“Yes. I’m a medical lab technician and have some CPR training. Did he just start seizing?”
“Yes,” his mother replied. “How much longer will this last?”
“A seizure can last for up to five minutes, but I don’t think his will. It appears to be slowing down.”
Blaise looked at his father to see Harley was right. His father’s jerky movements were slowing.
Once they stopped completely, she instructed them to place his dad on his left side with his head also at the side just in case he vomited, which thankfully he didn’t. It took a few minutes before his dad answered his mother when she said his name.
“I’m glad you were here,” Blaise said to Harley. “None of us would have known what to do.”
“Seizures can be scary things for anyone. Do you really think your dad is having an adverse reaction to the medication?”
“Yes.”
Blaise paused once he noticed his dad had fallen asleep and he had his mother’s and Taylor’s undivided attention as well. He’d been thinking about something since Caleb started the new medication. Something that didn’t put his cousin in a good light.
“You already mentioned that, but by the look on your face, I have a feeling you have other thoughts about it as well,” his mom said.
He nodded. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too coincidental that the new medication Caleb administered causes worse symptoms shortly after he’s injected Dad? Today it was a seizure.
Yesterday he started coughing up blood. And Caleb’s real lack of concern about the latter has me questioning if he cares if Dad gets better.”
Taylor sighed. “I have to agree with Blaise, Mom. The idea had crept into my mind too.”
“Wait a minute,” Harley said. “Your dad is coughing up blood and his doctor isn’t worried about it? That has warning bells going off for me.”
“What do you suggest we do, Harley?” his mom asked.
“First off, I’d get him to see another doctor.
And I’d seriously consider taking him to an emergency room.”
Blaise, Taylor and their mother looked at each other before Blaise spoke. “That’s really not an option, Harley.”
“Why?”
“Just leave it at that. Take our word for it, we can’t. Is there something else you think we should do?”
Harley stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed. “All right. The next thing I’d do is get his blood work done. The tests can tell you any number of things.”
“Once again, it’s not something we can do.
Too many people would know.”
She looked at all three of them with her brows drawn together. “Okay. How about this?
I’d be willing to come here and draw some of your dad’s blood. And since you want the utmost privacy, there’s a way for me to run the tests myself without it going through the regular system of paperwork at the lab. I could come take the blood before I go into work tomorrow morning and have the results for you at the end of the day.”
Taylor looked at their mother. “What do you think? It’s your decision.”
His mother nodded. “We’ll do it. There really isn’t any other way.” She turned her attention on Harley. “Are you sure you can do it without getting yourself in trouble? I wouldn’t want you to lose your job over it.”
Harley smiled. “No one will know. I’ll be careful. I can go today and get the things I’ll need to draw the blood. I have keys to the lab since there are times when a doctor needs to have a test done at the last minute and I have to stay late to finish it.”
“Would you mind sleeping over tonight again?” Blaise asked. “That way you’ll be able to take the blood before Caleb gets here for his morning examination of my father. I think it’s wise we keep what you’re doing from him until we get the results.”
Taylor quickly agreed. “I think that would be best. You don’t mind, Harley, do you?” He winked at her. “Having to sleep with my brother and all that. I know it’s such a hardship.”
Harley laughed. “Of course I won’t mind.”
She stepped closer to Blaise and put her arm around his waist. “And it’s hardly a hardship. I’ll have to go to my apartment and pick up another change of clothes.”
“I can take you,” Blaise said. “And I can drive you to the lab to pick up the supplies you need.”
“That’s not necessary. I did drive myself here so I have my car. It’ll go faster if I go by myself.”
“When will you leave?”
“Can I take a shower and eat first?”
“Of course,” his mom answered for him.
“Lunch will be ready soon. If you have a shower now you’ll make it in time.”
“All right, I’ll do that,” Harley said with a smile before she walked out of the room.
Once Blaise heard his bedroom door shut, he said, “I think I’ll go get ready for lunch, if you’ll be okay with me leaving, Mom.”
She waved him to go. “Your dad is sleeping now, and it isn’t as if you aren’t still in the house if something else happens.” She glanced down at his cougar head pendant. “No glowing eyes yet, I see. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed Harley does set off the magic inside it. I like her.”
Blaise kissed his mother cheek. “It’s still early days, Mom. I’ll see you downstairs in a little while.”
He left his brother and mother and headed to his own bedroom. Inside, he closed the door and locked it. He heard the sound of the shower running in the en suite. With a smile, he shucked his jeans, then walked toward it.
Chapter Five
Harley closed her eyes and ducked her head under the showerhead to wet her hair. She stood there longer than was needed, enjoying the warm water beating against her body. Blaise’s shower was a work of luxury with marble tile, glass surround doors and body sprays running vertically underneath the head. It was more like a spa shower than a regular one. If she owned it, she could easily see herself running up a huge water bill by taking long showers every day.
Her mind wandered to Blaise and his family as she grabbed the bottle of shampoo she’d brought from home and squeezed some into her palm. They all seemed very nice. The only person she had yet to see was Taylor’s wife Aspen, but Blaise had told her about his sister-in-law.
Taylor and Blaise looked a lot alike, right down to the same tawny-blond hair and light-
brown eyes that were almost gold in color.
Actually, both their parents had those features as well.
Harley ducked her head under the water again, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair.
Thinking of Blaise had her thoughts straying to the night before, how she enjoyed being in his arms, taking his body into hers. No, staying another night with him would be no hardship for her.
As if her thoughts had lured him to her, Harley opened her eyes at the feel of two large hands caressing her breasts and found Blaise standing in front of her. She ran her gaze over his naked body, stopping on his cock, which was fully engorged. Her pussy grew instantly wet, a throbbing ache building with her need to have him inside her.
“Decided to join me in the shower, huh? We’ll be late for lunch, you know,” she said with a smile as she skimmed her hands from his wide shoulders to the center of his chest where his pendant lay.
She ran her fingers across the cougar head, the gold feeling warm under them. It wasn’t the first time it’d felt that way when she’d touched it.
During the night, as they made love, every time the pendant came in contact with her skin, she swore it heated against her. She also found herself drawn to it, the urge to touch it one that was hard to ignore.
“We’ll make it fast,” Blaise said with a sexy grin. “Before my mom called, I’d hoped to wake you up by making love to you.”