Harlequin Medical Romance July 2015 - Box Set 2 of 2: Her Playboy's SecretTaming Her Navy DocHer Family for Keeps

by Tina Beckett

  She liked being around him.

  For that one brief moment, it was nice to have a friend.

  It was nice to go on a date.

  CHAPTER NINE

  SHE DIDN’T KNOW he was watching her and Thorne didn’t really know why he was watching her. From the research room, he could see out onto the trauma floor. After the trawler accident he’d put her back on some night shifts just so he could get some space from her.

  With the Hope coming into port, well, it reminded him of when she’d taken his leg. It reminded him of his pain, of his vulnerability, and that she had seen him so exposed.

  It was an easy way out, but he hadn’t seen her in a week.

  Erica had the next two days off while the Hope was docked in port.

  Still, he didn’t know why he remained after hours to do research.

  So you could see her. Who are you kidding? He liked to torture himself, apparently.

  The research room had a one-way window. You could see out, but not in. He’d really intended to catch up on some work, but the trauma floor was quiet tonight and she was spending a lot of time working on charts at the nurses’ station. Again he acted irrationally and avoided her. It was easier than dealing with the emotion she was stirring inside him.

  He knew that she was breaking down his walls, ones he’d had up for ten years since Liam had died. He didn’t deserve to be happy again. He’d been the foolish one who’d cost his brother his life.

  So he hated himself for wanting Erica, for enjoying the time they spent together. He hadn’t realized he was so lonely.

  Focus.

  Thorne tore his gaze from her and returned to his work. There was a knock at the door.

  “Come.”

  The door opened and Captain Dayton of the USNV Hope opened the door.

  Thorne stood, saluting the other captain. “Captain Dayton, I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

  “We got in a bit early and I wanted to check in at the hospital and visit with an old colleague of mine.”

  “Commander Griffin?” Thorne asked.

  Captain Dayton smiled. “Yes. She was a formidable surgeon. I took her under my wing, thought of her like a daughter.”

  Thorne nodded toward the trauma floor. “She’s out there charting if you want to speak with her. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see you.”

  Captain Dayton smiled. “I will. Thank you. And thank you for accommodating some of my nurses and surgeons. It’s very important we have this simulation training to keep us up to date. After this we head back to San Diego to get some retrofits and some much-needed shore leave.”

  “No problem, Captain Dayton. Your staff has free run of facilities here.”

  “My thanks, Captain Wilder.”

  “I hope your staff can have a bit of off-time here in Okinawa. There is a lot to offer.”

  Captain Dayton cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  “Yes. In fact, I know Admiral Greer was planning on throwing a bit of a social while the Hope is in port. Though that’s supposed to be a secret.”

  Captain Dayton laughed. “I’ll keep that secret safe. That sounds like fun. Well, after my crew completes their simulation training, I think they’ll have earned the right for a bit of rest and relaxation before heading to San Diego. I’m very much looking forward to your simulation course, Captain Wilder.”

  Captain Dayton extended his hand and Thorne shook it.

  “I look forward to presenting it.”

  “I think I’ll go visit with my former prized officer.”

  Thorne sat back down as Captain Dayton left the research lab and headed over to Erica. He tried to look away, to give them their privacy, but he couldn’t. Something compelled him to watch.

  When Erica saw Captain Dayton her face lit up as she saluted him and then embraced him, kissing his cheek. A surge of jealousy flared deep inside him as he watched Erica being so intimate with another man. His jealousy was misplaced. He had no right to feel this way.

  He had no claim.

  Erica wasn’t his.

  She could be.

  He cursed under his breath and turned back to the computer, but his curiosity got the better of him. Even though he knew he should keep away from Erica, he couldn’t help himself.

  Despite the warnings he watched the interplay between the two. Captain Dayton was old enough to be Erica’s father, but what did that matter? Age was meaningless.

  As she talked to her former commanding officer Thorne saw her eyes twinkle. Her smile was genuine and as they talked she reached out and touched him.

  When Thorne and Erica talked there was no touching. When they were together it often felt tense at best because Thorne was too busy trying to keep Erica out.

  Thorne sighed. His leg was aching. It was time to get back home, have something to eat, a shower and then bed.

  He didn’t have time to worry about Commander Griffin. There wasn’t enough emotion in him to invest in her.

  At least, that was what he kept trying to tell himself.

  He went to log off when the door to the research lab opened again.

  “Captain! I’m sorry I didn’t know you were in here.” Erica’s face flushed pink, but only for a moment.

  “I was just leaving for the night, Commander.”

  She nodded and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. “Are you prepping your simulation for the crew of the Hope?”

  “I am. It’s how to deal with some common medical issues and emergencies Special Ops have to face. Wounds…infections.”

  Erica sat down at the computer next to him. “Infections like yours?”

  “And more. Communicable diseases as well.”

  “Sounds like a potpourri of fun that you have planned.”

  He chuckled. “I try my best. I see Captain Dayton found you.”

  “Yes,” she said quickly. “He was a good commanding officer, but a bit suffocating.”

  Now he was intrigued. “Suffocating? You looked pleased to see him.”

  “Were you watching me?”

  “For a moment.”

  “For someone who has been ignoring me the last week and giving me endless night shifts again, you’re very observant about who I associate with.”

  “Is this how you usually talk to your commanding officer?”

  “No.” She grinned. “Just you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Thanks. I do appreciate that, Commander Griffin.”

  “So, you wanted to know how he suffocated me— well, he wouldn’t let me do anything without clearing it with him first. At least, for the first year I served under him.”

  “Everything?”

  “Everything. I have to say it’s a nice change being under your command, Captain.”

  “Why’s that?” he asked, secretly pleased to hear it.

  “You let me do my work.”

  “I expect nothing less from members of my surgical trauma team. I pick the best of the best.”

  She blushed. “And I’m the best?”

  “One of.” He had to get out of here. When he’d moved Erica to some night shifts it was to get some distance between the two of them. This was not distancing himself from her, but Erica had this way of drawing him in.

  He both loved and hated that.

  “I better go. My shift ended hours ago.” He stood. “Have a good night, Commander.”

  “Thank you, Captain.”

  * * *

  Erica had seen many men turn tail and run from an uncomfortable social situation. Usually she thought it looked a bit ridiculous. So much so that it amused her. But this actually made her feel a bit of hope again.

  Hope that maybe Thorne hadn’t completely washed his hands of her. That maybe, just maybe, he would tear down his walls to let her in.

  You’re not tearing down any walls.

  Which was true.

  She wasn’t exactly an open book either.

  Scooby had called them both stubborn and thought that Thorne and h
er together would be volatile. She thought maybe Scooby was right in this instance.

  Still, she was drawn to him.

  She was attracted to him.

  She wanted him.

  Get a grip on yourself.

  She couldn’t want him. She couldn’t have him.

  Keep lying to yourself.

  Erica didn’t know he was still in the hospital. She’d come in early to see if she could catch a glimpse of him, but he’d stayed holed up in his office for the entire week. She had heard from some of the nurses that he was dealing with the aftermath of the trawler explosion with the authorities as well as protecting those who were on board the ship and were innocent.

  Like the burn victim, Drajat.

  He was only eighteen and had had no idea that his uncle, the patient Erica had saved who’d had part of the engine in his abdomen, was drug running.

  Drajat had told the authorities that he thought they were actually on a fishing trip. He thought he was earning money so he could attend school; the trace amount of methamphetamines in his system was equal to that of an innocent bystander being around the drugs, but not using them.

  Meth was easily absorbed into the skin.

  As soon as Drajat was stable enough he would be flown back to Jakarta.

  As for Drajat’s uncle… He was progressing well, but was still in ICU. Once he was able to be interrogated, well, Erica wasn’t sure what the Okinawan police would do with him. This was an international issue as the trawler had crossed into Japanese waters.

  “Commander?”

  Erica turned in the swivel chair to see that Thorne had returned.

  “Yes, Captain? Is there something I can help you with?”

  He opened his mouth but then shook his head. “No. It’s nothing.”

  “It’s obviously something. I thought you were leaving for the night.”

  Thorne scrubbed his hand over his face. He looked tired and she didn’t blame him in the least. There was also pain behind those eyes. His whole body was clenched tight, taut like a bowstring. It was the leg again.

  “I’m sorry for bothering you, Commander. It’s nothing.” He turned to leave, but hissed through his teeth and reached down.

  The last time she’d seen him suffering like this had been when she’d first arrived at the base. When she’d tried to help him he’d bit back at her, lashing out in anger and humiliation.

  “You’re in pain.”

  “I’ve been here too long. It’s nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing.” She stood and went to the research lab door. Locked it.

  “What’re you doing?” he asked.

  “You’re going to sit down and I’m going to massage your leg.”

  “I don’t think so,” Thorne snapped. “That’s highly inappropriate.”

  “Do you have a massage therapist who does it for you? Or how about physical therapy?”

  Thorne glared at her. “I don’t need either. I’ve been managing well with this prosthesis for some time now.”

  Erica rolled her eyes. “Sit down, Captain, and that’s an order.”

  “You’re ordering me now?”

  She crossed her arms. “I am. You should have weekly massage therapy or physio appointments for your leg. It might have been five years since you lost it, but a prosthetic leg can be hard on the muscle. It’s painful.”

  “I know it is,” he growled.

  “Thorne, I can help relieve some of your pain. You can barely move, so I can’t even begin to imagine how you’ll get back home.”

  She stared him down.

  With a grunt of resignation he sat down in an office chair. “So how are you going to help me? Are you going to give me a shot of morphine or some other analgesics?”

  “No, I’m going to massage you myself.” She slipped off her lab coat and set her phone down on the counter with her stethoscope.

  “You’re…what?”

  “I’m going to massage you. Drop your pants, Captain Wilder.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  THERE HAD BEEN many times since he’d first met Erica when he’d pictured her telling him to drop his pants and in all those scenarios it involved her in a bed, underneath him.

  Not once had he ever fantasized about being locked in the research lab, in pain and having her ordering him to take his pants off so she could rub his stump. This was not perfection at all. This was far from it. He didn’t want her seeing him like this.

  In pain.

  Exposed.

  “I don’t think I heard you correctly, Commander Griffin. You want me to take off my pants?”

  She nodded. “Yes. You’re wearing suit trousers; it’ll be impossible to roll up the leg of said trousers over your prosthetic. Besides, you need to remove your prosthetic so I can massage where it hurts.”

  “I don’t think that’s appropriate.” He tried to move away, but she blocked him.

  “With all due respect, Captain Wilder, I’ve seen that leg before. I know that leg. I know what was done to it and I know how to relieve your pain.”

  Though he didn’t want to, Thorne took a deep breath and then stood, unbuckling his pants and slipping them off. He tried not to let it bug him that she was seeing him like this: vulnerable. He didn’t let any woman see him with his pants off. He didn’t let any woman see him with just his prosthetic, let alone the remains of his leg.

  Erica did have a point, though. She was the one who’d performed the surgery. She was the one who’d removed his leg, fashioned the stump which had left minimal scarring and a good socket to work a prosthetic in.

  The surgeon side of him knew it was a damn good amputation.

  The other side of him saw it was a fault. An imperfection. The absence of his leg reminded him that a piece of him was missing and how was that desirable to any woman?

  What does it matter? She’s off-limits.

  And that was why he did as she asked.

  He sat down and unhooked the prosthetic, embarrassed that she was there. Their eyes met as she knelt down in front of him, helping him remove the prosthetic and the wrappings underneath, which helped prevent the chaffing.

  Her touch was gentle as she ran her hand over his thigh. The simple touch made him grit his teeth as he held back the intense pleasure he was feeling. Her hands on him made his blood burn with need.

  It had been so long since he’d been with a woman, but this was not how he’d pictured it. Not even close. The way he fantasized about Erica had nothing to do with his stump, of massaging the knots out of his muscles.

  “It healed nicely,” she remarked, which kind of shattered the illusion.

  “What?” he asked.

  “The wound healed really nice. Barely any visible scarring.”

  “It did. It was a good job.”

  “I didn’t know. You were taken out of my care hours after surgery and then I never knew what became of you. You had no name, no record.”

  Thorne shrugged. “Special Ops.”

  “I know.” Her brow furrowed. “Do you have a lot of chaffing?”

  “Only when I work long hours. Lanolin helps.”

  She nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. Let me know if I hurt you.”

  “It’ll hurt no matter what you do, but I’m sure it will feel good after a while. It always does.”

  “I thought you didn’t get a regular massage?”

  “I don’t—well, not by someone else. I usually handle it on my own.”

  Erica glanced up. “You should have someone else do it.”

  “Don’t have time for that.” He winced as she touched him.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  Far from it. He loved her touching him.

  “Get on with it,” he snapped.

  “Just try and relax.” She began to rub the muscle in his thigh, which was hard as a rock and tense from the pain.

  He let out a string of curses.

  “Do you want me to stop?” she asked.

  “No. It does feel good.”


  “Your muscles are so knotted.”

  He nodded and tried not to think about the fact that Erica was kneeling on the floor between his legs, touching him. If he thought about that, then he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her.

  So he focused on the pain, but that made it worse.

  “Thorne, are you okay?”

  “Fine,” he lied.

  She deepened the massage and beads of sweat broke across his brow. His mind began to wander to that moment when Tyler had been lying in a pool of dirty water. The bullet had grazed him, but Thorne’s leg was on fire.

  Still, he was the unit’s doctor first and foremost. He’d done his duty to make sure Tyler survived.

  “You’re bleeding, man,” Tyler had said as he’d knelt down to tie a tourniquet around his leg.

  “I’m fine,” Thorne had said. “It didn’t nick the artery. Just a bit of bleeding. It’ll be fine.”

  “It’s an open wound in the sewer, Wilder.”

  “I have antibiotics.” Thorne had dug through his first aid kit and pulled out a syringe of morphine and a needle and thread.

  “What the heck are you doing, Wilder?” Tyler had asked in trepidation.

  “Stitching. We still have to swim out to the sub waiting for us. It’s shark-infested water. I’m closing up the open wound now.”

  “It’ll get infected that way.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll get back to the submarine and it’ll be fine. You’ll see, Tyler.”

  Thorne had injected the painkiller and then threaded the needle…

  He relaxed, as the pain from his stump seemed to be dissipating. He looked down at Erica working the muscle in his thigh and rubbing around his socket. It was a firm touch, but soft. Her hands were incredibly soft.

  Don’t think about that.

  “Tell me about the surgery,” he demanded.

  “What surgery?”

  “Mine,” he said. “Tell me about it. How bad was the leg?”

  “Didn’t you read your report?”

  “There wasn’t a lot of information. So tell me. How bad was it?”

  “Bad. I won’t lie. Your leg was highly infected.”

  Thorne nodded. “It went down to the bone?”

  “Into the tissue,” she said. “You did a good repair job on yourself, but…”