Chapter Two
“How was the pool, Lilly?” Katie asked, waggling her brows. Any time a staff member set foot in Juss’s room, the others tittered. Being near the cowboy who threw off tsunami-sized waves of testosterone sent everyone into a tizzy.
“Fine. I’ll just go get changed.” Lilly ignored Juss’s call and hurried to the faculty restroom, heart thumping and her sex still slick with her arousal. With each step she took she felt Juss’s fingers buried deep in her body.
Shuddering, she closed the door of the private cubicle and leaned against it. For a long minute, she fought for control. More than anything, she wanted to lock herself inside room four with the sexy cowboy and take more pleasure.
What had she been thinking? She never acted so impulsively.
The right cowboy had finally come along and unlocked her secret inner Buckle Bunny.
She set aside her dry scrubs and pressed her palms to her hot cheeks. She spun to face the mirror over the sink. Hectic splotches of color burned on her face, and her eyes were bright. Could Katie tell how far Lilly had gone?
Shaking her head, Lilly released a laugh. The nervous sound filled the space, making her more aware of her indiscretion.
Yes, you were just fingered by Juss Rossie, gorgeous bull rider.
He’d poured his cum over her fingers. The warm traces had only rocketed her need out of the stratosphere. Now that she knew exactly how he looked when he came, she didn’t know if she could stop wanting to see it again.
She lowered her hands and stared at the beard burn on her sensitive skin. Red swaths cut paths over her cheeks and jaw. Lord, what was she going to say to deny what the marks really were—kiss burns? No wonder Katie raised a brow at her. She probably knew Lilly had experienced that testosterone tidal wave firsthand.
Switching on the faucet, she filled her palms with cold water and splashed it over her face. She smoothed the drops over her cheeks and down to her cleavage, but it did little to cut her excitement.
He’d sucked her nipples until she’d pulsed on the edge of an orgasm.
Quickly she slipped off her shoes, stripped away her swimsuit, and let the wet fabric pool at her feet. She’d set her scrubs on the top of the dry garbage can, but she’d forgotten panties.
Guess I’ll have to go commando.
The idea of walking around without anything under her loose-fitting pants all day dizzied her with need. If she walked into Juss’s room again, which was certain to happen, he could slide his hand inside her pants and find her bare.
No. One encounter with him would have to be enough. Getting caught would cost her a job—a job she enjoyed very much and had worked hard to land. A romp with a cowboy wasn’t worth jeopardizing her position and losing her license.
The woman who stared back at her in the mirror wore an expression that said,
Like hell. It’s worth it.
A knock on the door made her cry out. She stood nude in the middle of the restroom, throbbing with want.
“Lilly?” Katie’s voice projected through the door. “Mr. Rossie is pressing that bell like a lunatic. Amber went in to see if she could help him, but he sent her back out in tears. She said he screamed at her that he wanted you.”
“Shit,” Lilly whispered, then raised her voice so Katie could hear. “I’ll be right there.”
Lilly threw on her scrubs and jammed her feet back into her slip-on shoes. Her face was still damp, so she grabbed a length of paper towels and scrubbed it. When she glanced at her reflection again, she saw a physical therapist assistant who looked like a madwoman.
Giving her hair one last pat with her palm, she grabbed her wet swimsuit and rushed out of the restroom. The staff at the desk went still, staring at her in silence.
Great—they were obviously discussing her and Juss’s unusual behavior.
But was it so unusual? He was a demanding ass and had sent more than one assistant away.
Funny thing was, he’d never sent her away. In fact after he’d been brought in and was pumped full of pain meds, he’d looked at her as the last bit of lucidity left his eyes and commanded she stay by him throughout his recovery. Did that count for something?
No, he only accepted my advance because he’s a man. If Amber had been in that pool with him, he would have pleasured her too.
The thought hurt, and she shoved it away.
“What’s the bear want now?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light. She stepped behind the desk and dropped her wet suit beside her bag.
Amber glared at her. “He’s a royal pain in the ass,” she hissed, her voice low so their supervisor didn’t hear. “I told him I’d be taking over with him this afternoon. Then he knocked over his water pitcher. When I said I’d be back with towels to mop it up, he said I could stay out of his room forever and bring you back.”
Everyone stared at Lilly. A flush climbed her throat, but she didn’t look away. “Guess I’ll do that then.”
Will they see my attraction for him? Or just think I’m doing my job by sticking with a patient?
She grabbed a small stack of towels and headed to room four just as he lay on the Call button again. She shoved the door open so hard it struck the inner wall.
He was leaning against the head of his bed, mouth set, and eyes sparking with energy. “Took ya long enough.” The corner of his lip tilted up in that bad-boy smile that had been her undoing in the pool.
“I was changing, thank you very much.” She avoided his stare by glancing at the water puddled on the floor. “You know, Mr. Rossie, we staff members don’t appreciate being yelled at or cleaning spills after you have a tantrum.”
“The water was an accident. I’m not good with my right hand, and it slipped. Mr. Rossie, is it? When you just came on my fingers?”
“Shhh!”
“You came apart around me, Whiskey. I can still feel the shocks of your release.”
Damn, he wasn’t going to shut up without intervention, and someone was bound to walk in. That was her luck. She rushed forward and slipped in the puddle. She grabbed the bed’s edge, and he took immediate advantage with his good arm by hauling her over his lap. The bedrails still hadn’t been put up—a good thing or bad?
Gasping, she inhaled his musky scent, now so familiar to her. Her nipples drew into two aching buds. She pushed away and gained her feet. Some stray hairs straggled across her face, and she nudged them away.
“Keep your voice down,” she said.
His crooked grin knocked her flat. How she would manage to keep from throwing herself at him again, she had no idea. “I need more water therapy, Whiskey.”
A shiver of pleasure tracked down her spine and settled low in her belly. Being so close to him wasn’t going to work.
“That’s not a good idea. You don’t want to overdo it.”
“I’m getting stiff again.” He obviously wasn’t talking about his injuries. His low insinuative tone heightened her arousal. Her bare pussy squeezed, and juices wept from her folds.
“Get over here,” he said.
No, he wasn’t going to rope her in like one of his Buckle Bunnies. She wasn’t going to be another on his long list of casual flings. Actually, they weren’t having a fling at all, because she was putting the brakes on.
She held her ground and dropped the towels to the wet floor. Using her foot, she sopped up the majority of the water. Then ignoring his arm folded over his chest and his eyebrows drawn together over his frustrated glare, she took the wet towels out into the main area.
“How’s Rossie now?” Katie asked.
“Fine,” Lilly sang, grabbing a full pitcher of water and heading back into room four. Was it her imagination or did her hips sway more than usual as a result of her need?
She quietly closed the door behind her and approached with the pitcher.
“You can’t tease a man like this, Whiskey. If you were a Buckle Bunny and the other guys found out that you’d been a cock-tease—”
She dragged a harsh gasp through her teeth. “Tease? I got you off!”
He lashed his fingers around her wrist. The heat of his hand permeated her skin and sent a wave of sensation up her arm. “I want more from you.”
“All you’ll be getting is ice water.” She tilted the pitcher so the water lapped at the spout, ready to drench his groin.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t do that to an incapacitated man.”
She drew a shaky breath. He was right. She needed all of her professional decorum to deal with him. “All right, after lunch we’ll head in for another round of physical therapy.” She stressed the last two words.
He brightened, eyes twinkling. “I’ll get my swimmin’ trunks on.”
“On the
mat
.”
He relaxed back against the raised head of the bed and shifted his leg. The wince was genuine, and she reached for the wedge pillow and the splint. Gently, she eased him into the splint and positioned the pillow under his knee. The long sigh he released washed through her soul, and she saw him for what he was—a frustrated guy trying to mask his pain.
She fixed his blanket over his lower half, too aware of the bulge in the front of his shorts. “I’ll bring your lunch in, and then we’ll get to work.”
He raised a dark brow. “What’s for lunch?” He dragged his gaze over her breasts. Heat coiled between her thighs.
She folded her arms over her chest. “I believe the menu says creamed chipped beef on toast.”
He made a face.
Grinning, she backed toward the door. “Just kidding. It’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“That’s better,” he drawled.
In the main room, she avoided the glances coming her way. Didn’t the other staff members have patients to wait on? There were twelve beds in the rehab unit. Six assistants and two physical therapists were on call to help them, including her. But seven people stood there, staring at her.
When the kitchen worker pushed the cart in with lunch trays, Lilly snagged one from the top and returned to room four. Juss lounged back, smiling at her sudden entrance.
With economical movements, Lilly placed the tray on the bed table and wheeled it over to the bed. She went to leave, and he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
She followed the lines of his long fingers to the sprinkling of dark hair on his arm. Looking into his eyes was a no-no. The minute she did, her heart would start pounding again.
“Sit and talk to me while I eat.”
“I have paperwork—”
He gave a quick shake of his head. “Paperwork about me. But I’m more important. Stay.” With a commanding gesture, he flicked his jaw toward the chair beside the bed.
Simmering with annoyance, Lilly sank to the recliner. He dug into the chicken and mashed potatoes. The food that came to him was much better than hospital patients received. Someone was paying a pretty penny to keep him here. She suspected his family had money—most cowboys on the rodeo tour didn’t have a lot of income or even health insurance.
“Love fried chicken. My ma made the best in Texas.”
She shook her head, a smile spreading over her face. “Nope. My ma did. She used honey in the recipe.”
“Mine too.”
Their gazes locked for a heartbeat as they absorbed the connection that went beyond third base in the therapy pool.
As she sat there, her annoyance lessened. For the past half an hour, she’d been running back and forth for Juss, but being settled at his side calmed her. She folded her fingers together.
“Good chicken?”
“Yeah.” He polished off a drumstick and started on the breast with the fork held tines down. “What do you do for fun when you’re not busting people’s asses in therapy?”
She fought her smile. “I run. I’m training for the 10K this summer.”
Appreciation zipped over his handsome features. “That so? Have you entered a race like that before?”
“No, but I’ve done several 5Ks. I used to run track in college.”
He dropped his gaze to her legs. She was glad they were hidden in the loose cloth of her pants, because his gaze was like a caress. “A great goal. Maybe I’ll get well enough to run it with you.”
She started to shake her head, but he glared at her. “You think I can’t get back on my feet by then? Watch me, Whiskey.”
While she admired his determination, his tone irritated her. Silence reigned as he finished his meal. When he pushed the table away, she got up to remove the tray. By the time she returned to his room, he’d swung his legs over the edge of the bed and had grappled with the wheelchair until it was close enough to his bed to ease into.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. “If you’re going to try this on your own, you need some instruction.”
“Hell, I got it.” Before she could lunge forward, he’d borne all of his weight on the arm of the wheelchair. The brake wasn’t set, and it started to rollout from under him. She threw a foot in front of the wheel to stop it and grabbed him around the chest as he gathered his weight on his good leg. He sprawled onto the seat.
Heart hammering at her misstep in not checking the brake first, she altered her grip, and with one swift maneuver shifted him into a more comfortable position. “Oh my God! What are you trying to do? Rip out everything the surgeons patched up?” She was really angry with herself as she ran her hands over Juss’s shoulder lightly, making sure nothing was jarred. His knee seemed all right.
He huffed with anger. “I’m fine. Next time I should set the brake, right?”
“Yes.” Mirth jumped to her lips, and she pressed her fingers to them to keep the laugh from bubbling out. Her insides quivered with it though.
He met her gaze and snorted his own laugh. “Well, no harm done. I’m eager to get on with this therapy session, Whiskey.” His voice softened to a growl that stoked the fires of her want.
“I have some other work to do. You rest, and I’ll be back in an hour, okay?”
He relented, but for a minute she thought he might pout.
She hurried through her work, tending to another patient and filling out paperwork. By the time she returned to Juss’s room, she hummed with excitement.
He was staring at the door when she passed through it. “See my jacket hanging over there? Grab my wallet from the pocket, if ya would, Whiskey,” he said as if she’d never left.