He walked in. Towering over her, he spotted Diane immediately. Kim could barely hear from her heart pounding a nervous beat into her temples. She closed the door. "Mathew, I'd like you to meet my mother. Diane, this is Mathew."

Diane rose. She walked over, giving her best impression of a lady, then extended her hand as if she was the Queen of England. Kim glowered silently behind Mathew. He, however, seemed to beam at the chance to meet her mother. "You look too young to have a grown daughter," he said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

Diane giggled. "I know. Kim's adopted."

Kim sighed.

Mathew chuckled. Diane stared up at him. "Who you to her?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Di-" Kim started.

"Who you to my daughter?" Diane asked. "Snooty-bootie over there sure ain't dating no white boy. She ain't dating n.o.body. So who are you?"

"That's it. Diane. Go in my room," Kim demanded.

Mathew looked between Diane and Kim. She wanted to melt through the floor. But he seemed amused by it. He winked at her. "Well, I'm a friend from work. I'm hoping that the dating a white boy rule can be broken. I'm really fond of your daughter."

"Really?" Diane asked. "You kind of fine. I ain't into white boys but ain't no black man, including her father," she said and tossed her chin in Kim's direction, "ever done s.h.i.t for me but turn me to booze."

"Excuse us, Mathew." Kim stepped around him and grabbed her mother by the arm. Normally, Diane would fight back in her state. But she didn't. Instead, she kept giving Mathew the eye. Dragging her down the hall, she forced her into the room. "Stay here and dry out. When I get back tonight, I'll drive you home."

"Where you going?" Diane asked.

"Diane, please. I'm begging you. Stop it. Okay? I know this is hard for you, but I really am trying here. Pretend that you care about me and just lay off."

Diane looked away. "I do care. You's mine. I gave birth to you, didn't I? Why wouldn't I care?"

"Then stay here and dry out. When I get back, we'll call Simone. She's coming home to visit."

"She is? My baby is coming home?" Diane asked, her tone softening. "Is she leaving pencil d.i.c.k?"

"Car keys. Give them to me," Kim said.

Diane gave her a sheepish look. She fished down in the front of her pocket and dug out her keys. She handed them over "I think he's cute. He ain't Dennis though. You know that, right? Dennis was a chocolate fine brotha. Ain't no way he could replace Dennis."

"Don't answer my phone," Kim said, going to her dresser and getting her purse. She stuck the keys down in it. "Don't make any calls. There's food in the fridge, and you got TV."

"You got something to drink? I need to take the edge off."

"No," Kim lied, hoping she wouldn't go snooping. She knew she would. She couldn't worry about that now. She just wanted to save what was left of her day.

"Kim?"

"Yes," she answered in an exasperated tone.

"You call me Diane because you don't see me as your mother. But I am. I'm your mama. I'm all you got."

"Trust me, I know." Kim rolled her eyes. She walked out of the room. She heard her sons laughing from the living room. Anne was getting her purse. Mathew had both her boys in his arms-neither of them seemed to mind. "Ready, Mommy?" he asked.

She smiled at how happy her boys seemed. "Let's take my car. Car seats and all."

"No problem," Mathew answered.

Everyone started for the door. Kim stopped and looked back to her bedroom to where her mother lay behind the door struggling with her demons. Her mind flashed to how just this morning she took another Oxy pill, reasoning it would be her last. The urge was so great that it was the first time she actually took it at home. Even now, she kept a stash in her purse. How does one get rid of demons?

"You coming?" Mathew asked from the open door.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

"We can put them in here," he said, leading her to the back cabin. Both the boys were out cold, wrapped in bright orange life preservers. Kim and Mathew carried them to the back cabin. The day had exhausted them. The biggest highlight during sailing was Mathew steering the boat around Coney Island. He got Danny to say the words 'ferris wheel', or something like it.

The door to the back of the cabin opened. She took in the small yet homey s.p.a.ce with a book and a beer bottle near the lamp on the nightstand and clothes stuffed in a hamper. She suspected it when they sat down to his frying them fish, and guessed it when he took the helm and let the boys take turns navigating. But she wasn't positive until now. He lived off this boat.

Denny was placed next to Danny. She removed his shoes and the life vest. Mathew did the same, cutting her looks. She had shed her shirt and wore her bikini top for when they went topside and let the boys see the flock of sea gulls and the ocean first hand. The sun was bright and beautiful that day.

"You stay, here don't you?"

Mathew smiled and winked.

"Why? Why not get a place?"

He shrugged, rising. "At the time, it was a great idea, but yeah, I might need to consider the winter. Gets really cold."

"I can imagine," she whispered. She looked down at her sons. They would be out for two hours at least. She knew her boys.

"Come on," he said, steering her out and closing the door. His hand to her arm felt nice. She gave him a sideways look and he smiled. Walking ahead with him close behind, she climbed up into the lower deck, which was the front face of the cabin.

"Wine?"

Kim nodded. For the last hour she felt her stomach burning and her hands held the tremors that she tried to hide. She ached all over for Oxy but refused her self another, even though her gaze kept switching to her purse with longing. Mathew returned to her side with the wine, and she sat back on the navy blue bench sofa that was soft as clouds. He poured her a gla.s.s. "Murphy called me this morning. They've offered Patel suspension, but he decided to resign."

Kim's eyes stretched. "What?"

He smiled. "My surprise for you. Jerk wants to keep practicing medicine."

"Are they going to let him off like that?"

"Not sure, too early to tell. The good news is he won't be hara.s.sing you and your nurses anymore."

Kim accepted the wine gla.s.s. The golden liquid lapped the rim as it swirled around. Mathew sat next to her. He lifted his gla.s.s in a toast. "So here's to you and your nurses' bravery. There's no telling what else the sick pervert is up to."

She clinked her gla.s.s next to his. "Right. No telling."

Mathew eyed her. She could feel it. She tried not to make it obvious. Then he cleared his throat. "Aren't you going to ask me about the Vicodin investigation?"

Kim sipped wine and avoided his eyes. His stare bore through her evasive maneuvers. Finally she looked over into his eyes. "I kind of forgot with Operation Get Rid of Pervert and all," she chuckled.

"I didn't." Mathew said, staring.

She looked over. "Okay?"

"How is it you opened the box and can't recall why? You just don't seem that forgetful." He looked down at his wine. "Can't really get my head around that part. How could you forget that you distributed a drug like Vicodin. Can you explain it a little more for me?"

Kim swallowed. The wine was warm and soothing going down, but her stomach clenched and her nerves frayed. "Remember the Hudson Bridge accident? The chaos?" she asked. The lie formulated on her tongue before she thought about it.

"Yes, we worked doubles."

"Exactly. There were patients in with a range of trauma. I was doing my best to help clear out the emergency and beds. I treated several, so I made a bad judgment call."'

"You did what you had to do to help patients," Mathew said.

"Yeah, yeah." She downed the rest of the wine.

Mathew smiled. "I figured it was something like that. Don't worry. I told Murphy that it was just Patel's hara.s.sment of the nurses. She's not the least concerned. It's okay."

"Mathew, I really owe you a big thanks." She set the wine gla.s.s to the side arm of the sofa seat and turned to him. Her mouth opened to come clean. Put it all on the line. But one look into his devastatingly handsome face, with the wine warming her insides, and her good intentions shot right out of the cabin window. "You're a good man, a really good man. What you did for us, thank you."

"You're a good woman."

"Let me finish. I have to say this. I think you're too trusting."

He chuckled. The adam's apple in his throat bobbed as his head went back and he let go a hearty laugh. "I'm not that honorable. I have a weakness for women I care about. That I admit." He looked her back in the eye. "And I do care about you."

She put her hand over his. His eyes lowered to her touch, then lifted to hers. "I'm lucky to have you for a friend Mathew," Kim said.

In a purposeful yet slow seduction, Kim leaned in and kissed his cheek. He didn't waste another minute pulling her to him, causing her to rise and drop over onto his lap. She straddled him. Firm and wet, her tongue persuaded his mouth to part before thrusting into his mouth with a deep sweep. She shuddered at the taste of his breath. His thumb traced down her spine and in response his head t.i.tled back. Her arms drifted around his neck as she pressed and rubbed the tight peeks of her nipples against his chest, while threading her fingers through the short silky curls at his nape.

Pa.s.sion came too fast. Her heart thundered in her chest and she pulled back, keeping her mouth close. His breath feathered her lips with warmth. A new connection was formed. She stared deeply into his. "I want you, Dr. Donnelly."

"We should wait, beautiful. Let me get to know you better."

She pressed her finger to his lips to silence him.

"I want to be close to you. This is getting to know me better."

He seemed to go hard as granite between her thighs. In one swift move he flipped her and stretched his long powerful frame on top. Mercy! It had been an eternity since she'd felt the cover of a man. Her legs remained tight around his waist. "As much as I want to make love to you, I'd rather we not do it like this. Let me show you how special you are," he asked, as the bulge of his c.o.c.k pressed down to her moist center.

"You don't have to show me anything." She reached up, running her thumb over his bottom lip in a gentle tease. Mathew drew it into his mouth. Kim opened her heart to him and tried to explain her motivation. "I didn't think it possible to want another man after Dennis. That's the truth. And though part of me is torn over losing him, part of me wants so desperately to heal so I can move on. I want a friend, the kind with benefits. Do you understand which part of me wants you now?"

The answer came in the form of a smile, but it was sad and mirrored some of his own loneliness. She knew he needed more. She could feel him trying to build something with her. This was the best she could offer right now, and soon his desire won out. She could see it in the way his eyes caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s when they lowered to them. Kim reached up to her shoulder and brought down the thin strap, and then the other, revealing them to him. The restraint of the last few moments broke. He covered her breast with his right hand. Ma.s.saging the swell at first, his fingers next captured her nipple and tugged.

Kim moaned softly. Watching as his lips thinned into a firm line, and the muscle in his jaw twitched under the crushing urge to possess her, was a true turn on for her. A heat wave of pleasure melted her core and wet her bikini panty. The sofa seat was large enough for them both so she stretched into a provocative position for him. Her left leg hooked around his waist as her other hung off the edge with her foot planted to the ground. He was between her thighs growing harder, thicker and rubbing his c.o.c.k into her. The friction made her crazy with l.u.s.t, need, and want. She licked her lips and swallowed the hunger, but moved beneath to grind her core up in to him.

"You're exquisite," he groaned.

She felt beautiful from his touch, his kiss, and the deep soul draining looks he gave her. When he lifted from her body she moaned, desperately wanting him to return. But she realized he wasn't rejecting her. He drew back, reaching behind his neck to pull off shirt over and toss it to the side. Her eyes devoured his firm muscle packed chest. A sprinkle of dark hair thinned over his taut mouth-watering six-pack and arrowed down from his navel into the front of his pants to his groin. He rose, undoing his belt. She reached to undo her b.u.t.ton on her jeans, and he shook his head, no.

"I'll do that," he said.

She lowered her hands and watched him instead. His jeans did nothing to hide the strength of his arousal. He lowered them and she laid witness to all of him. "You're not bad yourself," she said through a smile.

He returned to her and unfastened the top b.u.t.ton to her jeans before he peeled them from her hips, eyes popping with interest to notice it was a matching bikini bottom she wore. He looked up at her, eyes questioning. She nodded. "I wore this for you. Didn't get a chance to model it."

"Then I'm eternally grateful that we can do this in private," he said, kissing her inner thigh. Mathew lifted her leg and parted her knees. The lining of her bikini panty thinned and slipped into the folds of her p.u.s.s.y. She knew the pause he took was to take a long hard look. Kim's eyes opened and her gaze connected with his. "I want this," she reminded him. She wanted to be ravaged, not adored. She wanted to be f.u.c.ked into oblivion and not worshipped. G.o.d help her, but if he held back even a little, she couldn't be held responsible for what she might do.

He undid the gold clips at her hips that held the bikini panty in place. He then released the thin fabric to reveal her badly deprived p.u.s.s.y to him. Kim normally avoided her s.e.xual urges for fear of the pain of missing Dennis resurfacing. She didn't touch herself down there unless to groom. Now her body punished her for it. He could be big as King Kong or small as Tiny Tim and she'd part her legs eagerly for male contact. The inner walls of her p.u.s.s.y pulsated with need. Kim's eyes fluttered shut.

"Take me," Kim pleaded.

"I intend to," he replied before lowering his face between her thighs offering a p.u.s.s.y-melting lick to her barely covered c.l.i.t. Kim's hips lifted off the cushion of the sofa, her hand going to the ma.s.s of silky thick hair on the top of his head and digging her fingers in to his scalp, pressing his face even further down. His tongue set aside her inhibitions and performed devilish acts. Her mind blinked off when the b.u.t.terfly flutter of licks tickled her to the point of sheer madness. She thrashed and bucked her hips faster before crashing to the first o.r.g.a.s.m she had in over two years. Blinding bands of color played behind her closed lids as he slipped from her. Mathew buried his face between her thighs once more. She barely opened her eyes to see him slip on a condom. She was grateful. She didn't have the mental strength to ask. And of course, she wasn't on birth control.

His chest hair abraded her nipples as he came back over her with his thick c.o.c.k dragging. He kissed her sweetly and then went to her ear. "I've been dreaming about this moment," he said, pulling her lobe through his teeth. "You have no idea how long."

To be desired by the oh-so s.e.xy Dr. Donnelly was the greatest reward to a girl's ego. He fastened his lips on hers as his c.o.c.k stroked her between the lips of her v.a.g.i.n.a, threatening a deep plunge. His tongue grew insistent, tasted salty, and tangled deliciously with hers as his hands swept over her curves. He peeled away the thin bikini bra that was still between them. His fingers found her s.e.x and began to rub between before dipping into the swollen folds. His thumb circled the burning nub of her c.l.i.t while his fingers kept probing. He hovered above her, watching as she rolled her hips and sucked on her top lip with her eyes fluttering.

She jerked and cried out. She creamed as he miraculously drove her to another o.r.g.a.s.m. Her pelvis tightened and her mouth parted into a silent cry of pleasure.

"Now, you're ready," she heard him say in a whisper to himself, not her. His hands held her hips, angling her pelvis, and forcing her thighs to remain wide and still. The head of his p.e.n.i.s probed gently. Then in a single strike and one long thrust, he lodged deeply inside of her. This time she did cry out. She couldn't help it. The fullness of him brought forth a surge of pleasure so strong that it was almost painful. He began to move as the surge of solid plunges took him even deeper. She sobbed, gasped and bucked back trying to control the spasms that rocked through her after he discovered a spot deep in her core that only one other man knew existed.

He stopped.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice strained but tender. His body trembled with the effort it took to hold himself back.

"Yes, yes, yes," she wept. "Don't stop. Don't!" She clawed at him, grabbing the strong muscled left cheek of his a.s.s and squeezing. "Don't stop."

And he didn't. As he began to move in that unyielding rhythm that stretched her channel but stroked it lovingly, Kim was gripped in another fevered fit of ecstasy. It was the beginning of the end for them both. Kim smiled brightly clinging to him as pleasure washed over her and took her under.

Her body lay on his. He couldn't even bring himself to release her. He held her between his legs, her face resting on his chest. He had it bad. He was in love again, deeply, unexplainably in love with Nurse Jensen. His baby-soft skin caused his c.o.c.k to twitch and he was forced to act on those urges, to try different maneuvers and positions with her. "I want to say. I mean, I have to say that today has been-"

She lifted her head. She smiled at him. "Don't say a word, Mathew. I understand." She stretched upward against him and his b.a.l.l.s seized. He wanted her again. She kissed his lips. "We're friends. The best of friends." She smiled.

He nodded sadly. "Right. Just friends." He rolled her over to her stomach and took a long satisfying look at her a.s.s. He kissed along her spine. He'd be the best d.a.m.n friend she'd ever had. To his delight, the strength returned to his d.i.c.k and he eased on another condom before he thrust into her from behind once more. The sweet heat of her p.u.s.s.y walls melted the latex and squeezed every inch of him. He cried out in surrender.

"Mmm, we have to stop. The boys, they-they'll be up soon." Now on her back, Kim panted, pushing back at his sweaty chest.

Who knew the sofa seat would let out to a bed? Who knew that he had six condoms that could service the night? Who knew that making love to another man other than Dennis would feel so wonderful? The boat had this soft sway about it and so did his hips. He was so in-tuned to her body that she willingly submitted to his pa.s.sionate pursuits, though the muscles in her thighs threatened to give out.

"I can't stop. Don't make me," he moaned, f.u.c.king her hard and fast from behind.

Her eyes again fluttered shut. He pumped his hips opening her up and stretching her channel strike after strike. Her face lifted from the seat cushion and her back dipped when it got too good to her.

"I-I-I-I want to see you," she pleaded.