Jeremiah by Kris Michaels
Chapter 10
“Son of a bitch!” He jerked at the bite of pain and dropped his drill before he grabbed his hand. The board had splintered when he drove the wood screw into a hard knot of the treated board. A four-inch shard embedded itself in the side of his hand. About a half-inch of the wood was under his skin.
He dropped to his ass from his hands and knees where he’d been screwing down the last of Eden’s landing. He had four to go and he’d be damned if a splinter was going to stop him. He carefully worked the big piece of wood out and wrapped his bandana around his hand. He’d clean out the entry point and fish out any shards left after he finished. Muttering curse words, he retracted the screw and moved over an inch, driving the four-inch wood screw through the plank he was installing, deep into the platform’s supporting beams. With the last board in place, he stood up and let out a low groan as he straightened his back. His spine popped several times. It took another hour to affix the hand railing and wooden lattice work around the landing. The one he replaced didn’t have the lattice, but he thought it finished off the space. Eden could put out a small table and chairs on the landing and enjoy the garden warmth of the sun without nosey neighbors having an all-access pass to what she was doing.
His t-shirt was drenched in sweat as the afternoon sun baked down on his back, but the feeling of accomplishment was extraordinary. He’d just finished putting away his tools in the heavy box he’d found at Gen’s when the back door opened. Eden gasped. “Oh, my goodness, look at this! Thank you so much!” She stepped out onto the landing with him and jumped up and down on her toes. “This is so much better. I never realized how bad these stairs were until you said something.” She reached out and touched the railing. “Oh, my. I’m going to paint this white and maybe put some plants out here. And a couple chairs. This is perfect. Thank you so much.”
He chuckled and caught her when, in her exuberance, she hopped on her toes over to him. “You’re welcome, but don’t go down those stairs yet. I’ll get the risers tomorrow and it will be a couple days before they’ll be completely replaced.” He lifted his hand and she caught it.
“What happened?”
He glanced at the bandana and shook his head. “Splinter. I pulled most of it out. I’ll get the rest after I shower.”
“I can do that for you. I’m a master splinter-remover.” She nodded at the apartment. “That way you can go down the inside stairs.” She glanced at the box holding his equipment. “Your weight and that box full of stuff, I’m not sure why they didn’t collapse under you.”
“Easy.” He bent down and lifted a rope out of the box. “I tied it up, and after I made it to the top, I pulled the boards and the box up. I had to risk my life two more times to retrieve the handrails and lattice, but they weren’t as heavy.”
“Well, come in and we’ll get that sliver taken care of.”
He grimaced and shook his head. “I smell. Let me go take a shower. When I come back you can look at it.”
She took a tentative step closer. “Thank you.” She stood on her tiptoes and he leaned down for a kiss.
“It was my pleasure.” He kept the kiss soft and intimate. The racing need he felt this morning wasn’t gone. God, no. He wanted this woman, but he wasn’t going to lose his self-control twice in one day.
Eden lowered from her tiptoes and broke the kiss. “Go so you can come back.” The sexy-as-fuck look on her face would tempt him to walk over shards of glass with bare feet. He’d go—and he’d definitely be back.
* * *
Jeremiah knocked on the clinic door at six-thirty. The sleepy little town had rolled up its sidewalks for the night. Well, if Hollister had sidewalks, they’d be tucked away. The wood porches on the buildings constituted the majority of the walkways and a few paver stones through dirt-packed areas were randomly placed to aid a person from one building to another.
Eden opened the door. Damn. She’d changed into a summer dress and was wearing heels. He made a show of bending sideways to look at the three-inch platforms. She laughed, kissed him on the cheek since he was bent down, and twirled to go up the stairs, speaking as she moved. “Stop, my toes were getting a workout.”
Watching her go up the stairs was a treat. The muscles of her trim legs led to those thighs that he wanted to discover with his tongue and fingertips. The thought of driving this woman crazy with need and then pushing her over the top and crashing with her had been vibrating under his skin since this morning.
When they got to the kitchen, she pointed at a chair. He glanced over and a sterile pad was spread across the table with a set of tweezers, a small scalpel, and butterfly bandages. He glanced at the red and festering wound where he’d pulled the wood from his skin. There was definitely something left in there. He dropped down into the seat and she took her place in front of him. Laying a sterile sheet on her lap, she positioned his hand so she could see better. She used the scalpel to lance a small piece of the skin that had been separated when the splinter punctured it. She removed the embedded shard in less than ten seconds. “There. May I suggest wearing gloves in the future?”
“Then I wouldn’t get such personalized service.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
She broke off the kiss and shook her head slowly from side to side as a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
He slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her back to him. “Not for you. Never for you.” The slow heat he wanted to build smoldered, banked against the thrill of discovering every inch of her body. She placed both hands against his chest and pushed gently. He released her immediately.
“The food is going to be ruined if we don’t eat soon.” She stood up and handed him a butterfly bandage. “To keep that clean until it heals.” She disposed of the rest of the implements and the sterile pad before she handed him a bottle of wine. “I don’t know if you like white wine, but I thought it would go with the chicken. Would you mind opening it?”
“Of course.” He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but the fact she’d gone out of her way to make the dinner nice fueled that little spark in his gut that knew this woman was special.
He opened the wine and sat it on the counter. “Do you want me to set the table?”
She glanced over at him from where she’d removed two plates full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. “I’ve already done that.”
He glanced at the kitchen table and back at her. She nodded to the back door. A smile flashed and she gave a self-conscious laugh. “It’s only a card table and folding chairs, but I thought the idea of eating al fresco was too tempting to pass up, and now that I have a private area to do that, well, it was a no-brainer.”
“Would you like me to carry those out?” He lifted his hands to help.
She shook her head. “I’ve got these. Would you bring the wine and open the door?” He snagged up the bottle and they made their way out to the landing he’d just finished. She’d put a bright yellow spread over the cloth with red napkins and white place settings. The total effect was attractive in a home-spun way. After she placed the food, he withdrew her seat and she blushed as he assisted her. Or perhaps the blush was fanned by the kiss that he placed on her cheek before he sat down.
“This looks amazing.” He poured her a glass of wine and then himself. “When did you have time to cook this?”
“I didn’t have any patients on the schedule today and Allison was the only one who stopped by in the morning and then Gen came over this afternoon to visit. She’s so glad you’re here. I think the tiff she and her mom are having is hard on her.”
He used his knife and fork to cut the juicy meat from the bone. “My mother is a unique individual. I’ve talked to my father about her constant pressure on Gen.”
“Did she tell you what that jerk did to her?”
He nodded and took a bite. He lifted a hand and chewed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is my Grandma Wheeler’s recipe.”
“It is, Gen gave it to me right after she moved in. We were having a community social, and I was volunteered to bring chicken. She made a massive pot of Jambalaya. It knocked everyone’s socks off.”
“I can only imagine.” He chuckled and cut another bite and added a bit of homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. If it was physically possible for his eyes to roll into the back of his head, his would have. “You, my dear, are a fantastic cook. Your demure last night had me expecting boxed macaroni and cheese.”
Her eyes popped open. “Yeah? You like it?”
He nodded again, bringing another bite to his lips. “Absolutely heaven after all the work today.”
She took a bite and glanced around her. When she finished, she waved her hand. “This is like my own little haven. I researched hardy garden plants. Allison recommended lilac bushes. I think I’d like to plant one in each corner and then maybe have tulips and tiger lilies in between with grass everywhere else. I could lay out in the sun and not be self-conscious.”
He set his fork down as he listened to her dream about the little yard below. “It sounds like a lovely vision for the space.” He could imagine her in a bikini, but he’d like to take her to a tropical paradise and show her the magnificence of a Caribbean sunset. He picked up his fork when he realized the directions of his thoughts. Dreaming of a future wasn’t healthy, not when he knew that this was a temporary relationship.
“Oh, I heard Declan was released today. Zeke said he’d be bringing him up either today or tomorrow.”
His eyes flicked up to meet hers. “So, he’s talking to you?”
She nodded. “We are the primary health providers for the county. Zeke has four counties for which he provides coverage, so me being here full time helps ease his patient load. The other counties don’t have a practitioner, but they are more sparsely populated.”
A slither of jealousy crept forward from some unknown place and he slapped it back to whatever netherland it had sprouted from with a firm shove.
“How is Declan doing?”
“According to Zeke, he probably would be dead if you hadn’t reacted so quickly.” She looked over at him and winked. “I think that hurt him.”
He chuckled. “Well, I can understand why. I have something he wants.” He reached over and caressed her cheek.
She blushed wildly and reached for her wine. “Are you ready for dessert?”
He glanced down at his plate which he’d demolished in record time. He wiped his mouth and extended his hand. “I am, but I don’t want pie.”
She placed her hand in his and glanced back at the table. “I should clear this.”
“It can wait.” Jeremiah backed her into the side of the house and lowered to kiss her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he took his time. His hands traveled over her small, tight body. The soft roundness of her breasts filled his palm and he wanted her out of that dress. Her hands had unbuttoned his shirt and spread it open to explore his chest. He broke away and growled. “Bed.”
She nodded. “Yeah. Good idea.” He released her only to get them inside. She opened the door and he closed it after them. He waited until she opened her bedroom door before spinning her and lifting her by that pert little ass. Her legs wrapped around him as did her arms. He opened one eye long enough to set a trajectory and lowered her gently into the soft cover of the queen-sized bed. He stood and toed off his boots, stripped out of his shirt, and unhooked his belt. He reached into his pocket and dropped a line of condoms onto her bedside table, and yeah, he wanted to use every last one of them.
Eden sat up in the bed and watched, and when he stopped moving, she stood on her knees and slipped the summer dress over her head. He swallowed hard. Her body was beautiful. She wasn’t skin and bones; she had curves, ones that he wanted to know intimately. Her breasts lifted with each of her breaths and the tight, dark pink nipples were a siren’s song. He unfastened and unzipped his jeans, shucking both them and his boxers in one shove.
She sucked an audible breath of air. “Wow.”
He lifted an eyebrow and a smirk formed across his face. He couldn’t have prevented it if he’d tried. She’d given him every man’s dream complement in one word. He cupped his shaft and stroked it from base to tip. He wasn’t huge, but he wouldn’t be embarrassed in a locker room either. He kneed onto the bed and she laid back, her legs spread to welcome him. He traced a finger up the inside of her leg and stopped at the lace panties that she still wore. “Do you like these?” he asked, and he put a finger under the thin elastic band that held them up.
“Wh—what?” She blinked up at him, obviously not tuned into his question, which, holy hell, made him harder if that was possible.
“These, they’re very nice. Any sentimental attachment?” He lifted his finger a couple times, indicating the panties.
Her brow furrowed and she shook her head. “No, wh—”
He grasped both sides of the elastic and pulled, snapping the material and baring her. “Jeremiah!”
He dropped down on top of her and took her lips. Fuck him, he was acting like a caveman, but her moan against his mouth told him she didn’t mind. He broke the kiss and started down her body. Her scent was fresh and floral, and her taste was delicious. He kissed and tongued down her neck and across her collarbone before he lowered to her breasts. Her softness was an aphrodisiac that fogged his senses and heightened every touch. He softly rolled the nipple of one breast as he kissed and tongued the other, swapping to give each the attention their beauty demanded. His free hand traveled lower, splitting her sex and delving into her slickness. Centering over her, he lifted to her lips again. Jeremiah reached out and grabbed the string of condoms. Tearing one off, he dropped the others next to them and made quick work of sheathing his hard-as-diamonds cock. He lowered over her and took her lips as he found her center. Carefully, he worked his way into her. She tilted her hips at each thrust, and they moved in concert until he buried himself deep within her. Reaching under her shoulders, he cupped them and held her in place as he used long, deep strokes to move them both closer to an orgasm. Her sex was slick and hot, confining and yet freeing. The way her body hugged his made him lose any will to be anywhere else but here with her. He felt her tremble and sped up.
Her fingernails dug into his biceps and her body tightened like a bow as she arched off the bed. Eden pushed out a guttural moan and her body rippled around his cock, clenching and tightening in waves before she dropped, spent and boneless.
He lowered his lips to her shoulder and kissed it gently before he moved inside her. Chasing his own release, he held her tightly to him and crashed through his orgasm. He tightened his jaw, yet still his growl of release echoed off her bedroom walls. He lifted a bit to give her air and to see her.
Her eyes were closed, her full lips partially open, and her face was flushed with a dark shade of rose. She blinked and opened her eyes. Her hands traveled up his biceps to his shoulders. “I think you broke me.”
“Shit, sorry.” He jolted and tried to move off her.
She grabbed him, stronger than he would have believed. “Not in a bad way. Believe me, not in a bad way.”
He chuckled and kissed her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, and then you can tell me how I broke you in a good way.” He lifted off the bed and padded into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He glanced at the mirror, and yeah, that look of satisfaction was one he hadn’t seen in years.
She was laying on her side, her arm under her head when he returned. He slid on top of the soft cover with her and mimicked her position. “You were saying?” He leaned forward to kiss her on the nose.
Eden sighed and smiled at him. “I’m sure you get this a lot, but that was fantastic.”
He shook his head. “It’s you. You were the reason. You have to be because it’s never felt this… right before.”
She lifted her eyes from where her fingers were twirling in his chest hair. “It does feel that way, doesn’t it?” He nodded and she continued, “I was afraid that after four years, building up what Riley and I had in the past… I was afraid I wouldn’t find this again, you know?”
“This?” he asked her as he pushed her hair from her cheek.
She closed her eyes. “Wanting someone. Needing someone.”
He pulled her closer and held her, understanding that tonight she’d taken another step away from her dead husband. “I don’t think he would have wanted you to be alone. Do you?”
She sniffed a bit and burrowed closer to him. “He wouldn’t have.”
He let her rest on his arm and held her close as she processed the events of the night. Finally, she arched her back and lifted an eyebrow.
He chuckled, “Yes?”
“You’re being a doctor right now, aren’t you?” She lifted up on her elbow and stared down at him.
“Maybe just a little bit.” He lifted his hand and made a pinching motion with his thumb and forefinger.
She smiled at him and pushed his long hair off his forehead. “Thank you, but I’d like the leather-clad biker dude back now.”
He grabbed her and hefted her onto his chest as he rolled. “What can I do for you, wench?”
She laughed and slipped off the bed, grabbing his shirt. “You can bring me the dishes from the back landing.” She put on his shirt and laughed as she buttoned it up. The tails came down to her knees, and man, it did things to him to see her in his shirt. She rolled up the sleeves while he put on his jeans, commando. He zipped them but didn’t bother fastening them or the belt. “I’ll wash, you get to dry.” She stood on her tiptoes and pulled him down for a kiss. “Thank you.”
He wrapped her up in his arms and returned the kiss. “I think I should be thanking you, but we’ll worry about the manners portion of the night tomorrow morning. I have so much more in store for you tonight. I hope you don’t have too many patients on the schedule.” Kissing her one more time until they were both breathless, he let her go and headed out of the bedroom to gather the dishes. The sooner they were done with being responsible adults, the sooner they could use every one of the condoms he’d brought with him.
