by Roni Loren
TWENTY-TWO
Pike kept his eyes on the road as Oakley dug through her bag and grabbed fresh clothes to change into. She wriggled into clean underwear and jeans and then pulled her post-sex hair into a ponytail. By the time they drove up to the hospital, she looked like nothing had happened between them tonight.
And maybe for her, the memory could be wiped away that easily. But for him, the events of the evening lingered, sinking into his bones and settling in. He and Oakley hadn’t even made it to The Ranch tonight, but being with her had been like nothing he’d ever experienced. It had all been so easy, so effortless. They could joke and tease. They could be dirty. They could trust each other enough to indulge in a taboo fantasy.
He’d thought he’d feel like an absolute creep taking her up on her offer to play out that force fantasy. He never wanted to force a woman to do anything. But somehow it hadn’t felt that way with her. Knowing she was getting off on the roughness had been the biggest turn-on. It’d sparked something inside him that had made him want to spank her, had made him want to hold her down and tease her.
For the first time in his life, he understood where his friends in the lifestyle were coming from. Pike had thought he knew what it was about, but tonight with Oakley had felt altogether different. They’d called it a game, and on the surface, it had been. But the layer beneath was real and honest. They’d tapped into some part of themselves that they didn’t show the world. There’d been an undercurrent he’d never had before even when he’d done D/s scenes with others. And he knew there was more there, more to uncover and experience. But he had a feeling he may not get the chance because Oakley was going to run. When he’d said something about dating, she’d shut him down cold.
And he knew it wasn’t fair to expect anything more from her. He was acting like a groupie who tried to change the price of poker after the hookup. Oakley hadn’t led him on. She’d set up her parameters up front. But right now, he wasn’t so ready to play by those rules.
Pike turned down an aisle in the parking lot of the hospital, looking for a spot. Oakley grabbed her bag. “You can just drop me off at the front. You don’t have to get out.”
He peered over at her, sending her his non-negotiable look. “I’m going in.”
“But—”
“I want to see if Reagan is okay, too. And you’re going to need a ride back to your car.” He pulled into a parking spot.
“I can ride with my brother.”
“I’m the only one who can get into the garage. I’m coming with you. Get over it, mama.” He cut the ignition.
She blew out a breath. “This dominant thing is going to your head. But fine, come on. Just stick to the story that we’ve been working.”
“Of course.” He hopped out of the truck and went to her side. But she’d already gotten out before he could grab her door.
He wanted to take her hand as they walked through the lot, try to calm her. She had that frantic mama bear look on her face, but he knew his touch wouldn’t be welcome here. He couldn’t have her that way in real life. This was her family. He was the outsider.
They made their way into the waiting room and before Oakley could ask at the front desk, a man came striding toward them. He looked to be dressed for the outdoors—cargo pants, hiking boots, and an army green T-shirt—but somehow it all looked perfectly put together. Like he wasn’t really going camping but modeling for a camping catalog. The only thing that looked off was the dark hair going every which way—like the guy had been raking through it repeatedly.
The man met Oakley with a big hug. “Jesus, you must’ve teleported here. You said an hour.”
Oakley gave him a squeeze. “Pike was creative with the speed limit.”
Oakley’s brother stepped back and put a hand out to Pike. “Thanks for getting her here. I’m Devon.”
He shook Devon’s hand. “Pike. And no problem. We got here as soon as we could. How’s Reagan?”
“Her wrist is broken.”
Oakley winced, and Pike instinctively put a hand on her shoulder to give it a squeeze. Devon’s eyes went to the touch, and Pike lowered his hand to his side.
“But it was a clean break,” Devon assured Oakley. “They’re putting it in a splint for now. Then in a few days when the swelling goes down, they’ll cast it. A month in the cast and she’ll be all fixed up. Hunter is in there with her. I had to stay out here since Lucas crashed half an hour ago.”
Devon nodded his head toward one of the plastic waiting room chairs where a young boy was curled up and fast asleep.
Oakley let out a breath. “Thank God she’s all right. Where is she?”
“Right through those doors. It’s room B. Tell the nurse at the desk, and she’ll get you back there. I know Rae will be relieved to see you, and the hospital needs you to sign some papers anyway.”
She turned to Pike. “Thanks for bringing me.”
He cocked a thumb to the waiting room area. “I’ll be out here whenever y’all are ready to leave.”
“Pike—”
“Let your brother and his family go home and put their son to bed. I can get you and Reagan home safely.”
Devon put his hands on Oakley’s shoulders and gave Pike a raised-eyebrow look from behind her. “We can bring her.”
“I’ve got it,” Pike said, voice firm.
Devon looked down at Oakley. “Oak?”
She sighed. “It’s fine. You guys get back to your camping trip and get Lucas to bed. I’ll send Hunter out. Thank you for getting her here and taking care of her.”
Devon kissed the crown of her head. “Not a problem.”
Oakley gave Pike a quick look and then she turned and hurried toward the double doors that led to the back. Once she was out of sight, Devon faced him. “Coffee? It’s absolute shit here but you might be out here awhile. I saw the pile of paperwork she needs to fill out.”
“Yeah. That’d be great.”
“Keep an eye on my kid?”
“Sure.”
Pike took a spot next to the sleeping child. The waiting room was pretty busy but as cold as a morgue despite all the people. Babies cried. People coughed. Parents soothed. The whole scene made him shiver. How many times had he been in places like this when he was a kid? They hadn’t had insurance, so any illness or injury that came up had to go through the emergency room. He could remember long hours of sitting with feverish, crying siblings under florescent lights. And then there were the other times when he was the patient, his mother coaching him on what to say. Say you fell. Say you got in a fight with another kid. Say you burned yourself with your own cigarette.
That last one had been a fun one to explain. It’d been another of his mom’s winner boyfriends. The guy had been drunk off his ass one night and had told Pike real men didn’t cry. Then he’d proceeded to put a line of cigarette burns along Pike’s inner arm to try to get him to cry. He hadn’t stopped until Pike had vomited from the pain. Six burns. With his and his mother’s lies, the doctors had labeled it self-harm. And maybe in a way, it had been. He’d wanted to prove he could take whatever the guy dished out. Now he had a phoenix tattoo on the inside of his arm that blended the burns into the feathers of the beast. It’d been his first major ink.
If only he could go back and tell the truth to those doctors and social workers, maybe his brother and sisters would’ve had a chance to get out of that family, too. But back then, he’d been only fourteen and the unknown of where all the kids would end up if taken away from his mom had been too overwhelming to think about. She wasn’t great, but he’d known even then that things could always be worse.
He wondered how many children came through this very room with the same stories, with nervous mothers, and paper-thin lies. The thought made acid churn in his stomach. He leaned back in his chair, and Devon’s kid slid his head onto Pike’s shoulder as if sensing body heat was near. Instead of the urge to scoot away, he had to resist the instinct to touch the child’s head.
“Sorry about t
hat.”
Pike looked up.
Devon handed him a steaming paper cup and then set his own down. “I can take that spot. Luc’s a drooler.”
Pike smiled and put his hand under the child’s head so he wouldn’t fall over during the transfer. Devon probably didn’t want his kid leaning on a stranger. He didn’t blame him. Devon slid into the spot and in an instant, Lucas slumped all the way down and put his head on his father’s thigh and snored loudly.
The sight warmed Pike. At least this kid was safe. He only knew Devon through what Oakley had told him about her brother, but the guy had taken care of his sister when she needed help and was still doing it sometimes. He’d done what Pike hadn’t for his own siblings.
“He’s out cold,” Pike said, trying to make conversation and block out the bad memories.
“I think all the excitement did him in. He and Rae are really close, and it was hard for him to see her get hurt. He thought it was his fault because he’d been the one who wanted to go ride on the trails. But it could just as easily have been him. Reagan raced ahead, and there was a fallen branch that launched her off her bike. We were only a few feet behind but couldn’t get to her quick enough. I should’ve led the way.”
“Sounds like he’s not the only one blaming himself.”
Devon gave him a chagrined smile. “I was the one in charge. Parental guilt is a wicked bitch.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Pike sipped his coffee and tried not to make a face at the taste—warmed-over dishwater.
“Yeah, I guess having a family would be pretty tough with your job.” Devon took a long draw from his cup, but his eyes didn’t leave Pike’s.
Pike had the distinct impression he was being evaluated. “It’s not ideal, no.”
Devon nodded. “Which begs the question, why are you in the waiting room of a hospital, waiting for my sister and her daughter to get discharged so you can bring them home?”
Pike’s attention snapped to him, gazes colliding. “Because I’m trying to help.”
“She told you she didn’t need it.”
“Like she’d ever admit she needed help from anyone.”
He smirked. “Point taken. Maybe you know her better than I thought. But you still need to tread carefully.”
“Meaning?”
He shrugged, his hand idly stroking his son’s hair. “Meaning, I’m all for my sister dating and letting new people into her life. She needs to take some time for herself. But—”
“But not with a guy like me,” Pike said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. He could only imagine what he looked like to Mr. Put-Together Dad. Like danger and bad news and all the things one tried to keep their little sisters away from.
Small lines appeared around Devon’s mouth—a restrained frown. “It’s not like that. I actually encouraged her to pursue this thing with you. But for a fling.” He looked toward the doors where Oakley had disappeared. “Flings don’t sit in hospital waiting rooms. You’re sending mixed messages, and I don’t want anyone leading her on. She doesn’t deserve that.”
Pike crossed his arms. He didn’t blame the guy for trying to protect his sister, but he wasn’t about to try to define his need to be here to a stranger. He didn’t quite understand it himself. “I don’t lead people on. I want to be here for her, so I am. Simple as that. Your sister’s a grown woman who can tell me if I’m crossing any lines.”
Devon considered him for a long moment then seemed to relent—if only a little. “Look, you seem like a decent guy. Oakley wouldn’t have let you be here at all if you weren’t. But she doesn’t need extra drama in her life. You and I both know your world is not going to mix well with hers. So don’t give her the impression that whatever you have going on is something different than it is. It’ll hurt her. And Rae.”
“Oh, Christ, is he polishing his shotgun over here?” a deep voice said from behind Pike.
Pike turned to find a broad-shouldered man with shaggy black hair and a good-natured smile rounding their row of seats. Unlike Devon’s polished camping look, this man looked ready to climb a mountain with his bare hands. He strode over to Pike and put his hand out. “I’m Hunter, Devon’s husband, and the man who’s going to save you from the third degree.”
Pike shook his hand, the grip firm. “Pike Ryland.”
Hunter tilted his head. “So you’re the fabled Pike, the drop-dead-gorgeous drummer Oakley’s seeing. Nice to meet you.”
Hearing the words roll off the man’s tongue sent Pike for a loop. “I know Oakley didn’t say that about me.”
He gave him a sly grin. “No, Devon did when he told me about you.”
Pike sent a raised eyebrow look over at Devon. “Oh.”
Devon shrugged. “It was an empirical observation.”
Hunter patted the back of Pike’s chair and looked toward Devon. “Don’t mind him. He has a wicked protective streak when it comes to his sister. I’m still trying to convince him she’s no longer sixteen.”
Pike’s muscles relaxed. “It’s okay. Family’s supposed to look out for each other.”
Though his family never got that memo.
“Oakley and Reagan should be out shortly. She’s just arranging payment and all that fun stuff.” Hunter walked over and squeezed Devon’s shoulder, the men a stark contrast to each other but somehow conveying their inherent bond with the easy way they looked at each other. “You ready? I have a feeling if we don’t get back soon, all of our new camping gear is going to be gone. I’m sure that guy we asked to keep an eye on our stuff has gone to bed by now or is currently selling our shit on eBay.”
Devon put his hand over Hunter’s and gave it a pat. “Yeah. You want to grab Lucas? My leg’s fallen asleep.”
Hunter leaned over and massaged Devon’s leg for a second then scooped up the child with ease. The scene was so sweetly domestic that it twisted something in Pike’s gut.
Devon stood and nodded at Pike, expression serious. “Get them home safe. And make sure Oakley doesn’t stay up all night hovering over Rae. Every time Rae gets sick, Oakley runs herself ragged and ends up sick herself.”
“I’m on it.”
“Or on her as the case may be,” Hunter offered with a wink.
Devon groaned. “We’re divorcing for that comment. Just so you know.”
Hunter smirked Pike’s way. “He divorces me every day. He likes the makeup sex.”
“Kid is here, Hunter.”
“Kid is snoring, Dev.”
Pike chuckled. “Y’all have a good night.”
The guys headed out, and about twenty minutes later, Oakley walked out of the big double doors, Reagan in tow. Reagan’s left forearm was wrapped in an electric blue splint, but otherwise she looked no worse for the wear. When she saw Pike, a smile broke over her face. “Mr. Pike! What are you doing here?”
Her obvious delight at seeing him there tugged at him. He stood and met them halfway. “Hey, kiddo. You’re looking pretty punk with that splint. Now you just need a blue Mohawk to match.”
“Ooh,” she said, looking to her mom. “That would be killer.”
“Don’t give her ideas,” Oakley said, ruffling Reagan’s hair.
Pike tucked his hands in his pockets to keep from taking Oakley’s hand. “And I’m here to give you two lovely ladies a ride home. Your uncles had to get back to the campsite.”
Reagan yawned. “I want to go back camping. I was supposed to sleep in a tent.”
“Another time, baby. Let’s get you home and into bed.”
Oakley looked ten times more tired than she had before they walked in, her makeup now smudged and her hair sagging out of her ponytail. But there was quiet beauty there Pike couldn’t help but appreciate. The women he was usually with were the type to rush into the bathroom in the morning to make sure they had full makeup complete and hair blown out before he got up. Women who wouldn’t go walk the dog without looking perfect. He loved that Oakley didn’t need all of those things. Dressed up or down, she was all wo
man—strength and softness colliding.
Reagan led the way, and Oakley and Pike followed behind. He reached out and touched Oakley’s elbow. “Everything okay?”
Oakley glanced over, weariness in her eyes. “Yeah. They don’t think she’ll need surgery, thank God. And she doesn’t seem to be in much pain. She’s got a high tolerance for that. But this hospital doesn’t take my insurance, so that was fun.”
He grimaced. “That sucks.”
“I’ll live. Nothing a few after-hours calls won’t fix.”
That made him grit his teeth. He wanted to give her the money right there. Whatever the bill was, he could take it off her plate. He didn’t want her to have to make more calls. But he knew how that offer would go. She’d bite his head off and be insulted.
So he opted for reaching out and giving her hand a squeeze and dropping it before Reagan could turn around and see anything. She gave him an appreciative look. “Thanks for waiting. You mind dropping me off at home instead of picking up my car tonight? I want to get Rae to bed as soon as I can.”
“No problem. I was going to suggest the same. If you give me your car keys, I can get one of the guys to follow me over tomorrow to drop it off.”
“That’d be great.”
They all climbed into the truck, and Reagan fell asleep against her mom before they even got onto the highway. Somehow even though they were in the same spots from earlier when they had their hot interlude, it didn’t feel weird to have Reagan between them now. It felt comfortable and domestic. A few weeks ago if someone had asked him if he’d want to hang out with a mom and her kid, Pike would’ve balked. But these two didn’t make him want to bail. If anything, he felt frustrated that he couldn’t do more.
When they arrived at Oakley’s house, Oakley touched Reagan’s arm to wake her, but Pike put his hand over Oakley’s. “Don’t disturb her. If it’s okay with you, I can carry her in for you.”
She looked up at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “I don’t know. She has personal-space issues with non-family members.”
“I’ll make sure I don’t jostle her too much and wake her.”