Audra latched on to the distraction with desperation. “Maybe you should toss that myway.”
Diggs didn’t take his gaze off her. He tossed the bacon across the room, and it landed on the floor at her side. Trigger swooped in and inhaled themeat.
Audra kept her hand on his fur, but all her attention was on Diggs. Raw masculine lust radiated from every pore in his body, drawing the same level of desire from her. Her nipples tightened and her breasts felt heavy, full, and aching for histouch.
Diggs’ nostrils flared, as if he could smell her need. She thought she would melt right on the spot. Unable to stand the intense heat coursing through her, Audra ducked her head against Trigger’s fur like the coward that she was. When he looked at her like that, she couldn’t think. This man was going to make her fall in love with him if she wasn’tcareful.
* * *
He could smellher desire and it was making him hard. Which in turn made his crouched position as uncomfortable as hell. He shifted, trying to get a more comfortable angle, but Trigger’s gaze snapped to him like a damn rubber band ready to breakloose.
“All right, Audra, visit time is over. We need to get to the team to briefthem.”
She shot him a look that could kill. “I’m not leaving him in this place. There’s nothing familiar here. He’s going to be terrifiedagain.”
“You can’t take him out. Not until we know he’s stable.” Despite the fact the dog was nestling her like she was his mama, Diggs still didn’t trust him. Not that he didn’t want to, but Audra didn’t know what Melissa had given Trigger—and Diggsdid.
He knew exactly what kind of unstable reactions the serum caused in humans, and he had no doubt it would have the same effect on the dog. Even though Melissa felt justified in giving him the drugs to save the dog’s life, Diggs had made up his mind—if Trigger lashed out and went after Audra, he’d have no choice but to put himdown.
And that was something he most definitely did not want todo.
“Think about it, Audra. Look at how he’s reacting to me. What do you think he’s going to do when he sees one of the team walking down thehall?”
Her fiercely protective gaze faltered and Diggs felt a huge rush of relief. That was, until that stubborn sexy chin of hers lifted and she said, “Let’s take him to our room. We can keep the door shut, but at least he’ll be comfortable and I can be withhim.”
Diggs’ ears latched on to one word in that sentence:our.
She thought of his bedroom as theirs? The thought warmed him from the inside out and a feeling of possession washed overhim.
His. She washis.
“Diggs, I mean it. Trigger is not staying down here in this cold, sterilelab.”
Diggs fought to keep his expression flat when his lips wanted to curl into a grin. The woman had no idea she’d already won this argument, but part of him didn’t think he should capitulate so easily. “So, how exactly do you propose we get him toourbedroom,” he emphasized the word, “without running into anyoneelse?”
“You’re just going to have to go tell them to hide somewhere. It will only take a couple of minutes. Surely they’llunderstand.”
“You want me to order my team to hide?” Diggs askedincredulously.
“Yes,” she answered in a tone that dared him toargue.
Diggs snorted and rolled his eyes. “Number one, I’m not in the mood to be laughed at today. And number two, I’m not leaving you alone with that dog. Not until I know he’ssafe.”
“You can’t ask me to leave him inhere.”
As if on cue, Trigger let out a low-sounding whine and licked Audra’s chin. It was Diggs who glared at the dog this time. Trigger knew exactly what he was doing. And when Audra hooked her delicate arm around his furry neck and buried her face against him, Diggs knew he’dlost.
“Fine. There’s a phone in here connected to the command center. I’ll ask the team to stayput.”
Diggs rose to a standing position. Trigger’s gaze snapped to his and he was forced to move in a calm, slow manner to the internal phone system on the wall. Diggs snatched the receiver off the wall and held it to his ear, pressing the code that connected him to the warroom.
Hicks answered. “Hicks.”
Diggs covered his eyes with his hand and dropped his head. Diggs had ribbed Hicks mercilessly when the man had fallen head over heels for Whitney. He’d never thought he’d have to worry about the tables being reversed. “It’s Diggs. Is everyone in the warroom?”
“Yep. Waiting on you and your woman,” Hicksanswered.
Audra called out, “If they’re not, maybe you could ask them to stay in the rooms orsomething.”
