Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Banks
The rain fell hard as I sprinted through the parking lot towards the town market. The day had been long, wet, and muddy and I was tired and in desperate need of a hot shower.
But as soon as I saw Delilah on the ground, time stopped. My heart skidded to a stop and my breath caught in my throat.
The thought of her hurt made me want to switch places with her, protect her, and take the pain away.
I dropped to my knees in front of her, not caring if the ground was wet. “Delilah? Are you okay? Shit, what happened?”
When her eyes met mine, she choked out a sob and tears leaked down her cheeks.
Without a second thought, I scrambled to my feet and took over cleaning up the groceries with the help of another person who supplied me with a reusable bag for all the items. Then I kneeled down once more, and I scooped her into my arms. I stood up and looked around at the small crowd of people.
“Thanks, guys. I’ll take it from here.” I said before heading back toward my truck, my reason for stopping at the market forgotten about.
Delilah slipped her arms around my neck and buried her wet face into my chest as I jogged over to the passenger side of my truck.
I set her down gently, unlocked the doors, and helped her inside, closing the door before hurrying around to my side.
I grabbed the first aid kit from the back seat and climbed behind the wheel.
“Damn, that rain is cold.” I said as I started the engine and turned up the heat.
I picked up a dry towel from the back seat and offered it to her, grabbing another for myself to wipe off.
Being a lumberjack meant being prepared, as accidents and unexpected weather liked to rear their ugly heads often.
“I’m sorry.” Delilah hiccupped. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. We all fall once in a while. Sometimes figuratively and sometimes quite literally.” I offered her a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. I opened the first aid kit and sifted through it, pulling out cleaning wipes, antibacterial cream, and bandages.
Delilah chuckled and wiped her face with the back of her hands. “I told you I was off limits.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and it made my dick hard. A woman who could take a joke was my kind of woman.
“Doesn’t mean I won’t still fall.” I said with a wink. “Alright, let’s assess the damage, shall we?”
Delilah slipped off her jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her sweater, revealing skinned elbows.
I tended to her wounds, cleaning and bandaging them, including the road rash on each of her palm, and the cuts on her knee, blood having soaked through her jeans.
“Does anywhere else hurt besides the visible damage?”
She sniffed and sighed. “Just my wrist hurts a little. Probably because I used it to brace my fall, silly I know.”
“I would’ve done the same thing. It’s natural instinct. I’d suggest maybe some x-rays in case there’s any internal damage. You’ll probably wake up tomorrow feeling like a bus hit you.”
“It would be just my luck to have broken something. My brother is going to get a kick out of this.”
I laughed. “Good ol’ sibling rivalry. My older sister, Lori, and I have plenty of it.” I finished bandaging her wounds. “Sorry about your groceries. Do you want me to run in and replace them?”
“No, thanks anyway, but I’m not really in the mood to cook anymore. I’ll probably heat a frozen dinner and go to bed.”
“What had you planned on making?”
“Tomato soup with grilled cheese.”
“That sounds perfect for a day like today.”
Delilah nodded. “I thought so too. Maybe tomorrow. But listen, uh…” Silence fell between us and the moment stretched, filled with a longing desire, loud breathing and quickened breaths the only sounds in the room.
How did I know so little about this woman yet want to know everything all at the same time?
She looked down at her hands and back up at me, her look more curious than anything.
I want to kiss her.
It took everything inside me not to.
“Don’t need to thank me for fixing you up.
It was my pleasure.” I forced a smile, but I so badly wanted to take her in my arms, tell her she was mine and no one else’s and scream it from the rooftop.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it, the urges taking on a mind of their own, as if I had no control over my own thoughts.
“You deserve a thanks. So, thank you. I appreciate it. I’m sorry for crying.”
“Please, don’t apologize. I’d cry too if my ass hit the ground.” I grinned as Delilah cracked a smile.
The air grew thick with tension as our eyes held the other. We couldn’t ignore this for much longer. It was too strong, too powerful, too much of everything I’d always wanted.
“I want to kiss you.” Delilah confessed, the words tumbling out of her mouth like a long-held secret.
My heart jumped into my throat as my stomach plunged to my feet. “I’m not your client anymore. I already booked an appointment with another massage therapist.”
She blinked, her eyebrows raised. “Should I be offended?” She asked with laughter in her voice.
“I want your hands on me in a different way. So please, please put me out of my misery and kiss me. I’ve dreamed about it long enough and—”
Delilah cut me off by planting her lips on mine and kissing me long and hard, her taste sweet and addicting.
Our mouths moved in perfect harmony as we tasted and explored, two tongues dancing together, unable to get enough, but also, like we’d done this a thousand times before, and it never got old, never grew tiresome, tasting the same if not better.
And when we broke apart several minutes later, it was then, in that moment, I knew for certain my life had changed forever.