“Long story short, it’s basically torn to shit,” she said, not bothering to sugarcoat things. I smiled. “You landed on it, and it crumbled, then debris crashed on top of it. Your ligaments are a mess, and you’re going to need some serious physical therapy after you’re discharged to build up the muscles again from disuse. Dr. McGee already did what he could surgically, and that was a success, which is a positive. Still, I won’t lie to you, PT is going to be a bitch.”
“Is that how you talk to your other patients?” Darren asked, disapproval in his voice.
“The grown men?” Tara asked. “Yes. The sweet little eight-year-old girls? No.”
I smiled again. Tara’s wit had always been sharp and hearing her shut down Darren’s insult was a breath of fresh air.
“We’re going to get you through it,” Tara said, turning back to me. “You’re strong. You’re young. You’re healthy. It’ll be hard, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t make a full recovery.”
“What kind of PT are we talking about?” I asked. “Weights? Jogs? That sort of thing?”
Tara shook her head. “No. Not for a while. The first thing we’ll do is some mild stretching and range of motion exercises.”
“Stretching?” I asked, my eyebrows raised. “That’s bullshit.”
Tara’s eyes narrowed. “I’m happy to bring in another therapist if you’d like a second opinion.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said quickly. “But you don’t have to baby me.”
“Baby you?” Tara scoffed. “The first time you try to stretch that leg, it’s going to feel like a thousand knives are piercing through you. It’s going to be more painful than anything you’ve ever felt. After that, you can tell me if you still want to go on a few jogs.”
“I’m glad to see you haven’t changed much,” I said softly.
Tara’s eyes met mine, and for a second, she softened. It didn’t last long. She got to her feet and walked back around to where Mom and Darren were standing.
“I should get going,” she said. “I have a session downstairs in half an hour. Caleb, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Are you still coming over for dinner tonight?” Mom asked her.
“Yeah,” Tara said, nodding. “Six?”
“Yup,” Darren said. “See you then, sweetheart.”
“Bye Dad,” Tara said. She waved to Mom and hurried from the room.
I watched her go, still in shock by her sudden appearance. Tara Jones. The girl I met when I was seventeen years old. My step sister and so much more. The girl who still occupied more of my mind than I cared to admit. I couldn’t believe, after all these years, she was back in my life.
CHAPTER FOUR - TARA
I was back in that hospital room, leaning over Caleb’s body. This time, we were alone. I hadn’t seen him since we were teenagers. He looked better than ever. His body was bigger, muscles bulging from beneath his hospital gown. My eyes roamed freely over his strong arms, imagining the way they would feel wrapped around my body.
He threw the blanket off himself, letting me trail my eyes down his body. His abs were so tight and defined that I could see them through the gown. I swallowed hard, desperate to rip that thin fabric from his body. His dick was hard, making a tent between his legs. I slid my hand up his thigh, barely grazing the tip of his rock-hard cock before I pulled away.
“Fucking tease,” he growled.
I grinned at him, my eyes locking on his. They were a deep green, darker than I remembered but even more alluring. I searched his face, taking in the sight of his five o’clock shadow and light brown hair. I’d pictured this same face a million times over the past few years but now, seeing it in person, I couldn’t contain myself.
His injuries were forgotten as I crawled on top of him. His hands gripped my hips and our kiss was electric. He sucked on my bottom lip, and I moaned against him, tasting him with a passionate desperation. We kissed long and slow, remembering what it felt like to be together.
Before I knew it, we were naked, fucking in that hospital bed. Caleb took me from behind, slamming into me with a wild abandon I’d never felt before. He slapped my ass and pulled my hair. He reached around to rub my clit, and I came so hard that I collapsed on the bed.
Caleb wasn’t done with me. He flipped me over and lifted me in his strong arms. Holding me against him, he slid me down on his cock. I cried out as we rocked into each other with renewed vigor. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. The sensations Caleb was creating inside my body were erotic and sensual. I moaned and screamed, crying out his name and reveling at the sound of my own on his lips.
Caleb clung to me, fucking me so hard and so fast that I soon saw stars. We both came, our orgasms mingling in a cloud of pleasure. I cried out, releasing my ecstasy into the air around us.
My eyes shot open. I was panting and sweaty, my hand tucked inside my panties. The dream had been so real, so believable that I felt like it was still happening. I rubbed my clit with frantic desperation, searching for the pleasure I’d felt just a moment before.
Caleb’s dark green eyes swam before me. I could still feel his arms wrapped tightly around my body, feel his throbbing cock inside me. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as I brought myself to orgasm. My legs twitched, and I moaned deeply as I came.