Page 45 of Too Guarded to Love

“A safety precaution.” He grabbed her hand, afraid she’d punch him if he tried to carry her again. He wanted to hold her against his indestructible body. Feel her heartbeat against his chest as proof she was alive and well. Shelter her from guns and explosions, ex-boyfriends who didn’t believe in her, and even her brother, who treated her like a kid.

And he sure as fuck didn’t want to attend another funeral this week. “We need to go.”

“Wait.” She dug her heels into the concrete and turned to the paramedics attending to the guards.

Chancing a jab to his jaw, he lifted her up in his arms, careful not to jostle her shoulder any more than necessary. Her floral scent somehow defied the smoke, like her soft curves defied her nerves of steel that propelled her to the fire instead of running the other way.

All to help a stranger.

Fuck, that was his job. He ran into infernos and battles and everything in between to save lives or take them if those were his orders. Sometimes he didn’t even know names or why he’d been tasked to rescue or eliminate, yet he did it without question. But she wasn’t a super soldier. She wasn’t made of steel and wasn’t trained in battlefield situations.

But wasn’t she?

He’d never had a patient on the table who relied on him to make life-and-death decisions in a heartbeat. He imagined that one wrong cut, one wrong assessment, could kill someone.

Double fuck. He shouldn’t be finding more reasons to like and respect Olivia. He should be running from her as if she were on fire. A five-alarm blaze he could handle. Suffering the consequences of fucking his best friend’s sister, and worse, falling for her, had the potential to obliterate the existence he’d built since losing his arm and leg.

Still, despite every instinct that told him to hand her off to Gage, who rushed by, he breathed in her scent. Cursing himself for wishing he could infuse her essence into the technology in his body and release it on an as-needed basis, he focused on the incoming mind comms message.

“Stairwell is clear.”

Olivia wriggled in his hold. “You’re such a jerk. I just wanted to see if the unconscious guard was alert yet.”

Nic had spotted a paramedic kneeling next to the conscious guard a minute ago. “He is.”

“Good.” She slapped his arm as he stalked to the entrance to the stairwell. “I can walk, Nic.”

“I can walk faster. Super leg, remember.”

“More like superego.” She gave up struggling and settled into his embrace. “I thought you were a charmer, not a monster.”

He held her closer and could swear his heart stuttered to match the rhythm of hers. “Apparently, I’m both when it comes to you.”

“What else are you? Because you did something back there I can’t explain, but I know what I saw.”

Olivia studied the hard set of Nic’s jaw as he raced up two flights of stairs while carrying her like she weighed less than Hudson’s son. He ignored her question, but recognition had flashed in his gaze. He knew exactly what “something” she’d asked about.

And what about the telepathic conversations? The idea that the VIPER boys could communicate without speaking seemed preposterous, but was it? Maybe she hadn’t imagined Nic reporting in to someone when she’d been shot at the beach. After what she’d just witnessed, nothing was out of the realm of possibility in this alternate VIPER-verse. “Where are we going?”

“Someplace where you’re going to stay put until one of us gets you.”

The smell of smoke and sweat clung to his skin, but clean air circulated around them as he deposited her outside a door.

She glanced at the MedLab sign. “Is this where they’re taking the guards? I can help.”

“You get checked out first before you help anyone else.”

“But…”

He gripped her chin. “I lead here at headquarters, not the other way around. Until your brother takes over my watch, you’re my problem to deal with. Understand?”

Problem? She opened her mouth to tell him she’d had nothing but problems since meeting him, so he must be the problem. Instead, a cough harsh enough to rival a four-pack-a-day smoker came out.

Dammit, why wasn’t he coughing? He’d been closer to the goddamn fire. Instead, he’d walked away with a raspiness that only intensified his sexy factor. Too bad his jerky words ruined the effect.

He opened the door and nudged her inside.

Beth ran up to her. “There you are. Are you okay? How’s your shoulder?”