Handle Me

by Kira Sinclair

  Spinning on her heel, she stomped toward the door. Ty enjoyed the way her white lab coat swirled out around her body. She didn’t slow down, tossing orders at Cara as she passed. “Prepare his discharge papers.”

  “Where are you going?” Ty pushed up onto his elbows—to get a better view of her stormy exit—and yelled after her. But she didn’t pause or respond.

  Cara leaned against the door jamb. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. I’ve never seen her like this.”

  “You mean pissed off? I know Van. That can’t be true.”

  “Oh, no, I’ve seen her pissed off plenty. I’ve never seen her this flustered, by anyone or anything.” She straightened, and pinned him beneath the sharp cut of her gaze. “Do not screw this up, buddy. You might be a tough military man, but I will hunt you down and hurt you.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ty said, fighting to keep the grin from breaking across his face.

  With a single, sharp nod of her head, Cara disappeared into the hallway.

  11

  TY LET HIS head fall back onto the raised bed behind him. His skull felt like the seven dwarfs were taking their pickaxes to his brain. The room was a little wonky as well, something he hadn’t mentioned to Van. So, he had a concussion. He’d had them before. The rest of his body was a little sore, and no doubt he’d feel the impact even more tomorrow.

  The silence was pleasant, especially after the chaos he’d woken up to as they’d rolled him into the ER. Exhaustion pulled at him, but a quiet click announced the opening and closing of the door to the room. Ty couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. Until the telltale sound of tags jingled. A heavy weight landed on the edge of the bed, jolting him and making him wince. When he opened his eyes it was to see Kaia, her front paw next to his hip, staring at him with those warm brown eyes. Her mouth was open and her tongue lolled out in an expression that was nothing short of a doggy grin.

  Van hovered behind her.

  “I thought security wouldn’t let her through.”

  She shrugged. “What good is being a doctor if it doesn’t come with a few perks? I told them she was your service dog for PTSD.”

  “Clever.”

  “Besides, when I went out to check on her, she looked about as good as you did when you first arrived.”

  Ty shifted up higher against the bed and placed his hands on Kaia’s head. Concern tinged his voice when he asked, “You okay, girl?”

  “She’s fine. The vet looked at her, although she wasn’t very cooperative with the exam.”

  “You’ve had your fill of doctors, haven’t you?” Ty scratched behind her ears just the way she liked. “I’m starting to feel that way myself. Well, except for one pretty amazing exception.”

  Ty grinned, glancing at Van out of the corner of his eyes.

  He liked the way she shifted and a blush slowly spread into her cheeks. Not to mention the way she pointedly ignored what he’d just said.

  “He had a hell of a time getting her away from the front doors. Security said she tried to dart in several times when they opened. The fireman who brought her over from the scene finally found a length of rope and tied her to a bike rack.”

  An involuntary growl rumbled through Ty’s chest.

  “Easy, soldier,” Van said, moving closer and resting a soothing hand on his shoulder. “He stayed right by her side. He was worried she was going to get caught as the doors closed.”

  Yeah, he got it. But still...

  “Kaia pulled the rope as far as it would go, plopped down on her rear and stayed right there with her gaze trained on the activity inside for the past several hours. She wouldn’t eat or drink. She just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  Van’s fingers tightened on his shoulder for a second, warmth rolling over his body from the touch. But then she backed off, letting her arm drop to her side.

  “All that’s to say my little white lie wasn’t really for you. It was for her.”

  “Whatever you want to tell yourself, princess.”

  Van opened her mouth to argue; the hard, determined light in her eyes clearly telegraphed that intention. But she didn’t get the chance.

  Cara pushed open the door. “Okay, you’re all set. Normally, I’d provide your caregiver with information about your condition, but I’m pretty sure Van has that well in hand.” The petite blonde flashed a knowing smile at them both. “You’re free to go.”

  * * *

  WHAT THE HELL was she supposed to do with him now? She couldn’t send him back to his hotel, not with a clear conscience. But the last time they were together at her place proved close proximity to Ty Colson was not her friend.

  At least not if she had any hope of protecting herself from a major dose of heartache.

  Glancing over at him in the passenger seat, Van realized it was probably way too late to worry about that.

  The fear that had overwhelmed her—frozen her—when she’d realized he was the patient unconscious on that gurney was a sensation she never wanted to experience again.

  She’d heard horror stories of ER doctors being presented with their own loved ones as patients, but had never experienced it herself. Over the last several months there’d been a part of her that was angry she hadn’t been there to help Ryan. If only she’d been by his side, could she have saved him?

  She’d read the medical report and logically understood that wasn’t likely. His internal injuries were too severe. She had no doubt he’d died on impact.

  But she was enough of a control freak that it was difficult to let that possibility go, because she hadn’t had the chance.

  Today had given her a small dose of what that experience would have been like, and she didn’t like it.

  Even now, after seeing Ty’s tests, studying his scans and knowing he had no major complications from the accident, she still couldn’t shake the fear he was going to drop from some injury she’d missed.

  Shaking off the anxious thought, she said, “I suppose this blows your plans for some time on the beach.”

  Ty rolled his head against the rest, his blue-gray gaze studying her for several seconds. “That depends on you. As I understand it, you’re off for the next five days. Care to visit somewhere tropical and sandy with me?”

  “Not really.”

  Ty frowned. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer he’d expected. “Really?”

  “I hate sand. It gets into everything and chafes like a son of a bitch. I refuse to get in the water. Seaweed and little fishies nibbling at my feet.” Van gave an involuntary shudder. “Enough said. Not to mention that I burn after fifteen minutes in the sun.”

  “Maybe you wouldn’t burn if instead of working fourteen-hour days, you actually ventured into the daylight once in a while.”

  “Oh, like you’re so clever. You work in the desert and are surrounded by sand all the time—why on God’s green earth would you want to spend your vacation at the beach?”

  Ty rolled his eyes. “Fine. No beach. So where do you like to go when you have time off?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t taken a vacation in several years.” Van’s gaze darted around. “Actually, I was thinking about heading over to Colorado and renting a cabin in the mountains.”

  “Sold.”

  Her startled eyes jerked to his. “Wait. What?”

  “Let’s do that. Our options are to spend the next couple days cooped up in your house or spend them in a luxurious cabin overlooking the gorgeous vista of the Rocky Mountains. I know which one I’d prefer.”

  “Just like that?”

  Ty reached over and grabbed her hand. Instinct told her she should pull away, but she couldn’t make herself do it. Not when his touch felt so good.

  Comforting and safe. Warm and alive.

  “Just like that. You need a lo
t more spontaneity in your life, Van.”

  She grimaced, mostly because he wasn’t wrong. Although she was loath to admit it...especially to him. “And I suppose you think you’re just the person to show me the light?”

  He shrugged, the movement of his wide shoulders catching her gaze. Van had no doubt those shoulders could hold the weight of the world if needed. Ty wasn’t just strong, but capable, direct and authoritative, with enough of a dash of unpredictable to make life interesting.

  Why the hell was she trying to avoid him?

  Oh, yeah, because at the end of these five days he was going to leave and return to a war zone that had already cost her one person she loved.

  Van stared into Ty’s gaze. God, she wanted to say yes. Desperately. There was nothing right now she wanted more than a few days of secluded bliss with this man. There was no doubt he’d rock her world. He’d already done it twice.

  But it was more than that. More than just stellar sex.

  There was something about Ty that...centered her, even as his nearness distracted and aroused her. When he was around, the edge of restlessness that she constantly struggled with, and normally combatted with work, simply disappeared.

  Was it so wrong to want that, even if she could only have it for a little while?

  As if sensing her internal struggle, Ty reached out. The backs of his fingers slowly slid down the curve of her cheek, his thumb grazing the line of her jaw, coaxing without saying a single word.

  He suddenly looked so serious. She could see the darkness in his gaze, lurking beneath the surface. And just like she’d been desperate to fix him in the ER, she felt an overwhelming urge to make it right.

  But she was smart enough to realize she couldn’t. Nothing could erase the things he’d seen and done.

  Van swallowed and whispered, “Okay.”

  Ty’s lips quirked up on one side. His gaze narrowed and a promising smolder replaced that darkness.

  Uh-oh.

  “I’ll make a couple calls while you pack.” Clearly in go mode, Ty bounded from the car as if he hadn’t just spent several hours in the ER.

  Men.

  Holding the door open for Kaia, Van watched her jump to the ground and follow Ty onto the porch, moving much slower than he had. She didn’t blame the dog. It was after midnight. Van had been at the hospital for hours and the exhaustion she’d been holding back with sheer will was threatening to finally win.

  Letting out a stream of air that fluttered her bangs, Van was already regretting her decision as she followed. Plopping down into one of the rockers on her front porch, Ty pulled his cell from a pocket and began punching buttons.

  “Don’t forget to pack Kaia’s things,” he said, pausing midpunch. “I’ll grab her crate. If we get on the road in the next hour we could get there by late afternoon.”

  Stalking across the porch, Van didn’t pause as she crowded into his personal space and snatched the phone out of Ty’s hand.

  “Hey,” he said, hands chasing after it as she slipped it behind her back.

  Van hadn’t realized she’d walked straight between his open thighs until Ty’s chest collided with her torso. His hands wrapped around her hips and a cocky grin twisted his lips.

  He stared up at her. She had a flashback of that same damn expression when he had her spread out on the kitchen island. Heat slammed through her, stealing her breath for a few seconds.

  Nope. That wasn’t what she’d come over here to do.

  “First, if this is a vacation then you need to look up the definition of the word. I will not rush through packing and forget half of what I actually need because you didn’t give me adequate time to prepare.”

  The grin on Ty’s face got wider, which only made Van’s eyes narrow.

  “Princess, if you forget anything, I’ll buy it for you.”

  “That’s stupid, Ty. We have plenty of time.”

  “Not if we want to get to Colorado as soon as possible.”

  She shook her head. “Isn’t happening. I haven’t slept in about fourteen hours. I can’t pick up and drive for another twelve just because you’ve suddenly got a burr up your ass.”

  “So sleep while I drive.”

  “Not a snowball’s chance in hell. You were just released from the ER with a concussion. Do you really think I’m going to let you drive? Let alone fall asleep while you do it?”

  “I’m fine, Van.”

  Even as he said the words, an aftershock of fear slammed through her. Several hours ago, he hadn’t looked fine at all. Her body locked and her jaw clamped tight.

  He must have recognized the signs, because his expression gentled and his hold on her tightened.

  “I’m fine, Van. I promise.”

  She snorted. “That’s not what your doctor diagnosed. She’s pretty damn smart and absolutely certain you have a concussion. So, unless you plan on going to Colorado alone, I suggest you temper your enthusiasm, soldier. Make your calls, find us a cabin and we’ll leave in the morning.”

  Ty grumbled, but he didn’t argue.

  Instead, he surged up from the rocker, taking her with him. Van squealed, her arms and legs automatically wrapping around his body.

  Taking the keys from her fingers, he unlocked the door and ushered Kaia into the house ahead of them, all without dropping Van. There was a part of her that was impressed.

  Ty kicked the door shut behind them and headed for the back of the house.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, squirming in his hold.

  “Taking you to bed.” His mouth landed on her neck, trailing open-mouthed kisses along her skin and leaving a line of fire in his wake. “We’ve had drunken sex in our childhood playhouse and amazing counter sex before you freaked and kicked me out of your house.”

  “I did not freak.”

  He raised a single eyebrow, silently calling her on her bullshit.

  “Fine. I freaked. A little. We’re crossing lines here, Ty. Lines I’d planned on keeping clear and unbroken.”

  Shaking his head, Ty bent down and found her mouth. He kissed her, deep and thorough, pushing every ounce of his desire for her into the connection.

  “Too late,” he whispered against her lips. “Those lines have been blurred for a very long time.”

  He could see the struggle in her gaze as she tried to convince herself to push him away. And he wasn’t opposed to using guerrilla warfare when it was required. Finding the pulse at the base of her throat, Ty licked it and then sucked.

  She couldn’t hold back a moan. The sound went straight to his dick, making it throb.

  “You have a concussion,” she breathed, her voice low and wavering, throbbing with the desire he created. Striding down the hall with her wrapped around his body, Ty gave her a wicked grin. “Consider this my follow-up exam, doc.”

  She laughed, the sound hitching when he shifted her in his arms, his fingers finding the curve of her thigh and following up to caress her center.

  The dampness he found there had something primitive roaring through his blood. He’d caused that. He’d aroused her to that point. God, he wanted to taste her. To put his tongue right there and feel her overwhelming heat.

  Dropping her onto the bed, Ty followed her down. He ripped at her clothes, buttons, zippers, straps and clasps. They all stood in the way of seeing her. Feeling her.

  She didn’t protest. Instead, she did the same. Plucking at his own clothes. They grunted with the effort, then laughed when the tight neck of his shirt got stuck half on and half off over his head.

  Her mischievous playfulness was such a contrast to the capable and efficient doctor who’d stayed by his side for the last several hours. He could appreciate how good she was at her job, but that wasn’t a surprise. Van succeeded at anything she put her mind to.

 
But this was a side Ty knew not many got to see. Even growing up, Van had rarely opened up enough to feel comfortable being her true self. But she’d done it with him back then. And now she was sharing that gift again.

  He wanted more.

  He wanted everything.

  With impatient hands, Ty tore the shirt over his head, uncaring at the ripping sound of seams giving way. Whatever. He’d replace it.

  Finally naked, Ty leaned down and wrapped an arm beneath Savannah’s waist. He pulled her up, scooted her to the center of the bed and stood back so he could simply look at her.

  A flush swept across her skin, a gorgeous glow of pink that made her skin appear almost luminous in the darkened room. Neither of them had bothered to flip on a switch or open the curtains.

  She shifted, her gaze drifting away from his, and he realized she was uncomfortable with him watching her.

  And that seemed so wrong.

  “Do you have any idea how breathtaking you are, Savannah Cantrell?

  Her eyes, bright green, swung back to his. He could read the uncertainty there and wanted to kick any man’s ass who’d been in her life and hadn’t reinforced that single truth.

  “I see you. All of you. And I don’t just mean your body. I know you. You’re physically beautiful, any man’s wet dream. But you’re more than that, Van. You’re intelligent, dedicated, loyal and honest. You put others before yourself time and time again, expecting nothing in return. Trust me when I say you’re breathtaking.”

  “Okay.” She said the word, but he could see she still didn’t completely believe him.

  Didn’t matter. There was another, more pleasurable way to convince her.

  Placing a knee on the bed between her open thighs, Ty crawled toward her. Her eyes flared and then narrowed, want kindling deep inside.

  Yes.

  Placing a hand on her calf, he let his fingers slowly slide up. She shifted, restless beneath the simple caress. She wanted more. So did he.

  His other hand settled on her thigh, pushing gently until she spread open for him. The scent of her arousal bloomed around him, musk and sex and desire.