“Amelia,” Shooter said, stepping toward me, leaning down to kiss my cheek. The brush of his lips sent tingles down my spine and horny thoughts.
There was a notch in my throat, words tried to escape, but it failed.
“What are you doing here?” The words were meant for a whisper, but I don’t think it came out that way.
“Why, can’t I come visit my favorite girl and make sure she eats?” he teased before handing off the small bouquet and the packed lunch. He stepped behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I knew he could feel the heat from my body at his touch.
Dr. Andres stood there with a smirk on her face and simply nodded. “Keeping secrets from me. Amelia?”
“Secrets? Of course not, I wouldn’t… I mean… there’s nothing to hide.” I sputtered, feeling like a complete moron.
She pinned her eyes toward Shooter. “You a good man?”
“I’m a saint.” he answered.
I snorted at the double meaning. Her eyes darted back to mine, then flipped back to him. “She’s a good girl.”
“We both agree to that,” Shooter teased.
“She works too much, so she needs a good man to take care of her.”
“Again, we both agree. Looks like we have that in common, this beautiful woman and what’s best for her.” He rested his head on top of mine.
“Amira.” Dr. Andres extended her hand.
“River.” He shook her hand. Why did it feel like he was meeting my mother, and I needed her approval.
With a curt nod, she insisted, “Take a good hour. I’m telling your charge nurse, I know she won’t argue.”
“Oh, that means I get an hour with you?” He asked. I could see the wheels spinning in his head.
Much to my growling stomach and admittance of defeat, I tugged him along past the nurse’s station where Jennie and Sarah looked like they were ready to burst into shrills from knowing part of the truth.
Before I could make it down a blocked off corridor, one of the residents came to find me, calling out my name. Work never stopped, even if you had something else to do or someone else itching to have his hands on you.
“Mia, they finally got that trauma one from earlier into the ICU. Looks like they’re in the long haul for recovery.”
Recalling the trauma, a horrible vehicle accident that had the patient’s ribs almost punctured their lung, and unfortunately as soon as they got to the hospital, the movement from the transition was enough to move the rib further and we had to act quickly. Between the screaming spouse begging for their partner to live and asking us to do everything. I volunteered to go withthe spouse and try to ease them through the process, while I waited for the social worker to tag along. Once I knew my social worker was taking care of the spouse, I helped where I could.
The screams of the spouse were enough to echo in your mind. And that look of sorrow for the unknown and the hopes that the prayers were answered.
The resident, Mark I think his name was, reached out and squeezed my upper arm with a small smile, “Thanks for your help.”
I offered a smile but heard the low growl from Shooter. Before I could say a response, Mark scurried away.
“Seriously?” I shoved him. “Caveman mode, really? You do realize that I have to work with everyone here.”
“If I wasn’t here, he would have taken a shot at you.”
I scoffed. “Thanks. I feel so good knowing that I have a big, strong man to scare off all the potential suitors.” I rolled my eyes.
Shooter pulled me in close to him, squeezed the back of my neck to look up at him, and his stare was just as hungry when I finally gave in to him. “I know that’s a little sarcasm, I’ll let it slide. But there’s a difference between a person being professional and being a professional that’s being too friendly. He was being too friendly. Yes, you are a gorgeous goddess, but that doesn’t give a person permission to touch you, touch what’s mine.”
His possessiveness should have scared me off, but yet I stood there in a pool of my own arousal. I tried to fight it off. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know you do, I can’t help but be an added extra measure of reassurance.”
I pressed a quick kiss on his lips, “Just stop scaring people off.”
