A Natural Act (Contradictions), page 5
“Then it's settled,” he says around a yawn.
“You're tired?” I ask because there's too much emotion welling up in my chest and I don't want to confront it just yet.
“I'm fine,” he shrugs. “I just came off an eighteen-hour shift.”
“That's long,” I reply, my eyes widening slightly. I often feel exhausted after an eight-hour workday.
“That's a short shift,” he chuckles. “Don't worry about it. Carters are genetically adapted to operating on next to no sleep.”
“Really?” I tease.
He nods. “I don't think my oldest brother even knows what sleep is.”
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Five brothers, one adopted brother, one sister.”
“Big family.” As an only child I can barely imagine what that must be like.
He nods.
“Your poor sister. One girl and seven boys,” I murmur in sympathy.
He chuckles. “She manages.”
I can see the twinkle in his eyes and it's obvious he cares deeply for his sister. It makes me wish I had a brother or sister.
“Do you all get on?” I ask. I want to know all there is to know about him. Considering I'm apparently now staying in his cousin's flat, I seem to know next to nothing about him.
“For the most part. It was worse when we were younger. My mum passed away when I was six and my dad died six years later so things were rocky for us for a while. My brothers held us together even when times were hard.”
“You lost them so young,” I frown.
He nods. “Where are your parents?”
I understand he doesn't want to linger on the topic so I let it go. “Not far from Derby,” I smile shakily. “But I haven't seen them for a long time.”
He studies me and I can tell he wants to know more but he doesn't probe.
“Craig?” I prompt after we've sat in silence a while longer.
He acknowledges my voice with a lift of his chin and I realise we've subtly shifted positions in the sofa and we're sat side by side. His arm comes down over my shoulders and gently tucks me into his side.
“I don't have any money.”
“That's alright, I'm not for sale,” he winks.
I frown and pull away from him slightly. I meant for rent, and food, and shampoo, and clothes, and far too many other things to list.
“Chill, lady,” he chuckles, using his other hand to tuck my hair behind my ear once more. “Know what you meant.”
“I'm no freeloader,” I reply indignantly.
“Gathered,” he smirks. “Guessing all your money is tied in with your ex?”
I startle because even though I have apparently left Nigel, it is strange hearing him referred to as my ex.
He nods, seeming to draw his own conclusions. “Well, you can't work at the minute. You're looking a lot better but you still need another week to recover.”
“But I feel much better,” I insist and it's true. I know I can't go back to my old job but hopefully I can find a new one. The sooner the better because I'll need money to stand on my own two feet.
“Doctor's orders,” he grins. “Don't worry about the money. We'll sort something out. This place is paid for and me and two of my brothers pay for the bills because the three of us use it after work every now and then.”
“Won't they mind me being here then?”
“No,” he shrugs. “They're on day shifts at the minute so they won't be using it for a while.”
I nod and shuffle back into his side because my hair is damp and I'm starting to feel a chill. He seems to be a human radiator and I appreciate the warmth.
“You're a bit thinner than my cousin but I stole some clothes from my sister that you can wear for now.”
“How old is your sister?” I ask, conjuring images of flowery pink clothing.
“Eighteen,” he smiles softly.
“She won't mind?”
“No,” he laughs. “She's just moved out so I just took some of the clothes she left behind. She'd have said yes if I asked her. That girl would give away her last penny.”
“I need to pay my keep,” I insist.
“You can owe me,” he promises, obviously aware that this is important to me.
With Nigel, I was dependant on him for everything. That's not a trap I intend on falling into twice. Not for anybody.
“But for now,” he continues. “You need rest.”
Now that I'm warm and tucked into his side, I can feel myself growing tired so I simply nod as I feel his arms come around me and lift me from the sofa.
I would protest at being carried like a child if it weren’t for the fact that he made it seem effortless and his very welcome body heat.
Chapter 6
I must have fallen asleep before my head even hit the pillow because I don’t remember anything past being in Craig’s arms.
Speaking of Craig; I’m fairly sure I’m wrapped around him because the hot heat of another human being is most definitely pressed against me. I’m too comfortable to open my eyes so I keep them closed and feign sleep because ignorance is bliss.
“Know you’re awake,” he chuckles, pulling me a little closer so that my torso is flat against his.
I shake my head. “I’m asleep.”
“You’d still be snoring if you were asleep.”
“I do not snore!” I declare in horror, pulling back from him slightly.
“You don’t,” he admits with a grin. “But you do make cute little noises.”
“I most certainly do not,” I humph.
“If you say so,” he laughs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
I’m not sure what to make of the gesture. He’s done it once before but I was literally crumbling apart and at the time I needed to feel it more than I needed to analyse it.
It’s at this point I dare to open my eyes and blink at the sunlight pouring through the windows. The beautiful natural light is cast over both of us. It highlights his cheekbones, the skin of his shaved scalp, and the ridge of every muscle of his forearm where his hoody is rolled up.
It also dances over parts of my body which most definitely would be covered up if my bathrobe hadn’t fallen open.
“Oh my gosh,” I cringe as I desperately grasp at the edges of my robes to cover myself up.
Craig just grins. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”
I gape at him because he could have at least have acted the gentleman and pretended not to see.
“Relax, Bella. You’re beautiful there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“My burning cheeks would indicate otherwise,” I grit out, still mortified.
“Doctor. Seen it all before,” he reminds me.
“Is that the line you usually use on women to get them to take their clothes off?” I ask sarcastically because I don’t like that he’s just seen me naked and that he’s not as bothered by it as I am.
“I don’t need lines, lady,” he winks before pushing up from the bed and swiftly disappearing from the room.
I’m left gawking at his retreating profile and trying to reduce the reddening of my cheeks. I’m fairly sure he saw Geraldine and Edna in their full glory and I doubt they’re okay with being shown off to a bald-headed muscle man.
Even if he is a doctor.
“Coffee,” he smiles as he returns and hands me a mug.
I swear I can see a hint of amusement in his expression but I’m not about to question it for fear the conversation will be reinitiated.
“Don’t worry,” he continues. “This is proper stuff. Not like the one I gave you at the hospital.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” I mumble lamely because I’m mortified he could tell I didn’t like it.
“Not compared to nuclear war,” he agrees just as his phone rings.
He sighs and puts his own mug down so that he can retrieve his phone from the bedside table. He doesn’t say anything as he answers the phone but the voice on the other end is raised enough that I can hear what’s being said.
“Where the fuck are you?” A man’s voice shouts.
“The flat,” Craig responds with no hint of inflection.
“We’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes, dick head.”
“I told you I might not be able to make it,” Craig continues, still unfazed. He looks at me apologetically and gestures for me to drink my coffee. My admittedly delicious coffee.
“Why the fuck not?”
“I’ve got stuff going on,” Craig shrugs.
His shields are back up and it’s fairly impossible to gauge how he’s feeling as the angry man yells at him for reasons unknown.
“What could possibly be more important that this? You’ve been working towards it for years, Craig. You can’t slack off now.”
“You don’t need to tell me how important it is, Karl,” Craig sighs, showing the first signs of irritation. “One missed training session isn’t going to ruin this for me.”
“Give me one fucking reason why you shouldn’t be here right now and I might not kick your ass when you get here.”
Craig sighs and rubs his face with a spare hand before glancing at me.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“It better be ten,” the voice snaps back before the line goes quiet.
I bite my lip as I watch him because I think he might be upset but it’s hard to tell because the shields are sky high.
“Are you okay?” I ask tentatively. He’s done so much for me, if there were ever anything I could do for him, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“Yeah,” he smiles as he rises to standing. The smile is missing something but I don’t question it because he obviously doesn’t want to tell me. “But I have to go.”
I nod because I’d gathered that much. He still looks tired though and we only slept for a couple of hours. I have to wonder what sort of training could be so important that it’s worth rushing out after so little sleep.
“Will you be okay on your own for a bit?” He looks at me with sudden worry.
I nod but I don’t really want to be alone.
He frowns. “I’ll text Carla, she’s been here a few times this week. She can keep you company.”
“I’ll be okay,” I say as assertively as I can but I can tell he sees through it.
“She only lives around the corner and she’ll be glad for the company,” he dismisses, already sliding his thumb over the screen of his phone.”
I open my mouth to protest but he’s quickly in front of me with his finger gently pressed to my lips.
“I’d feel better knowing you weren’t alone,” he insists, his warm breath whispering over my cheeks as I look up to meet his eyes.
I just nod as my grey gaze falls upon his startling blue one. It’s like looking into a pool of sparkling water.
We’re locked like that, his finger over my lips and our eyes are held captive, locked in an invisible, unblinking struggle.
It seems like we’re being pulled closer together as his finger slowly slides from my lips, tugging gently at their tender flesh before tracing the contour of my cheekbone to my ear.
His large hand grips the back of my neck and my breathing catches as he gently massages my muscles. It feels heavenly and I finally break our gaze to close my eyes and sigh contentedly.
When I open them again, Craig’s face is mere millimetres away. I can feel his heat against my skin and I long to reach out and touch it but my hands stay locked in balls at my side because I feel guilty for that thought.
I made the decision to leave Nigel mere hours ago and I’m already having inappropriate thoughts towards a man who’s done nothing but show me pure kindness.
A knock at the door saves me from myself and I pull away, ducking my head to allow my curtain of hair to cover my rosy cheeks.
I’m ashamed at what I almost let happen. I could easily have let happen.
“That was quick,” Craig answers the door, seemingly entirely unaffected by the moment of confusing tension.
“I was on my way over anyway,” the girl on the other side answers. “I brought you some milk.”
The tips of her mousy brown hair are died bright pink and her eyes are lined with black kohl. Her boyish clothing does nothing to hide the toned lines of her shoulders and thighs. She's obviously gifted with a generous muscle mass but her tight waist and generous bust ensure that her femininity is clear to see.
“Hello, sunshine,” she grins. “Nice to see you awake.”
It's then I recognise her voice and I know it was her I heard during the week I was semi-conscious and not really aware of my surroundings.
“Hi,” I smile shyly.
She hugs Craig briefly and then nips past me into the kitchen to stow the milk. Craig’s eyes meet mine for a second as we hear Carla singing to herself. His face breaks out into a broad grin and he takes my hands in his before gently tugging me closer and placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“I'll put the kettle on,” she grins looking back and forth at us with interest before bouncing back into the adjacent kitchen.
“I’ll just get changed and then I’m gone,” Craig sighs. “Shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. Will you be okay?”
I nod and he scrutinises my expression for a while before disappearing into the bedroom only to reappear less than a minute later having changed his scrubs bottoms for shorts.
He winks at me and shouts his goodbyes to Carla before disappearing out the door.
I try to suppress the ache in my chest as he leaves. I know it’s just because I’m still scared of Nigel finding me and feeling exposed without Craig here.
That’s all it is.
I’m a little under-dressed in my robe, which has already proven itself to be unreliable, so I nip into the bedroom to ensure Geraldine and Edna are well-covered.
Craig's sister must be shorter than I am because her jeans come to just above my ankles even when I let them rest on my hipbones. I roll the bottoms up and wear them as three-quarter lengths so I feel less ridiculous. The cast on my arm proves to be an inconvenience because I can't get my arm in most of the clothes Craig has left me so I settle for a light blue tank top. There are no undies in the pile so I go commando and thank the powers that be that my boobs are small enough to manage without the support of a bra.
“That colour suits you,” Carla winks as I join her in the kitchen.
“Thanks,” I smile, perching myself on the chair at the small wooden kitchen table.
“So,” she joins me at the table and graces me with a friendly smile. “Tell me about you.”
I blink for a second because I genuinely don't know what to tell her. “Um.”
“Let's start with your name,” she giggles. “Carter's been calling you Bella all week.”
I'm not sure why the fact that she calls him by his surname puts me at ease but it does.
“It's Isabella West,” I smile, clasping the warm cup of tea in my uninjured hand.
“Gotcha,” she nods. “I'm Carla Cordi.”
“That's a lovely name,” I smile.
She scoffs. “Not you as well.”
“What?” I frown in confusion.
“Carter has a thing for names. Dork.”
I just nod because I'm not sure what she's on about but I like the pixie-like smile she wears and the fact that she's obviously fond of Craig despite her friendly mocking.
“You've got a million questions written all over your face, doll. Wanna tell me what's on your mind?” Carla asks after she sips her tea.
“I don't want to pry,” I shake my head, embarrassed that she can see my curiosity.
She laughs. “He hasn't told me much but from what I understand, you've been dragged out of one world and dropped into another. You're entitled to a few answers. Ask me anything, I'll answer whatever I can without breaching any confidence.”
I study her for a few seconds and relax slightly. She seems a very open and relaxed person and I like the way she comes across as completely genuine and at ease with herself.
“How do you know Craig?”
“Training,” she smiles. “We both fight for the same club.”
“Fight?” I frown. What does she mean by fight?
“Mixed martial arts,” she raises an eyebrow. “He didn't tell you?”
I frown and shake my head. Although, now that I think about it, the nurse at the hospital did mention something about a ring and a cage.
“That's so typical of him. If I was the reigning champion for my weight class, I'd be singing it from the rooftops,” she laughs.
I just stare at her because I'm not sure what to say to that. Fighting sounds... violent and brutal.
“He's one of the best fighters I've ever come across. Scratch that, he and all of his brothers. I've been fighting since I could stand on my own two feet and I've never come across people with such raw talent as those boys seem to have.”
“You started fighting when you were a child?” I frown. It sounds awful.
She laughs at the expression on my face. “Yup. My dad was a coach for the local boxing club. He wanted a son, he got me.”
“I'm sorry,” I smile sympathetically.
“Don't be,” she chuckles. “Fighting is my everything. It's given me strength of character, great friends, and a fantastic boyfriend.”
I just nod again because she's still describing something that is inherently violent.
“I know roughly how you met Carter,” she grimaces and I look away in case I see pity in her gaze. “What do you think of him?”
I feel heat rush to my cheeks because I don't know how to answer without sounding like an awestruck child.
“Come on, your secret's safe with me,” she grins. “I'm not about to inflate his ego even more.”
“I'm not sure,” I answer quietly. “I don't know him very well yet. I only know that I'm indebted to him for all that he's done for- me.”
She scoffs. “You don't owe him anything. He just did what was right and he's definitely getting something out of it.”
“What do you mean?” I frown. I hope she doesn't think I'm sleeping with him as payment or anything awful like that.
