Untamed (A Moretti Novel) (16 page)

“Kid, get over here.”  Mark put his arm around the terrified teen.  “I need your help.  When I say so, I want you to yank open that door.  I’m gonna reach in and pull him out.  Do you think you can do that?”

The teen nodded and focused on the door handle. 
The truck lurched forward and Steve’s Stingray groaned in protest.  The crunching medal was music to Mark’s ears.  The car moved back several inches before the truck lurched forward once more.

Everything moved in slow motion.  Mark motioned for the door and once it was opened halfway, he pulled Steve with every ounce of strength he
had.  He felt his shoulder pop but didn’t flinch.  He wouldn’t breathe again until Steve was safe.

Steve felt the whoosh of air as the driver’s side door was almost ripped from the car.  Strong hands grabbed at him, pulling him awkwardly from the car.  His hip crashed to the ground as Mark rolled them
both away from the car.  His breath was knocked out of him as they came to a stop, Mark wedged below him clutching at his shoulder. 

Steve rolled onto his back and gulped in some deep breaths.  He was solidly on the ground
.  He sobbed as fear and exhaustion took over.  He barely recognized the movement of the paramedics loading Kevin into the rig and checking out Mark’s shoulder.  He couldn’t understand what anyone was saying.  All he felt was the gravel at his back and it felt more amazing than anything ever had before. 

As the paramedics rolled him onto the str
etcher, his eyes searched for the old man who had saved his life.  The man nodded and closed his door.  As he pulled away, Steve noticed the beautiful artwork on the tailgate.  The word Jesus stood proudly among the clouds painted around it.  Steve cried. 

“I need you to stop him.  I need to say thank you.”  Steve’s voice was a whisper as he pointed at the retreating truck.

“Stop who, son?”  The paramedic looked at the empty road.

“The man in the truck.
  Please stop him.”  Steve wiped his face.

“There was no truck son.  Lie back down.  We need to
take your vitals.”

And with those words, Steve’s world went black.

Steve groaned as the nausea took over. Lying here in the emergency room for the past two hours had been torture.  He needed to be moving, running, anything but lying down.  His adrenaline surged through his veins.  He had almost died a few hours before and he couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness that had overtaken him when he was freed from the car.

His mind wandered back to his
Good Samaritan.  Had he imagined him?  There was no way.  Something had pulled his car back from the edge.  He would ask Moretti if the nurses ever let him leave this bed. 

He scrolled through his phone, finding a picture of Lily.  He needed her.  Today had forever changed him.  His only thought when he thought he was going
to die, was how he never told her he loved her.  How would she ever know his true feelings?  He refused to go another day without her.  And that included today.  He opened up the web browser on his phone and typed in the airline website.  There was a flight in two hours and he would be on it.  He reached for the call button.  He needed to go.

“Where’s the fire?”  Jena smiled as she walked through the curtain. 
“Still nauseated?”

“I’ve
gotta go.  Get this IV out of my arm.”  Steve pulled on the tubing.

“Hold on.”  Jena stopped him.  “What’s going on?”

“I’m not living another day without Lil.  I have a flight to catch.  Please help me get out of this bed.”  Steve’s eyes pleaded and Jena was a goner.

“I’ll do better than that.
  My shift is over so I can drive you there myself.”  She centered a gauze pad over the needle and pulled it from his arm.  He put his thumb over it to stop the bleeding as she typed discharge orders in the computer.  “I think you should take some nausea medication with you.  And you have to promise me that you will rest on the plane.”

“My skin is crawling.”  Steve paced the floor.

“I’m sure it is.  You had quite the morning.  When you come down from this rush, you are going to crash hard.  Be prepared for that.  It may be hard to get out of bed tomorrow.”

“Oh I plan on that being the case.” Jena’s giggle made him smile.  “How’s Merck? That was a lot of blood.  Caleb would have passed out right away.”

Jena belly laughed now.  Her gorgeous, larger than life, fiancé and his fear of blood had been the joke for a long time.  Caleb was afraid of very little but the site of blood turned him into a shivering mess that ended up on the floor unconscious. 

“Kevin is fine. 
Harassing the nurses and all that.”  Jena hugged him.  “I am so glad you’re ok.  Now let’s go get Lil.”

“Caleb’s a lucky guy.  You’re the best, J.  Thank you for always being there for us.”  Steve kissed her on the cheek
and grabbed her hand as they raced out of the hospital.

Steve paced outside Lily’s apartment.  He hadn’t knocked.  His flight had taken longer than expected and at 2:00 AM, he knew Lil would be sound asleep.  This was his moment of truth. 
Why the hell was it so hot outside
?  It was the middle of the night.  He wiped his brow.  This was it.

He knocked softly and listened.  He didn’t hear any movement inside.  He knocked louder, hoping he wouldn’t wake up the entire apartment complex. 
Jesus it’s hot out here
.  He chuckled at how uncomfortable he was.  As he was preparing to knock again, he heard the lock click.  The door opened and his future stared back at him.

Lily stood in the doorway, hair piled on top of her head
under his favorite baseball cap he thought he’d lost, her eyes full of sleep.  Her nightgown was on inside out and her face showed no signs of makeup.  “Steve?”  She whispered and covered her mouth.

He took one step toward her and he was gone.  He pulled her into his arms,
tilting the hat back and wrapping his fingers in her hair.  His lips crashed into hers, igniting a fire in his blood that he had never felt before.  Her taste, sweet and uniquely Lily, exploded in his mouth.  His senses were on overload and he’d never felt more alive.  She opened for him and he angled her head for more contact.  This was everything.  Every single second of his life had lead to this. 

He walked with her until her back collided with the wall.  His lips kissed the length of her jaw, down her neck, to the special spot near her ear that made her weak.  She moaned and he couldn’t wait.  He yanked the nightgown over her head and threw it to the floor.
  His jersey was right behind it.  His baseball hat had fallen and he picked it up, placing it back on her head. Seeing her in something of his was the sexiest thing in the world.

“What…”  Lily tried to talk but his lips cut off her question.  There would be time for talking.  Right now, he just wanted to show her how much he loved her.

Her breathing changed and she moaned into his mouth.  Her fingers grabbed at his hair, his shoulders, anything to pull him closer.  There had never been a kiss more powerful.  His tongue brushed against hers, his teeth nipped at her lips, his lips worshiped her.  Her body trembled and her legs shook. 

Steve pulled her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.  He pinned her to the wall with his hips.  She felt the hard ridge of his erection just under his shorts.  She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything.  She
arched into him as he took a nipple into his mouth.  Her hands trembled as she struggled to pull his pants from his hips.  She needed him.

He pinned her arms over her head with his left hand, removing his shorts with his right.  Her feminine moans were driving him crazy.
He had to be inside her.  He had to show her everything he hadn’t been able to say.  He needed this more than he needed his next breath.  All the emotions crashed around him.  He was complete with her.

As soon as he was free of his clothing, he shoved inside her. 
Her heat wrapped around him instantly.  Each stroke was deeper than the last, pushing her body toward climax.

“You feel so good. 
So tight.” Steve circled his hips and moaned.  “I want to watch you come.”

Her back scraped against the wall and she didn’t care.  The friction reminded her she was alive.  Her nails dug into his shoulders.
“Oh my God.”  She whispered into his ear.  She kissed his neck and fused her lips against his once more.

His pace quickened.  She was so wet and he slid in and out with ease. 
He didn’t think he would last.  “I love you.  I love you so much.”

That was all she needed.  Her orgasm built low in her belly, shattering her into a million pieces.  Spasm after spasm, she cried out his name. 
The sound of his body pounding into hers, the smack of skin, the wet thrusts, the little noises coming from Steve were enough to send a second orgasm bursting to the surface.  She buried her head in his neck in an attempt to muffle her second scream.

He roared her name as he exploded inside her.  His
vision clouded and his legs went weak.  She grabbed his head and kissed him like he had never been kissed.  This was his future and there was no way he would ever let this go.

“I
’m never going to be away from your again.  Not for one minute of one day.”  Steve struggled to catch his breath.  “I can’t live without you.  I love you, Lily.”

Tears filled her eyes.  “I love you too.” 
She took his baseball hat off, placing it back on his head where it belonged. If she had him, that’s all she needed. She kissed his eye lids and his cheeks before once again landing on his lips.  “It took you long enough.”

Steve laughed.  “I do have one question for you though.”

She smiled.  “What’s that?”

“Why the fuck is it so hot outside?”

Lily laughed harder than she had in months.  “Welcome to Georgia.”

Steve watched Lily sleep.  Her quiet breaths were soothing.  They had made love three more times before she passed out from exhaustion.  He couldn’t sleep.  He had almost lost everything yesterday and he was afraid to shut his eyes.  Life as he had known it was over.  His future began today and the beautiful woman asleep next to him was all he needed.

He eased out of the bed, careful not to wake her.  Jena had told him he’d be exhausted but he felt energized and alive. He closed the bedroom door and made his way down the hall.  Deciding on breakfast in bed, he headed to the kitchen.  Steve opened the fridge and did a quick inventory in his head.  She had filled the fridge with some of his favorite foods.  He smiled.  Even being so far away hadn’t stopped her from thinking of him.

A throat cleared behind him and he jumped. 

“Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my kitchen?” 

Steve smiled.  The resemblance to Lily was striking.  Mia was petite with big green eyes.  Her hair was red instead of Lily’s blond but the softness that he loved about Lily was echoed back in Mia.  Her hands fisted at her hips as she waited for his answer and Steve chuckled.

“Steve Wainwright.  It’s nice to meet you, Mia.”  He extended his hand to her. 

Instead of shaking it, she jumped into his arms, wrapping hi
m in a tight hug.  “Thank God.  She’s been a sad puppy without you.”

“I’ve been the same.”  Steve shut the fridge with his hip.  “Sorry if we woke you last night.”