Hell & Back (Outbreak Task Force)

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Hell & Back (Outbreak Task Force) Page 27

by Julie Rowe


  “And a suit for you,” she said, poking him with one index finger.

  “That I’m eager to see,” Gunner said. “I’m still trying to get used to what you look like without a lab coat on.”

  “Huh,” Henry said with a wink to Ruby. “Maybe I should get a white suit.”

  She shook her head. “No.” She considered him. “Gray, I think.”

  The food arrived, along with a table large enough for everyone and chairs.

  They ate, and Ruby found herself leaning toward Henry, who had his arm stretched out along the top of her chair. She yawned and rested her head against his chest.

  A moment later his voice rumbled in her ear. “Ruby?”

  “Hmm?” She opened her eyes to find everyone gone. “What? Where did—”

  “You fell asleep, darlin’, so everyone snuck out of here. Why don’t you get changed and we’ll go to bed?”

  “Oh.” She struggled to wake up. “No shopping?”

  “We’ll do that in the morning.” He kissed her and got up, drawing her to her feet along with him.

  They got ready for bed, maneuvering around each other in the bathroom like they’d been married for years already. In bed, after enough kisses to make her dizzy, Henry coaxed her to lie on her side so he could spoon her from behind and hold her in his arms.

  The next day, they woke, ate room service breakfast, then met with everyone to shop for a dress. One of the shops in the Venetian’s mall carried gowns for all occasions. Ruby found an ivory-colored dress that hugged her body until just below her waist then flowed into a confection of lace and bling.

  When she came out of the change room, Henry’s jaw dropped, and he stared at her for a solid three seconds before swallowing hard and saying in a rough tone, “Fucking gorgeous.”

  Gunner put a hand on Henry’s shoulder and said seriously, “Down boy. You can’t tear it off her until after the ceremony.”

  Henry sighed. “Party pooper.”

  Carmen bought a dress, too, a sleek white floor-length gown that made her look like she’d fit in walking down the red carpet at the Oscars.

  She made Dozer turn around so he couldn’t see her, though. When she came out, River whistled.

  “That good, huh?” Dozer asked with his back to everyone.

  “Dude,” River said. “Your tongue is going to be dragging on the floor.”

  Dozer shifted on his feet.

  “Do not turn around,” Carmen said. “You’ll see it in a couple of hours when we say our vows.”

  “Yes, dear,” Dozer said with a long-suffering sigh that made everyone laugh.

  Ruby purchased several other outfits in the mall—something nice to wear to Carmen and Dozer’s ceremony as well as casual clothes for the remainder of their trip.

  Carmen and Dozer’s wedding ceremony was held in the Venetian’s chapel. Everyone teased Dozer about being the last one to see her in her wedding dress. He shrugged and told them that today was her day and if that’s what she wanted, she’d get it.

  The look of adoration and love on his face when he saw her walking down the aisle on Smoke’s arm was worth the wait. The smile on Carmen’s face made it clear she thought so, too.

  They all had dinner in a private room, where Carmen and Dozer glowed with happiness.

  Their group went to a show, then everyone went their separate ways until the next day.

  “They looked so happy,” Ruby said as she and Henry cuddled together in their bed.

  “Disgustingly so,” he agreed with a teasing lilt to his voice.

  She poked him.

  He kissed her finger. “I can’t wait to get married to you.” His tone was oddly wistful, and she looked at him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  His expression was bleak. “Every time I think of how close I came to losing you, my heart wants to stop beating.”

  She tried for a stern stare. “Don’t go all Romeo and Juliet on me. We’re going to have a happily ever after.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I love you,” she said.

  “Love you, too,” he said.

  At three o’clock in the afternoon the next day, her parents walked her down the aisle toward Henry, who stood with Nate by his side.

  Her family had arrived that morning, and Nate and Henry spoke quietly with each other, then shook hands.

  Henry refused to tell her what they’d said until after the wedding.

  Now, all she had eyes for was Henry, looking much too handsome for his own good in his gray suit.

  His gaze was so brilliant it caught hers and refused to let go. She answered the justice of the peace when questions were posed and repeated her vows when they needed to be repeated, but she couldn’t look away.

  When he said his vows, tears rolled down her face. When he said, “I do,” and she began to cry in earnest, he gathered her up and held her to him, whispering “I love you” in her ear until she regained control.

  He tilted her face up and kissed her with a thoroughness that left her out of breath and wishing they were alone in their room.

  He smiled and said, “Ready to take on the world, Mrs. Lee?”

  She grinned back. “With you, always, Mr. Lee.”

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  Acknowledgments

  Huge thanks to the entire team at Entangled, including my editor Robin Haseltine, for your support of this series. A lot of work done by many people goes into a book that the reader never sees because it’s all done off the page. Know that each and every one of you is appreciated.

  About the Author

  Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll never be able to write about all her medical experiences because “Fiction has to be believable.”

  Julie writes romantic suspense and romantic military thrillers. Her most recent titles include Viable Threat, the first book in the Outbreak Task Force series, and Viral Justice, book three of the Biological Response Team series. You can find her at www.julieroweauthor.com, on Twitter @julieroweauthor, or on her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor.

  Don’t miss the Outbreak Task Force series…

  Viable Threat

  Smoke and Mirrors

  Sleight of Hand

  Search and Destroy

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  Hollywood Scandal

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