Lifting my head, I soaked in the sight of Jade completely undone. Her head had fallen back against the pillows, and her body was covered in a sheen of light sweat. I slowly drew my fingers out of her core as her trembling eased.
Reversing course, I mapped my way back up her body, unable to resist dusting kisses over her belly. I caught a nipple lightly in my mouth before pressing kisses along the side of her neck, savoring the goose bumps rising under my touch. I settled onto an elbow, my arousal insistent and impatient as my cock throbbed.
Jade’s green eyes opened slowly, an almost dazed look in them. I had to admit, I felt a surge of masculine pride that I could bring her to this point.
Her lips curled at the corners in a lazy smile. “Well, Walker, you’ve set a high bar.”
I opened my mouth to reply when there was a sharp knock at our hotel room door. Jade rolled her head to the side, actually glaring at the door. Turning back, her voice was husky when she spoke. “Who the hell could that be?”
I cupped her breast in my palm, savoring its lush weight and the way it filled my hand perfectly. “Hell if I know. I think we should ignore it. I’m certainly not expecting anyone. Are you?”
Her throaty chuckle tightened my need for her. “Uh, I’m your wedding guest. You’re more likely to have someone banging on our door.”
I dipped my head to press a kiss on the side of her neck, masking my chuckle. Although I was awash in the scent and feel of Jade, a part of me was rattled and unsettled by this easy comfort between us.
There was another knock at the door, followed by a male voice calling my name. Lifting my head, I met Jade’s eyes and sighed. “I think I should answer.”
“Go on, get the door,” she urged.
Shifting to my side, I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m not exactly in a state to answer the door.”
Jade nudged her hip slightly against my blatant erection. “Put your pants on. By the time you get to the door, no one will be able to notice. I’ll go in the bathroom.”
I thought she meant to be helpful, but the sight of Jade’s lithe and lush body climbing out of bed and walking into the bathroom did nothing to help tamp down my ardor. She leaned around the corner of the bathroom door, her dark hair falling over one shoulder. “Hurry up,” she mouthed as someone knocked on the door yet again.
“Coming!” I called out.
I did as Jade instructed and yanked on my dress slacks and even tossed on my shirt for good measure. As I’d predicted, it didn’t help all that much with my arousal. Although by the time I swung the door open, I didn’t think anyone would notice with the ends of my shirt hanging down.
“What’s going on?” I asked before I even had the door fully open and saw the guy standing on the other side. It was Dave’s brother, Steve, with a pained expression on his face. “Hey, what is it?” I instantly sobered.
His face was white, drawn into tense lines. He shook his head. “Dave collapsed.”
My brain didn’t compute the ramifications. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Dave collapsed. He’s on the way to the hospital.”
“When and where?”
“Jenny called from the room. He’s alive in the ambulance, and Jenny’s with him. When I couldn’t find you in the reception, I figured you must’ve already come up to your room. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I figured you would want to know.”
“Where is the hospital?” My words were clipped, but I didn’t care to make polite conversation.
“About five miles away. I’m headed down there with my parents now. Not that I think you’re concerned, but Dee won’t be there. I know she’s been a pain, so I asked her to stay out of it.”
That was the last thing on my mind, and if Dee had been there, I would’ve ignored her. But I didn’t even care about that right now. I simply nodded. “Text me the address. I’ll meet y’all there.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jade
I held the paper coffee cup under the dispenser, feeling my hand warming as coffee filled the cup. Setting one down, I filled the next. After that, I added a dash of cream to mine and stuffed some sugar packets and creamers in my pockets. Although Walker now held the honor of being the only man to bring me to climax, I didn’t know how he liked his coffee.
It was past midnight, and the hospital was largely quiet, yet it felt as if the entire place was humming. No matter where I walked, I could hear distant machines and the low murmur of voices from the nursing stations on every floor.
I was relieved I’d thought to pack something casual that I figured I would only be wearing on the drive home. My tennis shoes barely made a sound as I walked briskly down the hallway. My faded, worn jeans were comfortable, especially with the chill in the air-conditioned building.
I slowed as I approached the waiting area. When I rounded the corner and saw Walker sitting against the far wall with his elbows braced on his knees and his head hanging down, my heart squeezed. Ever since the interruption earlier tonight, Walker had been a bundle of tension and worry.
If I hadn’t guessed it before, I knew he was a man accustomed to carrying things alone. It was so clear he loved Dave in the way not many men love their friends. We still didn’t have any news on Dave’s condition, and Walker had been quiet and drawn since we arrived at the hospital.
He’d seemed startled when I had popped out of the bathroom and quickly tugged on my clothes. I wasn’t going to let him go to the hospital by himself. Crossing the room, I slipped into the chair beside him. Dave’s brother had left a few minutes ago to go back to the hotel and provide the lack of an update to the guests waiting for any morsel of news ever since Dave collapsed in his hotel room after the reception.
Dave’s parents were sitting at an angle across from Walker and me. Their hands were clasped together. His mother had finally fallen into a restless sleep with her head against her husband’s shoulder after the hospital had given her something to relax since she was so distraught. Jenny was dozing in another chair with her mother flipping through magazines at her side.
“Here,” I said softly.
Walker lifted his head, his eyes catching mine. “Thanks,” he said gruffly as he took the coffee from me.
I fished the sugar and creamers out of my pocket and held them out on my flat palm. “I didn’t know if you wanted sugar or cream.”
The barest hint of a smile flashed across his face as he shook his head. “Neither, but thank you.”
Without thinking, I rested my palm on the center of his back, rubbing it in a slow circle.
Walker looked over again. “Thanks for being here.”
“Of course.”
I had to admit this was all rather strange. Walker and I’d been deeply intimate hours earlier. And yet, somehow these last few hours that had passed together, I felt closer to him than I’d felt to anyone outside of my family. Ever. It was a different kind of closeness. Witnessing someone in a state of worry and concern and having them allow you to be there in quiet support was intense.
Walker took a long swallow of the mediocre coffee. “If you’d rather head back to the hotel and get some sleep, I understand.”