by KaLyn Cooper
“I need to get these creatures home.” Daniel stood and wrapped his arms around Katlin. “It’s good to see you up and about.” He squeezed her tighter. “I couldn’t stand seeing you in the hospital bed hooked up to all those machines. When we rescued you, Top and I agreed that I shouldn’t come over to the safe house and visit you in case Jack had agents following me. I had a tail coming home from work almost every night. I couldn’t tell which agency had somebody on me.”
“Take it slow, give yourself time to heal.” He kissed her on the temple then stepped back, deftly grabbing his daughter as she toddled past with a last-minute burst of energy.
Alex got down on the floor and made a game out of collecting all of Simon’s trucks, farm animals, and puzzle pieces. Hope filled his heart as he thought about doing the same thing with his own son. Someday, by the grace of God.
Katlin had to get better, first. He wanted to be married before she got pregnant, so they needed to plan a wedding. Then, they’d want some time to themselves as husband and wife before throwing pregnancy into the mix. Could she even get pregnant? Carry a child to term? He hoped so, but if not, they could adopt.
“Bye, Aunt Katlin.” Simon held his arms in the air so she picked the boy up. “More medicine kisses before I go?”
“You bet.” They puckered lips and kissed several times. “I’ll carry him down for you.” She slid the small child to her hip and headed for the door.
“That means I get you.” Alex held the tired toddler in his arms. Schlepping the diaper bag and rollie, Daniel held open the door and pressed the button for the elevator.
“Thank you for bringing them by.” Katlin held her brother’s gaze.
“Anytime.” He grinned. “And I mean it, anytime. You’re welcome to tire them out for me.”
As they all headed to Daniel’s SUV, he stopped in his tracks. Smiling, he extracted a long chain with the ring dangling at the end. “I thought you might want this back, sis. Nita grabbed it before you were taken by ambulance to Walter Reed Medical Center. She was afraid it might disappear there.”
Alex had never been so relieved to see such a small piece of jewelry. Kat always wore her engagement ring on a titanium necklace while on a mission. Alex inquired of its whereabouts at the hospital but no one seemed to have seen it. For a while, he wondered if Jack had stolen it, knowing how much it meant to Katlin and Alex.
“Thank you.” Katlin threw her arms around her brother. “I thought it was gone forever.” Apology was in her eyes when she looked at Alex.
He’d been afraid she’d forgotten they were engaged.
She took it off the chain and slid it onto her ring finger. “There, back where it belongs. I’m going to text Nita and thank her for saving my ring.”
Yes. Katlin’s engagement ring was exactly where it was supposed to be.
Once they had the children situated in the car, Alex gave Daniel a back-thumping bro-hug. He liked his future brother-in-law. Daniel was a good man.
Katlin hugged Daniel tightly. “In case I didn’t say it before, thank you for your part in my rescue.”
When they parted, Daniel said through clenched teeth, “What you really need to thank me for is not killing Jack Ashworth, yet.”
“I get that privilege,” Alex announced as he threw his arm around Katlin.
She giggled. “Oh, no. He’s mine.”
20
“So, how is our patient doing this morning?” Dr. Tobias asked Alex and Katlin when he came into the exam room.
“I think she’s doing quite well, especially since it’s only been two weeks since she was brought out of the medically-induced coma.” Alex reached over and grabbed Katlin’s hand, weaving his fingers between hers. He wanted her to know just how proud he was of her progress.
“Any more fainting? Dizziness?” The doctor began his examination, starting with shining the light in her eyes.
“None.” She smiled. “Top Cooper has me on a strict workout regimen. I’m now up to one-hundred thirty beats per minute sustained for twenty minutes. No side effects whatsoever.”
“Good. Prove it.” The doctor challenged.
Shock, then questions, crossed Katlin’s pretty face. “How?”
“Follow me,” the doctor instructed. “I’m going to hook you up and put you on a treadmill.”
Forty-five minutes later, Katlin stepped off the belt and a nurse handed her a small towel. Dr. Tobias continued reading strips spit out by one of many machines while the nurse unhooked the two-dozen wires.
Finally, the doctor looked up. “Let’s talk about this back in the examination room.”
Alex once again took the chair in the corner as Katlin sat on the raised bed. She shifted nervously, making the white paper crinkle, but they said nothing to each other. He wanted to pull her into his lap and tell her everything was fine. He was impressed with how well she was doing. Top wouldn’t let her push herself too much, but he also knew how to develop muscle groups with different exercises each day.
“I’m sorry. That took a few minutes longer than I had expected.” Dr. Tobias flew into the room with paper strips flowing from his hands. “I wanted to talk with a colleague of mine. He’s my counterpart in the Navy, another neurologist. I specialize in traumatic brain injury, so I primarily deal with cranial nerves, reflexes, coordination, and cognitive function. You might think of me as step one.” He reached out and patted Katlin’s hand then gave her one of those smiles that looked more like a sneer. “You have recovered so much faster than I expected. I attribute that to the immediate care you got on-site.”
He glanced at Alex. “What did you say the medic’s name was?”
“Dr. Nita Callahan.” Katlin offered before Alex could utter a word.
“Yes, her. She did a wonderful job of stabilizing you immediately. I believe that made all the difference in the world as to the speed of your recovery.” Dr. Tobias looked genuinely pleased. “I’m rewriting the procedures as to how we treat brain injuries in the field. We could improve the quality of life of so many soldiers with just a few minor procedural adjustments and modifications in the equipment they carry.”
“Nita will be very happy to hear that.” Katlin smiled impatiently. “So, what did you learn from my twenty-minute workout?”
“Captain Abrams agrees with me, your results are at the six-month benchmark for a mild TBI. For a moderate TBI, you’re at about a two-year benchmark. Muscle strength is the only thing that is keeping us from declaring you at that point. Less than ten percent of severe TBI patients ever make it to where you are right now, even after years of therapy. The good news is that you’ll continue to improve.”
“That’s wonderful.” Alex went to stand by Katlin. He reached for her hand and she automatically slid her palm next to his. “So, what does this mean? Is she ready for duty?”
The doctor scoffed and shook his head. “No, not yet.” He turned his attention to Kat. “We have to make sure your strength and coordination returns. I’m very pleased we haven’t seen any seizures, but we need to be on the lookout for them as I slowly wean you off the blood thinners. As you continue to improve, we have to be alert and aware of any changes in the nerves. If you lose feeling in any extremity, even a slight tingling in your toes or fingers, call me immediately and head to the hospital.”
The doctor shifted his gaze to Alex. “She might not realize any difference, but if her gait changes, the way she holds her body, how she runs, I want to see her immediately.”
Alex thought everything sounded wonderful. He’d be sure to watch her more carefully and share this information with Top.
“I’m releasing you to increase your physical workouts. You may now maximize your heart rate at one-hundred eighty beats per minute.” His gaze bounced between the two of them then down to where their hands were joined. “You may also resume sexual relations. Keep in mind that one-hundred eighty beats per minute rule.”
He wrote a few numbers down on the strips of paper then transferred them into he
r electronic chart. “I’m going to have my assistant send you a list of suggested video games. I’d like to see you playing first-person shooter games, especially those in 3D. I’d like to see you back on the range, too, but I want you to wear double hearing protection. By that, I mean the kind that fits into your ear as well as the kind that covers the entire exterior ear.”
Stepping back, the doctor made a few more notations in her computerized records. “I don’t need to see you for two weeks.”
“Can she fly?” Alex asked.
Dr. Tobias lifted his eyes to Alex as though saying he was crazy. “I still don’t want her driving so I certainly can’t condone her piloting a plane.”
Alex chuckled. “No, sir. I need to visit some of our other locations, and I was hoping Katlin could go with me.”
“Cabins are pressurized at ten thousand feet. You shouldn’t have a problem with that, but call me immediately after you land the first time.” The doctor continued to write. “I want to be sure that Lieutenant Commander Callahan doesn’t experience a headache during or after landing. Do you have an office in Denver?”
“Yes, we do.” Alex and Kat exchanged a glance.
“I think I’d rather she not go there right now. The elevation is too high and often stresses a normal body. Let’s give Katlin a bit more time.” Standing, the doctor gathered the test results and her file. “I’ll see you in two weeks, then. I may call in Dr. Abrams and have him conduct his testing. Who knows? He might release you to drive a car.”
As soon as the door closed behind Dr. Tobias, Alex cupped Kat’s face in both his hands and kissed her the way he had wanted to for weeks. “What do you say we go home and spend the next few hours in bed?” He laid his lips on hers again. “I promise to keep your heart under one-hundred and eighty beats per minute.” He grinned. “But I’ll have you riding that edge until you beg me to make love to you.”
Katlin pushed him back and jumped off the exam table. “Hey, Wolf, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever.” Quoting the line from the famous movie they’d watched a few days ago reassured him that her mid-term memory was there.
“I know the way home.” Alex didn’t give the response line as it was said in the film, but his intent was there. He could finally touch her, sink inside her hot wet heat, show her how much he loved her with his body.
When they reached the apartment, Alex couldn’t hold in the silence any longer. Katlin hadn’t said a word the entire way home. He used his fob to unlock the door, following her in.
Grabbing her hand before she could leave the foyer, he pulled her back to him. Her hand in his, she stood nearly a foot away. “Look, Kat, just because you’re allowed to have sex, doesn’t mean we have to.”
She stared at the floor, not meeting his eyes. After a deep reinforcing breath, she raised her head to look at him. “Are you telling me you don’t want to make love with me?” Her voice cracked.
Alex pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Christ, no. Kat, there’s nothing I want more than to strip you out of those clothes and sink into you.” He lifted her chin until their eyes met. “I just want to be sure it’s what you want. I don’t want to rush you.”
“Why are you treating me like a teenage virgin?” Anger flashed in her eyes and then it was quickly gone. “I’m not fragile, and never have been. You heard Dr. Tobias, I’m years ahead of expectation.” She dropped his hand. “Have I changed that much you don’t want me anymore?”
Fuck. He’d been warned that she could get very paranoid. It was actually part of the healing process.
“No, babe.” He stepped to her, wrapping his arms around her again. “You really haven’t changed at all.” It was a lie. She had changed, in small ways. She wasn’t as confident as she’d been before.
Katlin Callahan had been decisive. She would quickly assess the situation and make a decision. Alex had watched her start toward the stair stepper, then turn to the free weights and work on her biceps. Top had cleverly redirected her more than once while overseeing her workouts, noticing the same problem.
He brushed her soft blond hair away from her alabaster face. She’d lost any tan she had before the explosion since she almost never went outside. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, inside and out. You’re the only woman I want in my life.” He slowly lowered his head, giving her plenty of time to turn away.
When she tilted her face to meet his, he considered it a major hurdle overcome. Their kiss was tender, sharing, and slow. She wasn’t tentative, but she wasn’t aggressive by any means. Before, when Kat wanted him, she didn’t hold back.
Alex decided he needed to take it slow. He kissed his way down her jaw and traced her racing heartbeat with his tongue. At least he was turning her on.
He unbuttoned the shirt she wore over a tank top, kissing every inch of skin as it was exposed. Curling his fingertips under the stretchy top, he pulled it over her head, taking the blouse with it.
“You’re perfect, and that hasn’t changed one bit.” Alex traced the lace edge of her bra with his tongue while he reached behind and unhooked it. She pulled it off and tossed it on the floor with her other clothes.
He held up one breast, taking the dusky pink nipple into his mouth. With the other hand, he ran his finger on the underside of her breast before he took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and rolled the hardened bud. He nipped the tip before moving to the other side, paying it equal attention.
“You’re wearing way too many clothes,” Kat informed him as she tugged on his polo shirt, pulling it from his khakis. Reaching his hand behind his neck, he yanked it off in one quick motion.
Her hands instantly went to his chest, running her fingers through the smattering of hair. She circled his flat nipples before she pinched them. Alex loved it when she touched him that way. This seemed normal. This seemed like them.
While she was entertaining herself with his chest, he unbuckled and unzipped her pants. Kneeling as he pulled them down her long shapely legs, he held her pants around her ankles as he leaned in, inhaling. Her unique scent went straight to his cock. It was as though it knew where it belonged and stiffened, straining at his zipper.
He rubbed his thumb over her panties directly across her clit. The already moist lace suddenly became soaked.
Thank Christ she still wanted him.
He pulled down her panties. “Step out,” he instructed.
She obeyed wordlessly and he tossed the last of her clothes to the side but didn’t stand. Instead, he spread her folds. She automatically widened her stance. When he sucked her clit into his mouth, her fingers dug into the back of his head.
Yes. That was his Kat. She would hold him there until she couldn’t stand it any longer before pulling his face away and up to hers. That afternoon was no different. Within a few minutes, her legs were shaking.
“Take me to bed,” she insisted.
Alex stood, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to their bed. He quickly dropped his cargo pants and boxer briefs before joining her on the silky sheets. He continued to kiss every inch of her body until she had enough.
She gently shoved him onto his back and straddled him, lowering herself onto his erection. This had become their favorite position. His hands were free to play with her luscious breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, exciting her even more. When she was close, he’d often pinched the nipples, or he’d sit up and suck them deep into his mouth. Kat had the most sensitive breasts he’d ever known.
As she rode him hard, he covertly looked at her heart rate on her watch. She was reaching her max. He had to take her over the edge. He moved his hand between them and stroked her clit with his thumb as he thrust up into her. Her inner walls quivered, grabbing and releasing his shaft. Alex couldn’t hold on any longer. He’d been too long without her.
Pressing down on her clit, Katlin exploded, and Alex followed her into oblivion. More out of muscle memory than actual thought, he roll
ed them to the side as they fell asleep, connected in the most intimate way possible.
The next morning, they boarded the executive jet service for Miami, Damnit at Kat’s side. Jenny joined them for a few days, staying at Kat’s condo on the beach, and taking in a musical matinee. Strangely, though, it was Alex and his daughter who stayed up late talking and playing board games because Katlin fell asleep most nights shortly after nine. His daughter was turning into quite a delightful young lady.
They hit the Houston and Dallas offices next but their routine was the same.
Alex and Katlin would work out side-by-side in the gym for over an hour before showering together. Often too exhausted to do anything else after breakfast, Katlin would take her morning nap. She would join Alex for lunch then spend a few hours at the indoor range available to employees at every Guardian office. He would sometimes find Katlin playing cards with several of his men in the game room or challenging one of them on a videogame.
She would often catch an afternoon nap before they had supper with all the men. At least one night at each center, Alex and Katlin would take out the manager and assistant managers for a special supper. By the end of the evening, Kat was exhausted. Although she’d go to bed early, most often she’d awaken when he crawled in and they’d make love one more time that day.
At the end of the two weeks, they returned to the Guardian Security D.C. Center.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Alex asked as Kat slid naked between the sheets.
“No, why? Should I be?” She sounded slightly worried.
“Not at all.” He pulled the covers up around her and dropped a kiss on her lips. Although her body was getting stronger, Kat still wasn’t making quick decisions. She would change her mind about doing something two or three times before she proceeded. Names still caused her difficulty and she was still missing so many memories. Alex was also concerned about the amount of sleep she seemed to need. The more sleep she got, the more nightmares she had. He wanted to be sure it was normal for a TBI patient.
