Up In Flames

by Lori Foster

  He turned his head at the sound she made, and those deep brown, all-consuming eyes warmed. A slight, heart-stopping smile curved one side of his mouth, and he looked sexy and compelling. In a deep, dark voice hoarse with pain, he whispered, “Hi.”

  Just like that her heart melted and sank into her toes. There was so much inflection, so much feeling, in that one simple hello. Vaguely, she heard Josh saying, “Delilah, meet Mick Dawson. Mick, Miss Delilah Piper.”

  Del paid no attention to Josh, her every thought and sense focused on the large dark man in the bed. In the bed because of her. No one had ever done anything even remotely like that for her. Her life in the past few years had been, by choice, a solitary one. Even before then, though, her relationships had been superficial and short-lived—nothing to inspire such protective instincts.

  The reality of what he’d done, what he’d risked for her, threw Del off balance emotionally, just as the sight of him stirred her physically.

  Without another thought, she moved straight to the bed. Mick looked at her, still smiling, but now with his eyes a bit wider, more alert, a little surprised. She sat near his hip and stroked his face. She needed to touch him, to feel the warmth of his skin, the lean hardness of his jaw.... Unable to help herself, she kissed him.

  Against his lips, she said with heartfelt sincerity, “Thank you.”

  He started to say something, but she kissed him again. It felt...magically right; she could have gone on kissing him forever. His mouth was firm, dry. Five o’clock shadow covered his jaw, rasping against her fingertips, thrilling her with the masculinity of it. Heat, scented by his body, lifted off him in waves, encompassing her and soothing her. He tasted good, felt good, smelled good.

  A little breathless, bewildered by it all, Del said, “I’m so sorry. It should be me in that bed.”

  “No!” His good arm came up, his hand, incredibly large and rough, clasped her shoulder, and he levered her away. For a man in a sickbed, he had surprising strength and was far too quick.

  And he looked angry. And protective.

  Excitement skittered down her spine, while tenderness welled in her chest.

  The door opened again and Zack, the man who was a little nicer than Josh, started in. He jerked to a halt when he saw them both on the bed, nose-to-nose. Startled, Zack began to backpedal, only to change his mind once more when he spotted Josh standing in the corner, smirking.

  “Uh, Mick?” Zack sounded ridiculously cheerful and vastly amused. “I see you’re feeling...better.”

  Josh chuckled. “I imagine he feels just fine right about now, since she’s in here.”

  Slowly, not wanting to upset Mick, Del stood and cast a quick glare at both men. In her fascination with Mick, she’d all but forgotten them and how they’d bulldozed her, refusing her every request, evading her questions.

  “I’d have been with you sooner, but they wouldn’t let me,” she said to Mick, feeling piqued all over again. “I didn’t know what was going on or why—”

  “Only family could see him before he got to his room,” Zack said, some of his cheerfulness dwindling.

  Del had heard the same lame explanation at least ten times, yet Zack had pretty much stayed with Mick, except for when he’d taken a turn guarding her so Josh could look in on him. They were friends, not family, or so they’d told her, so their excuses held no weight. They’d insisted she come to the hospital, insisted she wait around, and then they’d refused to let her do anything useful—like see Mick and thank Mick and...

  She brushed her stringy bangs out of her face, still annoyed, still frustrated. “You could have taken my suggestion and told them I was his wife. Then they’d have let me in.”

  Josh choked; Zack raised one eyebrow and looked at Mick. Mick grinned, then reached out for her hand with his good arm, which meant stretching across the bed. When she took his hand, he said, “I’m sorry you were worried.” And in a quieter tone, “Are you all right?”

  Dismissing the other two men, she again sat on the bed. She wanted to kiss him some more, but his friends were standing there, not only ogling them, but bristling like overprotective bulldogs. Besides, after her run through the rain, and the burglary, she probably wasn’t all that appealing.

  “I’m fine.”

  Mick touched her bruised cheek with gentle fingertips. His eyes were nearly black with concern. “Damn, I’m sorry about that.”

  His tone made her heart beat faster, made her skin flush and her insides warm. They’d only just met, but she felt as if she’d known him forever.

  Catching his wrist, she turned his hand and kissed his palm. Again he looked surprised, and if she didn’t miss her guess, aroused. His eyes were hot, his cheekbones slashed with color. He stared at her mouth.

  Was it possible he felt the same incredible chemistry?

  Del had to clear her throat to say, “You saved me. I’m sorry I freaked. I thought...well, at first I thought you were with them and you intended to...”

  “I know.” He continued to stare at her mouth, which made her belly quiver, her nerves jump. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

  The irony didn’t escape her. Here he was, in bed, wounded, and he kept apologizing to her. She’d never met a man like him. “You kept me alive,” she stressed, which discounted any side effects, such as a small bruise, as unimportant. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Well, not sorry that I’m alive, but sorry that you got hurt in the process.”

  “It’s just a flesh wound.”

  Zack coughed and Josh snorted.

  She looked at his two friends, then peered at Mick suspiciously. Was it worse than she thought? But the nurse had told her he’d be okay.

  Her ire resurfaced and she said to Mick, “I wanted to come in and see you, but they wouldn’t let me. Waiting was awful. When we found out how long it would be, I planned to go home and shower and change, and try to make myself presentable, so when you came to I wouldn’t be such a sight, but he—” she directed a stiff finger at Josh “—wouldn’t be at all reasonable about any of it.”

  “Don’t blame Josh,” Mick said, smiling just a bit. “I asked him to keep you around.”

  “You did?”

  “I was afraid you’d disappear and I wouldn’t get to see you again.”

  His words were so sweet, she forgot about her sweat and ruined clothes and stringy hair. “I wouldn’t have done that, I swear! I would have come right back.”

  Again she leaned down and kissed him, but this time he was ready for her and actually kissed her back. His tongue stroked past her lips for just a heartbeat, then retreated. Her breath caught and she sighed. Oh wow.

  With a numb mind and tingling lips, she heard him rumble in a low voice, “I want to see you, Delilah.”

  She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. “I want to see you, too. I just wish I’d had time to clean up. I’m all sweaty and I have mud on my feet and my clothes are limp and wrinkled. I smell like a wet dog.”

  His hot gaze moved from her eyes to her mouth and back again, his expression devouring. “You smell like a woman.”

  She almost slid right off the side of the bed. Much more of that and she’d be sweating again, that or she’d self-combust.

  He was just so darn sexy! The dark beard shadow covering the lower part of his face made him look dangerous. After witnessing him in action that afternoon, she knew he was dangerous. His brows were thick, his lashes sinfully long, his high-bridged nose narrow and straight, his mouth delicious. And those dark eyes... This man had singled her out and risked his life to save her. It was beyond comprehension.

  It was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.

  Only a thin hospital gown and a sheet concealed his entire gorgeous, hard body from her. She looked him over, saw the width of his chest, the length of his legs. His feet tented the sheet, and as her attention slid back up his body, she noticed something else was beginning to tent, as well.

  She returned her gaze to his, saw the burning intensity t
here, and froze. He wasn’t embarrassed and made no attempt to conceal his growing erection.

  Using his left hand, Mick lifted her fingers and caressed them gently. His eyes were direct, unapologetic, and when she glanced at the other two men, it was to see them looking out the window, at the ceiling, anywhere but at the bed.

  She was unimpressed with their show of discretion after everything they’d already put her through. It didn’t matter that they’d directed their attention elsewhere; they were still in the room, their presence noticeable. They’d more or less forced her to stay, at Mick’s request, but it was obvious they still didn’t want her alone with him.

  If they’d really been polite, if they’d trusted her at all, they’d have left the room. But no, they weren’t ready to budge an inch. She supposed they didn’t know her well enough to trust her and, after all, he’d just been shot, but still...

  Mick looked vital and strong and all-male, and his effect on her was beyond description. She’d long since decided men weren’t worth the effort, but oh, she hadn’t met this man yet.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” She gripped his hand hard, trying to accustom herself to the unfamiliar feelings of tenderness and worry and explosive desire. It had been forever since she’d felt so much awareness for a man. Well, actually, she’d never felt it—not like this. Which was the main reason she seldom dated anymore. Men didn’t appreciate her emotional distance.

  She felt far from emotionally distant now. “The nurse said you’d be fine, but...”

  “Yeah.” His voice was rich with promise. “I should be out of here soon.”

  “Tomorrow,” Zack said, still keeping his eyes averted, “as long as you agree to take it easy. They’ll send you home with antibiotics and painkillers, but knowing you—”

  A noise in the hall alerted them to more visitors. Mick released his hold on Del and bunched the blankets over his lap to hide his partial erection just seconds before a man and woman pushed through the door. They entered in a rush, heading straight for Mick.

  Not being much of a people person, Del faded aside, inching into the corner opposite Zack and Josh. Mick frowned in displeasure at her retreat, and Josh said, “No worries. I’ve got it covered.” When he moved to stand between Del and the door, Del realized he meant that he’d continue to keep her around.

  As if she’d leave now!

  Del’s attention snagged on the pretty blonde woman now hovering over the bed, kissing the top of Mick’s head, his high cheekbone, his chin. “Thank God you’re all right!”

  The woman’s lips were all over Mick, and Del didn’t like it at all. But she knew she had no right to complain.

  “I made Dane drive like a demon to get us here.”

  “Angel,” Mick protested, all the while grinning widely so that Del knew he didn’t really mind her attention at all, “you didn’t need to rush. I’m fine.”

  Del wondered if Angel was her name or an endearment.

  The woman pressed her cheek to Mick’s. “But you were shot!”

  Zack laughed. “I told you on the phone he’d be all right.”

  “I had to see for myself.”

  Josh crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. It was apparent to Del that they all knew each other, that these were more of Mick’s friends. These people Josh trusted; she could see that.

  Feeling like an outsider, or worse, an interloper, Del frowned.

  “According to the doctor,” Josh said, addressing Angel, “he’ll need some babysitting.”

  Zack nodded. “Luckily the bullet hit at a tangential entry. It was expended enough that the force didn’t carry it into the chest cavity, which could have injured his lung, or in a through-and-through injury that could have caused more damage to his arm.”

  “Yeah,” Mick mumbled, tongue in cheek, “I’m real lucky.”

  Del’s heart ached for him. This was the most she’d heard, and it hadn’t been revealed for her benefit. Rather, the information was for the new arrivals, especially the woman with the lips.

  The female who was trusted.

  It all sounded so horrendous, worse than Del had imagined. If the shooter had stepped just a little bit closer, if his aim had been a little higher... She closed her eyes, fighting back a wave of renewed fear and impossible guilt. Mick could so easily have been killed.

  Her eyes snapped opened when she heard Angel say, “You’ll come home with me, of course.”

  Del had no real rights to jealousy or possessiveness, but she felt them just the same. Who was this beautiful woman who felt free to kiss and touch Mick?

  And then the thought intruded: was he married?

  Del’s stomach knotted. She tried to see Mick’s hand, but couldn’t with both people crowded near his bed.

  The man with Angel said, “The kids would love a chance to fetch and carry for you. They adore you, you know that.”

  With incredible relief, Del realized that if they had kids, they must be a couple. Which meant Mick was safe from any romantic entanglement with Angel.

  Del was just beginning to relax again, feeling on safer ground, when yet another couple pushed through the door. This woman was lovely, too, but the man with her held her close to his side, leaving no doubt that they were together. He was large and dark and so intense he looked like Satan himself. Del stared, but no one else seemed alarmed.

  Mick even rolled his eyes. “Angel, did you drag Alec and Celia down here, too?”

  Angel touched his face. “They were visiting when we got the news. Of course they insisted on coming.”

  The room was all but bursting with large men. Josh and Zack were big enough, but their physical presence was nothing compared to Dane’s and Alec’s, both of whom were in their prime and exuding power.

  And Mick, even flat on his back and wounded, was a masculine presence impossible to ignore. He had an edge of iron control, of leadership, that couldn’t be quelled by an injury. All in all, the men made an impressive group. Del expected the walls to start dripping testosterone any moment.

  She watched them all, memorizing names and studying faces as they shared familiar greetings. The women were all-smiles, and even Dane looked somewhat jovial. Alec, however, looked capable of any number of nefarious deeds.

  Just as Del thought it, she saw his piercing gaze sweep over Mick from head to toe, and he grinned a surprisingly beautiful grin, making his black eyes glitter and causing Del to do an awed double take.

  “I knew you wouldn’t go much longer,” Alec drawled, and even his deep voice sounded scary to Del, “without getting yourself shot again. It’s a nasty habit.”

  “I’ll try real hard to keep that in mind,” Mick said.

  “Zack tells me you got shot on purpose this time.” Alec crossed his massive arms. “At least I try to avoid it when possible, and when Celia isn’t around.”

  Celia, slim and elegant, leaned over Mick’s bed and kissed his forehead. To Del’s way of thinking, there was far too much kissing going on, and far too many visitors. At this rate, she’d never get him alone.

  But that concern was secondary to another. Judging by what Alec had said, this wasn’t the first time Mick had been shot. Del looked at Josh and Zack, to judge their reactions to that news. Their expressions were impassive, leading her to believe they already knew Mick had been shot before this.

  “Don’t let Alec tease you, sweetie,” Celia said. “He’s glad I got him shot. Otherwise we’d never have ended up together.”

  Alec looked very dubious at her statement, whereas Del was completely floored. What in the world did these men do that they took turns catching bullets?

  Celia continued, saying, “If you stay with Angel, then we can visit you.”

  Del knew that any second now Mick would agree to Angel’s offer, and then she’d lose her chance. She took a deep breath, unglued her feet and tongue, and declared, “I’m taking him home with me.”

  The room fell silent, and as one, all eyes shifted her way. The women and
two men stared, as if seeing her for the first time.

  Mick smiled.

  Under so much scrutiny, Del squirmed. Thanks to the rain and her long jog and the events at the jewelry store, she looked like something out of a circus sideshow. But determination filled her. She wasn’t a coward and she wouldn’t start acting like one now.

  Moving out of the corner, she edged in around Angel, who kept kissing Mick’s forehead. Del got as close to him as she could, then stated again, “I’ll take care of him.” She made her voice strong, resolute.

  Angel blinked, looked at the other people, then back at Del. “You will?”

  “Yes. After all,” Del explained, “it’s my fault he’s hurt.”

  Everyone’s gaze shifted from her to Mick. Expressions varied from male amusement, astonishment and fascination, to female speculation.

  Del wanted to wince, to close her ears so she wouldn’t have to hear what Mick might reply to her appalling assumption. They were strangers in every sense of the word, but he’d claimed to want to see her again. What better opportunity would there be than for her to take him home? She’d never played nurse to anyone before, but how hard could it be?

  She stood by his bed, refusing to budge, blocking Angel and her lips, in particular, and waited in agony.

  Expectation hung in the air, along with a good dose of confusion.

  Mick grinned, managed a one-shoulder shrug and addressed all six people at once. “There you go. Looks like it’s all taken care of.”

  * * *

  “What do you know about her?”

  Josh looked down at Angel and shrugged. They stood in the hallway outside Mick’s door, which was as far as Angel would go. “Not a damn thing,” he said, “except that Mick is in a bad way.”

  Angel pressed a hand to her chest, looking as if she’d taken the bullet herself. “The wound?”

  Josh knew how close she was to Mick—practically a surrogate mom even though only nine years separated them. Mick’s real mother, from what he understood, had been plagued by too many personal weaknesses. She’d died long ago, and Angel and Dane’s family had become Mick’s. “I’m sorry, I meant that he’s been acting...infatuated.”