Temporary Home (12 page)

“I know, I’m sorry I haven’t come by more.”

Dean turned his head to where Eric stood. “Good to see you again, Eric.”

“You too, sir.”

“Are you still at the academy?”

“Yes, sir. Top of my class this year.”

“Good for you, son. Good for you.” Dean looked back at Sam. “How’re things at Second Chances?”

Leave it to Dean to worry about things other than himself. “You concentrate on getting better.”

“Sam,” Dean warned.

“Everything is fine. We’re almost finished with all the restorations. That large room will be all squared away for Christmas. I’m going to get a tree for them next week.”

“So the painting’s all been done?”

“Yes, sir. Roxi helped out and finished that while I fixed the bathrooms.” He touched Dean’s arm. “Please don’t worry about that. You need to focus on getting better.”

“How’s Laila?”

Shit.
He’d not even thought about her today. He licked his lips and took a breath. Roxi brushed against him and he met her gaze.

“We’ll give you some time to talk and be back in a bit.”

He didn’t want her to go but somehow managed to nod. She reached between them and squeezed his hand again and immediately he felt better. Her strength had been added to his own. He’d faced death numerous times and had barely blinked, but to see Dean, his mentor, his father, lying so close to death, scared the hell out of him.

Roxi smiled at Dean and took his hand as well. “I’ll be back to see you, Dean. Going to give you and Sam some time to talk. I think your room needs some flowers.”

Just that like, she and Eric were gone.

“Sit down, Sam.”

He sat. “Laila is fine. I spent Thanksgiving with her yesterday. And your son and his brothers.”

“Sam Hoch, you listen to me and listen well.”

He straightened in the chair automatically at the firm tone. Years of doing so had his response so quick and instinctive, it didn’t matter that the man delivering the order lay swallowed up by a hospital bed.

“Yes, sir?”

“Look at me, son.” The order no less present but the tone softer, somehow.

He did. Immediately he found the dark brown eyes belonging to a man he’d respected above all others watching him.

“You know I think of you as my son. Always have. Ever since that first night I helped you up from that puddle in Minnesota. That’s never going to change, Sam. I don’t care if a hundred boys come in claiming to be sons of mine. You, Sam,
you
are my firstborn. Always will be.”

Their gazes were locked for a few moments but Sam felt the gravity of the words all the way down to the marrow of his bones.

“Yes, sir.”

Dean nodded and closed his eyes briefly. “Now. Tell me what is going on between you and that lovely Ms Roxi.”

His heart sped up at the mere mention of her. Still, he shook his head. “Nothing. She is letting me stay at her house.”

“You’re not staying with Laila?” Some concern leached into his question.

Thinking fast, Sam shook his head. “No. With Dean Jr, Chris and Tom all there we didn’t want it to be such tight quarters. Roxi graciously volunteered her guest room.”

“Always could tell when you were lying, Sam.” A wry grin. “But this is okay. So what’s going on with the two of you?”

“Me and Laila?”

That greyed eyebrow rose. “No. She’s your sister, I’ve always known that, despite her childhood crush on you. I know you’ve never viewed her in any other light. You and Roxi.”

“Nothing,” he reiterated his first claim.

“Right. You know, son, if you want people to believe that, you should probably stop watching her so intently when she’s in the room with you.”

He’d been doing that?

“Sam, there is nothing wrong with it. Roxi is perfect for you.” Dean reached out and grabbed his wrist. “You are allowed to find someone to settle down with. Allowed to realise that there is more out there than just a temporary home.”

He didn’t even try to deny it, he just shrugged. Dean was well aware of his fear of committing to anyone other than the Marine Corps.

“You know how I feel about that, Dean.”

He’d been left so many times as a child, he felt it was better if he didn’t make any long-term plans or hopes with others. Disappointment was bound to happen. As had been proven with his would-be fiancée.

“Son, you can’t continue to go through life like that. I won’t be around forever and I want to know you are with a woman who lights up your entire world. Hell, even some children would be good. Some grandkids for me to bounce on my knees.” Dean took a deep breath. “I want to know you’ll be taken care of.”

“Someday,” Sam hedged.

“I think ‘someday’ has arrived for you, Sam.”

There was a knock on the door and Roxi entered with Eric. Dean glanced pointedly between them and Sam.

“Promise me you’ll think about it. Give it a chance.”

“How are we doing?” Roxi asked as she moved up to the bed, again on the same side as Sam, even though her gaze lingered on Dean.

“You light up the room with your cheer, Roxi.”

“Dean, you’re an old charmer. I see what the nurses meant now.” She turned her head and met Sam’s gaze. His heart fluttered as she bestowed her smile on him. “I brought you a coffee.”

He took it, unable to ignore the spark which flared up as their fingertips grazed along one another. Swallowing, he focused back on Dean.

“Thank you.” He dragged some chairs over for her and Eric to sit in before returning to his previous seat. As he listened to Roxi, Eric, and Dean chat he tried not to touch her thigh. Her leg pressed against his and he could feel her warmth through to his soul.

“You okay?” Her whisper had him looking up to find her gaze upon his face.

He tightened his hand around the base of his cup so he wouldn’t grab her. “Yes.”

It was a lie. He was far from okay. His life had suddenly begun to spin out of control and most of it was due to the woman sitting right beside him. Roxi, with her large, thickly lashed brown eyes, firm lips and a figure which would make a saint willing to sin. If a person managed to make it past the outside packaging then they were confronted by a woman who had a heart of spun gold.

She cocked her head slightly to the side, as if assessing the truth of his singular word. But she didn’t press him for any more, only gave a nod and focused back on the interaction between Eric and Dean, occasionally chiming in with a comment of her own.

When the nurses came in, Roxi, Eric and Sam rose to leave. He hung back a bit while Roxi pressed a kiss to Dean’s cheek and whispered something in his ear. Eric said farewell then he moved back as well. Stepping up to the bed, Sam stared down at the man lying there.

“I’ll be back,” he promised.

Dean nodded and gave an exhausted smile. “Thanks for visiting. Remember what I said, Sam.”

“Yes, sir.”

The trio left and once they were in the elevator he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Up for lunch?” he asked.

“Yes please,” Eric said. “I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving, Eric,” Roxi teased.

“Roxi?”

“Sounds great.” Her gaze was soft when she looked at him.

He herded them out of the hospital and into the parking lot, not at all ready to stop spending time with either of them—especially Roxi. They climbed up in his truck and he peered over the seat and asked Eric where he wanted to eat. After making sure it was okay with Roxi, he drove them to the restaurant.

Lunch was full of laughs and teasing. Mostly between Eric and Roxi but he definitely enjoyed himself. Afterwards he took them home. Pausing in the driveway beside Roxi’s vehicle which still sat out front, he thought about that—that he’d begun to think of her place as a home. It didn’t matter that he’d only been living there a short time—not much more than a month.

Once he’d parked, everyone got out and headed inside. He hesitated when someone outside called his name. Hitting the button to open the garage again, he found Laila standing there. She was bundled up, her teeth chattering.

“Hey, Sam.”

“Laila.” He gestured at her. “What are you doing out here? Especially if you’re so cold.”

“I was looking for you.”

He put his keys in his pocket and approached her. “For?”

“I thought you might want to have lunch.”

“Sorry, we grabbed a bite to eat on the way back from the hospital.”

Her expression fell. “Oh. Have some time to talk?”

“Of course.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Come in?”

She shook her head. “No, I think it’s better if we go to my house.”

“All right.” He walked towards her and together they headed over the short distance to her home. Hearing the garage door lower behind him, he glanced back but didn’t see anyone.
Damn, I should have told her I was leaving.

Entering Laila’s house now was so different to when he’d first arrived there. There was the lingering scent of cigarettes and booze in the air. He frowned and looked at the woman beside him.

“Sorry about the mess,” she said. “I’m still working on getting the smell out.”

“What happened?”

“Dean Jr and his brothers weren’t exactly nice houseguests. I sent them to a hotel today and I’ve been cleaning since I got home from work, left early. Just can’t seem to get the stench out.”

He wrapped his arm around her. “You okay?”

She shook her head and sobbed, leaning into him. “I feel like everything is falling apart. They hate me, Roxi hates me and you’re staying with her.”

He furrowed his brow at her outburst. “Roxi doesn’t hate you.” At least, he didn’t think so. He’d never got around to asking what
had
occurred between them. “And I was staying with her to make it easier on you.”

She peered up at him. “You can stay now.”

Trouble was, he didn’t want to leave Roxi. “All right,” he said, willing his jaw to unclench.

“I’ve cleaned the guest room and it has fresh sheets and all of that. It will still smell a bit like smoke, but it’s much less now than it was.”

Cigarette smoke was the least of his worries. He’d bedded down in places that smelt much worse than smoke. “That’s fine.” A deep breath. “Let me go get my things and truck.”

She smiled up at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. There were times when she was just so cute and innocent-looking.

“I’ll be here.”

Another deep breath and he walked out of the house and through the cloudy, cold afternoon back to Roxi’s. He went in through the garage and waited out there until the door had shut completely and shrouded him in darkness. Torn. That was how he felt.

He entered the house and was amazed by the difference. He immediately felt warmed and comforted in her place.

“Roxi?” he called out.

“Back here,” she replied.

He spun on booted heel and headed towards the back, hoping her ‘back here’ was the laundry room because he honestly didn’t know if he would be able to control himself if she was in her bedroom. She stood in the hallway, a basket under one arm. She’d changed out of her jeans into a pair of cobalt-blue, cotton workout pants. And he still wanted her just as badly.

“Need me to do any laundry for you?” she asked.

He shook his head. Lord, she was beautiful. She’d removed her ponytail so her hair fell freely along the gentle curvature of her face to grace her shoulders.

“What’s up?”

“Laila…” He swallowed.

Roxi brushed by him. “Laila wants you back over with her.”

“Yes.” How did she know?

“Okay. Just leave your garage door opener on the table.” She walked into the small laundry room and set the basket down on the top of the washer.

Wait. That was it?
He stole a glance up the hall and saw Eric’s leg from where he sat in the chair playing a video game. Then he stepped into the tiny space after her, spun her around, and blocked her in with his arms and body.

Her expression was cool when she met his. “Yes?” she questioned with an arch of her brow.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”

He lowered his face to hers, eyes locked, breath coming faster and sharper.

Roxi couldn’t breathe without being engulfed by the masculine scent which screamed
Sam!
to her body. Her legs trembled at the fierceness in his features. All those angles she wanted to touch with her fingertips, trace with her tongue.

“What else is there to say?”

She couldn’t ignore the throbbing of her clit as he drew closer. All he’d have to do would be crook his finger and she’d follow him anywhere. If he’d just promise to soothe the unending and seemingly increasing ache within her.

“You tell me.”

Focus, Roxi. This isn’t about how damn good he smells, how wonderful his hard body against yours feels. This is about…um, what the fuck were we talking about?
Her brain scrambled for her and thankfully found the answer she needed.

“Sam, I offered you a place to stay because there wasn’t room at Laila’s. If there’s room now, then go. That’s fine.”

A deep rumble emerged from his chest and she knew he wasn’t pleased. Why? She had no clue. She licked her lips and tasted him. Hell, the man hadn’t even kissed her and she was so desperate for him her mind was conjuring up his taste on her lips.

“You stubborn woman.”

She scoffed. “I’m stubborn?”

“Why don’t you just say you want me to stay?”

“Why don’t you tell me you want to?” she countered.

His face closed up and she knew he wouldn’t. Or couldn’t. Before she could contemplate that any further, he’d taken her mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss. Without thought, she arched into him, pressing herself as close as she could get without actually climbing up his body.
Although that idea has merit as well.

He dominated her. Took what he wanted and once she’d surrendered that, he took even more. His tongue thrust deep, touching everywhere only to retreat and do it all over again. She shivered and rubbed against him. Her moan was eaten up by his mouth.

Deep strokes. Feathery strokes. All kinds with one purpose. To drive her out of her mind with desire and lust. It worked.