Page 10 of Love Me Back (Diamond Creek #2)

Grayson

The ceiling needed to be painted.

Why had I never noticed that before? Probably because I didn’t normally lie in bed in the morning staring at the fucking thing, waiting for someone to help me get the fuck out of bed.

Last night I’d had to call Emerson to help me get into bed; you would think he’d remember to come back in the morning. Looking at the time, I realized he was probably feeding the horses. The sun hadn’t risen yet, which meant no one else had either, except me and Emerson.

Maybe I could do this myself.

How hard could it really be?

I had great upper-body strength from years of controlling six-to seven-hundred-pound animals. I could lift myself. Sitting up, I lifted one leg and dangled it over the side of the bed. Then, I did the same with the other.

Step one completed.

Nurse Sally had taught me how to do this shit before I left the hospital. She made it look so fucking easy. I grabbed the armrest of the chair and dragged it closer, putting it at an angle the way she showed me.

Step two completed.

Now, I just had to reach over and grab both armrests and heft myself from the bed to the chair. Easy peasy.

At least that was how Nurse Sally made it look.

Reality was entirely different because what Nurse Sally failed to mention was that you had to have the same amount of pressure on both armrests, otherwise you ended up on your ass on the floor with the chair on top of you. Well, actually on my stomach; the chair landed on my ass.

A- fucking -gain.

The bedroom door slammed open, and Jessie flew to my side like a tornado.

“Grayson, what the hell are you doing?”

She pulled the chair off me, and I got a look at her in a tight white tank top and skimpy little sleep shorts. If I’d had any doubts about my dick still working, he made it known loud and fucking stiff that he liked what he saw and, despite my legs not working, he was ready for duty.

She crouched down in front of my face, and not only was she not wearing a bra, her nipples garnering my attention like fucking high beams, but she wasn’t wearing panties under those tiny fucking shorts, and I could see every goddamn thing.

I groaned and dropped my head to the floor. She was killing me.

“Are you hurt?”

She ran her hands over my body, starting at my shoulders, then moving down my arms and to my ribs. I bit my tongue to keep me from moaning as her fingers plucked along checking my ribs. How was she completely unaffected by having her hands on me?

It was a good thing I hadn’t landed on my back or she would find one bone that definitely wasn’t broken.

Her hands moved down my back to the top of my ass and hips. But when she got to my legs—at least I assumed she was feeling my legs since she hadn’t moved off the floor—I couldn’t feel a damn thing.

“Nothing feels broken. Let’s get you off the floor.”

“Jessie, stop.”

“Grayson, I can’t leave you on the floor.” She pulled at my arm, and I yanked it from her hands.

“Just get one of my brothers.”

She let out a heavy, frustrated breath. “I am here to take care of you.”

“Get the fuck out of my room and get one of my brothers!” I shouted.

“Fine.”

Fuck!

Jessie stood up from the floor and quietly walked out of my room, slamming the door behind her. I might not have had many relationships over the years, but I had a mom and I had a sister. Plus, I wasn’t stupid. I knew what fine meant.

I shoved myself up and flipped over. Thank you, years of sit-ups. I leaned against the mattress, my legs stretched out in front of me, and willed my erection to go down while I waited for my brother.

And waited.

And waited.

After about forty minutes, I scooted closer to the nightstand and grabbed my phone. Dialing Emerson’s number, I waited for him to answer.

“Yea?”

“Where the fuck are you?”

“Um, feeding the horses.”

“Did Jessie call you and ask you to come help me?”

“No. I figured you would sleep in since you can’t ride yet”— or ever again, I thought — “and I would come to the house when I was done. I have about thirty minutes left.”

“Never mind, I’ll call Hudson.”

I hung up on my brother and laid my head back on the bed, staring at the ceiling again. God, it really looked awful. I dialed Hudson’s number and waited for him to pick up. It rang until his voicemail connected, so I hung up and called him back.

Three fucking times I had to do that before he answered his goddamn phone.

“Hello?”

“Get the fuck down here and help me get off the fucking floor!” I shouted into the phone before hanging up.

A few minutes later, Hudson walked in, rubbing his eyes, and asked, “Why are you on the floor?”

“I decided to sleep here last night. ”

Hudson’s hand dropped to his side, and he stared at me. “Why?”

“Get the fucking chair, asshole.”

He moved to grab my chair and asked again, “Seriously, why did you sleep on the floor?”

“I didn’t sleep on the fucking floor. I tried to get in the chair myself and fell,” I grumbled.

“Gray,” he sighed. “You need to ask for help.”

“I called you, didn’t I?”

He set the brake and then scooted forward so he could get behind me. It took a few tries, but he finally got me into the chair. I turned toward the door, and Jessie was there, leaning against the door frame holding a cup of coffee.

“It’s easier if you lift him from the front.”

“Is that for me?” I asked.

“Nope.” She turned around and walked away.

Hudson chuckled at my growl. And I snapped my eyes up to his.

“Just give in. Brother, you are missing out on a golden opportunity here.”

“And just what opportunity is that, oh wise one?”

“Forced proximity.”

I stared at my brother. The look on his face said I should know exactly what the hell he was talking about, but I had no clue.

He shook his head. “Pick up a book. You have the woman you’re in love with in your home, sleeping across the hall for the next four weeks. Get your head out of your ass and make a fucking move. You’ve been dancing around her for months. Now you have her undivided attention, and you’re wasting it.”

“I can’t fucking walk.”

“Is that what’s stopping you? Get the fuck out of here. You really think Jessie is that shallow?”

No, I didn’t think she was that shallow. But I did think she deserved more than a washed-up cowboy who couldn’t carry her off to bed. She deserved more than I could give her.

Hudson shook his head at me and walked out of my room, while I sat in the wheelchair feeling sorry for myself. I wouldn’t make it through four weeks of Jessie being here. Just the thought of her across the room kept me up most of the night.

If it hadn’t been for my fucking legs, I would have stormed into her room and buried my unbroken cock deep inside her. Maybe that would make her see how fucking serious I was.

How serious you were.

All thoughts of making her mine were gone. I wheeled out into the hallway and heard her in her room. She was on the phone, probably with Ellie. I hadn’t planned to stop and listen until I heard her voice get angry.

“Someone shot at him. If I find out you had anything to do with it.”

Her voice cut off as I assumed the person on the other side of the phone spoke.

“No, you’ve never done anything before. I need to know who tried to hurt him.”

Her footsteps were heavy as she paced. I could picture her behind the closed door, chewing her nail. It’s what she did when she was upset.

“You’ll tell me if you find anything? Okay. Yeah, I love you too.”

Who the fuck was she talking to? Before I could wheel away, her door opened, and she startled back when she saw me.

“Who the fuck were you talking to?”

“You were eavesdropping on my phone call?” She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive move.

“Don’t answer my question with a question. Who were you talking to?”

“That’s none of your business.” She tried to move past me, but I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into my lap.

“Grayson!”

The feel of her in my lap, despite not being able to feel her weight on my legs, muddled my brain.

As I looked into her wide, shocked eyes, every question I had, hell, every thought I had about the phone call I overheard disappeared.

My hand went to the back of her head, and I pulled her closer and slammed my lips onto hers.

She fought me at first, but the moment my tongue slid along the seam of her lips, her body slumped against mine and she opened her mouth to me.

Her surrender didn’t have quite the impact I thought it would.

I did want her to surrender; however, what I wanted more was for her to want me the way I wanted her.

I pulled back and held her away from me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

For the briefest moment, I thought I saw something in her eyes that looked like sadness before she cleared her face of any emotion. I wondered if her social awkwardness was a ruse. That maybe it was a game she played. My mind went to the phone call again and who was on the other line.

“Who were you talking to?”

She scrambled off my lap and glared at me. “Who I speak to is none of your business. It’s rude to hover in the hallway listening to private conversations.” She turned and stomped down the hall.

“Jessie!” I wheeled the chair as fast as I could, but her two legs, short as they were, moved faster than my two fucking wheels. I heard the backdoor slam and knew I couldn’t follow her wherever she went. I quickly sent a text to Hudson and Emerson to keep an eye on her.

“What did you do?”

Closing my eyes, I dropped my head in defeat. I turned around and found Addie glaring at me. I was batting a thousand this morning on pissing off the women in my life.

“Nothing,” I said, wheeling up to the table.

“It’s not nothing. Why is Jessie pissed at you?”

“What happens between me and Jessie is none of your business.” I wouldn’t tell my family about the phone call. I didn’t want them to aim any mistrust Jessie’s way. I had enough for all of us.

Did I really think Jessie could have something to do with the attempt on my life? No. Did I think she was involved with someone? Maybe. Either way, I wanted to know who the fuck she said I love you to. That bothered me a hell of a lot more than her talking about my accident.

Maybe Hudson was right. Maybe I was missing an opportunity here. Maybe this was just the situation I needed to get Jessie in my bed, and in my life.

What kind of life can you offer her?

That was the million-dollar question. I had the money to pamper her. My dick wasn’t broken. And I loved her. But was that enough to compensate for the loss of my legs? Would she be happy taking care of me for the rest of her life? Knowing there would be things I would never be able to do again?

I wasn’t sure what I had to offer was enough.