Chapter Fourteen
The swoosh of the elevator doors sounded particularly loud as Sienna exited. She checked in with the nurse at the charge desk, then walked down the hall toward her father’s room.
She knocked softly and, with a deep breath, pushed open the door. Jase immediately straightened from a chair to one side of the bed, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he moved toward her.
“Sorry I wasn’t here earlier.” Her gaze tracked to Declan, lying in the hospital bed with his eyes closed and a sheet pulled up to just below his chest. He looked peaceful. Silver whiskers shadowed his jaw and a long tube peeked out from the gap in the front of the hospital gown, attached to a heart monitor next to the bed.
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered. “He only woke up for a few minutes, then drifted back to sleep.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“The doctors believe he’ll make a full recovery. They did an angioplasty for a blockage in one of his arteries and inserted a stent to keep it open long-term. He’s going to need to finally take his diet more seriously, and we’ll need to make sure he starts exercising regularly. But if we can convince him to give up the junk food and make his health a priority, he should be around to be a pain in the butt for a good while.”
She laughed softly. “Cheese puffs,” she murmured. “I remember him loving cheese puffs. He’d deny it, but his fingertips were always stained orange.”
“Still loves them,” Jase confirmed. He took a step back and looked her up and down. “You look nice.”
She smoothed a self-conscious hand over the front of her dress. “I borrowed it from Paige. I had... I went out... I was having dinner when you texted.”
“With Paige?” he asked, one thick brow lifting.
She shook her head but didn’t give any more information.
“Then it must have been Cole.” His tone was low and fairly disapproving.
“He’s your best friend,” she pointed out. “Is there some problem with me having dinner with him?”
“You’re my sister,” he answered, as if that explained everything.
It was odd but sweet to hear him refer to her in that way, sounding both overprotective and exasperated. It was clear Jase couldn’t explain how they’d gotten to this place any more than she could.
She raised a brow. “From what I heard, not that long ago you wanted Cole close to me so he could make sure I didn’t have any evil plans for my time in Crimson.”
One side of his mouth curved. “Evil isn’t quite the right term. Things changed. I’m not trying to chase you away, Sienna, and Cole is a friend. But he’s not a long-term bet for a woman.”
“Who says I’m interested in that?”
“No one.” He shook his head. “But I hope you’re in our lives for the long term. It’s taken too many years to get to this point, and I don’t want anyone to mess that up. Dad can handle that all on his own.”
“I’m stuck in this damn bed,” a gravelly voice said, “and you’re going to diss me.”
“When did you start using the word diss?” Jase asked as they both turned to the bed, where Declan had propped himself up against the pillow.
“My neighbor has a twelve-year-old boy. He downloaded Urban Dictionary on that fancy phone you got me.”
“Lord help us,” Jase muttered.
Sienna moved to the side of the bed. “How are you feeling, Dad?”
Declan stared at her for a moment. “You called me Dad,” he said, adjusting the sheet. “I should come close to dying more often.”
“Don’t even think about it,” she countered.
“I’m fine, baby girl.” He lifted one thin shoulder, then let it drop. “It takes more than a wee clogged artery to finish me off.”
“I’m glad.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “You gave me quite a scare.”
“Let’s be clear.” Declan looked between the two of them. “This episode had nothing to do with Sienna. It was me and the fact that I can barely remember to put the toilet seat down, let alone take my heart medication every day.”
“I know,” Jase told him, affection clear in his tone. “You were lucky Sienna was with you when it happened.”
“True dat,” Declan said, nodding.
Sienna stifled a laugh and glanced at Jase.
“Overmedicated,” he said in a stage whisper.
Declan laughed. “No such thing.”
Sienna felt a strange sense of happiness bubble up in her chest. It was surreal to be here with her dad and brother, a family gathered when someone needed help, making light of a situation that had clearly scared all of them.
“How do you feel?” She let go of his hand and moved the chair closer to the bed.
“Like a herd of cattle trampled over my chest.” He shrugged. “Pretty normal.”
“You shouldn’t make light of it. Jase said they’ve talked to you about diet and exercise. You need to comply with the doctor’s orders.”
Declan looked past her to Jase. “Did you pay her to say all that?”
“She cares,” Jase answered, “even though you probably don’t deserve it.”
“I definitely don’t,” her father agreed.
“I care,” Sienna murmured, still surprised to find it was true. Not just because she felt guilty that she’d been arguing with her father when he collapsed. She wanted him to be well. She wanted a chance at some kind of relationship with both of these men. The feeling of abandonment that had been her companion for so long was slowly fading, replaced by the bright glow of her newly forged connection.
Her father met her gaze for a long moment, his blue eyes tired but tender as he seemed to drink her in.
“You two should go,” he said gruffly. “You’ve seen that I’m gonna make it. Go home and get some rest.”
“I’ll stay for a bit,” Sienna said immediately. “Jase can go. He’s been here all day.”
Jase rubbed a hand over his whiskered jaw. “Are you sure? I can—”
“Your sister will stay,” Declan said, and Jase gave a small smile, seeming pleased by his father’s use of the word sister.
Sienna was secretly pleased, as well. She appreciated this unfamiliar sense of belonging.
Jase gave her a short, somewhat less awkward hug than before, then squeezed his father’s shoulder. “Rest,” he said. “You’ve got a new granddaughter to meet in a few weeks, so you’ll need plenty of energy.”
“I promise,” Declan answered, and Jase left the room.
“You want to talk more about all the things I did wrong?” her dad asked when they were alone.
“Of course not. You’re in a hospital bed.”
He raised a brow. “It’s the perfect location. I can’t leave and they’ve got paddles all over this place if things go south.”
“That’s morbid.”
“And a joke.”
“At least I know I didn’t get my sense of humor from you.” She adjusted her dress, then picked an invisible piece of lint from the fabric. “Thanks for not dying.”
“Your sense of humor has hope after all.” He waved a finger at her. “Why are you all dolled up tonight?”
“I was out to dinner when Jase texted to say you’d woken.”
“With Cole Bennett?”
She shrugged. “I had to eat.”
Declan tipped back his head and laughed. “Well played, baby girl. Not that I have any business doling out parental advice, but be careful with Cole. I have enough demons that I’ve gotten damn good at recognizing them in others. Our sheriff is a stand-up kind of guy, but he’s got some of his own stuff to work through. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“That sounded suspiciously like parental advice.” She adjusted her position on the chair, settled in to the cushions. “I doubt anyone can top the issues I’m dealing with on my own.”
Declan shook his head. “You’re not like Cole. But you do what you need to. Jase and I are here now, and we’ll catch you if you fall.”
She swallowed against the emotion rising in her chest. Yes, she’d grown up with a mom and stepdad. She’d never been alone, but somehow she’d felt it all her life. The idea that there were now people in her corner made her heart sing.
Declan leaned back against the pillow, and she watched as his eyes drifted closed. Pretty soon he was softly snoring. She closed her eyes, feeling a greater sense of peace than she had in years.
* * *
It was still dark when Cole opened his front door, revealing Sienna standing on the porch.
“Did I wake you?” she asked, the corners of her mouth pulling down. She still wore the gorgeous dress from the night before, the fabric wrinkled in places. Her long hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and there were smudges under her eyes that looked like they’d come from lack of sleep. She remained the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
“It’s ten minutes to five,” he answered, stifling a yawn. He’d thrown on an old T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts on the way to the door. “Even the birds aren’t awake yet.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, taking a step back. “I’ll go so you can—”
“Not so fast.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, lifting her over the threshold and swinging the door shut with his foot. “I’m awake now and damn glad to see you.” Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he breathed in the scent of her, his body revving to life in an instant. “Tell me about your dad.”
“He’s fine. I spent the night at the hospital.”
“Big step.”
“It felt right. He and Jase and I had...” she shrugged, as if not sure what words to choose “...a moment last night. It was like we were a family.”
“You are family,” he reminded her.
“But for the first time, I felt it.”
“Good for you, Sienna.”
“When I left the hospital, this was the only place I wanted to go.”
“Good for me,” he whispered.
She ducked her head, smoothed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “Any chance you’ve still got the brownies I spied earlier at the bottom of the cooler?”
He chuckled. “Now I understand why you’re here. I’m playing second-string to Katie’s brownies.”
“Only a little,” she admitted.
They walked to his kitchen and he handed her the box of brownies while he took a gallon of milk from the fridge. “Unless you want me to make coffee?”
“Milk is fine.”
She lowered herself to one of the chairs at his kitchen table. His breath caught as he watched her in the simple task of unwrapping the sweet treat. Cole had been living alone for a lot of years, and he liked it that way. He was a solitary person by nature, but Sienna looked like she belonged in his house. She made it feel like a home, something Cole hadn’t allowed himself to have in a long time.
He brought the milk and two glasses to the table and pulled out the chair next to her. She took a small bite of the brownie, her pink tongue darting out to catch a crumb that clung to her bottom lip.
She didn’t say anything more about her dad, and Cole didn’t ask, content to share these quiet minutes with her.
Content wasn’t a word he normally associated with himself, but he was smart enough to appreciate the new sensation.
And when Sienna stood and took a step forward, so close the front of her legs brushed the inside of his thighs, he stayed perfectly still, not wanting to do anything to screw up the moment.
She bent forward and kissed him, tasting of chocolate, and right now Cole was the biggest sugar addict on the planet.
“Can we finish the rest of last night now?” she asked against his mouth. “Or do you have to get ready for work?”
“I’ll make time for you whenever you want.” He straightened, scooping her into his arms as he did. She felt right there, and his heart sang as she settled in against his chest.
His house was simple, a two-bedroom bungalow that hadn’t been updated since the mid-seventies. He didn’t care about much other than a clean set of sheets, a stocked fridge and a big-screen television. For a second, he wondered what Sienna thought of it. Clearly, she’d grown up in an affluent community in Chicago, and he guessed most of her previous boyfriends had fast cars and fancy houses.
“I love it here,” she whispered, as if she could read his mind. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
He walked into his bedroom and set her down, cupping her cheeks between his palms. “I don’t deserve you,” he said, then inwardly cringed. Why the hell did he have to go and admit something like that?
Her eyes clouded, then she gave a small shake of her head. “You’re a good man, Cole. Don’t try to deny it.”
Now that he’d said the words, he couldn’t back down from them. “Jase was smart to warn you off of me. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
The unwavering confidence in her tone did funny things to his insides, loosening parts of him that had been tightly caged for so long. The sensation was both exhilarating and disturbing, like he was a toy top spinning out of control. He held on to Sienna to ground him.
He breathed her in, then kissed her until his doubts had returned to the shadowed recesses where they lurked. She pressed closer, moaning softly when his palm grazed the underside of her breast.
“You’re sure this is what you want?”
She took a few steps away, reaching her hands behind her back. The soft whir of a zipper being undone filled the quiet room. “Can I ask you a question?”
He sucked in a breath and nodded as the fabric of her dress dipped below her shoulders.
“Do you really think I came here for a brownie?” She wiggled a little and the dress pooled at her feet. She wore a black lace bra with matching panties and his knees threatened to give out. He already knew her body was perfection, but somehow this felt different. She was choosing him. Claiming him for her own.
He loved every second of it. Loved everything about this woman, not just her body but who she was on the inside—who he was when they were together. He paused as the implication of the emotions tumbling through him hit home. He couldn’t love Sienna. He wouldn’t let himself fall in love. Cole had seen how love could ruin a person. It had destroyed his mother, and he’d never make himself or anyone else that vulnerable.
He forced the breath in and out of his lungs, willing himself to stay in the present moment. Here with Sienna.
“Should I give you a hint as to the answer?” Color flooded her cheeks as she pulled out the elastic that held back her hair. Blond waves fell over her shoulders, and she tugged on her lower lip.
“I seriously do not deserve you,” he whispered, “but I’m damn glad I’ve got you right now.”
One side of her mouth kicked up. “So what are you going to do with me?”
“Everything,” he answered as he shucked out of his shirt. He reached for her, and they fell to the bed together in a tangle of limbs. He nipped on her earlobe, and she skimmed her fingernails along his back.
He stood for a moment, pushing his boxers and shorts down over his hips.
“You’re still wearing too much,” he told her, arching a brow.
She lifted her back off the bed and unclasped her bra, letting the straps ease down her shoulders the same way the dress had earlier. This impromptu striptease was even sexier, and he reminded himself he was a lucky man to have this woman in his bed. In his life.
She reached for her panties, but he moved forward and brushed her fingers out of the way. “Allow me.”
He tugged them over her hips, then pushed apart her legs, taking in the heavenly view he had of her body from this vantage point.
His hands moved along her thighs until he reached her center, and he almost lost himself when she arched off the bed, moaning as he touched her.
“Cole,” she said, her voice hoarse, “I don’t think—”
“That’s right,” he interrupted, “no thinking right now.”
He couldn’t resist following his fingers with his mouth and was rewarded with a soft cry and the word “Yes.”
She continued to make the most beautiful little noises, finally crying out as he felt a tremor snake through her body. He reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom, then entered her in one swift thrust, unable to hold back any longer.
Sienna wrapped her arms around his neck, and they moved together, pressure building in Cole as she whispered his name. Pleasure burst over him like a shower of stars, brilliant and bright, and Cole never wanted the moment to end.