Retrograde (Galaxy)

by Desiree Holt

  It didn’t take an idiot, Peyton thought, to see the man was ready to explode with fury. After she assured herself Brianne was okay and well-protected, maybe she could help Blaze lose a little of the stress before he had a heart attack.

  “I’ll see that he’s okay,” she told them in a soft voice. “Blaze, it won’t do anyone any good if you stress out before we get to the finish line.”

  It surprised her when he reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

  “I won’t. Not until I tear that fucker apart and make him pay.”

  “Take a breath, Blaze,” Rocket urged. “We’ve got all the bases covered. Viper is still trying to enhance the stills from the CCTV cameras so he can trace the car. He seems to think by this time it’s gone to a chop shop and been dismantled, and I think he’s probably right. However, we may be able to pick up the trail. He’s working hard at it.”

  “It may be enough,” Tom said, “just to get a clear picture of the driver. That’s better than the car. You agree, Blaze?”

  “Yeah, I do. While I’d like to rip Owen Kendrick, if it is him, to shreds, I think I’d rather see him rot in jail. I still can’t figure out how he thought killing two people would solve his problems, especially the way he did it. That only calls more attention to the situation.”

  “You just take care of Peyton,” Rocket told him, “and we’ll do the rest.”

  Peyton could see that Blaze was struggling to keep himself under control. For a man who’d learned strong discipline as a SEAL, it had to be tearing at him that he wanted to go against everything he’d trained for to achieve vengeance. As much as she, too, wanted these men caught and punished, she knew the rest of Galaxy plus Tom Hernandez would handle it properly. Blaze needed to take a deep breath before he went off the deep end.

  And she was sure she had just the medicine he needed.

  “I’d like to stop at the hospital and see Brianne,” she told him. “No, I need to see Brianne.”

  “Absolutely. I planned to stop there anyway and check that all the security arrangements are in place. Come on, darlin’.” He reached for her hand. “We need to get going.”

  She wasn’t sure who was more surprised at the endearment that slipped out of his mouth, the other men or her. But she took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. He was helping her get answers and making sure the people who hurt Dane and Brianne paid for it. She’d do something good for him, too.

  Tonight.

  Chapter Twelve

  The first thing Peyton noticed when they approached her sister’s room was the guard standing at the doorway, a gun in a holster at his hip.

  “Is he hospital security?” she asked Blaze.

  He shook his head. “He’s one of Leo DeLuca’s men. I talked to Nolan about it when I called him, and his suggestion that the man wear a guard’s uniform seemed the best. That way there doesn’t have to be any further explanation for why he’s armed.”

  “Oh. Good idea.”

  The door to the room was partially closed, and when she opened it, she was stunned to see the number of people in there. Blaze had called his brother again once they were on their way. Nolan had assured him everything was okay and he’d see him there. He turned around as the two of them walked into the room.

  “Everything’s under control here,” were the words he greeted them with. “She’s in great hands. Leo’s guy is set up outside her door.”

  “I saw that. The guard will change every eight hours.”

  “Good. Good.” He handed Nolan a sheet of paper. “The list of medical staff assigned to Brianne. The guard has one, I faxed one to Leo, Chuck Wagner has one which he’ll share with his brother. This one’s for you.”

  Peyton spotted Chuck Wagner sitting in the armchair a slight distance away from Brianne’s bed. He stood up as soon as he saw them.

  “You take the chair, Miss West.” He slid it closer to the bed. “Go on. Sit down. I don’t need it.”

  She had to wait a moment while the nurse finished changing the IV bags that were feeding life-sustaining nourishment to Brianne until she could wake up and eat on her own.

  If she could eat on her own.

  No, Peyton. Optimism, remember? When she wakes up and can do that.

  “She seems to be doing okay,” the nurse told her. “I mean, considering the situation. Dr. Nolan ordered a daily massage to keep her muscles from atrophying. I think subconsciously it keeps her relaxed, too.”

  Peyton was all for anything that helped, even a little bit.

  “I just took her vitals and all her numbers are good.” She paused, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve cared for a number of comatose patients and I told Dr. Nolan I have a feeling she’s going to come out of this pretty soon.”

  Peyton tried to control the little flare of hope that flickered.

  “You think so?”

  The nurse shrugged. “I’m not a doctor, and I could certainly be wrong, but I just have a sense of her. You get it when you’ve cared for as many as I have.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “But don’t tell Dr. Nolan. He doesn’t like to give false hope, just in case.”

  “I won’t, but thank you.”

  As soon as the nurse left, Peyton tugged the chair closer to the bed, sat down and reached between the bars of the siderail for her sister’s limp hand.

  “Hi, Brianne.” She said the words softly. “Sorry I was gone all day, but we’re working on finding the people who did this to you.”

  She squeezed her sister’s hand and continued talking in a low, soft voice. She was only marginally aware of Blaze behind her talking to Nolan, Chuck and another man who had just arrived. Instead she was totally focused on Brianne, holding her hand, squeezing it now and then, talking to her, looking and praying for any sign that this nightmare might be ending.

  She turned when Blaze touched her shoulder.

  “Nolan says she’s doing very well considering the circumstance.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “I just have this awful fear she’s going to trapped in this state until her heart finally gives out. It kills me, because she was always such a vital, alive person.”

  “Just be assured she is getting the very best care possible. Come on, let’s get out of here. Brianne is very well protected and you look exhausted. It’s been quite a day and you need a break.”

  She wanted to tell him he was the one who needed it the most, but she’d take care of that when they got back to his place.

  “You’re right.” She rose and leaned over to place a kiss on her sister’s forehead. When she turned, Nolan was standing there next to Blaze.

  “She’s my number-one priority,” he assured her.

  She managed a smile. “Thank you for that, but I know you have many patients to take care of.”

  “And they all get the same attention,” Blaze declared. “This is Wonder Doc.”

  Nolan chuckled. “Not really. I just love my patients. Go on, you two. Get out of here. Brianne is well-tended and well-protected. You two look like you fought the wars today.”

  Peyton wanted to tell him she felt like it, but her focus now was on Blaze. He had said little on the drive to the hospital and she could feel the tension radiating from him in thick waves. She could hardly imagine what he was feeling, knowing the man who had been responsible for the death of most of his team was mixing it up in his life again. She’d made up her mind that tonight it was her turn to take care of him.

  After one last check with everyone, Chuck reminded everyone to check in regularly. Then, finally, they were headed away from the hospital.

  “I want to make one last stop,” Blaze told her as he pulled away from the parking lot.

  “For what?”

  “Let’s take a moment to check you out of your hotel. I don’t want you going back there for a lot of reasons. Besides, I guess you’d probably like to have some clean clothes.”

  She’d been thinking exactly the same thing. She’d showered that morning, but she felt
less than fresh in yesterday’s clothing.

  “I’d really appreciate getting some things, but are you sure you want me to check out?”

  He waited so long to answer that Peyton wondered if she’d even like what he had to say.

  “Here’s the thing,” he said at last. “I’m going to be real honest with you.”

  “Good,” she interrupted. “Honesty always works best.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on with us, but whatever it is has hit me harder than anything I’ve ever had with another woman. It scares the shit out of me, but at the same time I want it. A lot.”

  “Uh, okay.” Where was he going with this?

  “Besides keeping you safe, which is a top priority, I want you with me. In my home, in my bed. So I figure the hotel room is just a waste of your money.”

  Peyton swallowed a smile. He sounded as if he was sitting on the head of a pin, unsure of her answer, which she felt was an unfamiliar situation for him. She had the idea he wasn’t ever unsure of anything. Until now.

  His hands tightened on the wheel.

  “If that’s a bad idea, just say so.” His voice was strained. “We’ll do whatever you want. It’s not an order. If I misread your reactions, I’ll just drop you off at the hotel and pick you up in the morning.”

  For the first time that day, she relaxed and laughter bubbled from her mouth.

  “That’s not a problem, Blaze. I was just startled. I mean, I didn’t think you wanted me around every minute.”

  He grabbed one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “To be totally honest, I’m kind of shocked myself. I thought maybe in the beginning I was just horny and you were exceptionally attractive. But,” he hurried on, “it’s more than that. How can I tell in less than forty-eight hours? I don’t know, but my gut tells me this is right. It also tells me this is probably the wrong time to get into this with all that’s going on.”

  Peyton mentally shook her head. She was sure this was probably the least romantic proposition or whatever it was that she’d ever had, yet it warmed her the most. She pushed away the misgivings that wanted to crowd into her brain. If this turned out to be a mistake, when everything was over, she’d just walk away. She could do it.

  “What about my car? If I check out, I don’t want to leave it there and have to pay the fee for it.”

  “Where did you rent it?”

  “Agency at the airport.”

  “Unless you think you’ll need it, we’ll get it taken care of. Give me the keys and I’ll leave them in an envelope at the front desk. Someone will get it returned for you.”

  She quirked an eyebrow. “Someone?”

  “One of the guys will take care of it.”

  “One of—”

  “Unless I’m moving too fast here. If I am—”

  “It’s fine, Blaze.” She touched the tips of his fingers to her lips. “I’m good with it. Let’s just go ahead and get my stuff.”

  She sensed him relax just a fraction as they pulled up to the hotel entrance.

  “We’ll just be a few minutes,” he told valet parking. “Keep it ready, okay?”

  And that was all it took. She was an efficient packer and as anxious as he was to get out of there. She sensed the impatience rolling off him in waves while he waited for her to check out at the front desk. After putting her things in the car, they headed for his townhouse.

  “I think I need a drink.” Blaze stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching her unpack. “Would you like one?”

  She started to say no, but then realized she could probably use one as much as he did. The tension that had been building in Tom Hernandez’s office was now almost a tangible thing.

  “White wine?” he asked.

  She started to say yes, then changed her mind. “Actually, I think I’d rather have whatever you’re pouring for yourself. Bourbon, right?”

  “Yes.” A smiled teased at his mouth. “Something with a kick? It has been quite a day, hasn’t it?”

  “Pretty much so.”

  She closed the drawer on the last item of clothing and carried her toiletries into the bathroom. Scanning the long counter, she decided that if she kept everything in one corner, they’d be out of Blaze’s way. What would he think if she told him she’d never spent more than one night in a man’s apartment?

  She turned to head back into the bedroom and nearly bumped into him standing in the doorway, holding two rocks glasses, each with a decent amount of bourbon. He handed one to her.

  “Here’s to getting past all this shit.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  The smooth blend only burned slightly as it slid down her throat, and its soothing fingers reached to calm her frazzled nerves. Blaze took a healthy swallow of his own drink. The tic of the muscle in his cheek and the way he clutched the glass told her he was just as tense as he’d been in the law office, if not more so.

  Peyton took another tiny sip from her glass, then set it on the nightstand, walked over to Blaze standing in the doorway and took his drink from his hand.

  “You are wound up so tight your body twangs when you move.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “And you think you can fix this?”

  “I do. Come on.” She managed a smile. “What can you lose?”

  For a moment he resisted her, but then let her lead him to the bed, where she pushed him to sit down. Standing between his thighs, she tugged at his T-shirt, pulling it from his slacks and jerking it up until she had it over his head and could toss it to the side. He just sat there, no expression on his face, but in his eyes, she could see the smoldering embers of long-buried rage.

  She took a moment to admire the sculptured line of his shoulders, the definition of muscle in his arms. The flat pecs with that dusting of dark hair that had so intrigued her last night. The tempting plane of his hard chest, eased just enough by the soft hair scattered over it.

  “Relax.” She climbed onto the bed behind him and began massaging his shoulders. God, he was so tight his muscles felt like cement. “You feel harder than a concrete pillar.”

  “Yeah? You want to feel something hard, come around in front and I’ll show you.”

  She bit the lobe of one ear. “We’ll get to that after a while. Close your eyes.”

  Blaze grunted. “Bossy little thing.”

  “Maybe that’s what you need right now.”

  She continued to massage his shoulders and neck, occasionally placing light kisses along the nape or nipping an earlobe. Slowly, in tiny increments, he relaxed. By the time she worked her way down his spine to his waist, massaging slowly and steadily and punctuating her touches with a soft kiss now and then, his muscles began to soften. He sat less rigidly and his breathing was more regulated.

  Okay, time for stage two.

  She climbed off the bed and stood in front of him. “Now I want you to get up and take off your pants.”

  He actually burst out laughing. “You are bossy, aren’t you? And I’m just supposed to do what you say?”

  “I’m in charge.” She managed a grin. “You want to argue with me?”

  He studied her face for a long time before shaking his head. “Hell no. I want to see what you’ve got in mind.”

  He pushed himself up from the bed, kicked off his shoes and shucked his slacks and boxer briefs in seconds. Looking at him standing there in all his masculine magnificence, she did her best not to drool. Instead, she pulled the covers back all the way to the foot of the bed and patted the bottom sheet.

  “Lie down on your stomach.”

  One corner of his mouth crooked up. “Still playing the boss?”

  “Damn right. Now lie down on your stomach. And here’s the rule. No talking and no movement. You have to lie absolutely still.” She swallowed a grin. “Can you do that?”

  “I was a SEAL,” he grunted. “I can do anything.”

  “We’ll see.”

  When he was stretched out facedown, she made sure his head was turne
d on the pillow and his arms were stretched over his head. Then she straddled him, keeping her own clothes on as a shield, which god knew she needed. She forced herself to ignore the flutters in her sex and the genesis of an orgasm that was trying to develop deep inside her. This was all for him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned forward and resumed the massage as before. All his muscles had tightened up again, but as she slowly worked her way down his spine, peppering kisses between her strokes, he relaxed once more.

  By the time she reached the curve of his ass, his body, now warm, eased slightly beneath her. She slid her hands down past his waist, molding them to his butt, which she began to squeeze in a steady rhythm. If she hadn’t been concentrating on him so intently, tuning herself in to every nuance of his body, she probably wouldn’t have noticed when his breathing increased slightly and developed a raspy sound.

  Good. All good.

  As she shifted position, sliding backward so she could focus on his legs, she let the tips of her fingers trail lightly through the crevice of his ass. His groan was enough to turn up her own body temperature.

  She started at one ankle then worked her way up his calf to his thigh, letting her fingers trail dangerously close to his balls before traveling back down the other leg. When she noticed his hands had curled into fists as he worked to maintain his control and a tiny groan rolled off his lips, she couldn’t help smiling. By the time she’d finished with every inch of his back, tension rode every muscle, and it wasn’t generated by anger as it had been earlier.

  She moved off his body and nudged him with her elbow.

  “Roll over, let out a breath and close your eyes.”

  He chuffed a short laugh. “Is this more torture?”

  “Torture?” She lifted an eyebrow. “This is supposed to relax you. You were all tense and uptight.”

  “Yeah, well, now I’m tense and uptight for another reason. Take a look.”

  She ran her gaze over his body, pausing when she saw how swollen and rigid his thick cock was.

  “If you climb on top of me now, sugar, you better center yourself on that.”

  “Well.” She wetted her lips. “Let’s see what we can do about it.”