Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories (7 page)

"I'd love to! We should take your transportation though and you can just drop me off back here after. When do we need to leave?"

He looked up in shock. He wasn't going to get his hopes up. It probably was just part of a research project to her but he could at least pretend for a little while. He felt like a teenaged boy asking the prettiest girl in school to watch him play ball but he didn't care. She had said yes and she at least looked happy to go.

"Oh, I'll need to call Allyn to let him know I'm going to miss dinner. Can we get something to eat afterwards?"

"Sure, though it won't be anything gourmet. The guys are mostly wings and beer types." He laughed at her grimace, he wasn't a fan either. "I have heard the burgers are good at the place we usually go to." They wandered down to the parking garage in silence. Michael wished he wasn't parked in the handicapped spot which was dumb because it wasn't like she didn't know he was in a wheelchair. When they got to his car she started laughing. Now he felt like an idiot.

"I'm sorry," she said smiling "I know it isn't a Masserati but do you have comic books in there?" She said pointing to his small red Italian sports car.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sorry, you've never heard the joke about how to find the Orthopod's car in the hospital lot?"

"It's the Masserati with the comic books?"

"Exactly! Sorry, you ortho guys have a nasty reputation for being unconscionably rich and not all that bright. Present company excepted of course."

"So you don't think I'm rich?" now he started laughing. "You know what a red convertible means, don't you?

"In Boston it probably means you are from out of town but when driven by a man of a certain age it means you've already had your mid-life crisis. Generally, the little red convertible is cheaper than the buxom blonde in the long run."

"Oh, I thought you were going to make a crack about my sexual prowess?"

"Doctor, I know all I need to know about your sexual prowess." Then she looked him up and down with eyes so filled with desire he felt like he had been punched in the gut. He blew his breath out in a whistle. She didn't drop her gaze but instead licked her lips. He was held spellbound till she looked away and started laughing. His hands shook when he unlocked the doors.

"I should know better than to ask. Do you need help?"

"No, I do this all the time, thank you for asking though."

She raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you can be nice! Who knew?"

"Brat!"

"Right back at you!" Then they sat there for a minute grinning at each other. He quickly leaned forward and kissed her. The surprised look on her face was perfect, her gasp was even better. He turned to focus on getting his chair collapsed and stowed then they were on their way. She fished a silk scarf out of her bag and tied it around her hair. She looked like Summer in Europe instead of early Spring in Boston. He was happy beyond reason to have her beside him, humming along to an aria. He had the urge to find some lover's lane and park. He felt young and almost laughed out loud at the thought of taking her to the basketball game. Yes, exactly like a high school boy with the prettiest girl in school.

Half an hour later Michael pulled into the gym parking lot and they ambled into the biggest gym Violet had ever seen. She had gone to school in Switzerland where they just didn't have these kinds of facilities. She was surprised that there weren't many students but then it was Friday night, they were probably all out drinking and "hooking up." The thought made her giggle, would she get to "hook up" with Michael tonight? His kiss had surprised the hell out of her, so much for getting over him.

She was wandering while staring up at the ceiling that was six or seven stories up when she noticed it had gotten very quiet. She looked around and realized that there were now ten or so men staring at her like she was an exotic animal. One of them rolled toward her. He oozed male sexuality in a way that made Violet blink like a deer caught in the high beams. "You have to excuse these guys, we don't often get women here and never anything as hot as you." Violet just gulped and stared at him. "Though I've got to wonder what you're doing with the altar boy here?" The man was gorgeous, dark brooding masculinity with just enough little boy mischief to his eyes that women would probably throw themselves at him if they could get past the chair. All Violet could manage to get out was a confused "Hmmf."

"Cam, hands off or I'll put the bullet back where I found it." Michael looked fit to kill.

"Like it could do any more damage," Mr. 'Brooding Good Looks' tossed over his shoulder as his eyes never left hers. "So sweetheart, are you some do-gooder who thought it was be nice to cripples week or are you actually trying to figure out how to get with the good doctor here?"

"I..." she could feel herself turning redder by the second because she had been wondering exactly that. "That's none of your business!" Thank God she stopped herself from stamping her foot but only just. "What are you, anyway, his damn mother? or just jealous!"

"Ooh, she does speak and is a little spitfire to boot. Maybe I am but if I wanted to make you change your mind sweetheart," he rolled forward backing her into the bleachers, "all I would have to do is this." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down on to his lap, wrapping his arms around her. For just a split second she felt like her silk blouse and the flippy skirt she wore had melted off of her, his gaze was searing. She was so surprised she didn't even resist when he kissed her. The kiss wasn't hard or even all that sexually charged. It was like he was doing it for show. She almost fell off his lap when he jolted forward, she would have if it hadn't been for his arms around her. As he caught her, he whispered "You can thank me some other time." Then he turned and snarled "What the fuck, Dennison!" Violet scrambled off his lap in time to see Michael reach for another basket ball as he came closer. He looked murderous. Cam spun and put himself between her and Michael. "What's the matter buddy?"

"I said to get your goddamn hands off of her!"

Cam held his hands up in mock surrender. "Just checking."

"Fuck you, what the hell were you checking exactly?"

"Umm, are you boys done fighting over who gets to carry my books?" she grinned at both of them as she moved between them and took the basketball out of Michael's hands. She started lazily bouncing it as the two of them glared at each other. "I went to an all girls boarding school so I missed out on this kind of stuff." She didn't need to tell them it was a Swiss finishing school, she could just imagine what kind of response that would get. Frankly, seeing Michael murderously jealous was a huge turn-on, not that she needed one. It did bring to mind the darker, less civilized man he'd been that unforgettable night in the hospital. "I think that who ever wins the basketball game gets a kiss."

"What about the rest of us?" came a voice from behind her. She turned around and scanned the group. It was a mix of guys, different ages, different disabilities, but all of them looked at her with something like hope in their eyes. She laughed.

"Kisses for the winning side, but I don't want to find out any of you called me easy in homeroom! Oh, and kisses on the cheek! I see wedding rings, I don't need some crazed woman accusing me of stealing her man."

They quickly picked teams and started playing Michael and Cam played man to man like their lives depended on it. There was something primal about these two gorgeous men squaring off to win a kiss from her, wheelchairs be damned. It wasn't always pretty to watch though, the game was fast and those two were playing it with a fierce intensity. To be fair they all were. A couple of the students wandered over to watch.

"Guess they're not calling fouls tonight!"

"Do they always play like this?" Violet asked.

"No, It's usually just a friendly game. What the hell got into them?"

"Oh." She wasn't going to admit to stirring up trouble but she was flattered none the less.

"Do you know these guys?" She wanted to find out more about what was going on with Michael and Cam.

"A little, the blonde guy with the beard and the guy with the curly black hair have been friends forever.

Ouch! That was a vicious hit! Not that you'd know it from the way they are playing each other."

"Forever?" Now she wished she could just crawl into a hole. She had wanted to make Michael a little jealous not breakup a lifelong friendship.

"Yeah, since they were kids." Luckily the final buzzer sounded not much later. Michael's side won.

"Well that was an interesting game. Dennison didn't know you had it in you?" Cam was teasing him and Michael looked less like he wanted to kill him so Violet hoped their friendship was still good. She kissed each man of the winning side on both cheeks. Not weak air kisses but real kisses, half of the guys blushed to their toes but all of them smiled at her. She was about to kiss Michael when he growled at her.

"We're leaving."

"But Michael, I didn't give you your kiss?" Dammit, he knew he was the only one she really wanted to kiss.

"I'll take it later!" He started to leave and when she wasn't fast enough he pulled her into his lap and pinned her there with his glare. He was covered in sweat and should have stunk but there was something so innately masculine about the smell of him, she dropped her head to his shoulder and practically purred.

Quiet enough so that no one else could hear, she whispered "Promise?" in his ear. He didn't respond, didn't slow down. It was a good thing she had her bag in her hand or she was leaving without it they left so quickly. The whole way back to the clinic building neither spoke. Violet could feel the tension coming off him but she didn't know what to say now to make it better. He took off for his office and she had to almost run to keep up with him. Once there she tried to move towards him but he swept around her and slammed the office door.

"Michael, I'm sorry I...

"Did you like it?"

"What? The game? It was pretty amazing but I hope you guys don't always play like that."

"Not the damn game! When he kissed you!"

"I..."

"Or when he put his arms around you?"

"I...

"Or when he pulled you on to his lap?"

"Will you let me answer you?"

"I don't know if I want an answer, I haven't heard you say no, so you must have!" He looked like he wanted to tear something apart with his bare hands.

"Michael Dennison, if you will stop yelling at me and listen for half a second! Mostly, all of those things just surprised me. I am not used to men I don't know hauling me into their laps and kissing me." Michael's eyes had turned almost black with rage. "But when he put his arms around me I didn't want him to keep me there like I do with you. When he hauled me into his lap I didn't feel like some treasured kitten like I do with you. When he kissed me I didn't want to purr like I do when I am kissing you." She didn't have to tell him about how she was feeling right now. She didn't feel like purring, damn the man, she wanted to roar. Her blood was screaming through her veins. This wasn't the fluttering she had felt around him other times. He was not leaving here without at least understanding how she felt about him. Hell, at this point would it be asking too much for him to clarify his feelings for her.

She punctuated this thought by dropping into his lap. She reached under his still damp shirt and started stroking his chest and stomach. He grabbed her wrists and held them with one of his hands. He cradled the back of her head with the other and crushed his mouth to hers. His tongue raked her teeth, her lips, captured her tongue, and left her breathless. She gasped when he ended the kiss. His eyes were still dark but it wasn't rage she saw there now.

"So my little kitten, you like to be handled, don't you?"

"Only by you" her voice came out barely a whisper. She wasn't sure what he was asking of her but he sounded so strong and she suddenly felt so small.

"Should I pet you, my little kitten, till you purr contentedly or should I train you to do as you are told so I never have to endure seeing you in someone else's arms." She could feel her eyes go round with surprise while a wave of heat swept over her and settled hot and wet between her legs. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. He forced her to her feet as she regained her speaking voice.

"Wh-What do you mean training?" Her body pulsed just saying it. Her knees were already weak and her head was buzzing like she'd had too much champagne. The realization that she would willingly be putty in his hands both scared and thrilled her. She noticed she was rubbing her thighs together to assuage the ache between them a second after Michael did.

"Oh no, kitten, there will be no relief unless it is from me." He rolled forward till he was right on top of her. She hadn't realized how tall he was. If he had been standing he would have been over six feet. She gulped at how close he was and the look on his face. She wanted to run but only if he'd chase her. She realized she wasn't afraid of him but what she was feeling. She understood he would never hurt her. She couldn't stop herself from trembling though it had nothing to do with fear.

She jumped when she felt his fingers on the backs of her thighs. At first it was a gentle caress. Swirling touches that moved from the back of her knees up under the hem of her skirt and then higher. He was weaving a spell, she felt her spine go soft, it became harder to keep her eyes open, even her mouth became soft.

She was so caught up in the sensations, she didn't realize Michael had moved his hands higher till he yanked her panties down to her ankles. "Step out of them and hand them to me." he demanded. She started to protest but he cut her off. "Talking back will be punished. Now give them to me." She handed him her panties and felt the cool air on her wet sex. She felt drugged but knew that anything she was doing was what she chose to do. "From now on you will not wear these things around me, unless I tell you to. If you think I am kidding, you're wrong and I will be checking." She wanted to ask how but didn't want to interrupt.

She knew her face was bright red as her cheeks burned. "That's my good little kitten. Now should I pet you? Will you purr for me?" he didn't wait for her response but started caressing the back of her thighs again. The same sensations built in her but this time she stumbled forward and he caught her, positioning her on his lap. He started nibbling on her neck with his teeth and lips.