Waiting for You (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (19 page)

He dressed quickly, then Dana wheeled to the door with him. “I’ll call you today.”

She smiled. “Lean down here.”

He did. She gripped his neck and whispered in his ear. “I’ve decided there wasn’t enough
hanky-panky
here last night.” She angled her head. “At least not the kind our elders were obviously involved in.”

His eyes glowed like polished onyx. “Are you saying what I think you are?”

“Uh-huh. Next time you come over, be prepared.”

“Oh, my God, you betcha.” He kissed her and left whistling the same song as earlier.

He was right. It
was
shaping up to be a beautiful morning.

Chapter 12

On the first day of public school, which was late this year, Dana wasn’t sure she wanted to be at the hospital party given by Joey and the members of his department. She didn’t know if he’d told his colleagues at work about her disability. So as they headed to the second floor—since some of the kids were so sick, they couldn’t have the picnic outside—she asked, “Do your friends know, um, about this?” She patted her hand on the arm of the chair.

His brow knit. “Why would I make a point of telling them?”

“I don’t know. I guess there’s no reason to.”

 “Shelly knows.” He sounded defensive. “I talked to her about you.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t you want to know why?”

Dana stared at the numbers on the wall. “I don’t know. Do I?”

Since they were alone in the elevator, Joe grasped on to her shoulders. “I was miserable when you wouldn’t see me. Partners confide in each other. It’s sort of like you and Ruth.”

“Then I’m glad you have her.”

Pressing the stop button, he squatted down so they were eye level. She loved that he thought to do that. “I was a wreck about what happened between us, honey. And I didn’t want to tell Spence.…” He trailed off.

“Joe, what?”

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t Spence want you to date me?”

“He had reservations. Cole was all for it.”

That disturbed her. And was new information. Something he hadn’t told her. But she guessed he was entitled to some privacy with what went on between him and his brothers. She didn’t tell him everything she discussed with Ruth, either.

When they reached their destination, Dana rolled out of the cab before he exited. A nurse at the desk glanced over. “There he is.” She smiled genuinely at Dana. “Hello.”

Introductions were made between her and the five nurses and two doctors who gathered at the desk. Most of the women flirted with Joe, which appeared innocent but also made Dana realize how attractive he was to the opposite sex. Hmm, he could have all these beautiful women. Able-bodied women…

Don’t go there, she told herself.

His hand settling loosely on her shoulder, he accompanied her to the large room, which was decorated with a picnic theme. Tables with checkered cloths covering them dotted the area. A fake sun, a few trees with birds in them had been cut out and hung all over the area. There were games of all kinds—video games, darts, a little croquet set on a grassy area were among them.

“Oh, Joe, this is terrific.”

“The party gets a little bit bigger each year. We have a budget from the department, but my people still chip in fifty bucks each.”

“You’re a nice guy.”

In a fake whisper, he said, “I told you not to say things like that around my buddies. They think I’m a real hard-ass.”

Dana lost herself in the arrival of the other cops and then the kids. She noticed that Joe didn’t go out of his way to introduce her to them; he was across the way with a boy in a wheelchair—there were several kids confined to them. That must be Yancy, his favorite of the group. He’d spent time with the boy after work and often visited on his lunch hours.

From first glance, she could tell the kids were in various stages of illness. One girl came up to her. Both arms were in a cast. “Hi, I’m Julie. Wanna sign my cast?” She held out her arm and marker.

“I’d be honored.” Dana scrawled her name. For a minute, she remembered giving autographs to celebrities and politicians. She let go of the images, though, to enjoy her new little friend.

Julie nodded to the chair. “How long do you have to be in that?”

“Forever, I’m afraid.” Dana smiled. “But I have two working arms.”

“I got the casts for a couple of months.” She scrunched her nose. “I couldn’t go to school. Something happened to my head when I fell and I have to stay in the hospital awhile.”

“I’m sorry. I hope you get to go back soon.”

When the girl left, Dana’s gaze transferred back to Joe and Yancy. They were playing a pinball machine and slapping high fives every few turns. Somebody came up to her from behind.

“Hi, Dana, I’m Shelly.” The tall, slender woman with curly blond hair was Joe’s partner.

“Hi, there. Joe talks a lot about you.”

“We’ve been together five years.”

“Yeah, he must be really tough to take.”

Dana knew the opposite was true and so did Shelly, but the woman quipped, “He has his moments.”

“Thanks for giving me his cell-phone number when he got hurt. I always wondered why you did that.”

“Let’s just say he was quite enthralled with you online. I loved that you left him dangling for a while—that never happens with the women he dates—and I ragged on him all the time.” Dana caught a glimpse of Yancy motioning Shelly over.

“Joe wants you, Shelly.”

“No, honey,” Shelly said. “He wants you.” Now she gave Dana a determined stare. “If you get my drift.”

“Oh.”

Shelly leaned over and whispered, “Don’t hurt him, Dana. He’s terrific.”

Instead of waiting, Joe and Yancy made their way to her. “I’ve got somebody I’d like you to meet.”

Up close, the boy was alarmingly pale and with dark circles under his eyes. “Hello, Dana.”

“Dana, this is Yancy, my best bud.”

“Hi, Yancy.”

He nodded to the wheelchair. “You got one, too.”

“Yes, I do.”

The boy gave a frown. “I don’t like it much.”

“Me, either. But you know, you get used to it.” Joe had told Dana Yancy was in treatment for leukemia. Dana knew not to assume that he’d get better, get out of the chair.

“You’re Officer Joe’s friend?”

Joe socked him in the arm. “Have I taught you nothing?” In a fake whisper, he finished, “She’s my
girl
friend.” He winked at her. “Right, Dana?”

She fitted her hand into his, her heart expanding with pride in him, with a huge swell of feeling for the man. “Right, Officer Joe. I’m your girlfriend.”

During the day, Joe played with some of the other kids, talked to a few of the cops and had coffee with Shelly. Dana moved to a table with no chairs on one side and asked the little girl sitting there if she could draw with her. The activity distracted Dana, but she kept taking surreptitious glances at Joe. He didn’t come to check on her much—not that she expected him to. She was seeing a different side to him, she guessed.

Toward the end of the party, she watched him give piggyback rides to kids who’d lined up. Any worry or discomfort she’d experienced in the last three hours melted at the sound of the childish giggles and glee of the children.

When he finally approached her again, he said, “Sorry about ignoring you, but I get involved and kind of lose myself in all this.”

“That’s the way it should be.” He said nothing about not introducing her to his guys. “You can make it up to me tonight.”

He arched a sexy brow. “Yeah? How?”

“By coming over after work. The fall semester doesn’t start till next Monday. I’m free.” She motioned him to bend down. “And Ruth and Jeremy went away for an overnight.”

His eyes burned with intensity. “Oh, man, you serious?”

“Yep. Come prepared, like a good Boy Scout.”

“I’ll be prepared, but don’t expect any freaking Boy Scout tonight, darlin’.”

o0o

“You have to be the most sacrilegious person I know.”

Joe smiled over at Dana, who was next to him on the couch. She made his mouth water, just sitting there in brown linen pants and a simply smocked, tan blouse. The anticipation of what would happen tonight buzzed in the air, though she did seem a bit nervous. He was doing his part to relax her.

“Why, thank you sweetheart. That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.”

Playfully, she socked him in the arm. He’d read this situation right, thank God. His paramedic friend Jimmy had a wife with a disability. He’d recommended the book,
Sex with a Disability
, and Joe’s instinct told him the contents might allay any fears Dana had about tonight.

Though most of the information was serious, Joe had bookmarked parts that he thought would amuse her. Make her more comfortable with the lovemaking itself. It still blew his mind that she hadn’t
done it
with anyone since the accident.

He held up the book. “So, you ready for some education?”

She shook her head. “Joe, I’ve read books like this before.”

“Not with me. Even if you know everything, I don’t. Think how you’ll benefit from my newly acquired knowledge.”

Again, genuine mirth. God, he loved making her laugh.

“All right.” She held out her hand. “Let me see it.”

“Nope, we’re reading it aloud together.” He picked up the remote and set the TV on an easy-listening station. He winked at her. “Just setting the mood.”

“Hey, it’s your ball game.”

His face blanked, then he realized she’d made the pun on purpose. Now, he laughed heartily. Man, this was going to be fun as well as helpful. He opened the book. “I circled things we should talk about.”

“Of course you did.”

“Hey, have more respect. Sex is serious.”

She bit back a smile.

“Okay, on page twenty-two, it asks, ‘How long should I wait after my injury to have sex with a partner?’”

“I think that’s different—”

“Would you be quiet, woman? We’re going to read the answers from the professionals. It says, ‘Don’t wait any longer than you have to. Especially if you find a hot, sexy cop you’re interested in.’”

“Oh, sure, it says that.”

“Are you doubting my veracity?”

“I think men will do anything to have sex.”

“Well, there is that. Now, here’s one on page fifty-seven. ‘How important is sex in a relationship?’” She kept quiet. “Answer: Vital. Do it as often as you can.”

The chuckles came from deeper inside her this time.

He pretended to leaf through the pages, though he knew exactly what he was looking for. “There are two here we don’t need to ponder. Page fifty-nine, ‘Will my partner be turned on despite my disability?’”

She stiffened a bit and he’d suspected she might feel this way. So Joe purposely snorted and gave her a long, searing look. “I don’t think that even deserves an answer. If I got any more turned on when I’m around you, I’d explode.”

Her smile was grateful. “Hush. What’s the other question?”

“‘Why am I not interested in sex with my partner?’” He peered over the book and held her gaze. He wanted some ego boosting, too.

“Irrelevant,” she said. “Totally irrelevant.”

“Good to know.” He scanned another page. “Now, here’s two of the weirdest: ‘Can someone become a homosexual because of an injury?’”

“You’re kidding, right? That’s not in there.”

He positioned the book in front of her so she could read the real question.

“Dear God, it is.”

When she reached out to take the book, he yanked it back. “Here’s another. You’ll love this. Page one hundred twelve, ‘What if I have a spasm during sex?’”

Dana stilled. Her brow furrowed and she glanced away, then back to him. “That’s not funny, Joe. I, um, do have spasms in my legs sometimes.”

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Trust me on this one, babe.” Again, he read from the book. “’The excitement of sexual stimulation can set off uncontrolled movements.’ The book says talk to your partner beforehand, blah, blah.… Okay, we’ve talked. Now, here’s what I thought you’d appreciate. ‘You can use the spasm to excite your partner. Set the limb where the spasm is occurring on your partner’s genitals and allow the tremor to stimulate him.’”

She tried holding back a laugh, but she couldn’t.

“So, sweetheart, if those legs react to my touching you, just tell me and we’ll put your calves on my pecker.”

This time, she burst into a guffaw. Her solid, real laughter had to be better than angels singing.

Joe joined in. When he stopped, he said, “I think that’s enough.”

“Hmm, me, too.” Sexual tension hummed in the air. For a moment, she watched him and he watched her. Then she took the book out of his hand and tossed it to the table

“All right. Let’s get to it.”

He kissed her nose. “Aren’t you the romantic?”

“How’s this?” She moved in close. “Touch me, Joe, love me, do all the things you ever wanted to do to me.”

Humor forgotten, Joe was moved by her acquiescence, her words. “Now, that’s what I wanted to hear.” She went to speak again and he silenced her with a kiss. Against her lips, he whispered, “I think I can take it from here.”

 o0o

After Joe set her on the bed, he gave her a look full of simmering sexuality that made her mouth go dry. Then he sat down next to her and she got another whiff of the aftershave he wore. Its woodsy, earthy scent had aroused her in the living room. “Ready?”

She tried to stop the brief flush but couldn’t.

Joe noticed. “We’ll do this however you want, honey.” He laid a big hand on her thighs and squeezed. Then he made a brief trip to her calves. “If you’re not ready to let me see these, it’s okay. For the record, it won’t matter to me what they look like, but we can take that part slow.”

Dana felt perilously close to tears. Why was everything so hard? She wanted to simply enjoy sex with him. “I don’t want to be embarrassed by my legs, but I am, Joey. I can’t help it.”

“Then we won’t cross that bridge tonight.”

She said hoarsely, “Thank you for understanding.”

“Arms up,” he ordered, quickly changing the subject.

She obeyed and he slipped her top over her head. She’d worn no bra with it. “Oh, man, look at you.”