Tattoo My Heart (Heroes of Seaside Point, Book 1) (3 page)

He squatted in front of her and took her chin in his hand. “Sweetheart, you might be the doctor, but take it from me, your body is definitely affected. And if you’ll tilt your eyes downward, you’ll see just how affected mine is at the thought of you losing control.”

Her gaze dropped to his pulsing hard-on, which only made matters worse. One look into her eyes told him she wanted it buried as deeply inside her as he wanted. Hell, he was sorely tempted to leave his sister in the bathroom and nail Verity right there in front. And, in his current state of mind it was a perfectly logical solution. Vanessa would never escape and he could test Verity’s theory of how much alcohol she could really handle.

Except, she’d never forgive him for breaking his promise.

A soft sigh left her lips as she moved her gaze back to his. “Travis,” she murmured, “take me home.”

Annessa sat straight up in bed, a move that she immediately regretted when the room spun around her and several million hammers pounded the nerves in her skull. She moaned and eased back on the pillow with the covers over her head. Why on earth did she drink so much?

And how did she get home?

She opened her eyes and snuck a peek at her body. Pink bra and panties. Man’s white, cotton, button-down shirt …

Oh. No
.

Fragments of last night’s events scurried around her fuzzy brain. A fifth shot of tequila. Dancing on the stage. Peeling off her clothing. Casey. Handcuffs.

Annessa moaned again.

“Long night?”

Doom made those stupid hammers pound harder when Casey’s smooth husky tone crept through the covers. Annessa squeezed her eyes closed and swallowed a wave of nausea just before the sheet left her face. She forced her eyes open to find him perched on the side of her bed wearing his trademark woman-eater grin, bare chested, his shoulder-length black hair damp and wavy. The strong aroma of coffee seeping from the mug he held was the only thing that saved his fine ass from hitting the floor.

“What are you doing here?”

“I brought you home.”

Her gaze chased a lone water droplet as it fell from the end of his hair to the top of one shoulder then down his chest until it disappeared, absorbed by the waistband of his jeans. Panic crept up her spine when she noticed the loosened top button of his pants. Very slowly she moved her head to study the pillow next to hers.

“I slept in my old room.”

Oddly, she didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed by his confession. “Why?”

“Because I’m a nice guy, Annessa.”

She rolled her eyes. “So you say.”

He smirked and gestured at the mug with his head. “You want this?”

She sat up, stacked the pillows behind her, then reached forward to accept the warm remedy. She almost screamed when he moved the cup out of her touch.

“Not so fast.”

She frowned. “Casey, my head is about to spin off my shoulders and I feel like somebody ran over me. Please give me the mug.”

“For a kiss.”

Annessa paused, sorely tempted to knock the cup from his hands, crawl on top of his muscled body, and kiss him breathless. Probably the best hangover cure in the world.

“No,” she answered instead.

He raised an eyebrow. “Sure about that?”

Sure? No she wasn’t
sure
. Truth be told, she couldn’t really trust her line of thinking around him. Aggravated with both him and herself, she threw the covers from her body and stood in a huff – or tried to anyway. Unfortunately, her legs refused to cooperate and she was forced to grab his shoulder for support.

He shook his head, grasped her waist with his free hand, and eased her to sit on the edge of the bed. “How much did you drink last night?”

She managed to lift one corner of her mouth. Half a smile would just have to do. “A lot.”

He handed her the mug and she almost purred when the stiff coffee coated her taste buds.

“Why?” he asked.

She kept her lips pressed to the rim of the mug in an effort to stall. The answer was very simple, really. She needed to hide, desperate times called for desperate measures, and in her case that required major encouragement. However, that wasn’t any of Casey’s business.

Annessa swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “It was ladies night out. We were celebrating Vanessa’s engagement.”

“Yeah, from my viewpoint, you were having a pretty good time.”

She squinted one eye and tilted her head to one side. “Just what exactly did you see?”

True to his nature, he didn’t hold back. “In your exact words,
a lot
.” Same old Casey.

“Oh well.” She gave a resigned sigh as if the thought of him seeing her naked didn’t bother her in the least. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

She could’ve sworn she heard
liar
in his low chuckle and her already-touchy stomach fluttered as he tilted her chin with one finger. “Believe me Annessa, I definitely saw things I’ve never seen before.”

“Not my fault,” she mumbled.

“Do you remember anything about last night?”

Annessa groaned. “Not after I asked Blake for another shot of tequila.”

Casey raised one eyebrow. “I told you to say away from that stuff.”

“Exactly.” Mentally she planted her fingers in her ears and stuck her tongue out at him. Very rarely did she
do
anything he suggested, mostly to spite him.

“You said some pretty interesting things.”

Annessa tried hard not to appear desperate to hear how big a fool she made of herself. “How so?”

“You asked me for a roll of quarters.”

She frowned and nodded. “For the shots.”

“No.” He chuckled again. “To bounce off my ass.”

Although not entirely sure she actually voiced that particular desire, she knew one hundred percent she thought it. Still, she wouldn’t admit anything. “You wish.”

“I could find a witness.”

“Fine. I believe you. What else?”

“You think my tattoo is sexy.”

Her mouth watered. The intricate black Celtic band wrapped his muscled left biceps like a rubber band. Inked against his tanned skin, the design drew attention to the power of his arms, a power she knew to be both suffocating and arousing. Sexy did not begin to describe it.

She licked her lips. “I vaguely remember handcuffs.”

Casey shrugged. “Public intox, indecent exposure, assault on a peace officer.”

“Yet I’m in my bed. Half naked, but in my bed.”

“Protect and serve that’s my motto.”

His additional shrug and smooth, sexy smile caused Annessa to bite the side of her cheek. “Anything else?”

“You told me you loved me.”

For about two milliseconds, she contemplated blaming her words on the alcohol. If she’d been as far gone as he claimed, he might actually buy it. Except when she stole a glance into Casey’s brown eyes, the sparkle there blew her fib into a million pieces. Besides, she knew for a fact those piercing eyes were equipped with x-ray vision.

Of course he knew the truth behind her confession. She’d loved him over half her life.

After the sudden death of their parents, Travis had been left at the age of eighteen to raise his twin sisters, twelve years old, spoiled rotten, and on the verge of womanhood. And even after enlisting in the Army, Casey didn’t hesitate to step in and assume the role of surrogate brother. Love him? With every fiber of her being.

“I do love you, Casey. You’re part of my family.”

He loosened her fingers from the coffee cup and set it on the table beside the bed. “I think you and I both know there’s a whole different kind of love between us.”

“In your dreams.”

She prepared for another battle and seriously considered surrendering. Her head just wasn’t in it. Literally.

“Tell me something, Annessa.”

“What now?” she mumbled.

“When did you add my name to your tattoo?”

She swallowed hard. He really did see something new last night. She swallowed again and then hoped for the best as her lie slid off her tongue. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

In two seconds flat, he lifted her makeshift gown up and over her hip. The scripted, black letters still graced the surface of her skin. C-A-S-E-Y still spelled love, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

“Care to change your answer?”

She batted cobwebs from her brain and pressed herself to come up with something to distract him. Unfortunately, alcohol and her roaring hangover prevented her denial.
Fine
.

“When I learned to shoot tequila.”

Another cocky smirk. “You don’t listen very well, do you?”

She moved her hands to cradle her aching head. “Apparently not.”

He stood and instantly she missed his warmth. She had half a mind to yank him back down beside her, curl up against his mountain of chest muscles, and sleep the day away. Then again, maybe the tequila was still toying with her brain.

He tipped her chin with one finger. “I’ve got to go to work. I’ll check on you later.”

She watched him walk toward the doorway, totally mesmerized by the muscles rippling in his back as he moved. Then, as if he felt her stare, he turned and gave her a look of pure male appreciation.

“By the way, Ness, you’re in every single one of my dreams.”

Annessa groaned and threw herself back against the pillows after Casey pulled the door closed. This was
so not
the way she anticipated her return. He wasn’t supposed to play hero, not this time.

She moved her slightly dizzy gaze around the pale yellow walls, meant to soothe her nerves. At least the house provided some small comfort, even if Casey had her nerves in tatters. In her very-carefully planned strategy, she flew into town under the radar, walked the aisle as Vanessa’s maid of honor, and then spent another couple weeks hiding out. Damn that tequila. Naturally he had come to her rescue and she wondered if her traitor of a subconscious hadn’t maneuvered the whole thing.

She lifted the collar of Casey’s shirt to her nose and inhaled a deep breath. God, she missed him. Wild. Musky. Carefree. Many times in the past she had burrowed into the depths of his embrace, comforted by the familiar scent. Did he taste as good? What she wouldn’t give to press her lips to the hollow of his neck and suckle the skin there. Mark him with her own tattoo. Her thighs tightened.

Stop, Annessa
.

She’d buried those feelings six feet under years ago.

With a low groan, she rolled her head to the side and glanced at the clock. Eleven thirty. Vanessa expected her to meet for lunch in thirty minutes. Her stomach turned over. Maybe just a glass of Gingerale.

***

Verity pinched the bridge of her nose and swallowed a wave of nausea while she tossed the last patient’s chart to the top of her desk and eased herself to sit in her chair. Drinking tequila last night had not been one of her brighter ideas. But
oh wow
it had been fun. She, Vanessa, and Annessa had made a pact: Since no one had any real experience with that particular kind of alcohol, all three would drink equal amounts. Problem was, after the third or fourth shot, they’d gotten separated and she had to wing it. She stopped counting after the sixth shot.

She took a deep breath and rested her head against the back of her chair. She never did hold her alcohol well, as last night proved. Especially since she accosted Travis in the hallway near the ladies room.
Stupid, stupid, stupid
.

But, oh so arousing.

She groaned when an electric tingle zapped her nerve endings and settled between her legs, causing her panties to dampen. The time she and Travis shared at least twice a week was something she wasn’t about to jeopardize. The fact he was so agreeable remained a mystery but … who cared? The man was extremely talented.

She squeezed her legs together and wiggled deeper into the depths of her chair. Although they had shared several kisses, that one made her very, very needy. So much so that if the thought had crossed her mind, she would’ve passed out cold just so the sexy paramedic could’ve given her mouth to mouth resuscitation. God, his lips were soft. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to wrap herself around his warm, muscled body like a hungry python, tunnel her fingers through his short brown hair, and lose herself in his kiss.

She wiggled again, vaguely aware of a vibration against her left hip. A small giggle escaped her lips when her thoughts willed that particular sensation closer to the vee of her legs. It wasn’t until the cell phone fell from her pocket that she realized that object caused the naughty turn of her thoughts.

With a small sigh she flipped open the unit. “Verity Thomas.”

“What’s up, Doc?”

Her nerves began their familiar hum when Travis’ smooth, gentle teasing drifted over the line.