Never Again -12

Chapter 12

Michelle opened the door with a smile, “nice to see you again Mr Reilly!” her voice oozed sarcasm at her propriety, and he grinned.

                “You are such a....”

At that point Dave appeared and Erin had never seen her friend’s husband so...out of sorts. He was truly star struck. Jack was courteous, thanking them for allowing him to stay there, assuring them they had no idea how bad the hospital room had been, and then reassuring them that he could have gone home alone but the medics wanted someone to keep an eye on him.

Dave had started to recover, “It’s no problem really. Do you want a coffee? Tea? Presume a beer won’t go with pain killers.”

                “As much as it pains me to say it, the thought of a beer is the least appealing thing in the world...” He turned to Erin with a grin, “do not quote me on that Miss Bailey, I will deny!”

Erin laughed, dumping his bag in the hallway, “come in and sit down, do you need something to eat?”

He hated seeing her carrying his bag, but was truly amazed at how painful his chest was, before he could answer her question his stomach let out an almighty rumble, smiling apologetically, he turned to Erin, “Can I get a take away sent here? Anything will do.”

Michelle intervened, “there’s no way you’re having take away food delivered. I’ve got a fridge full of stuff. Do you want cottage pie? Pasta? Or there’s curry?”

Jack smiled, “I come into your home and you’re all running around after me, I feel so awful...cottage pie sounds amazing!”

Michelle smiled, she loved looking after people. Dave followed her into the kitchen, and Erin led him into the lounge.

                “So are we going to discuss that kiss?” he asked, trying in vain to pull her close to him.

She shook her head, “nothing to discuss, it was just spur of the moment Jack. Now sit down.”

Even lowering himself to the sofa hurt, and he hated that he couldn’t hide it from her, “do you need more pain killers?”

Jack shook his head resolutely, “there’s only one thing that will ease my pain...” He looked pointedly at him and she blushed.

                “Every time I start to think you may be okay, that you’re a reasonable man after all, you pull a stunt like that! Scum Jack Reilly, that’s what you are!” Despite the words, there was no malice in their delivery, and he laughed as she followed her friends to the kitchen, spotting the hunch of her shoulders that meant she was laughing too.

His eyes were closed and his breathing steady when Erin came back into the room, the vulnerability was back and she felt instantly protective of him.

                “Hey sleepy, I’m starting to think I’m bad company, the amount you fall asleep on me!”

His eyes opened slowly and he grinned, “you must bore me to sleep!”

                “Oh really Reilly?” She chuckled, “come on, your food is ready.” Offering him a hand she pulled him to his feet.

Dave washed dishes as Jack ate, they chatted about all things men, football, holidays. Erin and Michelle snuck back to the lounge, leaving them to it.

                “He’s so hot!” Michelle offered sitting in her favourite armchair.

                “You are so hormonal!” Erin countered. But when her friend’s eyes stayed on her she confessed, “We kissed.”

Michelle immediately stifled the screech that burst from her mouth, “shit! That’s wild! How was it?”

Erin could feel herself blush, “toe curling! Amazing. But a one off!”

She proceeded to fill her in on the antics of their previous contact two weeks earlier, and his refusal to even let her drive him home. Michelle, however, came to a different set of conclusions.

                “He’s a proud man, maybe he didn’t want to think of you driving him around. They have egos, you know. Maybe it was just that?”

Despite her friend’s insistence, Erin didn’t buy into it, Jack was only interested in casual, temporary flings, and despite not wanting to ever get married again, she didn’t think she could cope with short term with Jack. He was already getting to her, worming his way under her skin, her only defence was to avoid anything more than friendship. That was her only offer.

Jack looked a million times better when he and Dave came in from the kitchen, food, tea and pain relief were doing it for him.

                “Match of the Day?” Dave asked, sitting next to Michelle.

Jack grimaced, “let’s see how bad it looks, hey?”

He sat beside Erin and slid his fingers to lie over hers in the hidden seclusion of the gap between them. Erin wanted to snatch her hand away, but it was nice, the warm sensation, so she left her hand under his, and hoped her racing heart wasn’t audible.

Michelle had curled up on Dave’s shoulder before the end of the show, so waking her, he excused them.

                “So we’re sharing a room,” she offered as they got a final drink from the kitchen, so no funny business Reilly, or your ribs won’t be the only part of you in pain!”

He laughed, “That sounds like a promise!”

She glared at him, fighting her own smile, “I presume you don’t want the sofa?”

Jack was longing for a comfortable bed, sleep, and oblivion, the thought of her arms around him was an added bonus. Despite her being one of the hottest women he’d met, and him never turning down an opportunity, he knew that he was in no state to try anything on with her. He was approaching exhaustion.

                “Lead the way!” He grinned, then had the chance to perv on her backside as she climbed the stairs in front of him. And it was a great one, especially in those tight jeans. The room she showed him to was dominated by a comfortable looking bed. Her bag was tossed onto the blue gingham duvet, and rifling around in it, she pulled out a toiletry bag, and opened it.

                “I always carry a spare toothbrush, nothing worse than not having one. The bathroom is next door.” Grabbing her pyjamas, she left the room. 

Jack had a spare t-shirt in his kitbag, but otherwise nothing else, so he stripped down to his boxer shorts, and the clean t-shirt. Erin burst back into the room, smelling divine, a combination of mint and a perfume he couldn’t place, but intoxicated him. Then there were the ridiculous shorty pyjamas, he groaned and readjusted his shorts as he passed her, if he wasn’t so shattered it would be a long night.

It was a great feeling, washing his face in cold refreshing water, then cleaning his teeth. After using the toilet, he unravelled the bandages around his chest and the reduction in tension was an immediate relief.

Only a lamp lit the bedroom, and he could make out the swell that was Erin already under the duvet, when he climbed into the bed, she reached and turned out the light. With a sigh he collapsed onto the mattress, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

                “You ok?” she whispered.

He wanted to roll onto his side, to spoon her into the cradle of his body, but the concept was just too painful. “I’m fine,” he offered, then reached for her hand.

Within seconds he was asleep, her hand still entwined with his.

Erin found it hard to sleep, knowing that Jack was a hair’s breadth from her. He’d slept fitfully, but every time Erin had stretched out she’d come into contact with his bare leg or his shoulder. And it was all a bit much. Each fleeting contact brought that kiss back in vivid Technicolor replay. And it only unnerved her even more.

But she did fall asleep; she must have because she woke to the tumultuous sensations of an arm holding her tightly, warm breath on her neck, and a huge erection nudging at her buttocks. Her mouth was dry, as the hand travelled up in the direction of her breast.

                “Reilly!” She whispered harshly. “What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, his teeth sank into the curve of her shoulder, his hand pulled her harder back into him, “I’m still asleep!” he finally whispered.

She laughed, then sighed, “We can’t do this.”

He groaned, lifting his teeth to her ear lobe, “I can’t stop...not that I’m fit enough to do what I really want.”

Rolling to face him she could just make out his twinkling eyes in the darkness, “Jack please. This is neither the time, nor the place.”

                “I know, my brain hears you” he took her hand and held it over his groin, “but try telling the rest of me.” Leaning forward he managed to find her lips with his and suspend all conversation. He’d wanted to recapture that feeling since bloody Scott had disturbed them, and it had taken till now. And it was worth the wait, he could feel Erin trying to pull away, but he worked her lips persistently, tasting her, teasing her, trying not to lose himself in the sensations until she was there with him. Releasing her hand, he lifted his to cup her jaw, fanning his fingers across her cheek, pulling her close.

It was as her lips parted, accepting the tongue that had bombarded it for several long moments, that he realised her hand hadn’t moved from where he’d left it, his groin. If he could drag his mouth from hers he’d tell her exactly what she was doing to him, but her lips were like a drug and he couldn’t get enough of their intoxication.

When his lips dragged to her throat, Erin found herself gasping for breath, his stubble rasped her sensitive skin and she could barely focus for the heat pumping through her, somehow his thigh had become tangled between hers and she was suddenly aware of the way she was grinding against it, trying to assuage some of the tension in her pelvis. Then she realised her hand was cupping him, and if it was possible he was getting bigger, harder.

Suddenly it was all sordid, they were at her friend’s house, he was injured, it was wrong, all wrong. Pushing at him she tried to roll out of bed, but her pressure to his chest caused a groan to spill from his lips, but it wasn’t a pleasure groan, this one was pain.

                “Shit! You ok?” She turned back to him and saw his face contorted with pain.

                “Don’t know what hurt most, you pulling back and my screaming libido being doused a cold shower or the jarring of my broken rib ends grating over each other!”

She smiled, “you are SUCH a drama queen!”

Rolling onto his back he took a few steadying deep breaths, seriously unsure where the worst pain was emanating from, “you indulge me, so I’m pushing it to the max!”

This time Erin pulled herself out of the bed, “I’ll get you some water to wash down some more meds, then you need sleep.”

                “I need a little tension relieving!”

                “Tough!” She replied from the door, “I can do many things, but I can’t do that!”

                “Spoilsport!” he laughed.

It took Erin ten minutes in the bathroom to control her treacherous body, her mind was another thing, it would take a long time to get over the mental images of what just a kiss could do to her.