He smiled. She knew him even coming out of a drug-induced fog.
“Yeah, baby. I’m here.”
He felt her smile against his chest, but her words contradicted that action.
“You shouldn’t have come. I’m okay. No need for you to all come running over when you have work to do. Birdie said this is a really busy time for you.”
He shifted, careful not to bump any of her injuries. His arm was screaming for mercy, and so he slid it out from underneath her and turned on his side.
“We’re busy, Reggie. But never too busy for you, and you should damn well know that by now.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” she said softly. “I just meant that there wasn’t a need for you to come. I’m fine. I don’t need . . .”
He put a finger to her lips, and she went quiet. Her blue eyes were cloudy from the remnants of pain and drugs, but he could also see anxiety brewing there. He slid his hand over her face down below her ear and beyond to the back of her neck. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone as he simply stared at her.
She was beautiful, and he doubted she knew just how much. Or that as beautiful as she was to everyone else, she was that much more to him. And to Cam and Sawyer.
“Don’t say it.” He ran his finger lightly over the seam of her lips. “You need us, Reggie. You’re fighting that, and for now that’s okay. But at some point you’ll have to admit to us and to yourself that you need us as much as we need you.”
She made a sound of frustration, and he leaned in to kiss her. She went soft against him, and a little feminine sigh escaped her lips as he nibbled gently at them. She’d made those contented sounds when they’d made love to her, and he wanted to hear them again.
A sound at the door made her stiffen, and she lurched away from him, promptly groaning in pain when she jarred her body.
“That was stupid, Reggie,” he said grimly as he settled her body against him again.
He looked up to see the doctor walk in, but he made no effort to get up from his position on the bed. The doctor ignored Hutch, but gave Reggie’s wrist a cursory exam. After a moment, he eyed Reggie.
“Are you ready to go home, Miss Fallon?”
“Yeah, I am,” Reggie replied. “How long will I be out? When can I go back to work?”
Hutch stiffened. He didn’t want Reggie back on the job. Not in her condition, or any other for that matter.
“Work is out of the question for the next several days at least. I’d suggest a minimum of two weeks with light duty after that. The good news is you don’t have any broken ribs. Your X-rays came back negative. But you have a lot of bruising, and you’re going to be tender for a few days.
“The swelling is starting to lessen in your throat, and I don’t think there will be any permanent damage to your vocal cords. You also need to take good care of your wrist and make sure you don’t strain it.
“I’m writing you a prescription for some painkillers, and I want you to take the anti-inflammatory medicine I’m giving you as well.”
Reggie nodded, but Hutch wasn’t fooled. She’d agree to anything to get out of the hospital, and then she’d balk at taking the medicine. That was okay because Hutch would force it down her throat if he had to.
“All right then, young lady. I’ll give the discharge instructions to the nurse, and she’ll have you ready to go around noon or so. Until then, hang tight and take it easy.”
“Thanks,” Reggie murmured.
As the doctor walked out, Cam and Sawyer shouldered their way in. Reggie tensed against Hutch, and he pressed his lips to her hair in a gesture of reassurance.
Regina swallowed some of her nervousness and was happy to note that today her throat didn’t quite feel like she was drinking shards of glass. Her gaze skittered up to Cam and Sawyer, and Sawyer strode over to the side of the bed.
He lightly ran his fingers over the brace on her arm and then bent to kiss her. This time she didn’t try to turn away—not that he would have let her—and the warm fullness of his lips pressed to hers.
Her mouth parted, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss as his tongue brushed over hers. She could feel herself sliding away, giving in. Panic kicked in, and she withdrew, seeking refuge in Hutch.
Hurt flashed in Sawyer’s eyes, and she nearly moaned aloud. God, this is why she couldn’t do this. She’d never do anything to hurt any of them. Never turn away from one to another. Tears swam in her eyes, and she closed them, unwilling to fall apart in front of them.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she whispered.
Awkward silence fell on the room, and Regina wished that she could leave, walk out, go back to her own home and ignore what was staring her in the face.
