He smiled brightly. “Yes ma’am. Now, can I feed you?”
Fine, it would make him happy.
Chapter 22
Shooter
Waking up to find that she left and returned to work should have been enough for me to march down to her work earlier rather than later. When I strode into the common area of the main house and my brothers looked at me with waiting breath, she charmed her way through those doors.
“Don’t overreact. She’s an adult, she can make her own decisions.” Stray tried to stop me from making a rash decision.
I wasn’t completely mad, but I was worried about someone finding her or even if she attempted to return home running into the chance that Chris would be there, that’s what pushed me over the edge.
Hound Dog had stayed behind the counter of the main bar top, sipping on his coffee. “So, I take it that next church you'll be making a claim.”
“Like any one of you would stop me.” I tensed.
“Stop you? No. Make you do the right thing by her? Absolutely.” Hound Dog proclaimed. Word was law to him, and I had to abide by it, no matter how many times I tested those lines myself.
“You have a grand idea?” B.B. asked from the couch. “Knowing you, you’re not going to let it go that she snuck away from you.”
He wasn’t wrong. I did have an idea, and it required me to look a little bit more presentable than looking like I rolled out of bed from the best night’s sleep.
Hours later, when I saw the surprised look on her face when I showed up was enough to put the smile back on my face. She wasn’t going to hide from me, not when she finally let me in, and I was never going back.
She was mine.
Mine to protect.
Mine to love.
Easy there, cowboy, don’t say that word yet.
I couldn’t fault her though, she was surrounded by people who cared about her, people who were in her corner. Even the two gobsmacked medical staff that pointed me in the right direction. Even the doctor who gave me the stare down and lightly threatened me to take care of Amelia. She didn’t really threaten but it was the heat of her stare and the might in her voice. I’d worked with many people in the field, and all of them would have been scared to death of that woman.
But when that little shit caressed her, being friendly, I almost snapped right there, giving him more of a reason to be in the emergency department. I was a man obsessed and I wasn’t apologizing either.
She pulled me to a side staff room that was empty, but I wanted her in a moreprivatesetting. One step at a time, I told myself.
I sat at the table waiting for her as she hurriedly grabbed a couple of plates and napkins. But she took a minute to breathe in the flowers, and a small smile caressed her face. It was one of my favorite things about her, the way she could find a littlehappiness to smile at. Like it was her mission to find the one good thing going for her.
She glanced over her shoulder, made a little head shake before finally sitting across from me. I didn’t like the distance, so I reached under the table and pulled her beside me, where I could rest my hand in between her thighs.
To my surprise, she didn’t flinch or tense up, she melted into my touch. I reached to pinch her chin, bringing her lips to mine, softly kissing her. She let out a breathy moan. I pulled away and she had this dazed look on her face. A smile returned to her face. She reached over, tracing my cheeks and touched my beard. She gave it a little tug, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You’ve said that a couple of times, and yet I’mstill here.” I popped a piece of fruit in her mouth. She furrowed her brows like a little angry cat. “But two can say it. I thought we talked about this. And yet when I woke up to find my beautiful woman gone and not so much as a note, well.” I trailed off, throwing her a little smirk before stuffing her face with another piece of fruit.
Her mouth slacked, accepting it before her tongue teasingly licked my finger. “Stuffing me with food is not going to make me amenable.”
I chuckled. “Maybe not, but I have my ways, which are ones that you’re very fond of.”
“I’m not apologizing, Shooter. Sorry, but have you heard of the nursing shortage?”
I hummed. “And how were you going to explain the markings on your neck? That vest isn’t going to cut it every day.”
She took a bite of the sandwich. “Easy, grumpy. Plus, you don’t have to worry about reports or anything, Greene will get it taken care of.”
“What the fuck does Greene have to do with this?” I couldn’t hide my anger.
