Unexpected Ride Read online

  “Would you like a magazine or something to read?” Carla asked him as he once again changed positions in his chair.

  “No,” he said a little more intensely than he should have.

  “Sorry… you are just antsy and I thought maybe you were bored,” Carla said, looking at his mouth.

  She really needed to stop doing that because staring at his lips just made him want to kiss her with them… maybe use them to make her antsy.

  Most of the women he dated were what he and the other single guys on the force referred to as holster sniffers… women who chased and slept with cops or tried to marry them. Most of them were considerably younger than him and sometimes not very smart. A few of them had been real lookers. None of them had felt so honest and real… not like Carla. She didn’t try to get him to take notice of her which only served to make him more interested.

  Carla was a looker too but, rather than lots of curves and makeup paired with tight or skimpy clothes, she was a classic beauty. Large round brown eyes that nearly swallowed a person whole when they looked at you and a pert little nose were the first things Greg noticed about her.

  She had light brown hair that was cut really short like a man’s haircut, which he normally didn’t care for on a woman, but on her it showed her slender neck. Making him want to touch it or kiss it with his mouth that she was always staring at.

  “Maybe I need to play a little football or do something strenuous… to expend some of my excess energy so I can sit still,” he said, grinning like an idiot.

  Those brown eyes met his gaze quickly when the meaning behind his words sank in. He was a little unprepared when she smiled sadly and then said, “I think I miss that the most… my husband was always teasing me like that.”

  Not exactly what he wanted to hear… but having done a little detective work by asking people who were closest to Carla… mainly her daughter, Meredith… he knew she really needed to talk about the accident and the effect it had on her life. That would not stop him from trying to get her to notice him as a man.

  “I wasn’t trying to tease you… I was trying to tempt you,” he replied.

  Her eyes went right back to his lips and hers parted slightly as though inviting him to taste them. He recognized when a woman was turned on, or at least interested, and Carla was one or both. Success! He was pretty sure if his shoulder would allow it he might get a penalty for excessive celebration right here in the doctor’s office.

  Becca had been right when she told him that Carla’s disinterest every time he had seen her or talked to her over the past few months was because she hadn’t finished grieving for her husband yet. She had said that until Carla actually did or at least started the process, she wouldn’t be able to move on. After a weekend of tears and a couple of conversations about her late husband, Carla was actually starting to notice that Greg existed. Did that mean she was working through her grief… or that she might be interested in him? Or both?

  He wasn’t really sure why he had such a feeling of exhilaration over the idea that she not only was aware of him now but had even responded to him a little bit, but he did. Having tried several times to provoke a response from her and waiting much longer for an acknowledgment than he would for most women, it made him a little upset when the doctor chose that moment to enter the room and effectively kill the mood. Carla immediately went back to treating him like another one of her children. Damn it!

  Maybe because he’d never had children of his own and was clueless on how to be a parent maybe that was why it felt that way. Perhaps it was hard to switch back and forth between parent role and regular adult mode. Thinking about it, Carla treated Meredith and Chuck the same way and they were also adults. Greg was just being sensitive because in an instant his whole life had changed. Almost dying did that for a person… made you start questioning and considering things you’d never paid attention to before… like when a woman stared so intently at your mouth that all you could think about was tasting her with it.

  “The arm and shoulder are healing nicely for a man your age. Being healthy, in good shape and active helps the healing process along. I’m willing to remove the rest of the stitches today. However, I do think we need to keep the sling in place for at least another week while you work with the therapist,” the doctor said. Upon seeing the look of frustration that Greg knew must be written all over his face, the doctor continued. “The receptionist did express to me how anxious you were to get the sling off today… all three times you called… but quite honestly that gash in your shoulder needs a little more time to heal.”

  Taking a deep breath to keep from lighting into the man since the frustration he felt had nothing to do with doctor and was in no way his fault, Greg finally said, “What is this going to do regarding getting to go back to work?”

  “I’ve got to be honest with you… it is going to be a little while,” the doctor replied. “That is your shooting arm from what I understand, so I do not want to be too hasty in releasing you for active duty. Your arm and shoulder being able to function in a normal capacity could mean the difference between life and death for you or someone else and that I take very seriously, Detective. I’m sorry. Come back in after the holiday and we will take another look and hopefully by then…”

  He hated to admit it but the doctor was probably right. Sure he had to be able to shoot with either hand to qualify but in a bad situation most people went for their dominate hand. Feeling the tension in the room and knowing there was nothing more that could be done for his situation that wasn’t already being done, he said, “Damn! And I was so looking forward to that shower too.”

  The doctor chuckled and filled out a prescription for more painkillers that Greg really didn’t want. Then they all walked up front to schedule the next appointment. The ride to the pharmacy was quiet and after parking Carla took one look at him and didn’t even bother to ask if he wanted to go in with her.

  It wasn’t her fault either but his job was his life. Being single with Becca as his only living relative had meant he worked double shifts often over his career and most holidays too. Honestly, it was all he knew…

  He had a few serious relationships over the years, a couple of which made it all the way to the living with each other phase, before the woman figured out he was already married… to his job. They promptly called it quits and he just picked up more hours to fill the void they left behind.

  Dating a cop or even just sleeping with one was exciting for a moment but the moment passed quickly for a woman left alone while he was out investigating a case. At least he was a little smarter than some of the guys on the force and hadn’t married either of the women and had kids with them. Someone who wasn’t in law enforcement wasn’t as able to relate to the stress of the job.

  Being shot and his lengthy stay in the hospital had given him time to reevaluate both of those failed relationships. Carla had visited him every single day… even more than Becca… and he felt pretty sure that neither of the women from his past that he had been committed to would have done that.

  He would like to return the favor to Carla but with at least another week, if not more, of being in this ridiculous sling, that wasn’t going to happen. Being a cop wasn’t just about catching the bad guys… it was also about helping people and right now he couldn’t even do that.

  Carla studied him for a moment after filling his prescription and coming back out to the car. This time she wasn’t looking at his mouth so he didn’t even get the satisfaction of a little sexual tension to brighten his mood. He must not just feel like shit but apparently was starting to look like it too because she reached over and brushed his hair back off his forehead with her hand. He was only able to half wash his hair because of the sling and not wanting to risk getting his surgical wound wet and he still wouldn’t be able to shave either.

  The rest of the evening was a little better at least. After dinner the boys and Chuck joined him in the living room to watch college football while Meredith and Carla began
preparing food for the following day. During commercial breaks, Chuck would go to the kitchen and offer to help. Greg was happy for Chuck and Meredith but watching them together made him downright jealous. They were constantly smiling at each other or kissing and touching. He had at least twenty years on them both and had never experienced what they had.

  The only respite he got from their disgusting displays of affection was when Carla came in and offered him either a beer or a painkiller. Since he had yet to take one of the pills from the new prescription because they made his tongue feel like there was fuzz on it, he opted to again skip the pill and go for the beer. When he thanked her, this time her gaze went to his lips and he couldn’t stop the smile he felt. Maybe he didn’t want her to stop staring at his mouth after all. It was sexy as hell to think of all the things that just might be going through her mind when she did that…

  When the game ended Chuck helped Meredith pack up some of the food and they went to stay at his apartment. Meredith would cook the food there and bring it back the following day, leaving Carla’s oven free for more food. After the boys went upstairs to bed he headed into the kitchen and watched as Carla finished wiping down the countertops of her spacious kitchen. She was always taking care of something or someone… it’s who she was and it fascinated him more than he cared to admit.

  Unlike the women he was used to… she had yet to ask him for anything in return for all that she was doing for him. She was always the one doing things for other people. Giving. Watching her ignore him in favor of finishing her task made him wish his arm and shoulder were better so he could go and run his hands through her hair and press himself against her. Caress her skin or rub his lips along her fragile looking neck or maybe something more strenuous. Instead he just watched and waited for her to acknowledge him.

  Draping the dishcloth she held across the sink she turned to him and said, “How about I help you bathe, wash your hair and even shave. It may not be as good as a shower but it might make you feel better.”

  He had just been imagining her mouth parted and his name on her lips while she had been considering how to bathe him. Awkward and sexy at the same time was a new one for him but the blush on her cheeks helped him jump the fence so he was fully on the side of sexy.

  “I figure I can run you a bath and you could get in and drape a cloth across… yourself… and then lean back. I can use a cup to rinse your hair and the sink is right next to the tub so I could use it to shave you… your face,” she quickly clarified. The flush on her cheeks made him want to kiss her even more.

  “I considered trying to shave yesterday but with the medications I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to tell if I sliced through my jugular,” he said. “It makes my tongue feel weird and makes me shake for some reason.”

  “Why didn’t you tell the doctor earlier… he could’ve maybe prescribed something else,” she asked.

  “I don’t know… but I’m glad I didn’t now,” he said through his smile.

  “I suppose we could just call him after the holidays about a different prescription,” she said ignoring his comment completely.

  Sighing he said, “I’ll go start the water then.”

  God help him but even with her completely ignoring his attempts to flirt with her he was partially aroused. What was it about her that made him keep trying to gain her interest? He needed to start thinking of something else… anything that didn’t involve flirting, kissing or touching Carla Johnson. He had maybe ten minutes to do so before she would be aware of his mindset.

  As he ran water into her oversized bathtub, the anticipation of her touching him… even just to wash his hair made thinking of anything but kissing and flirting with her next to impossible. He chose a hand towel rather than a wash cloth to cover up with before realizing she would have to unsnap his jeans and help him out of the sling anyways.

  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Being helpless as a babe was pretty humiliating but having an erection from thoughts of a woman who mostly ignored him was even more so. Save his pride or sacrifice it for cleanliness?

  Her soft knock on the door made his mind up for him when she then entered carrying a hand towel, a man’s razor and shaving cream. She set the items on the vanity and then approached him and helped him out of his shirt, her thin fingers igniting a sensual torment each place they touched. She helped him get his arm out of the sling as well. Then she gently draped the towel around his shoulders.

  He couldn’t help but stare at her face while she concentrated on her tasks. Being this close to him, she was even prettier than normal. Chemistry flowed between them that took his breath away and the air around them changed. Could she not feel that or was she just that good at ignoring it… him? Just when he began to think she was either oblivious to the tension between them or that it was all in his head, her gaze met his and she slowly reached down and unbuttoned his pants. Not good.

  “Sorry…” he said by way of an explanation as she maneuvered the zipper of his jeans down, relieving the pressure of the best erection he’d had in a while. Why was she still staring at him? When her gaze finally drifted to his mouth, he went back to wishing she wouldn’t do that because it made this whole thing even worse for him.

  “Let me know when you’re all situated and I’ll come back in,” she said softly and then turned and left, closing the bathroom door behind her.

  He maneuvered out of the rest of his clothes and managed to get in the bathtub and cover himself. He sat there for several minutes trying to force his body back into submission. Finally giving up on salvaging any of his dignity he cleared his throat and managed to croak out, “Okay.”

  She came back in and closed the door and walked over to where he sat with a now wet hand towel covering the elephant in the room. Sitting down on the edge of the tub she scanned his body from head to toe and for the first time in his whole life he felt what some of the people he busted must feel. Embarrassment, shame and nervousness over being caught.

  “I think I should shave you first and then we can work on shampooing your hair,” she said as though ignoring his reaction to her meant it didn’t happen… or didn’t still exist.

  She grabbed the razor off the vanity and attached a new blade to it and then set it aside. Using a washcloth she wet his cheeks and then began applying shaving cream to his face. Watching her expressions as she focused so intently on what she was doing helped ease the awkwardness of his situation.

  The feel of her hands on his face was wonderful and instead of fearing she would cut him he relaxed and watched as she slowly shaved him. Occasionally she would look him in the eye and smile. Once she even said, “Close your eyes or something… don’t watch me… it makes me… nervous.”

  This was the first time since being shot he was actually enjoying being helpless and having someone else take care of him. By the time she finished and washed his face off with a washcloth the sexual tension between them had returned along with his perpetual erection. He had thought she was pretty the first time he’d met her and she had drawn his attention then with her kindness and giving spirit.

  Now along with being attracted to her as a person, there was a growing desire to make love to her. The feeling was different than anything he could remember experiencing before. He had experienced passion before but this was a need he couldn’t explain. Instead he watched as she gently eased his head back against the edge of the tub and slowly poured water over his hair. This must be what heaven was like because it felt so good he could only close his eyes.

  As she lathered up his hair and scrubbed his scalp with her fingertips he could no longer hold in the moan that had been lodged in his throat since she started this whole process. When she quit he opened his eyes and found her face close to his and instinct had him moving toward her until she abruptly moved back and grabbed the cup to begin slowly rinsing his hair. Damn! Too far too fast. She was grieving still and he needed to remember that.

  She shampooed his hair a second time and after r
insing it she said, “I’ll go grab your sweatpants. I washed them earlier.”

  He felt her leave… it was a strange feeling to be able to feel another person’s presence that way but he could sense Carla. Shaking away his weird thoughts, he washed and was surprised just how much better he did feel both physical and mentally. She came back in and put his clothes on the vanity and turned again to leave.

  “Carla?” he said.

  She turned back to him and he said, “Thank you for that… it was… wonderful.”

  Her eyes went straight to his mouth and if not for injuries which slowed him down he would have been out of the bathtub and kissing her in an instant. Instead he could only sit there and let her look her fill. His last serious girlfriend had told him a few times that his lips were really sexy for a man but the way Carla said it… with nothing but her eyes… was unexpected and slowly making him crazy for her.

  “Yes it was,” she replied so softly he almost missed it. Then she was gone, closing the door behind her.

  Chapter Three

  The following morning when the phone rang, Carla answered it without looking at the caller ID expecting it to be Meredith with questions on what temperature setting to use for one of the covered dishes she was responsible for baking.

  “It looks like our little girl made a good choice for a groom. I must say when I first picked up the paper and seen this guy’s picture I thought perhaps with losing Doug and everything, your judgment was slipping,” a familiar male voice stated when she answered.

  As if she didn’t have enough things on her plate, why did he have to crawl back out from beneath the rock he had been hiding under now? The sad part was after all these years… she still recognized his voice. Jarrod Tompkins. To think at one point in her life she’d thought herself in love with the bastard… was simply unconscionable now.