Instinctual 2 (7 page)

“I know, baby. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to put pressure on you. You’ve been through so much in the last few days, the last thing I want to do is add to your burden. I just wanted to tell you how I felt. That’s never changed.” He reached his hand out to her arm as he turned on his side to face her. “Hey, come back here!”

Gently pulling her down, he rolled onto his back again and rested her head on his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere ever again. As much as I hope you’ll love me again, I can’t ask for that. I don’t even deserve to have you in my arms. I’ll just have to take what I can get, no matter how much more I want.”

They fit so well together with Jake’s strong arms keeping Kate cocooned against him. He made her feel safe even if it was only temporary at that point.

Loving Jake was never the issue. Having your heart torn in two and then expecting to pick up where you left off just wasn’t reasonable. She needed time to get over everything that had happened. Sometimes love just wasn’t enough.

She was comforted by Jake’s words, though. She was going to need to lean on someone with the days and weeks ahead. She hadn’t even begun to deal with Carlos yet and she wasn’t sure how she would, when or if she ever woke up.

“I’m sorry I can’t offer you something more. It’s too soon.” She ran circles around one of his nipples, softly without even being aware she was doing it. “I want to stay here for a while though until I get my head in order. There’s too much to cope with back home.” It was more wishful thinking than anything else.

“You can stay as long as you need to but at some point you’re going to have to return to your body. You won’t have a choice and neither will I.”

Kate knew deep down that staying at Jake’s mansion for any great length was an impossibility as much as she yearned for the solitude. She needed to find a way to save Jake before it was too late. Time was running out for him as well.

“We need to figure out how we’re going to get you out of that hell-hole. Have you got any bright ideas?”

“Well, I seem to be pretty good at getting your father’s attention. Maybe we could use that approach again.”

“We could always write him another note.”

Jake toyed with his chin and then laughed. “There’s only one problem with that, my dear Watson. Your dad has taken up permanent residence at the hospital. How is it going to look when a piece of paper, apparently levitating in the air, moves through the ward with no one holding it?”

Kate hadn’t thought of that. People would be able to see the piece of paper moving but no one holding it. That would surely put a few more patients into the cardiac ward.

“So what do you suggest?”

“I don’t know yet. Right now I just want to spend some more time here with you, like this. Can we just forget about everything and be happy, even if it’s just for today?”

Kate kissed Jake’s neck, absorbing his smell into her. Even out of his body he had an alluring scent. She’d recognize it anywhere. Woodsy and spicy with a hint of something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it was unique to Jake. She needed him without commitment. To forget for a while and just be in the moment.

“I’m sure we can think of something to keep us amused.” Kate smiled and looked up at Jake through her lashes as she ran her index finger over his shoulder in large circles, feeling the muscle underneath.

“Hmmm. I like how you think, Kate.” Jake went in for a kiss but was met with Kate giggling as she turned her head and pulled away from his embrace, getting out of bed and standing up.

“I wasn’t talking about sex, either. I was talking about a swim!” Kate had a mischievous, lazy grin plastered on her face. She wasted no time turning and running straight through the bedroom doors, out onto the sand and down to the water’s edge.

Jake followed her and caught up just as Kate stepped into the water. Tugging on her arm, he pulled her, causing them both to over-balance and fall into the water with a splash.

Rather than be offended, Kate laughed fully, enjoying the carefree moment, something she hadn’t experienced in such a long time. She felt like she were on some glorious holiday as she boldly splashed Jake in the face.

“Oh, you want to play that game, do you? Well, okay then!” He picked her up and strode out deeper, throwing her as hard as he could into the water. Her squeal of delight had him glowing brightly and produced a radiant smile. She loved to play and he loved to play with her.

They were compatible in so many ways, not just in the bedroom. Kate loved to be spur-of-the moment just like Jake, and together they had had some wild adventures in their time together. His face was painted with joy as he watched her swim towards him. She hoped he couldn’t read her mischievous smirk.

Without warning she disappeared under the water. It was nearly impossible to see in the briny haze but she could make out Jake’s shape, so she latched on to what she thought was his thighs and pulled hard, hoping to make him lose his balance and fall into the water with her. It worked to some degree but he regained his balance. Two hands fumbled under the water, feeling her shoulders, and then they made their way under her armpits to haul her up.

She playfully struggled, not really wanting to pull away, but not making it easy for him, either. She splashed some more water in his face as she broke the surface before he grabbed both her wrists and held them together with one hand, while keeping her steady with his other hand on her waist. Without warning his mouth hungrily found hers, moving sensuously, his tongue played with just the tip of hers. She responded without even having to think about it, and as Jake let go of her wrists, her hands found his wet hair, fisting it in an attempt to get closer.

The sun’s intense rays felt glorious even though they didn’t need the extra heat. The energy emanating from both of them was enough to power any city for a year.

“Why can’t I get enough of you, Jake?” Kate was panting.

“You never could, baby. That’s why we’re so good together.” Jake’s feet touched the solid, sandy bottom as he leveraged Kate so that his erection was just touching the tip of Kate’s primed opening.

“Tell me you want me,” Jake crooned, teasingly playing with her ass.

“I. Want. You,” Kate said in between kisses on Jake’s muscular neck. “Always.”

Jake slammed into her, the water making them both feel weightless.

Kate cried out as she threw her head back so that the tips of her hair touched the water behind.

She was ready to erupt then and there but carefully contained herself as Jake held her still until the searing heat eased somewhat. He knew exactly what he did to her.

“Put that mouth on me, Jake! God, I love everything about your mouth!” Kate forced Jake’s parted lips onto her breasts, pushing her chest forwards, not waiting for a reply.

He bit her nipples, working them hard until they ached, Kate’s abandoned whimpering eliciting a husky rumble from him that she could feel vibrate through her.

“I can’t get close enough. I need more! Give me more, Jake!” It was an urgent plea.

As if that were even possible. He was inside her as far as he could go, branding her with love bites, his hands brutally pulling her closer. His lips looked bruised from sucking her skin, his fingers red from their possessive kneading.

Jake’s mouth moved to Kate’s open mouth, filling it with his tongue as she thrust herself against his hips again and again.

“Move to the shore. I want you to take me from behind!”

Jake didn’t need to be asked twice as she kept him attached to her while he walked to the shallow edge where he placed her down gently then disconnected for a second while Kate turned over onto all fours.

“Now that’s a sight to behold,” Jake growled, running his fingers over her bare backside that was pointed upwards before crashing into Kate.

He seemed to be able to get deeper from that angle, pleasing Kate as she moved onto her forearms so she could angle herself higher for Jake.

“Ahh, yeah! That’s it! Mmmm. Harder, Jake! You won’t break me.”

He upped the pace to breaking point. “Is this what you want, Kate? Is this what you need?”

“Yessss,” she keened, never wanting to stop. When one of his hands started rubbing her at the front, she nearly let go. “Don’t stop. Nearly there!”

As Jake slapped against her, cursing with pleasure, Kate let go with such force she blacked out for a second as a tsunami of sensation rocketed through her from head to toe. She jerked violently, screaming at Jake how much she loved the feel of him, head flailing about backwards and forwards.

The muscle contractions inside Kate pulled Jake’s orgasm from him as he spurted an endless spray of thick fluid deep within Kate’s core again and again until he was totally drained.

Feeling Jake’s hot lava spilling into her set off another wave of vibrations through Kate that were so intense she felt every molecule of energy explode into a thousand blinding shards as they both collapsed in a heap in the shallow water of the exquisite beach.

Chapter Eight

Kate’s physical body lay in intensive care after eight grueling hours in surgery. The shattered femur had to be pinned and screwed back together and the bleeding in the abdomen had taken longer to stop than first anticipated. Her heart had to be restarted for the second time that day and it had been pretty hairy for a while. Under normal circumstances surgery might have been delayed but because of so much internal bleeding the risk had been necessary. The next forty-eight hours would be crucial and doctors still weren’t ruling out the fact that she might not make it. Careful monitoring around the clock was needed and there were no visitors allowed until the following day. She’d been placed in an induced coma and was on life-support.

Nurses could fuss and do their thing without being interrupted. There was much to do. Administer medication through an intravenous line, regular blood tests, take blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels, and changing any medication in accordance with test results. Bathing the patient while in a coma would be carried out every other day.

Robert was in for a long, uncomfortable night. Jenny would be at the hospital the next morning, so together they would find the strength to get through the harrowing days to follow.

He tried to get comfortable in the waiting room but even with the padded chairs it was a fruitless attempt. Restlessness had already taken hold and wouldn’t loosen its grip until he could see Kate.

When the surgeon had delivered the news that she’d survived surgery, it had only marginally eased his anxiety. She was far from stable given that her heart had stopped again. Waiting to see her was driving him insane. He just needed to hold her hand and talk to her even though she wouldn’t even know he was in Italy. His baby girl. She was so close and yet he was unable to go to her. It’s not as if his presence would cause her to go into cardiac arrest again. He was her father, for fuck’s sake! Even if she could sense his presence it would surely only assist with her recovery. But no. The hospital had strict rules for ICU patients and he would have to suffer the painful hours until morning, trying to stay positive. Kate had made it thus far against the odds. That was a good sign, right? Over the hurdle of the fall itself and then the arduous hours of surgery. Everything that could be done by the team of surgeons and specialists had been done and now her body needed to heal. She needed to wake up and come back to her family.

There was no way Robert would get any sleep. The five strong coffees had seen to that. He was exhausted physically and mentally so he thought by shutting his eyes he would be out of it in no time. Not the case when his only child was fighting for her life down the hall and at any second she could give up the fight.

The plasma television hanging from the opposite wall was playing some cheap sitcom but the vacant stares from the few people that had joined Robert in the waiting room told him that they were looking but not seeing. Listening but not hearing.

Robert looked at his watch and realized only half an hour had passed since he’d last looked. 8:45 p.m. Damn!

I can’t sit here all night twiddling my thumbs. I need to do something.

Getting up and walking to the nurses’ station, he asked very slowly so they could understand him where the chapel was. It was time to start praying.

Chapter Nine

Kate and Jake had spent the remainder of the day and evening wandering around the island in their ethereal forms, lounging around the mansion talking, making love, holding onto the time they had together.

Kate loved the island. It was absolutely stunning with its untouched beaches and lush foliage. The solitude was bliss. Jake’s mansion was the only structure of any kind tucked into the bosom of a hilly rise that led to a cascading waterfall that ran into a clear, deep lagoon surrounded by smooth, mossy rocks that littered the banks, perfect for sunbathing. Not that they had done that because without the solidity of their flesh and blood bodies they could only absorb the energy from the sun into themselves, which was invigorating in itself and left them feeling strengthened and more dynamic than ever, but it wasn’t sunbathing.