Bonded (The Raegan Mason Trilogy) (17 page)

He brushed my hair behind my ear then gently kissed my cheek.  “I’ll wait out here for you.”  He turned and walked toward the waiting room at the end of the hall.

I watched him until he turned into the waiting room before turning back to Jaxon’s door.  I took a deep breath and knocked. 

CHAPTER 13 - JAXON

“Come in.”  Jaxon answered muffled.  As I slowly opened the door, I could see the room was dimmed in the late afternoon.  The curtains were closed and the television gave off a glow that provided the only light.

Jaxon turned on the light above his bed as I came around the door.  “Oh, it’s you.” He grumbled.

“Jaxon, I’m so sorry.  Are you okay?”  I approached him and sat at the edge of his bed.  He wouldn’t look at me but fidgeted with the blankets around him.

“What are you sorry for?  You didn’t do this.”  He finally forced himself to look at me.  “Holy shit, Raegan!  What the hell happened to you?”  He sat up quickly and started to reach for me.  “Did Nate do that to you?”  He was fuming.  His nose was covered in bandages and a metal like brace, but the fury in his crystal blue eyes was evident.  The bruises around his eyes only made his anger more fearsome.

I tried to swallow but a lump was stuck in my throat as the tears began again.  I cleared my throat and fought back the tears.  “Yes.” I whispered.  “But it’s not as bad as it could have been.  I just got back from the police station with…with my Aunt Sarah and Kyler.”  I straightened my back and lifted my chin a bit bracing myself for whatever anger he had to throw at me.  He just stared open mouthed so I continued.  “I pressed charges against him for assault and attempted rape.”  The last part barely came out as a whisper.  I swallowed hard again.  “I was hoping you were willing to press charges too.”  Tears silently streaked down my cheek as I waited for Jaxon to respond.

“He…he
raped
you?!”  His fist tightened.

“No, he
almost
did.  Kyler stopped him.”   I wiped the stray tears and grabbed his fist to try and ease the tension.

“But your face.” He lifted his hand and gently wiped another tear from my cheek.

“Well that happened after I kicked him where it counts, before…anyway.  I’m good now.  Just a little rough around the edges.”  I forced a smile.  “What about you?  When do you get to leave?”

“I should kill him for touching you.  That ass!  He’s been dropping his sleazy lines all summer on any girl within shouting distance.  Thank God Kyler found you in time.  After he punched me, I don’t remember much until I woke up here.  Some of the guys brought me into the emergency room when I passed out on the beach.  He broke my nose, obviously, and I have a concussion.  They’re waiting for the swelling to go down some to see if I’ll need any surgery.”  He held my hand but the fury was still boiling in his eyes.  “I won’t be able to go to basic training for a while.  So looks like we’ll be able to hang out some more this fall.”  He smiled but the pain must have been too much because he squeezed my hand and closed his eyes.

“Should I call the nurse?  Are they giving you anything for the pain?”  I scrambled to find the nurse call button but he grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“I’m good.  It just hurts when I move my face any.” He managed to wink.  “So Stone came to your rescue?  I would have loved to see that fight.  Did he at least get in a few broken bones on that asshole?”

I grimaced.  “Yes, Julie said that his nose and jaw might be broken.  She said there was blood all over him.”  I flinched wondering if any of it was mine.

“Way to go Stone.  I’ll have to remember to thank him when I get out of here.”  Jaxon’s fury lessened, but I was probably about to make that worse.

“Well, he’s actually in the waiting room if you’d like to talk to him now.”  The guilt of hurting Jaxon more was eating at me.  I didn’t know how to go on past this without getting everything out in the open.  I couldn’t control my feelings for Kyler anymore than Jaxon could for me.  Either we would remain friends or we wouldn’t.  I sure hoped we would stay friends and that Jaxon would find someone.

“He’s here?  Why?”  He was curious, not angry.  Yet.  “He can come in.  There isn’t a limit on visitors as far as I know.  I’d like to thank him for protecting you.  I know you’re not my girlfriend, or anything, but I still feel responsible for you.  You’re still my best friend, and the best kiss I’ve ever had. Even if you can’t accept the fact that you love me, I still love you.”  He winked and squeezed my hand to let me know our fight a few days ago was forgiven on his end.

“Jaxon, why do you make this so hard on me?  I do love you, but not in the way you need me to.  You are my best friend and I care so much about you.  It hurts me to hurt you.  I don’t want you to think I have feelings for you that I don’t have.  Yes, I did kiss you.  I tried to put aside the fact that we’ve been friends since first grade and that we grew up together like a brother and sister.”  He put his finger over my lips to stop me from talking.

“Please stop with the brother and sister bit.  It’s creepy and I can’t help the way I feel about you.  I know you don’t want to admit it, but there was something between us the other day.  I’ve never felt any kind of connection like I do with you.  Just give us a chance, Rae.  I can take it slow.  I got carried away and lost control for a moment.  I won’t do that again, until you’re ready.”  He pleaded with his eyes and tried pulling me closer, but someone knocked at the door.

I inched back from him as Jaxon sighed out of frustration.  “Come in.” He mumbled.  I turned to see who else had shown up to visit as Kyler walked in the room.  I closed my eyes dreading this moment almost as much as I dreaded going to the doctor.

“Bad time?” Kyler asked.

“No man, Raegan and I were just talking about our future.”  Kyler stiffened next to me.  “I hear I have you to thank for rescuing her and protecting her from that jackass.”  Jaxon reached his hand out to shake. 

Kyler offered his hand and gripped a little too tightly.  “I was in the area and was glad I got there in time.  Maybe you can talk her into seeing the doctor about all of the bruising and possible rib fractures.  I tried all night to convince her to come to the hospital, but she wouldn’t let me bring her.”  He stood inches from me and I could feel sparks along the parts of my body near him.

“Broken ribs, Rae?  You haven’t seen a doctor yet?  What else did he do to you?”  Jaxon’s anger was flaring again.

“It’s nothing.” I tried glaring at Kyler, but he wasn’t fazed.  “That actually happened when all of you dog piled on top of me.”

“I still can’t believe you got home looking like that and your Aunt didn’t drive you here herself.”

Kyler smirked when I looked at him.  “Well, I didn’t actually go home until this afternoon.  I, uh, stayed at Kyler’s and then he took me to Julie’s early this morning.”

“You what?  Are you freaking out of your mind?  You don’t even know this guy.  Sorry Stone, no offense or anything, but please tell me nothing happened between you two.”  Jaxon was sitting up ready to jump out of bed.

“Jaxon, it’s not what you think.” I started to say, but it was what he thought, kind of.  Instead, I just stammered.  “I…I…we…”  Panicked, I looked at Kyler.

“No freaking way, man.  You waltz right in and steal my girl?  Nothing like rescuing a damsel in distress and having her fall madly in love with you.  At least be man enough to tell me the truth since she won’t.”  He flung his hand toward me to indicate who he was referring to and I flinched.

Kyler tensed and stepped closer to the bed.  “Look, Jaxon.  Whatever happens between me and Raegan is up to her.  I didn’t steal anyone from you.  I’ll protect her from Nate and you if I have to.  If you so much as throw your anger toward her again, I’ll personally make you wish you’d never been born.  Understand me, Army boy?” 

Jaxon’s face blanched and Kyler’s clenched fists were turning white.  I stood and grabbed his arm to pull him away from Jaxon before anything else was said, or done.  “Kyler, let’s go, please.”  I put myself between him and Jaxon.  I turned toward Jaxon.  “I’m sorry, Jaxon.  I never meant to hurt you.”  I pushed Kyler toward the door.

“You don’t need to apologize, Raegan.”  Kyler said.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.”  He turned to go, but of course, not before Jaxon could respond.

“Nothing wrong?  Tell him Rae, or I will.”  Jaxon sneered.

“Shut up, Jaxon.”  I said bitterly.

“Don’t let her fool you, Stone.  She may say I’m like a brother, but she sure didn’t kiss me like a brother, or wrap her bare legs around her
brother
the other day.”  Jaxon taunted.

I froze.  The anger in my body reached a boiling point and I turned with every intent of beating the crap out Jaxon right then and there.  I started towards him when Kyler wrapped his arm protectively around me and dragged me behind him.  I pushed to get back toward Jaxon, but Kyler held me firmly out of reach.  “You will not speak to her again.  Do you understand?  If I find out you’ve been talking about her or saying anything insulting, I will make it my priority to hurt you.”  Kyler turned into me and guided me through the door as I tried unsuccessfully to fight against him.

Jaxon laughed as we left.

When we got into the elevator, Kyler released my arm and I started kicking and pounding on the elevator wall.  I was so furious and had no way to release it.  I pictured Jaxon’s face as I pounded.  Kyler pulled me into his arms and I continued by pounding on his chest before I broke down crying.  He tightened his grip as I sobbed into his shirt.  “Shh.  It’s over now.  I’m sorry it didn’t go as you must have planned.  He might have been a good friend, but he isn’t right now.  I don’t know what happened between you two, but if there is something going on, please let me know.  I don’t want to be the third wheel.”  He held me tight and the tension in his body mirrored mine.

“No, of course there isn’t anything going on between me and Jaxon.  The other day, we went jet skiing and there was a kiss, but he got a little carried away and I stopped him.  I wasn’t thinking straight when the kiss happened and by the time I stopped him, it was too late for our friendship.  I hurt him.”  I shivered in Kyler’s arms, and he pulled me in tighter.

The heat in my body started reacting to his embrace and I could feel his body responding to my closeness.  I looked up into his sapphire eyes and crushed my mouth against his full lips.  His consuming embrace ignited my whole body.  The world ceased to exist until the elevator door chimed and a group of people snickered and cleared their throats as they waited for us to exit the elevator.

Getting caught was the most embarrassing moment of my life.  My face felt as red as a tomato.  We rushed out of the hospital doors and into the parking lot.  Both of us cracked up laughing once we were inside of the safety and privacy of Kyler’s Jeep.

“Guess if we’re going public, that’s definitely one way to announce our relationship.”  I giggled as Kyler headed back to my house.

CHAPTER 14 – A STONE OF MY OWN

Kyler pulled into the driveway and walked around to my side to help me down.  He grabbed my hand again and the surge of energy made my heart skip.  We walked around to the driver’s side of his Jeep and he pulled me close to him and wrapped his arms around my waist.  His sapphire eyes were smoldering and he ensnared me with his gaze.  I couldn’t breathe.  He leaned down to kiss me and the boiling blood returned.  I grabbed the back of his neck and willed myself to not lose control.  He left my lips to gently kiss my neck and then whispered in my ear.  “You are not in control.” He smiled the crooked smile and released me from the death grip I had on his neck.

“I’m not good at this.  Maybe I need more practice.  You’re like a drug I’m addicted to.  In fact, I believe this afternoon, I experienced the withdrawal symptoms.” I laughed and leaned closer to kiss him again.

Kyler pulled back slightly and looked at me quizzical. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I figured Julie told him all the gory details.  “Nothing bad, I just woke up feeling really lousy with the headache and vomiting like I had a hangover.  Then it was gone the second I saw you.”

Kyler frowned, “That’s not good.  Are you feeling okay now?”  He put the back of his hand to my head checking for a fever.

“Yes, I’m fine except for my loss of control.” I smiled as seductively as I could imagine and reached up on my tip toes to kiss him again.  He let me kiss him gently at first.  I raised my hand to slide down his face and his hands gripped me closer and his kiss became more intense.  The lights flickered on and off at the garage and Kyler chuckled and let me go.  “She isn’t naïve, remember.”  He started climbing into the Jeep and I stood there looking up to him.  “Go eat dinner with your Aunt Sarah and I’ll call you tomorrow.”  I smiled and blew him a kiss as he backed out of the driveway and drove down the street.

Dinner with Aunt Sarah was almost as bad as the morning with Julie.  She saw how he looked at me and she saw how I looked at him.  She was shaking her head and clicking her tongue.  “Raegan, I’m not sure you’re ready for this so soon.”

“Ready for what? A boyfriend?”  I asked her defensively.  “I’ve had boyfriends before, Aunt Sarah.  I know all about the birds and the bees and I’m not going to make the wrong choices.”

“Raegan, you don’t see what I see.  This is more than you realize.  He looks at you the way your father looked at your mother, the way she looked at him.  Their love was infectious and powerful.  He is very protective of you and I don’t want to see him control who you are meant to be.”  She looked out the window of the dining room and I could tell she was lost in her memories.  “Your father fell madly in love with your mother as quickly as you have fallen for him.  He made choices that revolved around her at an early age.  They were not much older than you when they got married and settled down to start a family.”  She paused again lost in her memories.  I was confused because my parents were much older than teenagers when they had me, and I never heard this story.