A Stallion's Touch (11 page)

* * *

It had been a long workday. When Tarah finally found her way back home, she expected to find Nicholas sound asleep. She was surprised when he called her name as she tiptoed through the door, kicking off her rubber-soled heels in the foyer.

“Hey, what are you doing up? It's so late, I just knew you were going to be asleep!”

He smiled as she moved to his side to kiss his cheek. “I was waiting for you. How was your day?” Nicholas asked.

She pulled a chair up to him and sat down, then kicked her legs out and twisted her ankles from side to side. “I had only three surgeries today, but I don't think I had a chance to sit down once.”

“Did you eat? I saved you some dinner.”

She nodded. “I grabbed an egg roll and a container of egg drop soup from the Asian market by the hospital. I'm good.” She grinned, her snow-white teeth shining bright. “What did you eat?”

“I actually cooked. I grilled pork chops and made a salad.”

“You cooked? I'm impressed! If I'd known that, I would have waited until I got home to eat.”

“I packed the leftovers for your lunch tomorrow, so you'll get to taste just how good my meal was.”

“I'm impressed again. You're becoming quite the homemaker.”

Emotion seemed to drain from Nicholas's face as he pondered her comment. He lifted his eyes to hers, the connection seeming to transfer the feelings.

“I'm sorry,” Tarah said softly. “I didn't mean that as an insult.”

Nicholas chuckled softly. “I wasn't insulted. This just wasn't the plan I'd imagined for myself.”

“I did. For me, I mean. I always knew I'd be a big-time surgeon, and every night I'd come home to the hubby and kids. Dinner would be on the table and the laundry would be done. After homework, bedtime stories and prayers, my favorite guy and I would sit back, relax and trade war stories.”

He laughed. “War stories? Really?”

“Yeah, how he and the science teacher went toe-to-toe about Junior's classroom behavior and the tea party my Mini-Me made him sit through when he wanted to watch the game on television. And I'd tell him about a patient who thought I was a nurse and not the surgeon and the doctor who underestimated my surgical skills and had to be schooled. Every day we'd have stories to share so that neither one of us would feel like we were missing anything.”

He grinned. “I'm impressed with that vivid imagination of yours. You have it all figured out.”

“I did. And now that I know who my partner in crime is going to be, it adds a whole new dimension to what I've been imagining.” She slid her fingers between his, interlocking their hands together. The skin on his palm had begun to thicken, calluses growing from the work he was putting in with this wheelchair.

Nicholas's face gleamed with amazement. “I have a funny feeling I'm going to enjoy trading war stories with you.”

Tarah leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips. “I don't have to go to work tomorrow,” she said as she broke the connection. “And I'm not sleepy. Do you want to watch a movie?”

He shook his head. “Let's just talk. I like when we talk.”

She nodded. “First, did you make any dessert?”

Nicholas laughed. “Brownies are on the counter. I'll take mine with vanilla ice cream, please!”

Hours later, Tarah found herself still knee-deep in conversation, having moved from the living space to the master bedroom. The windows were wide open, a warm breeze blowing the sheer curtains about. Nicholas was propped against a mountain of pillows as she sat in a corner chair, her legs pulled beneath her bottom. She sipped on a warm cup of herbal tea, the oversize mug clasped tightly between her palms.

“So,” Tarah said, her tone teasing, “when you look at a woman, what is the first thing you notice?”

“I'm an ass man. Hips and whips, baby!”

“When we first met, you were looking at my ass?”

“Nope! Your smile.
You
had the most beautiful smile.”

Tarah grinned.

“And you were wearing the hell out of that dress you had on!” he added.

She smirked, emotion shimmering in her eyes. “Do you think it's okay to keep noticing other women after you are in a committed relationship?”

“I'll be married, Tarah, not dead! My turn. Do you masturbate?”

Her eyes widened. “My vibrator was my best boyfriend for many years,” she said as she explained about her celibacy and her decision to abstain from sex until marriage.

“You're telling me that if I hadn't had my accident, we still wouldn't be having sex?”

“Not until our wedding night.” Tarah grinned.

“And you had the audacity to call me a tease?”

Her laughter resonated deep into the core of his soul. “It is still going to be the best night of your life!”

Nicholas laughed with her, his head shaking from side to side.

“Since we're asking, do you masturbate?” Tarah asked.

Nicholas gave her a smug grin. “I was drafted to play pro-ball right out of college, remember? I had endorsement deals with sneaker companies, wineries and multiple men's fashion lines. I hung out with the rich and famous, and most of them were extremely beautiful women from all around the world. Masturbation was never necessary. Now it does nothing to help.”

“When's your next appointment with your urologist? We should go talk to him together.”

He nodded his head in agreement, his eyes drifting off into thought before he spoke again. “What is the one thing that would be a relationship breaker for you?”

“Infidelity. I can't stay with a man who can't be faithful to me.”

“That won't be a problem.”

“Emotional infidelity is just as bad. It doesn't always have to be physical. If you become emotionally connected to another woman, sharing your feelings with her when you should be sharing them with me, there's going to be an issue.”

“Point taken.”

Tarah paused for a moment. “What were you thinking about right before we kissed for the first time?”

“That you smelled like antiseptic.”

Tarah's laugh was gut-deep, rising from deep in her midsection. “Was it that bad?”

“No. You also smelled clean and fresh. You reminded me of sunshine and vanilla bodywash!”

“Good save!”

“That was good, huh?”

The mirth between them was abundant, every bit of it feeling as right as rain after an abundance of drought. The look Tarah gave him was teasing, her eyes narrowed seductively as she stared at him. Nicholas suddenly realized his breathing was short, coming in heated gasps. She bit down on her bottom lip, and he felt the heat surge deep into his core. He missed the sensation of an erection, hating that the faint twitch of muscle between his legs wouldn't amount to much of anything. He shook his head.

“What?” Tarah asked, concern simmering in her gaze. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shook the sadness away. “If I asked, would you let me touch you?”

“Are you asking?”

“Maybe.”

Tarah shifted forward in her seat. “Exactly what is it you're looking to touch?” she asked, her voice dropping slightly.

A slight smile pulled at his full lips. “You have beautiful...curves. I would really like to just hold them in my hands. Maybe let my tongue dip into your belly button while my fingers...well...dipped a little lower.” He winked at her. “I'd also like to pull my hands through your hair, maybe even tug on it a time or two.”

“You like to play rough?” Tarah giggled.

His smile widened, his eyebrows lifting suggestively. “As rough as you want me to.”

“Sounds like we have much to look forward to,” she said softly.

“So you'd let me touch you?'

“The day I become Mrs. Nicholas Stallion, you can touch anything you want. This will all be yours!” she said, her hands fanning across her body.

Nicholas laughed. “Tease!”

Tarah chuckled with him, and then she yawned widely, hiding the gesture behind her open palm. “Excuse me!”

“Don't do that. You know it's contagious!” he joked as he mimicked her.

Tarah rose from her seat and rested her mug on the nightstand. Then she crawled into the bed beside him and he wrapped his arms tight around her torso. “Are you tired?”

She nodded as she rested her head against his chest, her hand pressing over his belly button. “I am,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering open and then closed.

Nicholas reached to turn off the light by his side of the bed. “One more question,” he said.

“Yes?”

“When are you going to say that you love me?”

She lifted herself up slightly to stare down at him. Moonlight reflected across his face, shadows flickering back and forth. His expression was intense, the light searing his dark eyes. “I say it every day. At least I try. I might not say it with those words, but I definitely work hard to say it with my actions.”

“Why are the words so hard for you?”

Tarah paused, pondering his question. “That was
two
questions,” she finally said, deflecting the conversation. She rested her head back against his chest.

A wide smile filled Nicholas's face. He brushed his hand across her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good night, Tarah,” he said.

“Good night.” She cradled her body against his, settling down for the night. It was only a matter of minutes before her breathing eased, the inhalations deep and slow, slumber beginning to take hold of her.

He kissed her forehead one last time. “I love you, Tarah,” he said softly as he closed his own eyes. “I love you more than anything else in this world.”

She smiled, and then she whispered back, “I love you, too, Nicholas. Heart and soul. Now and always.”

Nicholas grinned into the darkness, allowed the words to swell like a balloon inflating around them. And then he laughed, Tarah's last comment bringing him immense joy, that balloon now sailing sky-high.

“And now that we got that out of your system, I hope we don't need to revisit it again. If we do, then I think we'll need to address your insecurity issues. But we'll have to bring in some help then, because that's not my specialty. They have other doctors for that.”

“I think I'm good,” he said, still chuckling warmly.

“You should be. You are the only man who has ever heard those words come out of my mouth.”

“So, are you ever going to say them again?”

“I'll have my moments.”

Nicholas said, “I appreciate the warning!”

Tarah gave him a light squeeze, and he hugged her close, tightening the hold he had on her as they both drifted off into the sweetest dreams.

Chapter 10

“D
o you love him, Tarah?”

Tarah smiled. Her mother's question was unexpected. They had been talking about work, catching up on family news, and Tarah had asked for her mother's baked spaghetti recipe. The question had come on the heels of her telling her mother that Nicholas wasn't a fan of canned tomatoes.

“Because it sounds like you've fallen in love with this young man, baby girl!” her mother proclaimed.

Tarah took a deep breath. “Nicholas is very special, Mama, and he makes me feel special. I do love him. I love him so much.”

“And how does Nicholas feel about you?”

“He tells me he loves me every day, and I believe him.”

“I'll be honest, baby. Your father and I had some concerns when you insisted Nicholas move into that house with you. His medical problems are a lot for a person to take on, and we were worried that it might distract you from your goals. Senior even told Mason to tell you no, but you know your brother!”

Tarah smiled again, making a mental note to call her eldest sibling to say thank you. Since the day she'd been born, she'd been able to count on Mason for everything. He had claimed her as his baby, and there had been nothing she had ever wanted that he had denied her. She didn't show her big brother nearly as much appreciation as he deserved. “Mason
adores
me!” she exclaimed.

“Mason
spoils
you!” Katherine laughed.

Tarah laughed along with her mother.

Her mother continued. “Your daddy was fascinated with that young man the last time we were there. Nicholas made quite an impression on him.”

“They really got along. They went skeet shooting, and Nicholas let Daddy beat him.”

Katherine laughed. “No one
lets
your daddy do anything. You know better than that!”

“Do you think Senior will give us his blessing?”

“Did Nicholas ask you to marry him, Tarah?”

“We've talked about it.”

Her mother blew out a soft sigh. “Baby girl, your daddy and I only want you to be happy.”

“Nicholas makes me very happy, Mama. He loves me and I love him.” Her voice dropped an octave. “I've loved him since before his accident. And watching him go through his struggles and seeing the kind of fight he has in him, I only love him more.”

“Then we will love him, too!” Katherine said.

Tarah grinned, her joy filtering through the phone line. “I have to go, Mama. I have a patient I need to check on.”

“Give Nicholas our regards. I'm going to come visit next month, I think. Kamaya has some conference in San Diego, so I plan to go with her. We'll stop in Los Angeles to check on Guy and Dahlia, and then we'll come to see you. But you and I will talk again before then.”

“Thanks, Mama! I love you,” Tarah concluded.

“I love you, too, baby, and I'm very excited for you.”

After disconnecting the call, Tarah dropped her cell phone back into the pocket of her white lab coat. She checked a patient's chart one last time before signing off on the request for an increase in his pain medication.

She was only slightly surprised to find Dr. Harper standing behind her when she turned, the man staring at her intently. Dr. Harper had become an unwanted fungus, showing up in the most unlikely places to wreak havoc on her comfort levels. His behavior was just shy of harassment. Despite her efforts to keep things as professional between them as she could, he seemed to garner great joy from pushing her buttons and crossing the boundary lines. She was just a signature away from filing a formal complaint with human resources and potentially ending her own career at Phoenix Hope.

She took a deep breath, forcing the hint of a smile onto her face. “Dr. Harper. I didn't see you standing there.”

“Dr. Boudreaux.” His gaze shifted from her face, down the length of her body and back again. It was as if he were stripping her naked with his eyes.

Tarah crossed her arms, the gesture obvious.

He smiled. “How is our patient?” he asked as he took a step closer to her.

“Our patient?” Tarah took a step back.

“Mr. Stallion. How is he doing?”

Tarah nodded. “Nicholas is doing exceptionally well. Thank you for asking.”

“I saw that he has an appointment with us this week. He'll see me and Dr. Charles. There's nothing to be concerned about, I hope?”

Tarah gave him a look, annoyance furrowing her brow. “He's fine. I know his appointment with you is just a regular follow-up.”

“And the urologist? Is that a regular follow-up, as well? Or is he having some...problems?” The man leered at her.

“He's fine.”

“You can never be too sure in situations like this.”

“We're sure,” Tarah snapped. “Nicholas is well, but we appreciate your concern.”

Dr. Harper took another step closer, narrowing the space between them. He leaned toward her, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “Well, I'm here if you need me,” he said.

“We won't,” Tarah quipped.

Dr. Harper quickly turned on the heels of his leather shoes and moved in the opposite direction. Once he was out of sight, rounding the corner to another hallway, Tarah exhaled the breath she'd been holding.

She stole a quick glance to the watch on her wrist. Harper had unnerved her, his presence always making her feel squirrely. Despite her best efforts, it was becoming harder and harder to hide her growing dislike for the man. She'd once held him in high esteem, but the respect she had for him when she'd arrived as a first-year resident no longer existed. She found him mean-spirited, manipulative, condescending and controlling. Her rejection had been a bitter pill for him to swallow, and he'd been making her pay for it ever since. He had berated her in front of patients, criticized her skills to colleagues and just been an overall ass whenever he thought he had an audience. But she'd refused to allow his personal feelings about her to impact her goals. She'd become a formidable challenge, holding her own against him in the operating room and not biting her tongue when she knew she was right.

She suddenly needed to vent her frustration and knew Dana would understand her vexation. They'd become a support group of sorts, holding each other up after the doctor's frequent childish tantrums. With the exception of her friend, Tarah had kept the verbal and emotional abuse to herself, handling it by her lonesome. She didn't dare tell Nicholas and get him riled up. He still needed the doctor's professional skills. Despite the man constantly irritating her, Dr. Harper was on point with his patients and his teachings.

Tarah reached for the phone on the desk and dialed down to the other nursing station. Dana answered on the first ring.

“Please say you have time for lunch,” Tarah quipped.

“I can meet you in the cafeteria in five minutes,” Dana answered. “And boy, do I have some gossip for you!”

* * *

Tarah passed the physical therapist leaving the home as she pulled into the driveway. The two exchanged a quick greeting, the man giving Tarah a thumbs-up about Nicholas's progress.

As she moved into the home, she found him still in the pool's heated water, floating on his back. An old jazz song was playing over the sound system. After a quick change into her own swimsuit, Tarah chose a more upbeat musical selection before she joined him outside.

Nicholas was hanging onto the side of the pool, his legs extended out behind him. His eyes skated the length of her body. She wore a little yellow print bikini that fit her lithe body like paint. His mouth dropped open, his eyes bulging with appreciation. It had to be a crime for any one woman to be that stunning, he mused, admiring the contrast between the yellow fabric and her warm, honeyed complexion.

As she moved in his direction, he realized he was holding his breath, his heart beating like thunder in his chest. He shook the fog he'd fallen into from his head, needing to find something else to focus on, so he figured he'd pick an innocent fight.

“Justin Bieber? Really?” he quipped, pretending not to be amused with her song of choice.

“I like Justin Bieber.”

“Well, I was enjoying Regina Carter.”

“She was playing a violin.”

“Your point?”

“Justin wasn't playing a violin.”

Nicholas shook his head. He bobbed down into the warm water, then lifted himself back up. “It's a jazz kind of day, Tarah.”

“Don't get your knickers twisted in a knot. Your jazz is still in rotation. I just added Justin's new album to the mix.” She eased into the water beside him. “I've had a Justin kind of day.”

“Was it that bad, baby?”

Tarah laughed. “Why would that be bad? It could have been a really good day.”

“You needed Justin. That says it all.” He leaned over to kiss her lips. “By the way, you didn't have more clothes you could have put on?”

“Why, you don't like my swimsuit?”

“I love your swimsuit, but you might as well be naked.”

Tarah shrugged. “That's doable.”

He leaned closer to her. “There's a quiver of heat burning in my swim trunks right now. If anything pops off, we are having sex. We will recite our vows and then I'm making love to you. I'm just putting you on notice. You can blame that little bitty bikini, because you look damn good!”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “If anything pops off while we are here in this pool, I will not put you on hold. We'll have our wedding night right here, right now.” She reached between them and lightly trailed her hand across his crotch.

Nicholas closed his eyes and chanted. “Pop off, pop off, pop off, pop off...” He opened one eye and feigned a pout. “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!”

Still giggling, Tarah pushed herself off the side of the pool and swam one lap to the other end. She turned and swam back, pausing once again at Nicholas's side.

“Your therapist said you had a good workout. Are you tired? Do you need help getting out of the pool?”

“Nope! And it was a great workout. But the water feels really good. I'm not ready to move back into my chair. I'm on a mission right now,” he said, lifting his eyebrows suggestively.

Nodding her understanding, Tarah swam a second lap, enjoying her own time beneath the water. The tension that had tightened the muscles across her neck and back was suddenly gone. She swam back to Nicholas's side again as he watched her. When she'd finished five laps, her breathing labored from the exercise, she swam to the concrete steps that led into the pool and sat down. Nicholas was already sitting there, leaning back against the pool wall with his arms outstretched. With both his hands he lifted one leg and then the other to shift his body some, giving her more room beside him.

Tarah leaned her torso against his, allowing herself to melt easily into his arms. Nicholas wrapped his arms around her and drew her close as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I missed you today,” he whispered softly.

She smiled. “I missed you, too.”

Tarah sat with him for a good long while, the Arizona sunshine beaming down on them. The light reflected off the crisp blue water, and from where they sat, the mountains in the distance reflected off the wet surface. “That would make a beautiful painting,” Tarah said as she pointed out the imagery for him.

He nodded as he looked where she stared, following the line of her index finger. “Too bad neither one of us paints,” he said.

Tarah laughed. “Are you hungry?”

“I'm actually starving. I didn't eat lunch today.”

“Why didn't you say something?” Tarah asked as she stood up.

Nicholas shrugged. “I knew I'd eat. Eventually. I was just enjoying this time with you.”

“Let me help you get into your wheelchair,” she said as she stepped out of the pool to pull his chair closer, maneuvering it to the edge of the pool.

Nicholas shook his head. “I'm good. Why don't you go on in? Put some clothes on or something. I'll be right there.”

“Are you sure? I can help...”

“I said I can do it.” His tone was abrupt, and it stunned Tarah.

A wave of concern pierced her expression for a second, but she forced a smile onto her face. Taking a deep breath, she tossed him a nod of her head as she moved across the patio and stepped inside.

Standing in the doorway, Tarah watched him. An air of sadness had flooded Nicholas's face, and she found it disturbing. She wanted to rush back to his side to make him smile. He sat alone for a good few minutes, lost in thought, and as she studied him, she would have sworn that he was praying. His lips moved slightly, and tears misted his eyes.

When he finally moved, she took a step back behind the curtains, not wanting him to catch her observing him. She watched as Nicholas lifted himself onto the edge of the pool. His muscles bulged, his upper body strength extraordinary. He scooted his backside over until he sat in front of the chair, turning so that he could grab the chair's arms with his hands.

It happened in a split second, Tarah suddenly realizing her mistake. She cried out, calling his name as she rushed back through the door. But it was too late. When she'd moved the chair, she'd forgotten to lock the wheels in place. As Nicholas used all of his might to push himself up into the seat, the chair slid abruptly from beneath him, rolling off into the grass. It threw Nicholas off balance and he fell hard, hitting the concrete with a loud thud.

* * *

“It was an accident!” Nicholas said, his voice raised. “I will have accidents!”

Tears streamed down Tarah's face as the emergency room physician set his arm in a cast. She was talking to Nathaniel on speakerphone as she explained what had happened.

“It was all my fault,” Tarah sobbed. “I was trying to help. Now I've set him back two steps.”

Nicholas shook his head. “Tarah, it's no big deal. You act like it's the first time I've fallen. I forget to lock the wheels on my chair sometimes, too!”