Fleeting Moments (20 page)

“I think he likes me,” I murmur, letting my eyes close.

Tank snorts.

Sheldon leans in and whispers, “I think he does, too.”

I pass out with a smile on my face.

At least, I think I do.

“H
ey.”

My eyes flutter open and for a second, there’s no pain in my body. Then, when I shift, it comes roaring back like an angry storm. I open my mouth and a broken scream comes out.

“Shit, get her out of the truck.”

Someone takes hold of me, hauling me up into their arms and pulling me out of the truck. My hand. It hurts so badly. I want it to go away.

“I’m going to make it feel better, baby.”

Heath.

Heath!

“It hurts,” I sob.

“I know it does.”

Light blasts my eyes as I’m carried inside and placed on the sofa. I try to focus but can only make out four figures hovering around me, talking so quickly I can’t hear what they’re saying.

“It’s a job for Jacob. Call him,” Heath orders, raising a pair of scissors.

My eyes get big and I try to move as far back on the couch as possible. “What are you doing?” I shriek.

“Hey,” he says, his voice soft, lowering them. “I’m just getting your clothes off without having to disrupt your wrist. You’re bleeding. I need to see where and stop it.”

Bleeding.

Stop it.

“Okay,” I croak.

“Okay, sit still for me. The pain will go away soon, I promise.”

I wince as he pulls my shirt from my body. It’s begun to stick to the blood and each piece he cuts off makes each wound throb a little more. Eventually I’m down to my bra and panties.

“Get me some water and rags,” Heath orders. “Now.”

“Jesus, she did a good job,” Johnny grumbles. “Fuck.”

“Scaled the fence like a damned warrior,” Tank grunts. “You should have seen her.”

“That’s because she is a warrior,” Heath says, his voice low and thick. He swipes a piece of hair from my forehead, stuck from sweat. “Aren’t you, Lucy girl?” My bottom lip trembles, and he cups my face. “You’re okay, you hear me?”

“Josh is your brother.”

The room falls silent.

“Yeah,” he says, his voice tight.

“And he hurt you.”

Pain flashes in Heath’s eyes. “Yeah.”

“He tried to kill you.”

“He’ll pay for that,” Johnny growls. “He’ll pay for every second of pain he brought upon us.”

I look to him. “Did he hurt you, too?”

“Not directly, but in hurting Heath, he fucking messed with me.”

I smile weakly. He smiles back.

“Here,” Sheldon says, placing a bowl down. “Saltwater.”

“Might hurt,” Heath says, lifting a soft white rag and wringing it out. “Sorry.”

I close my eyes as he places it down onto a gash on my leg. A hiss escapes my lips, but I don’t cry out. That pain is nothing in comparison to the throbbing ache in my wrist.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs, doing it again.

I keep my eyes closed and let him clean the blood from my skin. A while later, another voice enters the equation. “What have you boys done this time?”

I open my eyes to see an extremely attractive man staring down at me. He’s got long, brown hair, and hazel eyes. He looks gentle—not nearly as scary as the rest of them. He’s got kind eyes, ones that make me trust him without even knowing his name.

“Jacob,” Heath says, standing and extending a hand. “Thanks for coming.”

“What did she do? Walk into a lion’s den?” Jacob says, staring down at me.

“Scaled a barbed-wire fence.”

His brows shoot up. “I won’t even ask.”

“Good idea,” Heath mumbles. “This is Lucy, my girlfriend.”

His girlfriend
. My heart swells with happiness.

Jacob looks to him. “You have a girlfriend?”

“Shut your mouth, man.”

Jacob grins, then kneels down in front of me. “Hi Lucy, I’m Jacob. I’m a doctor, so don’t freak out that these dodgy fuckers have some nut job working on you.”

“Good to know,” I croak.

“Let’s have a look at your wrist first, yeah?”

I nod cradling my wrist.

He lifts it carefully into his hands, and I wince in pain. It takes everything in my power not to jerk back because I just want him to put it down.

“Sorry to say, Heath, but this is without a doubt broken. Without an X-ray machine, I can’t set it. You’re going to need to take her to a hospital.”

“That’s a big risk.” Heath grunts, running a hand through his hair. “They don’t know we’re here. At least, I think they don’t, but those main roads will be being watched. I’m already creating a dangerous situation now they know I’m alive.”

“I’ll take her,” Jacob offers. “Nobody knows my car.”

“I can’t leave her alone,” Heath growls.

“Hey,” I whisper, reaching over and taking Heath’s wrist. “I’m a big girl; I’ll be okay.”

“That’s beside the point,” he grumbles, holding my eyes.

“I’m going to be okay.”

He sighs. “All right, take her in, but keep me updated.”

“You know she’s in good hands, man,” Jacob says. “Come on. Help me get her to the car.”

Heath reaches down and scoops me into his arms. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

I reach up with my good hand and cup his face. “I’m going to be fine.”

“Blake, give her your phone.”

Blake doesn’t hesitate. He hands me his phone.

“Call me if you need.”

I nod, and he places me in Jacob’s truck. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m going to end this, I promise.”

I stretch forward when he goes to pull back and kiss his lips again. “Don’t get hurt while I’m gone.”

“I fucking hate that you’re going seconds after I got you back.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“I’m sorry they got hold of you.”

“Hey,” I whisper. “Don’t do that. We’ll talk when I return.”

“Okay, baby.”

“Okay, handsome.”

He takes one step behind him and closes the door, tapping the truck roof.

I close my eyes and let the pain bring darkness again.

~*~*~*~

“H
ow’re you feeling this morning?” Heath asks, tucking me carefully into his arms.

“Is it still morning?” I croak.

“Yeah, but you slept an entire day and night away.”

“I did?” I gasp, shifting into a more relaxed position.

“Good painkillers.” He grins, pressing a kiss to my nose.

I vaguely recall the hospital trip. I got there, they set my arm which hurt like hell, cleaned up my gashes which thankfully, didn’t need stitches, and let me leave with some good medication. I fell asleep on the way here and this is the first time I’ve woken since then. I didn’t realize I’d slept so long. I shift uncomfortably, and my arm is letting off a dull ache, but it’s the gashes on my body that make it difficult to find a good positon. There seems to be one pressed down on no matter which way I want to lie.

“You’re in pain.”

I glance at Heath after shifting a few times. “Not so much,” I croak. “It’s just hard to get comfortable when there’s a gash on every part of my body.”

His eyes flash with regret, and he looks away. “You need a shower and some food. Come on, I’ll help you up.”

He slides out of the bed and I want to reach out to get his warm chest back, but I don’t. I push myself into a sitting position and stare down at my sore body. There are little red lines all over me, some deep and covered in bandages, others just light grazes. My wrist is heavily bandaged and slung against my chest. I’m a hot mess.

“I’ll have to help bathe you. You can’t get that arm wet.”

I smirk weakly. “You seem really distressed about that.”

He grins. “I am.”

He helps me up and we walk into the bathroom, where he runs the bath. I watch as he fills it with nice-smelling soaps. When it’s done, he slowly removes my bra and panties, his eyes growing lustier with every passing moment.

“How can you get turned on when I look like I’ve taken on a lion?”

He leans in, running his tongue over my neck. “Because you’re the most beautiful fucking woman I’ve ever seen, injured or not.”

He scoops me into his arms and gently places me in the warm water. It stings, and I hiss through my teeth, closing my eyes for a few seconds while I wait for the pain to subside.

When it does, I glance at him again. He lifts a washcloth and gently runs it over my body. “Are you this nice to all your girlfriends?”

He pauses and his eyes flash to mine. “I don’t do girlfriends.”

I snort.

His face remains serious.

Oh.

“Wait, you’ve never had a girlfriend?”

“In high school, yeah.”

“I feel like I need to exit this bath and question you right now.”

His mouth tips up into a smile. “I’m not a creep; I just haven’t had time for relationships.”

“But . . . I mean . . . not even for a few weeks?”

He shrugs one shoulder. “I fuck, maybe more than once. If that classes as a relationship, then sure.”

“You’re a dirty, dirty dog,” I tease.

He puts the washcloth between my legs, and I gasp.

“That I may be, but I do it well,” he murmurs, dragging it up my sex.

“Are you going to get me off with a cloth? Because that would be very weird,” I whisper, rotating my hips.

“It would appear you don’t want to stop me, considering you’re grinding against my hand.”

I look at him through my lashes. He lets the cloth go and replaces it with his fingers, sliding them up and down my sex, teasing and taunting.

“You could get in,” I offer breathily.

“You’re injured.”

“You have your hands between my legs,” I point out.

“It isn’t risking further injury,” he breathes, pinching my clit between his fingers. Pleasure quickly takes over some of the pain that has taken root in my sore body.

“It is because I want you in here, and I might try and fight for it.”

“You won’t win. Now lie still and let me work.”

I open my mouth to further argue but his finger slides into my sex. I gasp and my head drops back. I keep one arm slung out of the bath and hold on to the side with the other, thrusting my hips upwards so he can slide deeper. He slips another finger in, and I groan as I stretch and pull around him. Somehow he uses his thumb to keep stimulating my clit, and it feels amazing.

“I’ve never really been fingered,” I gasp, feeling sensations building in my core.

“What?” he says, eyes wide.

“My ex-husband didn’t really like it, so when he did it, I never came.”

“Fuck. Knew something was wrong with him. There’s nothing sweeter than a woman’s pussy when it tightens around your fingers. You can feel everything. It’s incredible.”

I arch my back has he drives his fingers deeper into my body. “Oh God,” I gasp.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” he growls.

“Yes,” I pant. “Yes.”

“Come for me, fuck. Come.”

I do. I come hard and fast, clenching around his fingers, my body gently thrashes in the water. He fucks me with his hand until every last tremor leaves my body, then he slowly pulls his hand away. “You’re beautiful,” he says, his voice raspy.

I open my eyes and stare at him. “If we can’t be together, can I at least taste you?”

His eyes flash. “No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ve had a traumatic time.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” I say, sitting up. “I want you. If that’s the only way I can have you then so be it.”

“Lucy,” he warns.

“Heath,” I say, licking my bottom lip as I reach for his jeans.

“Baby, come on . . .”

“No, you come on. Unbutton your pants; I can’t do it.”

“Luc . . .”

“Now, Heath,” I order.

He stands and unbuttons his jeans, letting them drop to the ground. His cock is jutting and ready, and right in line with my mouth as I sit in the tub. “Closer,” I whisper, crooking my finger at him.

He steps closer.

I curl my good hand around the base of him, then bring my mouth to the tip. He hisses as I part my lips and take him inside, teasing the head a little before lowering my mouth down his shaft. His hissing turns into ragged groans as I hollow my cheeks and suck, stroking at the same time. He’s big. My lips burn as they stretch around him, but it feels so damned good to have him in my mouth.

“Fuck, baby. Don’t stop,” he pants, cupping the back of my head.

I suck harder, go deeper. I release his shaft and cup his balls, and he thrusts forward with a groan. He swells in my mouth after another few minutes, and I know he’s going to come even before he growls, “Going to fuckin’ come, baby. Release me.”

No thanks.

I suck harder, and he curses loudly before exploding into my mouth. I take all of him, every single drop, until he starts pulling back. I look up at him as he stares down at me, and I wipe my bottom lip, feeling it swollen beneath my fingertips. “God dammit,” he rasps. “Could you get any better?”

I sincerely hope he always feels that way.

Because I don’t ever want him to leave.

I
stare into the faces of five concerned men who are all watching, waiting for me to tell them what happened in there. I suddenly feel nervous and fidget in my seat as I try to think where to start and what information it is they’re seeking.

“They took me after work,” I say carefully. “They took me back to that place and locked me in a room. They figured out Heath was alive because they saw him storming from my house.”

Tank’s hand slaps the table. “I fuckin’ told you she would be the reason you were found out.”

Heath shoots him a look so deadly even I flinch. “Be very fucking careful what you say, Tank.”

“We were so close. We had all the information we needed—we had everything ready and she stepped in. Now that fucker knows you’re alive, and we’re never going to get close enough to get the evidence we require.”

“We’ll get it,” Heath grates out as he looks to me. “Carry on, Lucy.”

My heart pounds and guilt swarms in my veins, but I go on, as requested. “He figured out that you care about me. He said he saw it on your face,” I say softly. “So he decided taking me was the best plan to get you to come out of hiding so he could finish the job he started years ago.”