by Radclyffe
“I will.” Nita indicated the chart. “I’ll be in doing a wound check on Joey.”
When she entered the procedure room, it looked like an instant replay of the day before, except this time Pia had joined the party. Sally, still laughing at something, laid out clean dressings and splint material on an instrument tray. Joey sat sideways on the procedure table, his injured right hand cradled against his chest in a sling. Pia stood next to him, her hip propped against the edge of the table. The person who held Nita’s attention, however, was Deo Camara.
Today Deo wore faded blue jeans that hugged her narrow hips and a faded grey T-shirt with the sleeves torn off. The neckline was ripped down the center, and Nita thought she glimpsed the soft swell of a smooth, creamy breast. She quickly averted her gaze, but she saw that Deo was smiling in a way that said she knew exactly where Nita had been looking. Annoyance at having given Deo more than a glance and, worse, having Deo catch her at it, set her on edge. She hated that Deo could throw her off stride with just a look. Deliberately, she turned away from Deo and smiled at Joey.
“How are you feeling?”
“Terrible.” Joey feigned a pained expression. “I think I might need three or four months off.”
Deo laughed. “Like hell. You’re not spending the summer on the beach.”
“Let’s have a look.” Nita kept her back to Deo, whose deep rich voice reminded Nita of hot summer air on a lazy August afternoon. That wasn’t all Deo reminded her of, and that was the real problem. Deo actually looked nothing like Sylvia, who had been the epitome of blue-eyed, blond beauty, but they shared the same seething sensuality. And apparently, if her racing pulse were any indication, she was still susceptible to such empty charms.
With effort, Nita put Deo out of her mind and, after donning sterile gloves, carefully removed the bandages from Joey’s hand. Pia watched from nearby.
“Incisions look good,” Nita reported. “There’s anticipated swelling, but nothing out of the ordinary. Finger position indicates the tendon repairs are intact.”
“What do you think about a functional splint?” Pia asked. “I’ll keep the affected fingers blocked for now so there won’t be any motion, but we’ll be ready for a little bit of gentle ranging in a few days.”
“All right. Sally can get you what you need if you want to fashion the splint yourself.”
While Pia worked on the splint, Nita re-bandaged the injured fingers and quickly recorded a chart note. On her way out into the hall, she said, “Two weeks for suture removal.”
She was almost to her office door when she felt a hand on her arm. She slowed, knowing who it was and silently chastising herself for the sudden swell of anticipation. Slowly she turned and met Deo’s eyes, knowing what she would see. Deep set eyes, liquid and dark. So dark. She could imagine how they would look when Deo was aroused, when that sultry shimmer turned to fire. When Sylvia orgasmed, her glacial blue eyes sharpened until Nita feared she’d bleed on their edges. Deo’s eyes…Deo’s eyes would be molten, hot enough to scorch the flesh from her bones.
“What is it?” Nita asked, her voice sounding breathy to her own ears. It’s only chemistry. Mindless attraction. Ignore it. Haven’t you learned?
Deo was entranced by the rapid flurry of expression on Nita’s face. Annoyance, appreciation, intensity…desire. Even though the break in Nita’s careful façade had been fleeting, she hadn’t been wrong. She knew what desire looked like in another woman’s eyes. What she hadn’t expected was the quick surge of heat in the pit of her stomach. Taken off guard, she fumbled for words.
“I…uh…I wanted to thank you for taking care of Joey.”
“That’s not necessary.” Nita backed up a step, aware of her open office door just a few feet away. Sanctuary awaited. Being near Deo made her feel as if she were Daniel cast into the lion’s den. Her common sense told her to flee, but what she really wanted to do was reach out and sink her fingers into the thick black hair and thrill to the power of feline muscles rippling under her fingertips. Lions kill, she reminded herself. “It’s my job.”
“I know.” Deo took a step closer, wondering what it would take to stir that fire in Nita’s warily shuttered gaze again. Unused to women hiding their desire, she found the situation challenging. “How late are you working?”
Confused, almost certain she could feel heat pouring off Deo’s body, Nita said, “What? Why?”
“I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight.”
“No.”
“Why not?” Deo grinned, but she didn’t feel her usual confident self. Nita confused her. She couldn’t get a read on her—one second Nita looked at her as if she wanted to put her hands all over her, and in the next instant, her expression vacillated between fear and fury. Deo never chased after women, because she didn’t want to spend time with anyone who wasn’t interested in exactly what she was interested in—pleasant company and shared pleasure. Women came to her for that and that was the way she liked it. So why the hell had she just asked Nita out for a…date?
Nita considered making an excuse, but then realized that she wasn’t the one pushing the issue. She had already told Deo the night before that she wasn’t interested, regardless of how her traitorous body might respond, and she didn’t appreciate being forced to do it again. “You’re not my type.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?” Deo snapped. “Because I’m a construction worker? Or because I don’t have a college education?”
“No,” Nita said, trying unsuccessfully to curb her anger. She pressed her fingertip to the side of Deo’s neck. “Because you’ve got a lovely bite from whoever you took home last night. If you happen to remember.”
“I just asked you to dinner, not to go to bed with me.”
“When’s the last time you had dinner with a woman you didn’t take to bed?”
Deo hesitated.
“That’s what I thought. Like I said, I’m not interested.”
Deo caught Nita’s hand as she started to turn away. “That’s not what your eyes tell me.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“No I’m not,” Deo whispered, rubbing her thumb over the top of Nita’s hand. Reluctantly, she loosened her grip and Nita snatched her hand away. “Sooner or later, you’re going to admit that.”
“That is never going to happen.”
“I’m going to change your mi—”
Nita stepped into her office and closed the door, cutting off the last of Deo’s sentence. She leaned her back against the solid oak, grateful for the barrier between them. Deo’s hand had been hot, her thumb a delicate tease as it swept back and forth over her skin. That brief caress had touched off an unwanted but undeniably pleasant spark within her. Apparently she was helpless to resist not just Deo’s beauty, but her touch. That was a terribly dangerous combination, and she had no intention of tempting herself any further. Not when she wanted very much to give in.
Chapter Seven
“Thanks, Nita,” Pia said, lingering in the hall outside the procedure room.
“No problem.” Nita smiled at Pia, but her gaze followed Deo and Joey as they disappeared through the door into the reception area. “He’s really a sweetie.”
“He’s the baby and everyone spoiled him. Sometimes he still thinks all it takes is a smile, and most of the time he’s right.”
“I imagine he’s going to break a few hearts,” Nita murmured, but she wasn’t thinking of Joey. His wasn’t the only smile that was irresistible. When she’d returned to the procedure room to discuss Joey’s physical therapy regimen with Pia, she’d been aware of Deo’s eyes on her the entire time. Part of her, the mindless id that ruled her body and some irrational part of her mind, reveled in the attention even as she chastised herself for responding. “Your family is captivating.”
Pia’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve got a couple of other brothers besides Joey who are still single if that’s your inclination.”
“Afraid not,” Nita said with a laugh. “Although if a beautiful face was my only criterion, I could be tempted.”
“Well, if it’s a beautiful face you want, Deo—”
“Deo’s gorgeous,” Nita said before she could catch back the words. She felt her face warm and added quickly, “But I’m sure she’s got a line outside her door already.”
“Not as long as you might think,” Pia said seriously.
“I’m not actually looking for anyone,” Nita said, hoping to derail the uncomfortable conversation.
“Left a girl back home? Providence, right?”
“Nope.” Nita struggled not to hear Sylvia’s laughter or see her taunting smile. Struggled and failed. Come on, honey, you know you want me. Why are you fighting me? “I’m just getting settled into this job and I’ll be starting the house renovations soon. Not much time for socializing.”
“Once in a while a girl has to have company.” Pia squeezed Nita’s arm. “It’s good for the disposition.”
Nita laughed. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”
With a secret sigh of relief, Nita waved to Pia and returned to her patients. If she wanted company, it would not be for a casual night in bed with a woman who wouldn’t remember her name a week later.
*
“I’ll be right back, sweetie,” Tory said, leaning down to kiss Bri on the cheek.
“Okay,” Bri said hoarsely, her eyes dry and hot.
Tory ached to scoop her into her arms and cradle her, but as Bri had proven when Reese had been missing, she was strong and brave. And Caroline, who hadn’t let go of Bri’s hand for the last three hours, would provide all the comfort and support Bri needed.
“You want something? Coffee? Coke?”
Bri shook her head.
“Coke,” Caroline said immediately, countering Bri’s response. “And some kind of sandwich.”
“I’m not hungry,” Bri insisted.
“I know you’re not, baby,” Caroline said, caressing Bri’s cheek. “But you haven’t eaten anything all day. Don’t argue.”
Bri leaned her head against Caroline’s shoulder and shut her eyes.
“I’ll get you both something,” Tory said.
Not wanting to be gone too long lest she miss the cardiologist when he came out to report on Nelson’s status, she hurried to the elevators. Once in the main lobby, she crossed quickly to the exit and scanned the circular drive that fronted the emergency entrance where Reese had parked her patrol car. Reese leaned against the front of the car, talking on her cell phone.
Tory waited. Watching her while she talked was no hardship. She had always loved to look at her. All too often the demands of daily living prevented them from eating dinner together or even going to sleep at the same time, but she had never been able to look at Reese without being grateful and just a little bit amazed to have her in her life. She never felt it more acutely than now, after Reese had returned from duty overseas.
Reese hung up the phone and held out her hand to Tory. “Any word?”
“Not yet.” Tory pulled Reese’s arm around her and leaned into her for a quick kiss. Then she stepped back, mindful of emergency personnel coming and going through the ambulance bay doors. “It shouldn’t be long now. Is everything all right at the station?”
“Allie and Smith have things under control.” Reese hooked one hand around her gun belt. Her face was grim. “Is Nelson going to make it?”
“I don’t know,” Tory admitted. “He wouldn’t have any chance at all if you hadn’t been there. If you hadn’t—”
“Damn it, Tory. This must have been coming on for a while. He’s been complaining of stomach problems for months and I never gave it a thought. He wasn’t having indigestion, he was having chest pain.”
“Reese, you’re not a doctor. I see him practically as much as you do and I never paid any attention either.”
Reese’s jaw clenched and she looked away. She appreciated Tory trying to make her feel better, but she couldn’t help thinking that she was partly responsible. She’d been preoccupied ever since the war started, knowing that she’d be called up to serve in Iraq. And since she’d been back, she’d lost her focus and couldn’t concentrate. She saw Nelson every single day, and she should have known something was wrong.
“Nelson could have said something,” Tory said gently. “I’m not blaming him, but it’s certainly not your fault. You saved his life.”
“If he’s able to come back to work, how long do you think it will be?”
“God.” Tory brushed a hand through her hair, frustrated by Reese’s stubborn insistence on taking responsibility for things that couldn’t possibly be her fault. “At least six weeks, possibly more. Once he’s stabilized, the cardiologist will need to evaluate the extent of the cardiac damage.”
“I’ve talked to the mayor and the district commander. I’ll be acting chief until Nelson comes back to work.”
Tory took a slow breath. “Of course.” She chose her next words as carefully as she could. “Are you okay with that?”
Reese shrugged and smiled ruefully. “Paperwork. I hate it. I’d rather be in a patrol car, but there’s no one else with the experience to do it and bringing in someone new would disrupt the entire department during the busiest time of the year. It’s my responsibility. I’m fine.”
It wasn’t the boredom of administrative work that concerned Tory. Reese would be in a command position—not that she wasn’t already, every day of her working life. But this would be slightly different, and she couldn’t imagine Reese being content sitting behind a desk. What it meant, she imagined, was that Reese would simply be doing two jobs when she was barely recovered enough to do one.
“I know you’re the only one for the job.” Tory skimmed her fingertips across the ridge of Reese’s collarbone. The irregularity from the healing fracture was still palpable. “You’re not quite a hundred percent yet, darling. You’ll be careful, won’t you?”
“Sure,” Reese said automatically. “We should get back upstairs, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” Tory said with a sigh, aware that Reese was naturally most comfortable doing something. Anything. Now more than ever, Reese used work as a panacea, or an escape. And once again, it wasn’t the time to deal with it. Certainly not today, not when Nelson was fighting for his life. “We should get back.”
When Reese took her hand, Tory laced her fingers through Reese’s, grateful for the brief connection. It wasn’t enough, but it was everything.
*
Bri jumped up when the cardiologist, still wearing rumpled scrubs, walked into the family waiting room. Other than the four of them—Reese, Tory, Bri, and Carre—only one elderly man occupied the space, sitting off in one corner with a distant expression on his face.
Caroline scooted her arm around Bri’s waist and Tory slid close to her other side. Reese stood a few feet away, her expression impassive and her body emanating tightly coiled energy.
“Dr. King,” the cardiologist said, looking from Tory to Bri and then back to Tory. “Sheriff Parker is stable. We stented both the anterior descending and the left main.”
“That’s great,” Tory said.
Bri’s legs started to shake and she gripped Carre’s shoulders tightly, embarrassed to let anyone see how scared she was. She swallowed before speaking. Her throat felt so dry she was afraid her voice would crack. “Does that mean he’s going to be okay?”
“The most important thing right now,” the cardiologist said kindly, “is that the blockage has been relieved and his heart muscle is getting the oxygen it needs to heal.”
“Does that mean you don’t know if he’s going to be okay?” Bri persisted.
The cardiologist shot a glance at Tory, who said, “Go ahead, Steve, you don’t need to soft-pedal it.”
“The first twenty-four hours following a myocardial incident are tricky,” Steve Olson said. “The heart muscle is irritable because it’s been damaged, so arrhythmias—that’s an irregular he
artbeat—are common, and can be dangerous. Your father’s being monitored carefully and we’re giving him medication to control cardiac irritability. This time tomorrow, I’ll be able to give you a much better assessment.”
“When can I see him?”
“The nurses have a few things to do and then you can visit. He’s sedated and won’t be responsive.”
“Okay. I understand,” Bri said. “Thanks.”
When the cardiologist turned to Tory and began explaining something Bri couldn’t understand, Bri whispered to Carre, “I need to talk to Reese.”
“Okay, baby.” Carre kissed her cheek and let her go.
Bri joined Reese. “I want to thank you for what you did today, for my dad.”
“No need,” Reese said gently.
“I’m sorry I didn’t handle it so well. I—”
Reese shook her head, slung an arm around Bri’s slender frame, and pulled her close. She cupped the back of her head as Bri trembled against her. “It’s okay. You did fine. I’m proud of you.”
Bri’s eyes stung and she blinked back tears. It wasn’t that she was ashamed to cry in front of Reese. Hell, Reese had seen her when she was messed up and pissed off at everybody. Crying wasn’t so bad, although she’d rather only Carre knew that she did it sometimes. Just now, though, she wanted to be as together as Reese was when things got tough. She wanted to be the one everyone believed in. She raised her head and grinned a little crookedly. “I forgot my training.”
“Understandable,” Reese said gruffly. She loosened her hold and let Bri ease away. “That’s the reason there’s a chain of command, Bri. It takes practice. Your time will come.”
“I want to be ready.”
Reese skimmed her knuckles along the edge of Bri’s jaw. “You will be.”
*
From across the room, Tory recognized Bri’s look of hero worship and was both warmed and worried by it. She knew that Bri could have no better role model than Reese, but she was just coming to understand what a burden that must be for Reese. Not just with Bri, but with the other officers in the department and the young marines she had commanded. What was it like living up to that kind of faith while you were trying to keep death away?