He barked out a laugh. Some of the tension eased from him as he pressed a kiss to her lips, then rolled onto his back and encouraged her to cuddle up against him once more.
She started to slide her hand down to the hard ridge beneath his zipper but swore. “I forgot about the cast.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She arched a brow. “I have another hand that works just fine, as well as a mouth.”
He groaned. “Don’t tempt me, woman. You need to sleep.”
“And you need to come.”
“I will. After Becca leaves.”
That wasn’t very fair. She’d just had the best orgasm of her life, and he was still hard and aching. “But—”
“If I have to wait, it will be all the more explosive when I can finally bury myself deep inside you.” Closing his eyes, he patted her back. “Try to get some rest.”
She wouldn’t have to try. Her body was so loose and languid after that orgasm that as soon as she closed her eyes, she figured she would…
“We’re home!”
Nick jerked awake. Blinking, he stared up at his ceiling and tried to kick his fuzzy brain into gear.
Something soft tickled his nose.
He glanced down. Kayla was snuggled up against him, sound asleep. Her head rested on his shoulder, her nose buried in his chest. Her arm with the cast was draped across his stomach. One of her shapely thighs was wedged between his own.
Heat slithered through him. What a fantastic way to wake up.
“Why are all the lights out?” a female voice asked downstairs. “Where’s Mom?”
“Upstairs resting,” Eliana replied. “Let me just go up and—Wait!”
Rapid thuds sounded as someone charged up the stairs.
Oh shit. Becca.
Nick ruthlessly clamped down on his body’s natural response to having Kayla’s precious curves pressed up against him and gave her a little shake. “Kayla,” he whispered urgently.
Moaning a protest, she rubbed her face against his chest.
Eliana spoke somewhere downstairs, her voice preternaturally soft. “If you’re doing something you don’t want her daughter to see, you’d better stop. Here she comes.”
“Kayla,” he said louder and gave her another shake. He tried to slip out from under her, but she wasn’t having it.
Tightening her hold, she snuggled closer. “Don’t go,” she mumbled.
“I have to. Becca’s here.”
“So?”
The thuds on the stairs grew louder until shoes hit the landing and raced onward.
Kayla’s eyes flew open. “Wait. What?”
The footsteps stopped. A loud gasp filled the room. “Mom?”
“Oh shit.” Kayla swiftly rolled onto her back.
Nick glanced at the doorway as he sat up and placed some distance between them.
Becca stood there in jeans, a sweater, and a heavy jacket. The purse she carried dropped to the floor. Her nose and cheeks were pink from crying, her eyes red-rimmed and so wide they threatened to pop right out of their sockets.
Eliana stepped up behind her. Grinning big, she gave him a not very subtle thumbs-up and mouthed, Finally!
“Becca.” Kayla hastily sat up. “Hi, baby. Did you have a safe trip?”
Nick felt like crap because she sounded awkward as hell. He shouldn’t have fallen asleep. He should’ve stayed awake and kept an ear out for her daughter so Becca wouldn’t have walked in and found them twined around each other like clinging vines.
Becca took a step forward, her gaze darting back and forth between the two of them. “Are you okay? The hospital called and said you were in critical condition.”
“I’m fine, sweetie. Come here and give me a hug.”
Nick rolled off the bed and stepped back. As soon as he did, Becca rushed forward and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
Kayla smiled and hugged her, stroking her hair. “It’s okay. I’m okay. My injuries weren’t as bad as they thought. I just have a slight concussion and a broken arm.”
Becca leaned back. “Your face…”
Kayla grimaced. “And some cuts and bruises. Nothing serious though. I’ll be fine in no time.”
“I was so scared. They made it sound like you were going to die or something.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve called. I’ve been pretty out of it since the accident.”
And he’d been so distracted that he’d forgotten to call Becca and give her an update. Silently, he cursed himself.
Becca took her mom’s arm and ran her fingers over the cast. “What happened?”
Kayla opened her mouth, acquired a blank expression, then shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
Nick spoke, his gaze on Kayla as he backed toward the door, giving the women some space. “Some dumbass who was texting while driving plowed into you while you were parked at a red light.”
Her eyebrows rose. “What?”
“She was going full speed, and the impact propelled your car out into traffic. An SUV T-boned you and spun you in front of a truck going the opposite direction.”
Becca’s face paled. “Shit.” She yanked her mother into another hug. “You could’ve been killed. You could’ve died!”
“But I didn’t,” Kayla said, her voice calm and soothing. “I just got a little banged up.” When her eyes met Nick’s, she smiled. “Nick has a doctor friend at the hospital who patched me up and gave me the VIP treatment. So I’ll be fine in no time. You’ll see.”
Relief filtered through him. He’d half expected her to give him the stink eye for falling asleep and failing to warn her about Becca’s arrival. But he saw only gratitude and affection in her pretty hazel eyes.
Dare he hope some of that affection might be for him?
Arching his brows, he jerked a thumb behind him and mouthed, Should I leave?
She shook her head.
Becca finally drew back. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and glanced around the room. Her gaze lit upon Nick, then darted away, eventually finding its way back to her mother. “So… why are you here?”
Kayla wrinkled her nose. “You know me. I hate going to the doctor. No way was I going to let them keep me in the hospital overnight.”
Nick cleared his throat. “I was worried about her being alone with the concussion and the broken arm, so I brought her here instead of taking her home.”
“Oh.” A long pause followed the single syllable that slowly stretched into Holy hell, this is awkward territory.
Eliana leapt into the gap with a smile. “Becca, have you had anything to eat since you left North Carolina?”
She wrinkled her nose in an exact imitation of her mother. The two closely resembled each other, Kayla looking more like Becca’s older sister than her mother. “No. They offered to serve me dinner on the jet, but I was too anxious to eat.”
Kayla smoothed a hand over her daughter’s hair. “I’m surprised you were able to get a flight so quickly.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t a commercial jet. It was a private jet. A really swanky one. Whoever owns it must be rich.”
Kayla sent Nick a questioning look.
He shrugged. “I had a friend fly her in. I figured it would be next to impossible for her to find a nonstop flight on such short notice, and I didn’t want her to have to deal with long layovers and connecting flights.”