He laughed softly and pulled her in again. “Not your fault, Abby,” he assured her. “It was my fault. I’m the one that tried to pick you up.”
She blinked, her hands resting on his shoulders as she tried to make sense of his words. “Why did you try to pick me up?”
His other hand moved to slide across her cheek again. “So that I could carry you into my bedroom and make love to you.”
He said it as if the idea were a foregone conclusion. “Into your bedroom? And…!” She pulled out of his arms, shaking her head. “Nope! No way! I told you five days with no physical activities. Nothing strenuous.”
He chuckled, following as she hurriedly retreated. “Okay, then you be on top.”
Abby blushed as that image popped into her mind. “Um…you’re…Colonel Jeffers, I just…!”
Her hand fluttered as she tried to tuck her hair back behind her ears.
“Let’s get something straight, Abby. There’s something going on between us. You came here tonight to find out what it was. And if you hadn’t come here, then I would have sought you out at the hospital over the next couple of days. But there’s no way that we can ignore this. It’s too strong. And if those dark circles under your eyes are any indication, you’re not sleeping any better than I am.”
She shook her head. “Colo…”
He growled warningly. “If you use my title one more time, we’re going to see how strong your stitches really are.”
Abby pressed her lips together for a long moment, giving him her best “doctor” glare. With a tone that didn’t allow any argument, she pointed to the club chair he’d perched on previously. “Sit down. I’m going to look at your back, apply the ointment that you should have been applying every day, and then I’m leaving.”
He looked at her intently for a long moment, then moved towards the chair. “Why not stick around and have some dinner?”
“Because I’m here…”
He stopped her with a shake of his head. “No, you’re not. You’re not just here as a doctor, Abby.” His hand slid up her back, proving his point when she shivered. “You’re here as a woman. A confident, powerful woman who needs to accept that you’re also a sexually vibrant woman who wants me.” He leaned down a bit more as he said, “Don’t hide from it. Embrace it.”
And with that, he turned around and sat back down on the club chair, giving her his back again. “Why did you decide to become a doctor?” he asked, changing the topic.
It took Abby several moments to get herself under control. His question helped and she turned her attention to his back. Pulling on a pair of gloves, Abby carefully peeled the bandage away and peered at the raw, torn flesh on his back. “I don’t really know,” she admitted. “I just sort of fell into it.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “How does that work? I thought most doctors spent their lives knowing that they want to become a doctor.”
While Abby smiled as she touched his flesh with her gloved finger, and wishing that she could pull off the gloves and touch his skin, she considered her answer. “Actually, when I was little, I wanted to be a fashion designer. When I got to be a little older, I wanted to be a mystery writer. When I reached high school, I knew that I was going to be president of the United States.”
“Seriously?” he asked, surprised, but she heard the amusement in his voice even if she couldn’t see his face at this moment.
“Yep. I was head of the debate team and loved politics. I read every article I could find on the presidential election that year, and I loved reading books about the Constitution. So I probably would have headed into law school.”
“What changed your trajectory?”
“Well, my father was a Navy SEAL and, during my sophomore year of high school, he was killed on a mission.” She pulled out the container of antibacterial ointment she’d brought with her, squeezing some onto her finger, then carefully applying it to his wound as she spoke. “I was devastated. It didn’t help that I couldn’t know where he’d died or how it had happened.”
“That must have been rough,” he agreed.
She paused for a moment as the memories swept over her. But she shook them off and concentrated on Zeke and his magnificent back. “It was. I was angry for a long time, and tried to find out as much about his passing as I could.” She grimaced, then shrugged, although he couldn’t see her since his back was to her. “When I read through some of the reports the Navy gave to my mother, I became fascinated by the medical terminology that someone had used to describe my father’s wounds.”
“They gave that to you?”
She smiled, but Zeke couldn’t see her expression. “Sort of. My mother was in my dad’s commanding officer’s office. She was crying and he tried to comfort her. I saw a file with my dad’s name on it and…I snuck a peek. When I realized what it was, and that the commanding officer was hugging my mother and couldn’t see me, I took pictures with my cell phone.”
He made some sort of grunting sound. “That’s…not good security,” he muttered. “Typical of the Navy.”
Abby laughed, shaking her head. “Ah, the rivalry between the Army and the Navy is still strong, I see.”
“Absolutely!” he agreed. “The SEALs are pansies.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “Don’t you guys occasionally train with the SEALs?”
His massive shoulder shrugged dismissively. “Yes. And as individuals, I can acknowledge that the guys are serious bad asses. But I’m Army. So therefore, publicly, I can’t let my admiration be known.” He shifted a shoulder slightly. “Go on. You were telling me how you decided that the Army was better than the Navy and joined the real military.”
Abby laughed as she finished up with the ointment and picked up the gauze pads to re-cover the stitches. “You’re right, I was too angry with the Navy, but wanted to be a part of the military. I’ve kept in touch with my father’s commanding officer over the years and he helped me get into an ROTC scholarship program that helped me pay for medical school.” She taped the gauze to his back, nodding with approval at her handiwork. “I’ve never looked back. I love military life and I love what the Army does. I believe in its mission and it was the best choice I could have made.”
“You’re not worried about being sent overseas?”
She pulled off her gloves. “I did a tour in Iraq and another in Afghanistan. So no. I’d rather help out where I’m needed. But anywhere the Army sends me is fine with me.”
“That’s an unusual attitude.”
She smiled and closed up her medical bag. “Well, I don’t know if I’ll stay in the Army forever. But for now, it suits me.” She looked around, startled by the stark décor. It consisted of only a big, leather chair and…surprisingly, lots of books. “Where is your television?”
He grunted as he picked up his shirt again, sliding it over his arms. “I prefer to read.”
“How do you watch football?”
He stood up and moved closer, looking down at her. “Are you, perhaps, stereotyping me?”
She laughed. “Absolutely! A big guy like you? I bet you played football, didn’t you?”
He glared for perhaps a second longer, then acquiesced and nodded confirmation. “Yeah. I played at WestPoint.”
Her eyes widened at his dismissive tone. Getting into WestPoint was…well, huge! “Impressive! How’d the team do during the all-important game each year?”
His grin widened. “We beat Navy three out of the four years I played.”
Abby laughed, thinking he was even more attractive now that she knew he had brains inside that hard head of his. “Well, I guess I’d better head out.”
He moved slightly closer, looming over her. “Why not stay and have some dinner with me?”
Abby glanced at the kitchen. It didn’t look as if he ever used it. “Thanks but…” she hesitated when he moved even closer. “I should…”
“You should stay and have dinner with me. I’ll order pizza.”
“Pizza isn’t very hea
lthy.”
He laughed at her chagrined expression. “Live on the wild side, doc. I dare you.”
Abby laughed as well, but the idea of going back to her apartment and…doing nothing just wasn’t nearly as enticing as staying here and getting to know Zeke. “I’ll stay on one condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked, moving slightly closer.
“That you promise not to kiss me again,” she whispered.
He tilted his head, his blue-eyed gaze lingering on her lips. “I can agree to that. But you have to promise me something in return.”
She tried to hide her smile, but it was difficult. He was a bit too charming. “What’s that?”
“You have to promise to have dinner with me tomorrow night. I’ll cook and I promise it will be healthier than pizza. Deal?”
She looked up at him warily. “No kissing tonight?”
He shook his head. “None. I won’t even kiss you when I walk you to your car after dinner.”
She bit her lip, thinking that she should tell him no and just walk away. This man was dangerous. Enticingly dangerous but she’d lived such a normal, boring life for so long! She wanted the excitement of Zeke Jeffers! She wanted just a night, maybe a few nights, of being close to a man that excited her unlike anyone she’d ever met before.
“Fine. Yes, pizza.” She lifted her hand in the air, stopping his gesture of triumph. “But no kissing.”
His lips curled up into a sexy smile. “Deal.” And he picked up his phone to order.
An hour later, Abby was sitting on the sofa next to him, laughing so hard, she had to hold her stomach as he told her about some of the training exercises that had gone wrong over the past few years. “It’s true!” he insisted when she shook her head, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. “He covered himself with mud in order to hide himself.”
“But…what happened to his weapon?”
Zeke shrugged dismissively. “He lost it in the mud.”
“Oh no!” she gasped, and started laughing again. “What did you do when he found it?”
Zeke shrugged and took a long sip of his iced tea. “Well, he didn’t find it for a few hours. He had to go back through the entire obstacle course and dig through every inch of the mud. And that was in the spring time,” his grin widened, “so the rain had been pouring down over the course for a few weeks by then.”
“Oh, the poor kid!”
“Right. Poor kid, my ass,” he scoffed. “The idiot then had to spend hours cleaning his weapon.”
“You let him shower first, right?” she asked, the doctor in her needing to know.
“Hell no!” he replied with heat. “And I made him clean his weapon outside.”
She was bent over laughing at this point. “Why?”
“Because if he did it inside, then the mud would dry up. Then it would get all over my training rooms.”
Abby couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Zeke was such a surprise and she was…well, confused and amazed.
Abby took a deep breath, trying to ease the muscles in her stomach that were aching from laughter. “I need to get home,” she told him, not bothering to look at the clock. Her departure had nothing to do with the time and everything to do with the sudden tension sparking between them. It had eased up while they’d eaten dinner, but now…she could feel his thoughts turning to something more…interesting.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay? Release me from the no-kissing policy?”
She bit her lip, trying to pretend as if she knew what she was doing. “Not tonight,” she told him. “Your back….”
He shook his head. “Forget my back. Stay,” he soothed, sliding his hand around the back of her neck.
“You promised no kissing,” she whispered, startled by how much she wanted to climb onto his lap.
“I’m not kissing you,” he replied, but his eyes moved to her lips, looking at them as if he were thinking about kissing her.
“You said something about walking me to my car?”
He didn’t remove his hand from her neck, but his fingers stopped sliding sensuously against her skin. “Fine, but you promised me dinner tomorrow night. And I promised that it would be healthier than pizza.”
Abby stood up, pushing her skirt down over her hips. She hadn’t realized how far up the material had shifted during their conversation. “Sorry about that.”
He chuckled softly, standing up as well. “I didn’t mind.”
She grabbed her purse and medical bag. “You didn’t say anything either,” she grumbled, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
“I’m not an idiot,” was his only response.
She laughed, appreciating his honesty even if it left her flustered. “I’m not used to dating men as honest as you.”
“You’re used to dating dishonest men?”
Another chuckle and she shook her head. “I’m leaving now. Thank you for a delightful evening.”
“You’ll change the bandage again tomorrow and put some of that ointment on my back tomorrow when I pick you up, right?” he asked, putting a hand to the small of her back as he led her out of his apartment. The stairs were wide, but not when one walked next to a man as big as Zeke. His shoulders needed extra space!
“You don’t have someone who can do that for you?”
“I could ask someone, but I’d rather have your hands on me. My co-workers aren’t as gentle as you are. And they might tear one of the stitches. I wouldn’t want to risk your hard work.”
She sighed. “Now you’re just playing to my medical instincts. That’s not fair.”
He grinned and moved closer. “I never promised to play fair, Abby. So, about tomorrow?”
“Fine! I’ll change the bandage and put more ointment on it. But only because I don’t think you’ll ask someone else to do it and it really needs to be done every day.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six. Dress casually.”
He pulled her into his arms and, without kissing her, nuzzled the sensitive skin behind her ear, while his hands trailed over her body, sliding up and down her spine and lower…almost too low.
“I thought…?”
“I’m not kissing you,” he replied, burrowing his nose into the soft, sexy curls at the nape of her neck. “Wear your hair down tomorrow, okay?”
“Zeke,” she sighed, not sure what she wanted to say.
But before she could make a fool of herself, Zeke stepped back and opened her car door for her. “Until tomorrow,” he said with a gentlemanly bow.
Abby stared up at him for a long moment, debating with herself. But she knew the limits of her self-control, so instead of stepping closer, she stepped into the driver’s seat and pulled the door closed. Starting up the engine, she looked at him one more time, admired the play of muscles along his arms and shoulders and…all over. Then she carefully backed out of the parking space and drove home.
That night, after she’d washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into a soft, silky nightgown, she turned off the light and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about all she’d learned about Zeke tonight. She pulled her pillow against her chest and fell asleep with a smile on her lips.
Chapter 4
“What has you grinning like a Cheshire cat?” Cathy asked as soon as Abby stepped into the women’s locker room the following morning.
Abby shrugged, then pulled on a clean pair of scrubs. “I had a date last night. And I had a great time.”
“With that hottie from the other day? The big one with the yummy muscles?” Cathy probed hopefully.
Abby laughed, and nodded. “Yes. We had pizza last night and we’re having dinner again tonight.”
“Oooh! Sounds nice! Where is he taking you tonight?” They walked out of the locker room into the brighter lights of the main hospital hallway.
The whoosh of the doors to the emergency room sounded and they looked to see who was coming through. Since it wasn’t an emergency, they turned back to sorting
through the supplies. “I don’t know, but apparently, he’s some sort of trainer. He told me so many hilarious stories about training new recruits last night that my stomach still hurts from laughing!”
Cathy looked at her curiously. “He’s a trainer?”
“Yeah. I don’t know which teams he trains, but I suspect he’s pretty tough on the soldiers.”
“Hmmm…I thought…” Cathy started, but trailed off.
Abby looked at her friend, her eyes worried. “What? What did you think?” Cathy had been stationed on the base for several years now and knew nearly everything that went on around here. Abby had only been here for a couple of months, so she wasn’t “read in” on a lot of the training that happened in the outer areas of the base.
Cathy waved a hand, shaking her head. “Oh, nothing. I just…”
Before she could finish, the doors opened again but this time, it was a team of paramedics that had an older officer on the gurney with breathing trouble. “Time to work,” Abby sighed, quickly moving towards the gurney and giving instructions to the paramedics before taking over.
Zeke whistled as he stepped out of his truck, scanning the area for…whatever. He was itching for a really hard work out, but knew that he had to wait until the stitches came out. Otherwise, he knew that Abby would put him on bed rest. Not that he’d follow her orders, but he didn’t want to push her too far. He could wait another few days to work out, but only a few more days. The stitches itched worse than ever and he really needed something to distract himself. He’d gone through worse, he reminded himself.
Besides, he would be seeing Abby tonight, and that made the world a pretty good place, right at the moment.
“Stop it.”
Zeke turned to Derick who was checking off inventory on a clipboard.
“Stop what?” Zeke asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Derick looked back down at the clipboard. “Stop being so…happy.” The man’s disgusted tone was obvious. And amusing!
Zeke threw back his head, laughing at his friend. “Right. I’ll get right on that.” Then he walked away.
Zeke (Delta Forces Book 2) Page 3