Winds of Fortune (24 page)

“What?” Deo asked in a raspy voice.

“The reason that you’re so upset?”

Deo looked down at Nita, her eyes too shuttered for Nita to read. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Nita stood up. Deo was very close, just inches away. Her legs trembled and it was hard to catch a breath. “We don’t have to talk about it.” She skimmed Deo’s forearm with her fingers. “Perhaps with Pia. If you talk about it, a little bit, whenever you can, after a while it might not hurt so much.”

“There are better remedies,” Deo said darkly.

“Drinking only works for an hour or two, and the payback is hell.” Nita smiled tremulously as something raw and dangerous surfaced in Deo’s eyes. A wave of heat engulfed her, and she made no move to escape.

“
This
works every time.” Deo grasped Nita by the shoulders and kissed her, pushing her back until she was pressed against the wall with Deo’s weight upon her.

Nita wrapped both arms around Deo’s shoulders and opened to her, absorbing her hunger through every pore. Her body ignited and she moaned. Deo caressed her breasts as she delved inside her mouth and Nita shuddered. She wanted Deo inside, so badly she was ready to beg.
Fill me, I’m starving. So hungry. So empty.

Deo broke the kiss and buried her face in Nita’s hair. “Nita. I’m going crazy for you. It’s nuts.”

“I know,” Nita gasped. “Maybe we just need to burn it out of our systems.” She slid her hand down Deo’s back and cupped Deo’s ass, pulling her hard into the vee between her legs. The jolt of pressure was exhilarating. “I can’t stop thinking of you inside me.”

Deo groaned. “Let’s go to my place. Now. If I don’t touch you I’m going to end up punching walls.”

Nita grabbed Deo’s hand and pressed it between her legs. “Touch me now.”

“Nita,” Deo gasped. She kissed Nita’s neck, her jaw, her mouth. “We can’t. Not here.”

“Just a second. Only take a second,” Nita urged, opening the waistband of her slacks. “God, I need you.”

“Nita…wait.” Deo shivered, her lips against Nita’s ear. “I want more than a two minute fuck.”

Sylvia’s voice sliced through her mind.
Let me touch you, baby. It’ll only take a second. Let me make you come. You know I love a fast fuck.

“Oh my God,” Nita whispered. Sylvia pushing her against the wall in the stairwell, her hand inside her scrubs, inside her, thrusting deep, fast, until she was coming, coming and crying and wanting more. Sylvia taking her in a frenzy after they’d been forced to spend the evening pretending they were mere acquaintances. Sylvia had taught her that the hunger was all there was, and a moment’s satisfaction was all she would ever have. “My God, I can’t do this again.”

Nita pulled away, needing to brace one arm against the wall to steady herself. She couldn’t look at Deo. “Please. Give me a minute. Just…please go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t.”

“Christ, you were just begging me to fuck you. What happened?”

“I came to my senses.”

Deo grit her teeth. She wanted to grab Nita and shake her, or kiss her until she went soft and hot in her arms again. “Bullshit. What happened? Do what again? Is this about her?” When Nita didn’t answer, Deo’s head pounded with anger and the remnants of raging lust. “Jesus, what the fuck did she do to you?”

Nita shook her head. “It wasn’t her. It was me. I let her.”

“Let her do what? Teach you a minute was all you could have?”

“A minute is all I want.”

“Fuck that. That was all she was willing to give you.” Deo cupped Nita’s chin in her hand and forced Nita to look at her. “I don’t mind a quick, hard fuck. In fact, every time I see you that’s exactly what I want.” She rubbed her thumb over Nita’s mouth. “But it’s going to take more than that to burn you out of my head. All night, remember? That’s the deal. That’s what I want.”

“One night?” Nita whispered, closing her slacks with trembling hands.

Deo kissed her. Long enough and hard enough to bring back the need, then she eased away. “That’s what I said.”

Nita’s body ached. Sylvia’s face, her voice, the touch of her hands shimmered through her memory. When she met Deo’s intense eyes, the heat seared the other images away. “Touch me. Touch me so I know it’s you.”

“I’ll make sure you know who it is,” Deo murmured. Then she cupped Nita’s face in her palms and kissed her again, slowly, deeply, tracing her forehead, her cheekbones, her jaw with the tips of her fingers. She caressed her until Nita relaxed against her body, her frenzy turned to yearning. “That’s better. Now remember that.”

Nita rested her cheek against Deo’s shoulder as her heart pounded wildly against Deo’s breast. “I will.”

“Good. What time do you get off work tonight?”

“With luck, seven.”

“I’ll be there.”

Nita pushed open the examining room door and smiled at Joey Torres, her heart lurching just a little at her first glimpse of the dark eyes and rakish grin that were so like Deo’s. She nodded to Pia, who leaned against one end of the examining table. “Hi Joey. You must really rate, having your physical therapist come with you to get your sutures out.”

Pia ruffled Joey’s hair. “He’s a big baby, and since my mother is tied up, I promised I’d come hold his hand.”

“She’s lying,” Joey protested. “She just doesn’t trust me to tell her your decision about when I can go back to work.”

“It’s not me!” Pia objected. “It’s Deo!”

“Yeah, and you always side with her!”

“Mmm hmm,” Nita said, half listening to the sibling banter as she released the Velcro straps on Joey’s splint. The door opened behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Sally. She hesitated for just a second, Joey’s hand cradled in hers. Deo stepped a few feet into the room and slid both hands into the pockets of her work pants. She appeared the slightest bit uneasy.

“Yo, Deo,” Joey said. “Just in time!”

“Oh good, I was afraid I’d missed the party.” For all her bantering tone, Deo regarded Nita seriously. “Randy said I could come back. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine.” Nita shifted slightly so Deo was out of her field of vision and refocused on Joey’s hand. She couldn’t quite concentrate when Deo was in sight. “The incisions look excellent. We’ll get your sutures out, but you’re still not ready to go without the splint.”

Behind her, Deo groaned. “So he still needs to sit around on his ass doing paperwork?”

Nita smiled but didn’t look at her. “I’m afraid so.”

“What a deal,” Deo muttered.

“Joey,” Nita said, “do you want to lie down while I remove the sutures?”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

While Nita removed Joey’s sutures, she discussed his therapy plan with Pia. The entire time she worked, she was aware of Deo peering over her shoulder. Every now and then, warm breath wafted across the side of her neck, and by the time she finished, her entire body tingled.

“There you go,” Nita said. “Let me see you in a month, Joey. Keep up the program that Pia outlines for you, and I think we’ll be able to get you into a smaller splint then. Pia, are you good with that timing?”

“So far. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.” Pia slung her arm around Joey’s shoulder and kissed his cheek. “You were so brave.”

“Cut it out,” he complained, but he was grinning.

Pia laughed. “Come on, I’ll take you for ice cream.”

Deo snorted. “Is he going to get a balloon, too?”

“When you stop at the desk to make your next appointment,” Nita said gravely, “Randy will give you a lollipop.”

“Cool,” Joey said, jumping down from the table.

“Be sure to bring him back to work,” Deo grumbled to Pia. “We’ve still got plenty of ordering for him to do.”

“Don’t worry, boss,” Pia said, patting Deo’s cheek. “I’ll deliver him in an hour or so.”

Nita straightened after finishing her chart note and discovered that the room was empty except for Deo. The door to the hall was closed and they were alone. Deo watched her from a foot away, the expression in her dark eyes even more intense than usual. Reflexively, Nita took a step back and her hips bumped into the examining table. “I didn’t expect you.”

“I know.” Deo stepped closer. “How’s your day going?”

“All right. Fine. Busy.”

“Mine too. Except I can’t concentrate because I keep thinking about kissing you.”

Nita held the chart up between them, feeling the beginnings of panic. “Don’t touch me.”

“Why not?” Deo asked, her voice low and husky.

“Because I’m working and I can’t do this here.”

“Do what?” Deo frowned.

“We can’t…” Nita glanced at the door. It wasn’t locked. “Anyone can come in. I can’t.”

“Nita, it’s okay.” Deo eased back. “I just wanted to see you. I’m not going to try anything.”

“I’m sorry. I just…” Nita grasped Deo’s hand. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Remember what I told you this morning—what I think about every time I see you?”

Nita nodded.
I have nothing against a quick, hard fuck. In fact, every time I see you that’s what I want.

“Just because I want my hands on you doesn’t mean I’m going to force you,” Deo said.

“You wouldn’t be forcing me,” Nita whispered. Deo’s hand was hot, so hot. She could feel Deo’s fingers brushing over her breasts, twisting her nipples, teasing between her thighs. She ached and her breath shuddered in her chest. She wouldn’t say no. “You wouldn’t have to.”

“But it’s not what you want, is it?”

“No. Not here.”

“I know.” Deo freed her fingers from Nita’s grip. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”

“You haven’t.” Nita smiled shakily. She couldn’t pretend that Deo’s interest, her attraction, didn’t feel good. It did. It felt wonderful. “I’m glad you came by. I’m glad you wanted to see me.”

Deo grinned. “Good. So, I’ll be back at seven. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. I know this little restaurant. Very private, great food. You’ll like it.”

“Pretty sure of yourself.”

“About some things.” For a moment, Deo looked uncertain. “I
will
see you tonight, right?”

“Yes.” When Deo started to turn away, Nita grabbed her hand again and stopped her. Then she kissed her. She had wanted to kiss her since the instant she’d seen her, but she had been afraid. Afraid of where it would lead. Afraid of losing control. Afraid of the wanting overpowering her reason. But Deo hadn’t pushed her, and now she wasn’t afraid. Deo’s lips were soft and warm, her tongue a gentle sigh in Nita’s mouth. Desire blossomed full and rich in her depths, and she welcomed it. Far sooner than she wanted, she drew away. “See you at seven.”

“Hell, Nita. If I think about that while I’m up on the roof, I’ll fall off.” Deo’s chest rose and fell rapidly and her eyes glittered with arousal.

Nita tapped Deo’s chest with one finger. “Then don’t think about it.”

“Yeah, right. I won’t breathe, either.”

Laughing, Nita pushed her toward the door. “Go. Stop distracting me.”

Deo opened the door, then grinned over her shoulder. “Don’t lie. You like it, right?”

Maybe,
Nita thought,
maybe I do
. Shaking her head, she pointed to the hallway. “
Go.
”

With a laugh, Deo disappeared.

*

Deo wiped the sweat from her face with the bottom of her T-shirt, then clambered down the scaffold and headed around the side of the house into the front yard. Pia and Joey ambled toward her from the street.

“Two hours,” Deo said. “You can eat a lot ice cream in two hours.”

“Oh, stop being such a tyrant,” Pia said. “I got him back in plenty of time to do all the paperwork you need. Besides, it’s my mother’s birthday party this weekend and we had to pick out a present.”

“The list of the paint and drywall we need is in the kitchen,” Deo said to Joey. “We have to get the orders faxed out today.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Joey said, giving a mock salute. He dodged as Deo tried to swat him and hurried off laughing.

“You’re coming to the party, right?” Pia said.

Deo looked away.

“You have to.”

“I know.” Deo sighed. “I’ll stop by for a few minutes, okay?”

“My mother adores you, and she’ll be heartbroken if you don’t come. My father will keep an eye on how much your father’s drinking. It will be okay.” Pia slid an arm around Deo’s waist. “And I need you there. Otherwise, I’ll drown in testosterone.”

Deo laughed. “What about KT? Won’t she be there?”

“She’s going to try, but she’s on call the night before, and sometimes she doesn’t get out when she expects to. Besides,” Pia nudged Deo’s hip with hers, “KT makes my bones melt, but she rates right up there with my brothers on the macho scale. She’ll probably spend the afternoon talking sports with Joey and Antonio.”

“What do you think I’m going to be doing? Discussing floral arrangements?”