn’t in a rush to move past her worries or to convince her of his beliefs. It was these little things—the way her thoughts were important to him, the way he cared for her—that were making her
his
.

“The difference is that in relationships, we have full control,” he explained. “We make our decisions. Sometimes we make good decisions, sometimes bad decisions, but we’re
always
in control of what those decisions are.”

She sighed, hating and loving in equal measure the truth of what he’d said.

“Allyson, we’ve both been on the hurtful side of other people’s bad decisions. I can’t speak
for you, but at thirty-four years old, with a stable and enjoyable career, and a family I love, there’s no reason for me to bring someone else into my life unless I
want
that person there and, more importantly, unless I’m willing to do whatever it takes to do the right thing by them.”

He gazed into her eyes as she processed what he’d said, and when he spoke again, his tone was even more sincere.

“I want you in my life, Ally, and I don’t have a history of making bad decisions. That being said, don’t drive yourself crazy picking apart what might happen in our relationship. We’re not fortune-tellers, and there are no guarantees, but I can promise you this. The same way I don’t give up on helping my patients, I’d never give up on us. If we hit a rough spot that you don’t want to ride over,
we’ll find a way around it. If we hit a snag that seems like it has the power to derail us completely, we’ll take a deep breath and think it through. We’re both smart, caring people. I’ll never take a detour that involves another woman. I’ve never cheated on a woman in my life.”

“I’ve never cheated on a boyfriend, either.”

“Then tell me what really scares you, because falling asleep with
you in my arms and waking up with you is something I want to get used to.”

“Heath…” She didn’t have an answer about what scared her. He’d tamped down her worry with reason and those warm, sensitive eyes of his. “You weren’t looking for a relationship, remember?”

“Neither were you,” he reminded her. “Do you
not
want this?”

“Oh, no! I want this in the worst way,” she assured him. “I
just don’t want to be taken by surprise by a wayward cell. There are things about me that you don’t know. You may not like my bad habits.”

“Lay ’em on me, sweetheart. What’re your bad habits?” He ran his finger from her ribs to her hip, sending goose bumps over her skin.

“I cry at commercials,” she admitted.

“I have tissues.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm.

“I like to do the Sunday crossword, and sometimes I talk to myself and get angry when I’m doing it.”

“I’ll get mad with you,” he offered with a sweet smile.

“You didn’t notice, but I have
three
cat boxes for Fifi, and sometimes I let her sleep on my pillow.”

He moved over her and nudged her legs open with his knees. “I’ll change the cat boxes for her and buy another pillow so we always
have room for her.”

She laughed softly. “Sometimes I talk to Amanda on the phone for an hour or more.”

He kissed her neck. “Sometimes I spend hours with my brothers.” He filled his palms with her breasts and brushed his thumbs over her nipples, making it hard for her to concentrate.

“I eat ice cream from the container.”

“I’ll fight you for it.” He laved his tongue over her nipple,
sending ripples of pleasure through her. “Spend the day with me and let me discover everything I don’t know about you.”

“I have to go home and feed Fifi.”

He kissed his way down her belly. “I’ll go with you, and we can go out from there.” Heath nipped at her inner thighs with his teeth.

She rocked her hips, wanting his mouth on her, wanting him in her.

“I said I’ll catch you when
you fall.” His voice was filled with desire as he splayed his hands over her thighs and used his thumbs to tease her wet, swollen flesh. “All you have to do is let yourself go.”

Little did he know she already had one leg over the cliff, and every minute they spent together made her want to propel herself over the edge.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I’m here.” Ally spun around with her arms wide open, like an enthusiastic little girl.

They’d arrived at Coney Island twenty minutes ago, and Ally had already said the same thing about ten times. Heath would never tire of seeing the spark in her eyes.

“I’ve lived so close all my life, and never once have I been here.” She threw her arms around
his neck and kissed him. “Thank you!”

He laughed as he lifted her off her feet and hugged her, and when he set her back down on the ground, she pointed toward the rides. “Let’s start there. I’ve always wanted to go on those swings.”

Even though it was early September, the amusement park was crowded and the air was alive with excitement from wide-eyed children and adults holding hands.
As they walked around the park, Ally marveled at everything—the rides, the people, the food—and seeing her so happy made Heath want to do more for her. He wanted to take her everywhere and show her the world. He wanted to experience life with her.

“Have you been on that roller coaster?” she asked, pointing to the Cyclone, a roller coaster in the distance.

“Sure, with my brothers.” They
held hands as they reached the line for the swings.

Ally shaded her eyes from the sun and watched the swings rise toward the sky, then whirl overhead. “That’s so much higher and faster than I anticipated.”

“Do you want to skip it?” he asked.

“No way.” Her smile lit up her beautiful face.

Heath loved the way her eyes took on a challenging gaze. She bent to fix the cuff of her distressed
jeans, looking sexier than hell in a pair of cute sandals with a coral-colored, loose-fitting sleeveless top. She turned to look at a laughing child, and her silver earrings sparkled against her dark hair. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and the silver bangles she wore
clinked
, setting her movements to music. Heath would be happy spending the afternoon just watching Ally take in the sights,
sounds, and scents of the park.

By the time it was their turn, she was gripping his hand so tightly that he was sure she’d leave fingerprints.

“Are you sure you’re okay to do this?” he asked.

She nodded enthusiastically, her eyes wide. “Definitely.”

He helped her into her swing and kissed her before claiming the swing beside her.

“I wish we could hold hands while we rode these,”
she said.

“We’ll make up for it later.”

As the ride lifted them above the crowd, Ally clung tightly to the red protective sheathing on the metal chains attached to the chair. Heath watched her muscles flex as she tightened her grip, and when the ride picked up speed and her swing arced out and angled slightly sideways, she closed her eyes and tilted her chin up toward the sky. She released
the chains and held her arms out to her sides, as if reaching for brass rings, and tipped her head back. Heath couldn’t remember ever having witnessed such unencumbered joy. Her hair waved behind her like a thick mane, and when the ride slowed, she looked over at him with rosy cheeks.

When they touched down, she kicked her feet excitedly.

“That was amazing!”

He helped her from her
seat, and she jumped into his arms and kissed him as other passengers weaved around them toward the exit. He drank in her exhilaration. He’d forgotten what it felt like to do something like that for the first time, and he realized that what she felt over the ride, he felt being with her.

They laughed and talked as they made their way deeper into the park. Two children scampered by with cotton
candy, and Ally’s eyes lit up.

“I want that sugary goodness.” She pulled Heath toward a cotton candy vendor, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I haven’t had this since I was a kid.” Heath ordered a cotton candy and paid while Ally pulled a hunk off.

“Me, either. But I’d eat it for breakfast if I knew how to make it.” She put the pink fluff into her mouth and closed her eyes. “Mm. This
is better than sex.”

“What?” Heath plucked off a hunk and put it in his mouth. “Mm. That’s really good, but I’m not sure it’s better than sex.”

“Oh, come on,” Ally teased as she pulled off another hunk and shoved it into his mouth. “Tell me that’s not orgasmic.”

He tugged her against him and took her in a sloppy, sugary kiss. The cotton candy melted in their mouths, and they both came
away laughing.

“Maybe if I were eating it
off of you
…” He arched a brow and licked a sticky speck of pink from the corner of her mouth.

“Dr. Wild, what are you suggesting?” She narrowed her eyes and gave him a limp-wristed wave.

“Exactly what you think I am.” He kissed her again and realized a woman and her young boys were watching them. He draped his arm around Ally, and they walked
toward the rides, chuckling and kissing.

The scents of hot dogs and fried foods hung in the air as the afternoon wore on, and the blue sky darkened with the setting sun. They’d ridden the bumper cars, the Ferris wheel, and the roller coaster and had spent hours exploring the park and people watching. They were heading for the beach to stroll along the shore when Heath was drawn in by the lights
and sounds of the arcades.

“Don’t waste your money,” Ally said. “No one ever wins these things.”

“Didn’t you see all those people carrying stuffed animals? Of course you can win, and I happen to be a master at this stuff. Pick a prize and I’ll win it for you.” Heath nodded toward the bank of arcades. He’d spent so many hours playing these games with his brothers that he’d learned all the
tricks of the trade. Like how he had to toss the basketball high and dead center or it would bounce off the rim, and when playing the squirt gun target game, one movement away from center would cost him the match.

Ally crossed her arms and surveyed the prizes at the water gun shooting game.

“I have a better idea. How about if you win the stuffed cat so Fifi has a friend?” he suggested.

“Me? I can’t win anything. You do it. I’ll watch.”

Heath shook his head. “There’s nothing you can’t do if you try.” He took out his wallet and paid for Ally’s turn. “It’s easy. All you have to do is aim and shoot. As you hit the target with your stream of water, the monkey climbs the tree. The first one up wins.”

Two teenagers were egging each other on beside them as they paid and got
ready to play.

Heath moved behind Ally and put the gun in her hand.

“I’m seriously going to suck. You might as well have thrown your money into the ocean.” Ally held up the gun and looked nervously at the teens, who had gone silent and serious, standing with their legs shoulder width apart, arms outstretched, reaching forward, and clasping their guns.

Heath pressed his cheek to Ally’s
from behind. “The key is to find the right spot on the target, then not to move. Don’t look at them and don’t get distracted by noises. Look, aim, fire.”

Ally shrugged. “Okay, but I’m telling you…”

The guy behind the counter sounded a buzzer that counted down 3, 2, 1, then buzzed again.

Ally held down the trigger. Heath held her wobbly arms steady as the hard stream of water pelted
the target.

“We’re doing it!” she hollered, then looked over at the teens and tilted the gun, missing the target for a split second, which cost them the round. “Aw! Let’s do it again. I can do better.”

The teenagers hooted and hollered as they chose their prize.