by Leah Brooke
“No way.”
Hoyt kept his head back and eyes closed, smiling at the determination in her voice.
She still sounded tired, and a little shaky,
He knew it would be difficult to get her to take it easy for a few days, but he’d tie her to the bed, if necessary.
Cuddling closer to Jake, she sighed. “I thought I’d never get warm again, and now that I am, I plan to stay that way. Jake, just hold me.” Her voice broke, tightening the fist around Hoyt’s heart.
Jake rubbed her back, wrapping himself around her. “Always.”
“Poor Hoyt. I cried all over him.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. It was pitiful. He didn’t let the others see me, but they knew.”
“Don’t worry about it. Nobody’s going to be talking about anything except how you smashed a lamp over your kidnapper’s head and called Hoyt to come get you.” Jake kissed her hair, sharing a look with Hoyt. “Our tough girl.”
“Don’t feel so tough now.”
Her words slurred, and Hoyt knew that between the adrenaline crash and pain medication, she wouldn’t be able to stay awake for long.
Jake rubbed a hand over her back. “Just rest, baby. It’s all over.”
Hoyt started to relax as the silence lengthened, making himself comfortable in the recliner. He’d slept in a lot worse places over the years, but now missed the warmth of having Natalie’s body nestled against his.
He’d just started to doze when Natalie’s voice reached him.
“Jake, you should have seen Hoyt. Damn, he’s fast. That guy was big, and he didn’t even get to land a punch. Hoyt kicked his ass real good.”
Jake chuckled. “And I’ll bet he enjoyed every second of it. I keep missing the action. I heard that the other guy didn’t fare so well either.”
“I was scared, but not as much as I could have been. I knew Hoyt would come.”
Hoyt stilled, his chest swelling, her words warming him all the way through.
She’d depended on him, and had trusted him to save her.
As much as she needed Jake, she’d needed him.
Tonight, she’d clung to him as they made their way to the hospital. Shaken after her ordeal, she’d struggled to put on a brave front, but she hadn’t let him out of her sight once they got to the emergency room—reaching for him often as the doctor examined her.
It was a heady feeling—to be needed by the woman he loved.
Addictive. Intoxicating.
It left him feeling as if he’d just drunk whiskey.
It heated his blood and made his head swim.
His chest swelled even more as he settled back to watch over his family, the realization that he’d already begun to make a place for himself here, leaving him feeling better than he could have ever imagined.
He’d always been an adrenaline junkie, and found loving Natalie an adrenaline rush more potent than any other.
Listening to their breathing even out, Hoyt couldn’t help but smile in the darkness.
Nothing he’d ever done in his life gave him the satisfaction he got from earning Natalie’s love, but also her trust.
And an intimacy he treasured.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hiding a smile, Hoyt watched the woman he loved shamelessly maneuvering his best friend just where she wanted him.
He couldn’t help but admire how damned good she was at it.
She actually reverted to pouting in an attempt to keep Jake from going to work. “But, Jake, I think you should stay home. Your head could start hurting again. You got your brain rattled good. Another day at home would be good for you. If you go to work, I’m going to spend all day worrying about you.”
They’d come home from the hospital early the previous afternoon to find Clay, Rio, and Jesse waiting for them with a hot meal.
Jesse still hadn’t settled, fluttering around the house as if afraid the kidnappers would burst through the door any minute.
Clay and Rio didn’t smile as often, hovering over Jesse as she hovered over her Natalie and Jake.
The number of visitors and phone calls staggered Hoyt, and it became glaringly obvious that the residents of Desire took watching out for each other very seriously.
One after another arrived—with food, offers to help with whatever needed to be done—even helping Hoyt repair the damage to the walls, and promises to come back to help repaint.
They’d included Hoyt in their conversations, treating him as if he’d lived there for years.
Still amazed, he mentally shook his head, sitting back and enjoying the interaction between Natalie and Jake.
Jake sipped his coffee, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I spent all day yesterday relaxing after you nagged me to death.”
“Nagged?” Her chin went up, her eyes narrowing—a clear sign of trouble—and fisted her hands on her hips. “Are you calling me a nag?”
Frowning, Jake glanced at Hoyt and with a gentle brush of his fingers, pushed her hair aside, his gaze narrowing on the bruise around her eye. “I wouldn’t dare.”
Gripping her chin, he turned her face toward the light streaming in from the kitchen window. Raising a brow in challenge, he ran his finger lightly over her cheek. “You’re hurt and you’re going to work, aren’t you?”
Intrigued at the way Jake handled her, Hoyt hid another smile behind the rim of his coffee cup, and settled back to wait for his friend to close the trap.
Natalie pursed her full lips, and Hoyt could almost hear her thinking—probably realizing that Jake had maneuvered her to a position she couldn’t escape.
“Jesse needs me there, but you have people to take care of the store. I’ll be worried about you all day, and probably mess things up so I have to work late.” Smiling, she laid her head on his chest, clearly convinced that she’d get her way. “If I don’t have to worry about you, I’ll get my work done sooner and won’t have to stay late to finish.
Smiling over her head, Jake rubbed her back and shared a conspiratorial look with Hoyt. “Jesse already told me that Brenna and Kelly are both going in today, and she’s already placed an ad for more help.” With a shrug, he wrapped his arms around her. “Besides, if you’re not here, there’s really no reason for me to stay home to do paperwork. I can do it at the store and check out a few things while I’m there.”
Stepping back, Natalie frowned up at him. “You’re going to do too much.”
Jake took another sip from his cup, raising a brow again. “No more than you will.” Turning away, he set his cup in the sink and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Have a nice day.”
If Hoyt hadn’t been watching closely, he would have missed the flash of panic that crossed her features. “Jake!”
Jake paused at the doorway and turned. “Yes?”
Shifting from one foot to the other, Natalie sighed. “My back really does hurt a little. I was hoping that you’d stay home and massage it for me. My cheek hurts, too. I didn’t want you to worry, but I think I’d feel better if I stayed home with you.”
Frowning, Jake closed the distance between them. “Of course, baby. If you need me, I’ll stay here with you.”
Over her head, Jake grinned. “Strip out of your clothes and get back in bed while I change out of my suit.”
Understanding that she wanted Jake to stay home and relax another day, Hoyt got to his feet, unable to resist confronting her and curious to see how far she’d go. “Natalie, you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of you.”
Whipping her head around, she glanced meaningfully at Jake. “I know, but I don’t feel good. Is there something wrong with wanting both of you here?”
“Of course not.” Gesturing toward the hallway, he inclined his head. “Do what Jake says. It doesn’t make sense for you to get dressed today. You might as well be comfortable. We’ll both take care of you today.”
Looking a little disconcerted at how she’d been manipulated, Natalie scowled, looking from him to Jake and back again
. “Um, sure.” Holding her head, she sighed, alarming him. “I think I need to go back to bed for a while, and I’ll feel better with both of you beside me.”
Hoyt smiled as he watched her go. “I was going to congratulate you on maneuvering her, but she turned the tables on both of us. She’s a master manipulator, isn’t she? She not only got you to stay home from work, but somehow made it impossible for me to turn down going to bed.”
With a chuckle, Jake shrugged out of his suit jacket. “Yeah. You look tired, and she knows you didn’t get much sleep. Did you really think she’d miss that?”
Jake laughed softly as he bent to take off his shoes. “Being part of a family like ours is a little different from the family you had in the SEALs, Hoyt, and navigating the emotional minefield of having a wife is a hell of a lot different than planning a mission.”
Hoyt stilled, a lump forming in his throat. “She’s not my wife, though, is she?”
Jake’s smile fell. “That’s up to you. In Desire, you can marry her, and even though it wouldn’t be legal anywhere else, it is here. It also shows the rest of the town that you take this seriously.”
Hoyt stiffened. “Of course I take this seriously.”
Jake grinned. “Then marry her.”
* * * *
Nat spread a thick towel over the bed, unable to stop smiling.
Her darling husband thought he’d outsmarted her, but she’d already talked to Jesse, who’d told her that Rio would be spending the day at the store with her, along with Brenna and Kelly, and that if Nat showed her face before tomorrow, she’d be escorted home.
Knowing that Rio would take great pleasure in doing it, she hadn’t intended to go to the store anyway, and had allowed Jake to talk her out of it, but only if he would also stay home.
Another day of rest would help him heal faster.
As a bonus, she also got Hoyt’s promise to lie down when she did. She didn’t like the dark circles under his eyes, or the pinched look around his lips.
He hadn’t slept much at all in the last two nights, and had been awake every time she woke during the night.
Twice, she’d even caught him standing at the window and staring out, brushing off her questions and climbing into bed again as if nothing was wrong.
Shrugging off her robe, she lay facedown on the bed, biting back her irritation that the muscles in her upper back pulled.
Slamming a heavy lamp down on someone’s head took a lot more effort than she’d expected, and her shoulders ached from being yanked around by Chuck.
Seeing a movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head, wincing when her muscles protested. Expecting to see Jake, she smiled, her smile falling when she saw a very serious-looking Hoyt. Turning, she sat up, pulling the edges of the towel around her to cover herself. “Is something wrong?”
“Don’t.” Moving closer, he sat on the edge of the bed, frowning as he pulled the towel away. “I hate when you do that. You cover yourself up as if you’re embarrassed and afraid I’ll find you unattractive.”
Nat’s face burned, and she wanted to deny it, but knew he’d catch her in the lie.
He shook his head, touching a finger to her lips when she would have apologized. “It pisses me off.” Stretching out next to her, he rolled to his side to face her, his eyes hooded as they raked over her. “From the minute I met you, I thought you were the most beautiful and exciting woman I’d ever met.” Running his fingers through her hair, he stared down at her. “Not once have I ever changed my mind about that. You’re still the most beautiful and exciting woman I’d ever known.”
Incredibly moved, Nat blinked back tears and reached up to cup his cheek. “For a man who doesn’t like to use pretty words, you’re sure as hell good at it.”
Hoyt smiled and slid a hand down her body, igniting every nerve ending in his path as he bent closer. “Yeah, well just don’t expect it every day.”
Nat met the love and hunger in his kiss with her own, pouring herself into it.
Passion flared, and gripping his shoulders, she pressed herself against him, loving the feel of his hands moving over her nakedness.
His touch became more familiar by the day, and even more exciting.
Firm in some places, a gentle caress in others, Hoyt’s touch left her awash in sensation, his fingers sliding with expert precision over her.
Slow, gentle slides of his fingertips over the underside of her breast had her gripping his shoulders in desperation and writhing against him.
Her nipples ached with the need for his touch, a touch he refused her. “Hoyt, please!”
Lifting his head, he smiled, his eyes flaring at her whimper. “We’re getting married.”
“Married?” A sob escaped before she could prevent it, the last wall of defense crumbling all around her. “You’re really staying?”
Frowning down at her, he slid his hand into her hair. “You and I are really going to have to work on your trust issues. Once we’re married, maybe you’ll realize I have no intention of going anywhere.”
She couldn’t imagine anything better than spending the rest of her life with the two men she loved.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she ran a hand over his chest, arching into the hand at her breast. “Are you asking me—or telling me?”
His smile—pure sin—sent a shiver of delight through her. “Let’s put it this way.” Bending his head, he nuzzled her jaw, zeroing in on a particularly sensitive spot. “After spending all these years wanting you—loving you—I have no intention of taking no for an answer.”
Moaning as the pleasure took over, Nat slid her hand into his short hair, throwing her head back to give him better access. “I’ll tell you what.” Lifting her right leg, she hooked it over his, her inner thighs already slick with her juices. “I’ll give you an hour to convince me.”
Lifting his head, he grinned down at her, his eyes flaring at the challenge. “Baby, I can fulfill my mission in half that time.” His eyes narrowed as he closed his fingers over her nipple. “Then, I can spend the rest of my allotted time making you pay for the way you manipulated Jake and me a little while ago.”
Whimpering at the rush of pleasure that shot straight to her clit, she slid her hands to the hem of his T-shirt and struggled to rid him of the soft fabric. “I don’t—oh, God—know what you’re talking about. Damn it, Hoyt. I want you naked.”
Leaning back slightly, he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside before rolling her to her stomach. “Yes, you do. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Reaching for the bottle of oil he’d placed on the bedside table, he ran a hand down her back. “Now, for my first mission.”
Bracing herself for a decadent onslaught, she fisted her hands in the pillow, her entire body tight and tingling with anticipation.
Instead of the erotic assault she’d expected, Hoyt leaned over her, running his lips over her shoulder. “I want to sleep beside you every night, and see that beautiful face every morning while you’re running around getting ready for work.”
The slide of his lips over her back drew a moan from her, the warm hands on the outer curves of her breasts drawing another.
“I want to be there for you when you need me. You love me, don’t you?”
Mesmerized by his slow, silky drawl, Nat lifted her head, turning it to look into his eyes. “You know I do.”
His hands slid to her waist and back again, while his lips continued to move over her back and shoulders, his gentle touch inflaming her. “And I know that you want me. I’m barely touching you, and you’re aroused. Why don’t we work on those muscles in your back and see if I can’t loosen you up a little more?”
“Hmm. I’m already loose.”
Hoyt chuckled and sat up. “You seem pretty tense to me. When you’re aroused and loose at the same time, you’ll be putty in my hands.”
Turning his head to kiss her forearm, he smiled down at her. “Say it. Tell me you love me. Tell me you’ve
missed me.”
Blinking back tears she’d promised herself she wouldn’t shed, Nat nodded. “I love you so much, and I never dreamed I could actually have you back in my life.” She slapped at his shoulder, meeting his cocky grin with a glare. “And yes, you shit, I’ve missed you. You know that. You don’t have to look so smug about it. You missed me, too.”
“More than you’ll ever know.” Sliding his hand under her, he cupped her breasts. “I love the taste of you. The feel of you.”
Hissing at the sharp pleasure of his fingers closing over her nipples, she writhed against him. “Hoyt!”
Hoyt scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “Christ, you excite me. You think I’ll get bored here because I’m an adrenaline junkie. Loving you is a rush that I can’t get anywhere else.”
Nat moaned at the feel of his hands on the outer curve of her breast, thrilling when he parted her thighs and settled between them. “Hoyt. Oh, God. That means so much to me. I would die if you got bored with me.”
His hands slid down her sides, his breath warm against her neck. “Bored with you? You’ve got to be joking.”
“We’ve had a lot of excitement this week.”
Hoyt chuckled and ran a hand down her back to her bottom. “I know. It’s about to get exciting again.”
A giggle escaped before she could stop it. “That’s not the type of excitement I was talking about. The bank robbery. The kidnapping. That stuff doesn’t happen around here.”
“Good.” Hoyt straightened and a few seconds later, she felt oil dribble over her back. “Without that stuff getting in the way, we can get to the really exciting stuff.”
Grinning, she buried her face in the pillow. “Idiot. Hmmm. That feels good.”
Sliding his hands over her back, he spread the oil. “Idiot? Is that any way to talk to your future husband and Master?”
“Nope. I’m bad.” God, the feel if his hands drove her wild. “Maybe you should spank me.”
Hoyt’s chuckle vibrated over her skin. “I’ll take a rain check. Right now, I’m working on something else—or did you forget? Are you going to accept my proposal?”