Page 82 of Too Guarded to Love

“You could have died today.”

“I’m a super soldier, baby. When I go to work and fight the bad guys, you can bet I’ll be the one left standing. And when I’m away, I’ll dream about how you taste.” Snaking his hand around her belly, he cupped her center. “I’ll dream about how it feels to be balls deep inside this pussy. And when I come back, I’ll do all the things I fantasized about when we were apart.”

Biting her lip, she fought to stay in this moment. To forget about life beyond this steamy cocoon.

He spun her to face him. Gripping under her thighs, he held her above his cock. “Wrap your legs around me and hold on tight.”

She whimpered as she slid her legs around his lean, hard waist.

“Tell me you’re going to kick this surgery’s ass.”

She squirmed in his hold. He held her above him, so close to his silken heat, blazing fire into her core. “Nic, I…please.”

“Tell me.”

Panting, she forced her tongue to work. “I’m going to kick this surgery’s ass.”

“Tell me you’re the best doctor in the whole damn world.”

“I’m the best.” So was he, and she wanted so much more, not just now, but forever.

He lowered her enough for his swollen head to graze her clit. “You’re strong, and beautiful, and so goddamn reckless I should tie you to my bed and never let you leave.”

His words sank deep into her soul as she met his gaze. What she felt in her heart—the desire, the uncertainty, the feeling she didn’t dare name— stormed in his eyes. “I’m all those things, and I don’t want to leave.”

“Good, because I don’t want you to leave either.” He slammed her down onto his cock.

She screamed loud enough to break the mirror. As just the right amount of pain and an overload of pleasure ripped through her, her mind cleared of everything except their unbreakable connection, which she could no longer deny. And as they toweled off and got dressed, he let her in on another VIPER superpower he’d asked Scarlett to engineer just for them.

Nic pushed off the wall from his position across from the operating room as the door opened.

A nurse poked her head out. “Dr. Darren asked me to let you know that things are going well. She thinks she can complete the surgery in about an hour.”

The corner of Nic’s lips tilted up into a smirk. He schooled them into a charming grin for the twenty-something woman with the big, brown eyes. “Thank you for the update.”

Joe strode down the hall as the door to the operating room closed. “That nurse sounds like she’d like to play a little doctor with you.”

“You think?” She’d been coming out at regular intervals since the surgery started, with unnecessary updates. Thanks to the earpiece he’d given Olivia, they’d been communicating every thirty minutes or so for the past four hours. He’d have to buy Scarlett flowers for arranging the dedicated mind comms connection.

Joe chuckled. “Would you happen to know anything about a shot fired near the airstrip I secured for you?”

Nic shrugged as he hooked his fingers on the waistband of the tactical pants Linc had brought him from the helicopter. What went down tonight wasn’t a local PD matter. He did owe Joe an explanation about something, though. “I do have intel about Stella’s murder.”

All humor drained from Joe’s face.

Without stopping for a breath, Nic explained his connection to Rachel and Natalie and how Stella had wound up a consequence of his actions. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner that Stella’s death is my fault.”

Tears swam in Joe’s eyes as his lips smashed into a hard line. Nic braced himself for Joe to tell him to get the hell out of his town and never come back.

Instead, Joe clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook him. “First, I had my suspicions about someone avenging Rachel’s death. I couldn’t face them yet, so I let you take it on by yourself. I’m sorry about that. Second, if you ever fucking say again that Stella’s death is on you, I’ll punch your pretty face.”

A weight lifted off Nic’s shoulders as Joe pulled him in for a hug. As Joe clapped him on the back and said, “I love you, man,” tears welled in Nic’s eyes.

Was this what unconditional love felt like?

“Am I interrupting something?”

Nic stepped away from Joe and wiped his eyes with the cuff of his T-shirt. “Fuck you, cowboy. Why aren’t you at headquarters?”