Breathe (6 page)

“Maybe we should go see how the boys are doing.” After I had a chance to push the pain back to its manageable hole where it belonged I climbed to my feet and turned to Cora. Reaching my hand down to help her up. She smiled and let me help her up, and then she grabbed another skateboard from beside the tree, winking at me.

“Is that a good idea?” She shrugged and grinned at me then we moved to the area where Tyler was showing Jamie different techniques. Jamie seemed to be catching on pretty well, beaming from ear to ear each time he was able to execute the move correctly. Tyler had always been good with younger kids, everyone except his own sister. He came in to the foundation offices every once in a while and played with the kids who came in, talking to them about his own experiences. Helping bring them out, talking about their own confusion and pain. And he clearly had a knack teaching them skateboarding as well.

“Hey Cora has another skateboard! Let me show you young punks a thing or two.” Daniel walked over to where we were standing. He grabbed the skateboard from Cora, giving her a resounding smack of a kiss on her cheek. He turned to me and winked his gorgeous blue eyes before he turned back to where Tyler, Jamie, and Joey stood shaking their heads in unison.

“You are not wise, mate.” Joey laughed.

Daniel grinned at Joey and winked.

“He is going to kill himself.” Cora giggled as Daniel set the board down and took off. We walked over to where the other three were standing watching the large man gracefully skating. He arced back to us, grinning like a little kid.

“See I can do it!” He started going a little faster and moved to make a tight circle around us when he suddenly tilted the wrong way, coming too close to Jamie knocking them both down. We all rushed to reach them but it happened too quickly. Daniel wrapped himself around the little boy protecting him completely from impact and turning so he would land on his back but that left him completely vulnerable. He hit hard, cracking his head then he laid still.

(Kathryn)

I reached him first, hearing him moan. I knew not to move him from Tyler’s training but I couldn’t help kneeling down next to him and reaching a hand to his cheek.

“Don’t move him mom. I need to check him.”

“I know Tyler. I’m not going to.” Cora came over to try and take Jamie from him but Daniel tightened his arms. I reached over, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “Daniel? It’s okay. You can let him go, he’s okay. Cora has him.” Daniel still hadn’t opened his eyes but he let his arms relax so Cora could take Jamie from him. My heart warmed at the protective way he had protected the boy to the detriment of himself. Tyler looked him over quickly and tried to keep Daniel from sitting up but Daniel shook him off.

“I am fine. No need to hover.” He staggered to his feet but when he swayed, I stepped forward, putting my arm around his waist and his arm around my shoulder.

“Why must you be stubborn?”

He looked down at me with eyes clearly glazed with pain but he smiled. Joey walked by and shook his head.

“See? I told you, you are not wise.”

“I have had worse cracks on the head then that missus. Believe me.” His Irish brogue was extremely thick as we walked slowly back to the tree where Lily and the girls were. I sank down beside it, he settled down next to me. I gasped when he lay down, placing his head in my lap. “My mum used to rub my temples when I had a headache. Will you do that?”

Tyler handed me a pack of ice in a towel. “Put this on the back of his head mom. He should be fine, there is no blood and the knot isn’t that big, but we need to watch him. He can’t go to sleep and no pain meds at least for now.” I nodded, lifting his head up just enough to place the ice on the back of his head then settled him back gently against me. I lifted my hand and rubbed his temples softly, and as gently as I could. He moaned, his eyes opening to look up at me. I gazed down at him looking for signs of a concussion. Listing the symptoms in my head as I took inventory.

“I would love to think that you are gazing adoringly down at me but I can see your eyes calculating and thinking, so clearly I'm just getting my hopes up for nothing.”

I smiled. “I am making sure your eyes are not dilated, or doing things they shouldn’t. Looking for signs of confusion or sensitivity to light. You know trying to make sure we don’t have to carry your ass to the car and then to an emergency room.” He grinned up at me.

“Like you could carry me. I am a big strapping man, and you my grá are a tiny woman.” He grabbed one of my hands, measuring it next to his large ones. “With extremely tiny hands.” He brought the hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss against the palm, wrapping my fingers tightly around it. “Hands that I wouldn’t mind caressing other parts of my body, not just my head.” I gasped at his words and the dark look he was giving me, one I hadn’t seen from a man in a very long time. I shook my head.

“You hit your head pretty hard, Daniel.” I moved my hand back up to continue rubbing his temples. He grabbed my hands again and looked up at me with an intense look in his eyes.

“And what has that got to do with it?”

“It just means you aren’t thinking right. You may feel a little off, you know I am me and you...” I trailed off, embarrassed. Shrugging as I looked down at my hands being held in his. He lifted my chin until I was looking down into his eyes.

“Kathryn, it has nothing to do with the crack on the head. I have wanted your hands on me since yesterday.” I searched his blue eyes, feeling my heart skip with what he was saying. But I forced it down, this man knew how to talk to women, charm them so easily. He may mean the words on some level but not the way I needed them to be. I took my hands back, placing them on the ground beside me.

“How is Mr. Crash-a-lot doing?” We both looked up as Joey knelt beside us. “You think you can walk back to the SUV? Looks like it may start raining. I don’t want the girls out if it does but I am not carrying your lazy ass.” Daniel glared up at him but slowly sat up, leaning against the tree next to me.

“You are such a jackass mate. Give my head peace.”

“Well you have until I get everything in the car. Then I am leaving you here, holding up that tree.” I would have been upset at Joey’s words if I wasn’t looking right at him. He was concerned for his friend that much was very clear even if he was speaking harshly. He saw me looking at him. “I will have Mark take you and the kids back to the hotel Kathryn, in the other SUV.”

“I will ride with them Joey, you go on ahead with Cora and the kids. I don’t want you all waiting and getting rained on.”

“Are you sure, mate?”

“Yes. You go ahead. I will see Kathryn to the hotel, and I will head to the house after.” Joey stood still, looking down at his friend for a few more minutes, then grabbed the hamper and blankets before heading to where the cars were parked. He hesitated one more time but I waved him on. He nodded to me then climbed in with his family and the car pulled away.

Tyler and Lily were sitting in the grass not too far from where we were leaning against the tree arguing about something as always and I sighed. Leaning my own head back against the rough bark of the tree behind me.

“Just let me know when you are ready Daniel. Me and Tyler can help you stand if you need us to.” He chuckled softly then turned his head slightly to look at me.

“I am fine, woman. Just a little pain is all.” He glanced up at the darkening sky and cursed. “We need to get moving though if we don’t want to get wet.” He used the tree to push himself up until he was standing, taking deep breaths to steady himself as he did. Tyler went to one side and I was at the other side, just in case he needed us but he stood up straight and led us to the where the black SUV we had arrived in was waiting. Daniel helped Tyler and Lily into the back then turned to me. He held his hand out like he had done before, but I ducked my head and climbed in without any help, trying to avoid the sparks that seemed to flow between us.

(Daniel)

I stood by the door for a minute. Feeling unsure of myself for the first time in a very long time. Kathryn was like no other woman I had ever known, and I wanted to know her more. I wasn’t sure if that was something she wanted however. There seemed to be something holding her back. I breathed deeply then climbed slowly into the car beside her, and Mark, our driver pulled into the Paris traffic just as the first raindrops fell. I glanced behind us at Tyler and Lily who were talking quietly to each other about whatever it is that siblings talk about. So I turned back to the woman sitting beside me.

“Kathryn, can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?” Her brown eyes flew to mine.

“Why?”

“Well normally a man who finds a woman attractive and wants to get to know her better tries to spend some time with her. I guess that is what I am attempting.”

“Um... I don’t know Daniel.” She glanced back at her kids. “You don’t have to pretend to want to see me. There has to be plenty of other women you would rather have dinner with.” She bit her bottom lip again and turned to look out the window, her agitation very obvious.

“Come on Kathryn, I would like to take you to dinner. I am not asking for anything else. You are the only woman I want to have dinner with. Just come and eat with me somewhere.” I cringed at the pleading note I heard in my voice but I really wanted this woman and I had never had to work so hard for a woman to say yes.

Finally she turned back to me and gave me a small nod. I grinned at her and she just shook her head, smiling shyly before turning back to the window. I watched her for another minute before I allowed my head to fall back against the headrest. What I had told her was the truth, I had had several worse bumps then this one but damn my head felt like a ripe watermelon that had been hit by a sledgehammer. Why in the world did I think I could still skateboard like that?
Because you are a show-off, trying to impress a woman like a damn teenager, which you are clearly not.
I growled silently at that annoying voice in my head. Enjoying the murmur of the kids in the back seat, the sound of rain against the roof of the SUV, and the smell of apples and sunshine from the warm female beside me.

When we reached the hotel, I reached to open my door so I could help Kathryn out, but she stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“Daniel, I got this. I’m a big girl. We can get out without your help. Thank you for seeing us home.” She opened her door, and helped her kids out onto the pavement. She didn’t even seem to notice that the rain was coming down pretty hard. She made sure both kids were safely on the pavement, and going into the hotel before she turned back to me. “Take care of yourself Daniel. Make sure and put more ice on that head, and maybe stay off skateboards for a little bit.” She smiled her gorgeous smile over at me, the one that slammed into my stomach and made it hard for me to catch a breath.

“I will be here tomorrow night at seven Kathryn. Be ready.” She nodded again, then stepped back and shut the door before scurrying into the hotel and out of the rain. We watched her to make sure she was safely inside before Mark pulled away and headed towards Cora and Joey’s house which was two blocks from Cora’s fashion house. It was an elegant three story town house, and it was home when I was in Paris. I sat back, and closed my eyes again, seeing a mischievous pair of brown eyes, her beautiful smile and the lips that brought to mind all the things I wanted her to do with them. For the third time that day my jeans were suddenly way too tight, my cock throbbing with the need to be between Kathryn’s beautiful legs.

(Kathryn)

His tongue ran slowly across my torso, dipping slightly into my belly button and he smiled at the small moan that escaped my tightly clenched lips. He raised his head to look down at me.

“Ah, we haven’t even started yet.” He grinned wickedly at me before returning to pressing kisses down my belly to my thighs. He slid my thighs apart slowly. Moving his mouth to the apex of my legs, to the place I needed his touch the most. He slide one finger through the lips of my pussy, groaning when he realized how wet I was. “Fuck, Kathryn. I have to taste you.”

With no further warning, he buried his mouth against me, running his tongue around my clit in a tight circle as he slid a finger inside my tight cunt. He broke away with another groan. “You are so tight and hot, fuck Kathryn. You are perfect.”

He looked up at me, his blue eyes so dark they were almost black with his desire. That look alone was almost enough to send me over the edge. He was making me feel things I hadn’t for a very long time. He kept watching me as he moved another finger to join the first, moving them in an out slowly.

“Please Daniel…” I begged.

“Please what?” His Irish brogue deepened and I moaned even more.

“Please make me come Daniel, please.”

“I am here to serve. Anything you need.” He then bent his head again, sucking my clit into his mouth, his tongue fluttering over it again and again. His fingers picked up their pace and my hips thrust up to meet his hand. I grabbed his thick dark curls, pulling his head closer. He chuckled and the vibrations pushed me over the edge. I flew to pieces, crying out over and over again. My climax seemed to go on and on…..

***

I woke up with a gasp, my heart beating too fast in my chest, with a tingling and dampness around my pussy.

What the fuck was that? Did I just come in my sleep? Oh hell.
I sat up, still feeling the small tremors from my dream induced climax. I could still feel Daniel’s lips even though it was just a dream. I was seriously sex deprived and definitely infatuated. I glanced over at the clock, groaning at the blinking read letters saying it was only 6:13 in the morning. I didn’t have to be up for another hour but I knew there was no way I was going back to sleep after that.

I pulled myself out of the warm bed then forced myself into a cold shower. I leaned my forehead against the tile, and let the water rinse all the sweat and feverish tremors my dream had caused before washing quickly and getting ready for the day. I ran a brush through my wet hair, throwing on my moisturizer, skipping over the makeup bag completely on my way out. I yanked on another pair of black pants and a soft grey cashmere sweater before heading out to order some breakfast from room service.

I heard Lily moving around in her room, her music playing softly so as not to disturb anyone else. She always was such an early bird. I moved to her door, knocking softly.

“Come in!”

I opened the door to find Lily dancing around her room in a towel, using her hairbrush as her microphone like she did when she was younger. Just cause she was seventeen didn’t mean she had completely grown up apparently. I couldn’t help but laugh, a full body no bars held laugh that left me gasping for breath, tears streaming down my face and made Lily wrinkle her nose and stick her tongue out at me. “Mom!! I am working it here.”

“Oh, Lily. You my dear need some serious therapy. Now get dressed. Breakfast will be up shortly. I am going to wake your brother up. And lord help me if he is dancing around his room with nothing but a towel and a hairbrush too.” I laughed again as a pillow missed me by a mere inch before landing at my feet. I closed the door and walked next door to her brother’s. “Tyler! Wake up. Breakfast is being brought up here so get your butt moving!!”

I waited until I heard the normal muttering and cursing, then the sound of the shower being turned on before moving away from the door with a grin. As in many things, Tyler was the complete opposite of his sister. She woke up before the roosters preferring the sunlight while Tyler hated mornings more than anything preferring the moonlight to anything else.