Chapter Ten
Micah sat in his recliner, watching TV while Patsy lay on the sofa. An old black and white movie was on but really didn’t interest him. He kept glancing over to her, but she had barely looked at him since he was released from the hospital two days ago. He wasn’t sure what was going on in that beautiful head of hers but he also was scared to find out. Since Melbourne was now dead, there was no real reason for her to stay with him. Pete Dowling was dead too. The FBI had raided a drug house and he was there. He shot at the agents and was killed in the shootout. Micah seriously doubted that Dowling knew anything about the hit out on Patsy since he hadn’t visited White in a long time. Apparently, he was done with that time in his life. The man White had paying Melbourne was his lawyer, and he turned himself in because he didn’t want anything more to do with White. His only stipulation was that he not be placed in the same prison as White.
“Do you need anything?” Patsy asked as she rose from the sofa .
“You.” Micah watched her bite her bottom lip but she didn’t move from where she stood.
“You need to rest, Micah.”
“I’ve rested enough,” he snapped back then shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I’m just tired of sitting around.”
She laughed. “Now you know how I felt being cooped up.”
“Patsy, what’s wrong? You’ve barely said two words to me since I’ve been home and those are mostly to ask if I need something or to take a painkiller.”
“There’s nothing—”
“Bullshit. There’s something going on with you. Tell me.”
“I-I’m still in shock over seeing you get shot, Micah. That’s all.”
He put his hand out to her.
“Come here,” he said quietly but she shook her head. “Patsy, please.”
She took a deep breath and walked to him then took his hand. When he tugged her down onto his lap, she gave a small squeak and tried to sit up.
“You’re going to hurt yourself doing that,” she said while glaring at him.
“I’m fine, Patsy. I’m sore but not too sore to hold you. Just sit with me. I was in the hospital away from you because I had to be, but I need to hold you. I can feel you pulling away from me.” He kissed the top of her head .
“I’m not pulling away. I just don’t want to hurt your shoulder.”
She put her head on his other shoulder and kissed his neck.
“My shoulder will be fine. I’m sorry you had to see that, but it happens—”
She pushed away to sit up and looked at him. “I know it happens and I hate it.”
Micah shrugged. “It’s my job. Come back here.”
After a slight hesitation, she settled back against him put her face in his neck and her arm up around his shoulder. He felt her kiss his neck and his dick was ready to go. She sat up and looked at him.
“What?” he asked.
“Seriously?” She wiggled her butt against him. “Something is certainly feeling fine.”
He placed his hand on her nape and pulled her closer to him then leaned up and kissed her.
“Let’s go to the bedroom,” he whispered against her lips.
“No. Here,” she said as she got off his lap.
Standing in front of him, she slowly pulled her T-shirt up and off over her head and dropped it to the floor then tugged his sweatpants down and his hard cock stood at attention. When she swayed her hips, he grinned.
“Need some music?”
He picked up the remote and aimed it at the stereo. They both burst out laughing when they heard Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye.
Patsy smiled and turned her back to him. He watched as her hands reached behind her and unclasped her bra. Turning around, she faced him but held on to her bra. As she continued to sway her hips in time with the song, she dropped her bra to the floor. Micah groaned as his dick hardened more. She turned her back to him again and he heard the zipper go down on her jeans. He was sure he came a little when she shimmied them down her hips, bending at the waist as she pushed them to her feet, and stepped out of them. Her black boy cut panties had him salivating. She turned to face him then pushed her panties down, and tossed them to him. He caught them, put them to his face, and inhaled.
Patsy laughed.
“You’re so bad, Agent Turner.”
“Come here and quit teasing me or it’ll be over before we get to the good part.”
“You’d get to the good part any way, with or without me.”
“True but I’d rather have you there with me. Come here, sweetheart, and ride me.”
Patsy groaned and slowly walked to him where she straddled him and took him inside her. Micah put his finger against her clitoris. She gripped the back of the chair by his head and bucked against him then lifted herself up and down over him. He took a nipple between his teeth and sucked it into his mouth. Not thinking, he tried to lift his bad arm and let out a gasp of pain. Immediately, Patsy stopped moving.
“I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No, I did it. You made me lose my head and I forgot for a minute I was injured. It’s okay, go back to what you were doing,” he said then laughed.
“I’d be very happy to.”
She leaned down and pressed her lips to his and slid her tongue into his mouth. When he sucked on it, he heard her moan.
“Patsy…damn, I don’t want this to be over yet but…” His hand grabbed her hip.
“Yes,” she hissed and moved harder against him then moaned out his name.
He could feel her clenching around his cock and it sent him over the edge with her. He buried his face in her neck and groaned out her name as he came hard.
Patsy leaned her head on his shoulder and both of them tried to catch their breaths. Micah put his hand on her nape and squeezed slightly.
“You okay?”
“No. I can’t move.”
He chuckled. “I don’t have a problem with that. If you stay here long enough maybe I’ll be ready to go again.” He could feel her shoulders shaking as she laughed then she raised her head and looked at him.
“Not happening, Turner. I’m going to take a shower.” She stood from the chair and stared down at him. “I won’t be long. ”
“You’re not going to ask me to join you?”
“Nope. Not this time.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why not?”
“Because you can’t take showers yet and even if you could, you wouldn’t be able to hold me up.”
“Shit. That’s true. All right…I’ll be right here when you get back,” he said then winced.
“Are you hurting?”
“A little. It’ll be all right.”
Patsy walked to the kitchen then returned with a painkiller. He frowned when she held it out to him.
“Take it.”
“I don’t want it. I’m fine.”
“Yeah, give me the macho bullshit some other time. Take the pill, Agent Turner.”
Micah grinned and shook his head but he took the pill, tossed it into his mouth then took a drink of his water.
“Yes ma’am.”
Patsy smiled at him then disappeared down the hallway. When she returned with a washcloth, he reached for it but she brushed his hand away.
She leaned over him and cleaned him up. Micah clenched his teeth all the while she did.
She was going to drive him insane. Just about the time he was ready to grab her wrist to stop her, she quit, and straightened up.
“I’ll just be a few minutes.” She picked her clothes up and left the living room again.
*** *
Once in the bathroom, Patsy locked the door behind her, leaned her arm against the wall, placed her head against it, and cried.
Putting her hand over her mouth, she tried to curb her sobs.
Tears flowed down her cheeks.
How was she ever going to leave him? He would always be the man she loved.
It had been stupid to come here.
She should have known being with him for any length of time would only lead to heartbreak.
There was no way she could stay any longer.
She had to get out of here and away from him.
To think of him walking out that door never to return had her terrified.
Anytime she thought she could handle it, she’d remember seeing him fall to the ground when he’d been shot.
She had been having nightmares ever since it had happened.
Micah would put his arms around her and hold her as she trembled.
She knew he had to know she was having a hard time with it, but he did his best to soothe her.
She loved him so much, but she couldn’t stay with him and live with a constant fear he’d be killed.
Oh, sure, she knew no one knew how long anyone had, but his job was so dangerous.
He was in bad situations too much and it was just a matter of time.
He’d told her it was the first time he’d been shot other than in his vest but it only took one bullet.
She couldn’t believe it when he’d told her he’d been shot twice before but his vest had protected him.
And even though he’d quit working undercover, it didn’t change the fact that he was in a dangerous job.
Shaking her head, she pushed herself away from the wall, walked to the tub, and turned the water on deciding on a bath instead of a shower.
After piling her hair up on her head, she walked to the door and unlocked it then stepped into the tub.
She couldn’t leave the door locked in case Micah decided to come in.
Sometimes he’d come into the bathroom just to talk with her while she soaked.
More times than not, she’d talked him into joining her.
It had been a mistake coming to him, but he’d been the first person she thought of to help her.
Not Nathan.
Not Mont.
Micah.
She knew he’d protect her and although she knew Nathan and Mont would too, she wanted it to be Micah.
She’d lied to Bella about how she felt about Micah.
She was certain she’d fallen in love with him the minute he came striding into Bella’s bedroom.
It took all of her willpower to keep her mouth from dropping open.
He’d been a tall, cool drink of water and she’d been so very thirsty.
Blowing out a shaky breath, Patsy washed her face then sat back in the tub to relax.
Sex had never been as good as it was with Micah.
She was no slut, but she’d been with a few men.
None of them could hold a candle to Micah Turner.
Why couldn’t he be bad in bed? Then it wouldn’t have happened more than once, and she’d be more than ready to leave.
She was sure if the sex had been lousy, her infatuation with him would have faded damn quickly.
But no, the man had to be great in bed and made her fall deeper in love with him.
It was all his fault.
Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes but her peace only lasted a few minutes before she jerked hearing a knock on the door.
It opened and Micah stuck his head in.
“I thought you were going to shower.”
She shrugged. “Changed my mind.”
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yes, of course.” She glanced back at him but then turned around again too fast.
“There’s no of course about it, pixie. You’ve been jumpy as hell since you were taken.”
“Well, something like that does tend to make a person jumpy. Not to mention that I saw you get shot.”
Micah pushed the door open and entered the room. He closed the lid on the toilet then sat down adjusting the sling on his arm. She knew he hated wearing the sling but it was necessary to help him heal well.
“Patsy, I’m sorry you had to see that but I’m fine.”
“But you might not be the next time.”
“You can’t know there will be a next time—”
“And you can’t know there won’t be,” she snapped then tears blurred her vision. “ Micah, I’m…I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m going back to Dry River.”
“Just like that?” He stood and stared down at her.
“I’m no longer in danger and I need to get back to my job.”
“What about us?”
“Us? There is no us because there can’t be. You live here, and I live in Dry River.”
“So that’s it, huh? Well, if that’s what you want. Go.”
Micah stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.
Patsy swore as tears slid down her cheeks. She knew she’d hurt him but better she left now than have her heart ripped out later when he didn’t come home.
Sitting up, she pulled the plug, stood and reached for a towel. After drying off, she walked naked from the room and then to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she crawled between the sheets and cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, she lay in bed and rubbed her eyes. They felt as if sand had filled them overnight. Between the lack of sleep and crying all night, she was surprised she could even open them. Tossing the covers back, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood, and quickly dressed then packed her suitcase.
Taking a deep breath, she walked to the bedroom door and slowly opened it. She peered out and listened. The house was quiet. Thinking Micah was still asleep in his room she crept down the hallway and came to a halt when she saw him in the recliner. He glanced over to her then put the footrest down with a thump and stood.
“So, you’re really going, huh?” he asked her.
“Yes. I need to get back to work.”
She moved toward the door, but his words stopped her.
“Patsy, please stay.”
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I can’t do this, Micah. I can’t watch you walk out the door every day thinking you may not return.”
“Patsy—”
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to give it up. I know how much you love it. But when I saw those bullets hit you and I thought you were dead—I died a little. I wanted to just lay down with you and die too. I can’t watch something like that again or even hear about it. When I remember what Bella went through when she’d thought Mont was dead…” She shook her head, fighting back tears. “I’ve never seen a woman love a man as much as she loves him, until I looked in the mirror. Only as much as I love you, I can’t be with you. I’d rather walk away knowing you’re alive than stay and watch you die.”
She continued to walk toward the front door when his words stopped her again .
“Patsy…please…I love you,” he said in a low tone of voice.
She heard the hurt in his voice but she hurt too. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath, shook her head, and walked out the door.
Patsy drove home to Dry River but had to stop several times to try to regain her composure. She loved him so much. It was why she couldn’t ask him to leave the job he loved so much. She knew he certainly wouldn’t ask her to leave hers. He knew she loved her job at the animal hospital.
Damn him! Why did she have to fall in love with him? If she’d just kept her heart out of it, she’d be fine now. If she’d just kept it sex only, she wouldn’t have a broken heart. She groaned. That had been the problem. The sex had been way too good, and she had a feeling it was good because she loved him. The thought of him with another woman about killed her. She’d never love another man the way she loved Micah Turner.
Instead of driving to her home or the hospital, she drove to Bella and Mont’s home. She pulled up to the back door and after climbing out of her car, she ran up the steps to the door. It opened before she got to it. She stopped when she saw Bella. A tear rolled down her face. Bella put her arms out to her and she stepped into them.
“Come inside, Pats,” Bella said as she pulled her inside the kitchen and then to the living room where she led her to the sofa and sat down with her.
“Patsy, why haven’t you kept in touch? I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m so sorry. Bella—”
Patsy couldn’t seem to get anything past the lump in her throat. She just shook her head.
“Tell me what’s been going on with you,” Bella whispered.
“I love him so much—” Patsy’s voice caught as she tried to speak.
“Who? Where have you been? I kept texting, calling, and emailing you but you never answered.”
“I’ve been in hiding from Victor White’s men. He sent a man to kill me.”
Bella let out a loud gasp. “What happened?”
“He’s dead now. The FBI shot him after he took me and tried to—” Her voice choked her with a sob. “He found me at Micah’s—”
“Micah Turner?” Bella asked in a shocked voice.
“Do you know another Micah?” Patsy said sarcastically.
“No need to be pissie about it, Pats. I’m just shocked you were with Micah, seeing as how you feel about him. Wait. You just said you loved him so much. Did you mean, Micah?”
Patsy nodded. “Yes. You can laugh now.”
“I would if you weren’t so upset. Tell me why that is, if you’re in love with him? He doesn’t love you? Is that it? Because I will kick his ass.”
Patsy smiled for the first time in hours.
“He told me he does love me—” Her smile fading as fast as it began.
“Then why are you so upset?”
“Damn, Bella. If you would just let me finish a sentence, maybe I’d be able to tell you.”
“Sorry,” Bella muttered.
“He loves being an FBI agent and I hate it. Bella, I can’t live with the thought of it being a real possibility that one day he’d walk out that door and not return. I saw what you went through when you thought Mont was dead. I won’t go through that. Like I told Micah, I’d rather walk away knowing he’s alive than stay and watch him die. I don’t ever want to know if something happens to him. When I saw him get shot—”
Bella sprang up. “Micah was shot?”
“He’s fine now. He was hit in the shoulder and vest or he definitely would have been killed. When I saw those three bullets hit him, I wanted to die. I knew then that I couldn’t stay with him. I left him and drove straight here.”
Bella sat down again and put her arms around her. Patsy’s body shook as she cried. She could hear Bella talking to her, trying to soothe her but it didn’t help. Nothing would help. She’d lost the only man she’d ever love. Her. Patsy Murphy fell in love. Hard. She knew the first time she saw him that he was different. He’d held her attention far too long. She could usually look at a man and dismiss him. Not Micah. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. So she gave him the impression she didn’t like him—just as he had with her. They should have stayed away from each other. She’d be happier than she was right now, that was for sure .