Chapter 14
Sienna
“Any word on when I can get the hell out of this dump?” Tessa asks the nurse, who is busy checking her blood pressure. “All these sick, old people work on my nerves.”
“Doc wants to watch your vitals a bit longer,” the nurse replies sweetly. “Use the time to your advantage. Try to relax and get some rest.”
“I haven’t spent this much time in bed since my honeymoon,” Tessa grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest when the nurse finishes. Arching her brow, she shoots the nurse a spiteful glare. “At least then I had eight inches of mouthwatering incentive keeping me on my back.”
Grabbing her things, the nurse hightails it out of the room as fast as she can. “Tessa,” I scold, rolling my eyes. “You can’t keep being so snarky to the nursing staff. If you stroke out, you’ll need one of them to like you enough to come in here and save you.”
“Ah, horseshit,” she huffs, waving me off. “I swear on Captain Morgan’s peg leg, if I don’t get out of here, they’ll be the ones that’ll need saving.”
Thanks to all the help from Matt and the girls, I was able to focus on the baking and decorating that I needed to get done, while took orders from me on the rest. Once we finished and got everything cleaned up, Matt managed to talk me into grabbing a quick bite for dinner before going to see Tessa at the hospital. Being the nice guy that he is, he decided to follow me over and see how she is doing. A decision I am sure he is regretting right about now. To say Tess is upset about not having been released to go home yet is an understatement.
She is about to insight a riot.
“Tess, I don’t think Captain Morgan had a peg leg,” Matt informs her, as I try to picture the label on the bottle.
Her head snaps in his direction, gaze hardening. “How the hell is you being a goddamn know-it-all helping, right now?”
“Careful, Tessa.” Reaching over, I pat her knee. “Keep being so sweet, they’ll want to keep you here forever.”
“Yeah,” Matt says, clearing his throat. “In a medically induced coma.”
“You’re lucky you’re cute, Hunk P.D.,” Tessa deadpans, letting out a harsh breath. Her eyes drop to the bakery bag at my feet. “What you got there?”
“Matt and the girls helped me out today. He even made you muffins.” Removing the box from the bag, I hold it out to her. “Cherry cheesecake.”
“That’s the six that didn’t end up in the floor,” Matt adds, flashing her a smile.
“Or is it?” I ask, winking at him.
“Nicely played,” Tessa mutters, opening the box. “Bitch.” Yanking out one of the muffins, she eyes it carefully, even giving it a sniff before peeling back the paper and taking a huge bite. “They’re horrible,” she mumbles, taking another bite. “Still, they beat out the shit on a shingle they’re trying to serve me here three times a day.”
“You’re welcome,” Matt says, smugly.
Finishing it off, she grabs another. “Yeah, yeah,” she blurts around another bite of muffin. “Congratulations on making something mostly edible. Now, if you really want my gratitude, you’ll put on some scrubs and wheel me the hell out of here.”
“We aren’t jail breaking you from the geriatric ward,” I inform her, shaking my head. “Keep being so salty, they’ll call for a psych evaluation and a seventy-two hour hold.”
“Like I’m old enough to be in the geriatric ward,” she bites out, sounding offended. “Heard that nephew of mine let the Hope Town Whore walk right out of his jail.”
“Which one?” I giggle, shrugging my shoulders. “He nabbed more than one.”
“I think we know exactly who I meant,” she answers, pressing her lips into a hard line. “That little shit needs a lot more than a cock shot with a tire iron. Although,” she nods thoughtfully as she chews. “That was rather inspired given his past transgressions.”
“That has nothing to do with now,” I ground out, not wanting to discuss it.
“Like hell it doesn’t,” she argues. “Revenge is sweet, Sienna. And it’s a dish better served cold.”
“So revenge is ice cream?” Matt blurts, walking over and sitting on the arm of my chair.
“Did you bring ice cream for me to go with your ass-tasting muffins, you handsome little shit?” she asks, blinking slowly as she stares at him. “No? It’s best you don’t mention something if you have no intention or ability to give it to a woman. That refers to any kind of pleasure, be it inches or savory desserts.”
“Tessa, if you or Briggs are feeling like defending my honor again, or whatever ridiculous bullshit you can think up to justify assault, I will beat the both of you bloody with my rolling pin.”
“Talk about abusive,” she mutters, tossing the muffin wrapper into the box. “Do you see what you’ve gotten into bed with, Sargent Stud-Muffin? Violent little hussy and her kitchen utensils will be the death of all of us.”
Pushing to my feet, I bite back a laugh and shake my head. “Bitchity boozity bite me.”
After making sure Tessa isn’t going to harass the night staff to the point of needing an insanity plea, Matt and I tell her goodnight. I don’t argue when Matt informs me that he is following me home. I feel like that would only be wasting valuable time that could be spent stripping his clothes off.
Opening my front door, I step inside, not missing Matt’s satisfied grin when my alarm starts chirping. “Ugh,” I mutter, throwing down my keys. “This thing is like a nagging wife. Shut the fuck up already.” Moving toward the keypad, I punch in the code to silence the damn thing.
“That nagging means you’re safe,” Matt breathes, leaning into my ear as the tips of his fingers skate long my hip. “It’s a good sound.”
“You do realize I’ve never had any issues with my safety before, right?” I ask, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back against his shoulder. “I can’t really remember a time when I felt like I was truly in danger.”
“Are we going to argue about using the security system,” Matt asks, kissing along my jaw. Tugging my dress up my thighs, he slips his hand into my panties, cupping my pussy. “Or can I get you naked now?”
“You’re distracting me with sex,” I breathe, reaching back to grab onto his hip as his fingers find my clit.
“Fuckin’ trying,” he growls low in his throat. “Is it working?”
“Obviously,” I sigh, rolling my ass back into him.
“Great,” he growls, grinding his erection into me as his teeth sink into my earlobe. I moan, writhing against him shamelessly. “Now strip.”
“Bossy ass man,” I grumble, pulling my dress over my head and draping it over the banister.
Matt flashes me the same devilish grin from before. “We’re not in your kitchen anymore, sweetheart.”
“I’ve noticed, smartass,” I tease, throwing my bra at him. Shimmy my panties down my legs, I kick out of them, my eyes taking in his still fully clothed body. “Want me to undress you, too?”
“I don’t want you to undress me, Sienna.” Stepping behind me, Matt’s hand covers one ass cheek, palming it roughly. “I want you to bend over.”
“Huh?”
He stops me when I attempt to turn and face him. Instead, he lays a path of hot opened mouth kisses down my neck, to my shoulder before playfully biting down.
“Ah, fuck!” I cry out, my body aching.
“Don’t make me wait, baby.”
Squaring my shoulders, I take a step forward. Bracing my hands on the step in front of me, I do as he asked. Flattening his hands at the back of my thighs, Matt slowly slides them up, stopping at my hips. “You have the sexiest ass,” he growls, yanking me back hard against him.
“Glad you like it,” I moan, feeling his erection pressing against me through his jeans. “I’m sort of attached to it.”
“Yeah, babe.” Taking a step back, Matt kneads my flesh with both hands. “That makes two of us.”
“Another thing we have in common?” I ask, taunting him.
His hand comes down hard on my ass, the slap radiating throughout my entire body. And while I yelp from the sting, my hips rock back, seeking more of his touch. It’s addictive and I am afraid I will never get my fill. His hand lands in a different spot each time, the delicious burn spreading like an uncontrollable wildfire. I am helpless to do anything other than take everything he is giving me. Bite of pain, taste of pleasure. The anticipation of what is coming next is agony, yet I find myself soaking up every second like I will die without it.
My eyes squeeze shut when his hand slides between my legs, two fingers plunging inside me. “Soaked.” Gripping my thighs, he drops to his knees. “Spread your legs wide for me. Stick out that ass and offer me that pussy.”
Sweet mother Mary and her slutty sister Susie.
“That filthy mouth of yours should be a registered weapon,” I breathe, barely hanging on to my composure.
“Mmm,” he hums appreciatively, pressing his lips to my clit.
“Oh God.” The words fall from my lips on a long rush of air.
Matt teases me with torturously slow flicks of his tongue. Rocking my hips, I seek more of his mouth, which he is quickly able to control by shifting our bodies so that my hip is pressed to the banister. Call it greed, or desperation, but every cell in my body pulses with a need that only grows hotter and hungrier by the second. Matt isn’t having any of that. It is very clear, without any words, that he is not giving away one ounce of power here. Working my clit with his fingers, he thrusts his tongue inside me, my body shaking with my impending climax.
“Please, Matt!” I cry out, clinging to the step to keep me upright as my knees start to buckle.
The sound of glass shattering has me bolting upright, a scream tearing from my chest as I try to turn and see what the hell is going on. Shifting his body, Matt yanks me back against his chest, shielding me. With his body wrapped around mine, he rolls us to the side of the stairs, positioning me safely between him and the wall.
“Fuck!” he shouts, releasing me and leaping to his feet. “Stay down.” Snatching the throw off the chair, Matt charges across the room.
Sitting up, my eyes widen when I see the shattered window in my living room and Matt struggling to snuff out the flames on my couch and curtains. Ripping the fabric from the wall, he throws it to the ground, stomping it out. “Oh my God,” I gasp, a sob bubbling up in my throat. “What the hell was that?”
“Need to call this in,” he informs me, drenching the last of the burning cushions with the water in the vase of fresh flowers I keep on my coffee table. “Clothes, Sienna. Now.”
“O-okay,” I stammer, my hands trembling as I get to my feet.
Scrambling, I manage to get back into my bra and dress while Matt calls the police. My underwear, however, is missing in action. Yanking a small black handgun from his boot, Matt heads for the front door. “Stay here,” he says, pinning me with his stare. “I want to get a look outside.”
Nodding my head, I slip on my shoes, so that I don’t cut myself on any of the shards of glass scattered all over my living room floor. Walking over, I drop my ass down onto the arm of the chair, staring at my now ruined couch and window. I push back the tears that threaten, angry that my emotions aren’t in check.
I don’t understand what is happening. The reasons why are shrouded in clouds so dark that it not only makes me angry, but nervous for what is going to come next. The unknown, that set of spiraling events just beyond my control, have my heart hammering so hard that I fear it will leap from my chest.
Why is this happening?
When will it stop?
How much more am I expected to take?
Hunching over, I brace my elbows on my knees, dragging air into my lungs. Closing my eyes tightly, I feel the tears streaming down my cheeks as I count to ten again and again, wishing that it would help ease the panic swelling in my chest.