by Maya Banks
She glowed under his praise, her cheeks burning with instant heat.
He gave her a two-finger salute and then left the room. She turned back to the child and sent his mother a look of apology. But the mom just smiled and winked.
“He is a good-looking man, yes?”
Maren smiled. “Yes, he certainly is that.”
She patted the child’s arm and then ruffled his dark hair. “Okay, you’re all set,” she said in Spanish. “Keep the bandages on and let your mother apply ointment and rewrap it. We don’t want it to get infected, and whatever you do, don’t pick at it.”
Then to the mother she said, “Keep watch for signs of infection. If he starts running a fever or the wound gets red or starts looking infected, come back and I can give him an injection of antibiotics. Keep it clean and dry.”
The mother nodded and then thanked Maren. She smiled at both and then led them from the exam room back to the waiting area, where Steele was just locking up.
When he saw them, he opened the door to let the mom and child out. He ruffled the child’s hair and spoke to him in Spanish. The child beamed back and then followed his mother outside.
Steele closed the door and turned back to Maren. “I’ll wait out here until you finish and then let the last patient out. How long do you normally stay after your last patient? Do you have to do paperwork or catch up on other stuff? You’ve been working nonstop today seeing patients.”
Then he frowned. “You didn’t even take a break to eat lunch.”
“Neither did you,” she pointed out.
He shrugged. “I’ve gone a hell of a lot longer than that without eating. Skipping one meal doesn’t bother me.”
“Me either. I often work through lunch. It’s not fair to make them all wait so I can take an hour lunch. My clinic doesn’t have set hours. If there are patients to be seen, I see them and I eat afterward.”
“You got a grill?”
She blinked at the sudden change in topic. “Yeah, a small one. Nothing huge or anything.”
“Big enough to cook the steaks I saw in your freezer? Or at least I think that’s what they were.”
She smiled. “Yep. One of the locals gifted me with four steaks from a cow they butchered recently. I suck at grilling and I hate the idea of them going to waste, but I didn’t want to refuse and hurt the man’s feelings.”
“I’ll throw them on the grill once we get back to your place. You can relax, put your feet up, and drink a cup of your tea while I make us dinner.”
Her heart did a funny twist in her chest, and warmth invaded her veins. How they’d gotten from one night of never-to-be-repeated sex to acting like a couple was beyond her, but she’d hold on to the dream for as long as it lasted. There was plenty of time for reality to sink in later. Much, much later, if she had her way about it.
Carpe diem. It was fast becoming her motto.
“That’s a deal,” she said. “Let me run back and see what I’m dealing with and then we’ll get on out of here.”
Thirty minutes later, Steele waited as she locked the door behind them, and then he looped an arm around her shoulders as they began the walk back to her cottage.
Thanks to Steele’s help, what would normally have been a very long day, with the number of patients who’d come through her clinic, they’d finished before dark and the sun was only just starting its descent on the horizon. The sky was painted pink and gold with lavender shades blending. It was a perfect late afternoon, verging on dusk. Sipping a hot cup of tea while Steele manned the grill was about as perfect an evening she could ask for.
He pulled her closer still, until she was nestled against his side as he matched his stride to hers. She was in no hurry, savoring the usually tedious, routine path that she’d walked hundreds of times before. But with him it was a new experience. Companionship, intimacy. Things she hadn’t enjoyed until now.
Being with him brought home just how isolated her life was. Her schedule was fixed, rarely deviating from the norm. She woke, she worked, she came home. Wash, rinse and repeat. But today had been a wonderful change to her monotonous routine.
She slid her arm around his waist and leaned further into him, enjoying the feel of his muscled frame against her.
“Thanks again for today,” she said softly. “I liked having you there.”
She hoped she wasn’t saying too much or that he’d take it as a hint or invitation. She didn’t want to come across as demanding or expectant. But she wasn’t going to be so nonchalant about his presence today. She didn’t care if he knew just how much she’d liked having him around. The sex was great. No denying that. But his company was nice too. Just being together, even with her working. It had been nice to look up and see him there in her space. In her life.
He squeezed her shoulder, pressing her more firmly into his side. “I liked being there. I was impressed, Maren. I don’t think I could do what you do every day.”
“But you do. Sorta. You help people. I help people. We just do it differently.”
“I guess you’re right. But each mission is different. I never know going in what exactly I’m dealing with. You do the same thing day in, day out. And yet you don’t act like you’re fatigued with it. You had a smile for each patient and you looked genuinely interested in them. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it didn’t look to me like you ran through your patients robotically, working by rote. You personalized each exam. You treated them like real people. Not all doctors do that.”
She could feel herself blushing and she practically squirmed at how sincere he sounded in his praise. Thankfully they arrived at her cottage and he opened the door, then did a quick scan of the interior before he guided her in.
“I hate that you don’t lock your door, and I hate more that it wouldn’t do a damn bit of good to lock it because it would take no effort to get in this place whatsoever,” he muttered.
She smiled at his gruff concern and the way his brow furrowed when he was irritated.
“I’m fine, Steele. The locals all like me. They look out for me. I’ve never had an ounce of trouble here.”
“It’s not the locals I worry about,” he said.
She rose up on tiptoe and kissed his lips. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but you don’t need to, Steele. I’ll be fine. Besides, I have connections. I know some people who work for a kick-ass organization that specializes in rescues and beating up bad guys.”
She grinned as she said it, and his lips quirked in amusement.
“Yeah? Who’s that?”
“I’ll never tell,” she said solemnly.
He smacked her playfully on the behind. “Go put your feet up. If you’ll tell me what tea you want—you have over a dozen that I saw—I’ll put some water on to boil while I get the steaks out and prep the grill.”
“I could seriously get used to having a houseboy,” she said wistfully.
He raised an eyebrow. “Boy?”
“Er, um, house hottie then? House stud?”
He winced. “Sorry I said anything at all. If it ever gets out that you called me your house hottie, I’ll never be able to show my face to my team again.”
She laughed. “I won’t tell if you don’t. Or unless I ever need to pay you back for something you’ve done to piss me off.”
“Can’t guarantee I won’t piss you off, but I’m liking the idea of makeup sex already.”
“Are you bipolar?” she blurted.
His look of complete what-the-fuck was hilarious.
“What the hell kind of question is that?”
She raised her upturned palms and shrugged. “It’s a logical question given the data I’ve collected on you.”
He groaned. “Good God. Don’t get all doctorly on me. You’ve done research on me?”
She grinned again. “No, but given what I’ve known of you all this time, you have to admit that it’s like looking at two entirely different people. I would say talking to two entirely different people, but Steele the badass didn�
�t ever speak to me. Or not more than a few one-word responses here and there. Steele the human is flirty, has a sense of humor, smiles a lot and says nice things that make me all shivery on the inside.”
“You’re one to speak your mind, aren’t you?” he said dryly. “Guess I don’t ever have to worry about you trying to spare my feelings.”
“What can I say? I’m a say-it-like-I-see-it kind of girl. You have to admit that you underwent a pretty radical personality change. Either that or you had a lobotomy or maybe you got a little too close to those explosives that got Baker and suffered a head injury. It’s been documented that head injuries have radically changed people’s personalities.”
He groaned and shook his head. “Look, I like you, okay? And I don’t like very many people. That’s why I get the reputation for being a hard-ass, an asshole, a machine, and a whole bunch of other not-so-nice names. As a rule, I hate people. But I like my team. I like the Kellys. And I like you.”
She grinned bigger. “Did that kill you to admit?”
“You can shut up anytime now,” he said in a sour voice. “You’re about one smart-ass remark away from having to cook your own damn steak.”
She held up her hands in surrender. “I give, I give. Cook away. I’ll shut up now and put my feet up like I was instructed. Surprise me and just pick a tea bag. I like them all.”
Before she could walk away, he hauled her up against him and thrust his hand into her hair, holding her in place as his mouth descended on hers. “Like those glasses on you. They’re cute. Make you look all serious and smart, even though I know you don’t need glasses to look that way. Gonna have to leave them on sometime when we have sex. It’s a serious turn-on.”
Okay, that tilted her universe just a bit. She didn’t reach to adjust them even though they slid down her nose just a bit when he kissed her. Instead she let him deepen the kiss, enjoying the feel of his mouth against hers.
He kissed her hungrily, his tongue sliding deep and then brushing over hers in light, teasing strokes. When he pulled away, his eyes gleamed and his pupils were slightly dilated. Arousal hummed from him, was thick in the air. Her own pulse quickened as she took in the evidence of his desire.
“I like that you give as good as you get,” he murmured. “Love that saucy tongue of yours, and I love that you give me shit. No one else does that.”
“That’s because they’re scared shitless of you,” she muttered.
“But you’re not,” he stated. And he looked quite pleased with that fact.
But she was scared of him. Not in the way he was talking about. But she was definitely terrified of him. Because she knew without a doubt that he had the power to hurt her. He wouldn’t do it maliciously or intentionally. But she was already in way over her head with no way out. She didn’t want out. Even knowing the eventuality of the hurt she’d endure.
She’d already been attracted to Steele. Fascinated by the side he presented to the world. But now that she’d gotten a good look at the man behind the hard-ass exterior? She was doomed with a capital D.
She’d liked him before. Had wanted to pull back those layers that surrounded him. But where she’d liked and admired him before? She was already falling hard for the man behind the brick wall.
CHAPTER 11
MAREN sat across from Steele at the tiny garden table that overlooked her small backyard. It was merely a clearing before the landscape plunged into dense foliage and thick trees. She’d always been mesmerized by the burst of green all around her. Everything was lush and vibrant and the air smelled clean.
No, she wasn’t a city girl nor could she ever imagine having a private practice with a cushy office and making rounds in a hospital. She loved what she did. It was immensely rewarding. It was who she was.
She’d traded her cup of tea for a glass of wine she saved for rare occasions, such as Steele cooking her a steak and their being immersed in actual conversation. If she’d had champagne, she’d have broken it out because this was definitely a moment that would likely never happen again. And though she normally removed her glasses as soon as she got home, she left them on this time. For him. Because he found them cute and sexy, and she liked that.
She sipped and savored the taste before lowering her glass to look over at Steele, who’d just pushed back his plate.
“Am I allowed to ask you personal questions, or am I supposed to just sleep with you and remain ignorant of everything but your sexual prowess?”
He’d just raised his own glass to take a sip, and he made a choking sound and set the glass back down with a clunk.
“What kind of personal questions?” he asked warily.
She grinned. “I haven’t decided yet. I just wondered if they were off-limits or if you’d actually tell me something nobody else knows about you. It’s a girl thing. We like to think we’re special. Especially if we’re sleeping with the guy.”
His teeth flashed as he relaxed and smiled. “I think it depends on the question.”
“Hmm, okay. Let’s do something general. Tell me about you.”
He blinked. “That covers a hell of a lot of territory. Where do you want me to start?”
She leaned forward. “Do you have family? Are you married—please don’t tell me you’re secretly married and have a wife squirreled away somewhere.”
He shook his head and uttered a sigh. “If you were worried that I was married, wouldn’t that have been a question to ask before I got your clothes off?”
“At the time I wasn’t thinking too straight since you already had your clothes off.”
He chuckled lightly. “No, I’m not married. Never even been close.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Really? So you’ve never been serious about a woman?”
He shook his head. “Nope. My career hasn’t exactly been conducive to forming any lasting relationships.”
She frowned at that. “It sounds kind of lonely, if you ask me.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “What about you? I could say the same for you. At least since I’ve known you. At least I have my team. You’re out here on your own with only your patients to keep you company. Don’t you miss being around people? Dating? Having regular sex?”
“Who says I don’t have all that?”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you?”
She grinned. “No, but it wasn’t very nice to assume that I have no sex life and that I’m practically married to my job.”
He shrugged. “I can’t judge. I’m married to my job absolutely. She’s a fickle bitch too.”
She nodded in acknowledgment. “I hear that. Definitely has its shitty moments, as I’m sure it’s the same for you.”
He raised his glass and clinked it to hers. “Fuckin’ A.”
“So what about family? You weren’t hatched, I’m assuming. Someone had to give birth to you.”
He sobered immediately and darkness flashed in his eyes. “Don’t have family.”
She waited, expecting him to say more. But he just went silent and brooding, his gaze focused in the distance, either remembering or refusing to remember something painful.
“What happened?” she prompted softly.
He glanced back at her, almost as if he’d had to jerk himself from the past. His lips quirked downward into a grimace. “I don’t ever talk about it.”
It was said in a way that told her to back off. But curiosity was killing her. She wanted to unravel the mystery of Steele, and she might never get another chance like this when he was relaxed, warm and open to her. He was being nice. And approachable! She’d never tell anyone because they’d never believe her. They’d likely think she needed psychiatric help.
“You could talk about it now,” she said quietly. “I’m a good listener. And it’s not like I’ll tell anyone. I’m not exactly flush with people to converse with around here.”
He was silent a long moment, his unease broadcasted like a neon sign. She wouldn’t push him any further, but she really hoped he’d open up to her.
Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, spiking it up in a messy arrangement that had her dying to smooth it down with her fingers. But if she got close enough to do that, the last thing she’d be wanting to touch was his hair. She’d be too busy with other portions of his anatomy.
“I did have a family. A lifetime ago.”
Her heart clutched at the grief in his voice. It may have been a lifetime ago, but it was obvious the wounds were still raw.
“My dad was an ambassador to Libya. I grew up in the embassy. Me and my brother. Griffin.”
She sucked in her breath, knowing that whatever he was going to tell her was horrible. It was in his tone, in every line of his face and most pronounced in the darkness that had invaded his eyes.
“They were killed in an embassy bombing. A Marine saved my life, but he couldn’t save my parents or my brother. He tried. And then he later apologized to me that he hadn’t been able to save them. I wasn’t angry because he couldn’t save them. I was pissed that he’d saved me.”
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
“Oh wow,” she whispered. “What happened? Who raised you?”
“My dad’s sister took me in. She was quite a bit older than he was and she was never in great health. She passed away right after I graduated high school.”
“So is that why you do what you do? Because of your parents, I mean?” she guessed.
He shook his head. “Actually I’d always planned to be a doctor.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Yeah. I think it’s why I love watching you so much. I was always interested in medicine. But after my aunt died, there was no one to help out and the thought of all those years in medical school not knowing how the hell I’d afford it, well, I joined the service thinking that I’d do my time and have them pay for medical school.”
She leaned farther forward, fascinated by his story. That he’d wanted to be a doctor intrigued her. He would have made an excellent surgeon. So focused and intense. She could definitely picture it.
