"So when does he get to leave the hospital rooms?" Marc asked in a casual tone. Reya didn't bother to tell him Aaron wasn't in a hospital room, but in hers.
"Actually, I'm just overworked and stressed out. Aaron isn't … "
"Oh his name is Aaron?"
"Yes, Aaron James. He's actually a neat guy. If my choices were between him and Trefor, I'd pick Aaron in a heartbeat. Actually, I'd pick Aaron under any circumstance. He's just testy because Dr. Matons won't clear him to get out of bed yet, and being waited on by a woman isn't something he's used to."
"Being waited on? Is that what he calls it? Being fed, taken care of by a medically capable woman? And he calls it being waited on? What a son of a bitch!"
Reya was taken aback. She'd never heard Marc speak strongly about anyone, even Trefor-the-asshole. But suddenly, her friend's body was tense and strained while he talked about a man he didn't even know as if he were the world's lowest dog.
"Marc, you need to relax," she said angrily, practically growling. "You don't even know Aaron. He happens to appreciate what I've done, what Dr. Matons and I continue to do. He just doesn't like that I have to do it, that I don't have a choice. He mostly hates the fact that he can't take care of himself right now. What real man wouldn't feel that way?"
"Sounds like you're sweet on him to me," Marc snapped back, moving to stand much too close and much too aggressive. She felt the muscles shift under her skin as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Her anger and need to protect Aaron pushed the urge to shift up to the surface. What the hell was wrong with both her and Marc? He was acting like Aaron was taking advantage of her, while she was ready to shift and tear his head off for talking about the very man she'd just said was getting on her nerves.
Good lord she needed a drink. Or better yet, she needed a hard run in her pelt.
"Look, Reya, I'm sorry. It's just that I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt by some hotshot just passing through, is all," Marc said quietly, stepping back from her, his step non-threatening and his voice semi-contrite.
The bunching muscles of her shoulders and neck relaxed and thick fur that had been ready to erupt from her pores receded. She wanted to yell that both Dr. Matons and Bethsaida had met and liked Aaron, which was good enough for her. Instead, with a deep breath, Reya forced a tight-lipped smile.
Hoping the incisors receding into her gums weren't visible, she clapped him on the shoulder with a positive-sounding grunt, motioned her head toward a path off to the left, and the two companions took off into the night to finish their patrol together.
Neither said another word the rest of the night.
Funny, he was a successful architect, but his family still considered him the "baby". Yeah, he was a baby all right-a horny one that took every opportunity to touch Reya whenever she was near. He just couldn't keep his hands off her.
When she came to check his stitches, bring him a meal or help him to the bathroom-she waited outside of course, after all he did have some pride-his fingers itched to skim over her luscious form. And after that first kiss, he always looked for a way to get her to bend down or simply reached out to grab her by the hand and pull her to him so he could taste her mouth. She threw herself completely into each kiss they shared and always tasted of apples and cinnamon. Delicious.
To taste but not take her was killing him. Damned weakness royally irked him, but come hell or high water, he'd be up and about as soon as humanly possible just to get the woman underneath him again.
Raising his arms to hold onto the headboard of the bed, he raised straight legs a scant two inches from the mattress and held the position until his stomach muscles burned. Exercising in bed was all he'd been allowed to do while he was on bed rest. He felt stronger than just yesterday, and if Dr. Matons didn't let him up soon he'd call his brothers down here just to strangle the man. Oh but wait, he thought sarcastically, Reya already called them.
Aaron grimaced at the tongue-lashing he'd received from his oldest brother Austin. His ears still burned from the blistering rant as his brother expressed his outrage and worry that Aaron hadn't called them earlier. "The second the plane dropped off the radar, we were alerted that you were in trouble, but a woman we don't even know was the one to call and let us know you were okay? And a week later, when you were perfectly capable of talking, Aaron," his brother had yelled. Then Anthony joined in on the line and told him off some more before reminding him how much they worried, loved and cared about him. He felt like a child all over again. It was his own damned fault. Being so determined to handle it his way had caused his brothers, his only family, undue stress. Now he felt like a heel for getting on Reya's case for doing what she felt was right. Mr. Blunder? Yep, that was him.
If only he could stick to architecture. Building plans didn't get disappointed. Building plans' eyes didn't fill with sadness when he stuck his finger out at them and told them off. And building plans didn't avoid him when he pissed them off. Aaron couldn't remember ever feeling this lonely. It was a sobering thought.
Reya filled his mind and a wistful smile touched his lips. The woman was smart as a whip. Conversation wasn't something he'd often engaged in with a female, but he could sit and talk to Reya for hours. In fact, that's exactly what they'd done when he'd been able to stay awake long enough. Now that the bruised ribs and kidney were healing nicely, they usually talked about any and everything from the time she came in from scuba expeditions in the early afternoon until she left for patrol at midnight.
A laundry list of everything he needed to do scrolled behind his eyes. The project on Ambergris Caye for his customer in Belize wouldn't wait forever. Thankfully, the blueprints and plans were saved from the wreck and could be delivered. The budget had to be reworked and the deeds on the land secured in his client's name. He didn't even want to think about how much the project plan would need to be reworked, pushing back the grand opening of the posh luxury fitness resort. He absolutely did not want his brothers to handle it. They'd taken care of him all his life. Now he made his own way, was his own man. He had work to do and another million to make for their company. Then again, he'd rather stay here and …
When was the last time he'd had a hard time making a decision between getting work done and hanging out with a woman? Hell, he couldn't think of a single instance. Until now. The woman had him so wide open, Aaron couldn't decide if he wanted to go or stay. Nevertheless, he was still pissed off that Dr. Matons wouldn't clear him to get out of bed and travel to Belize City yet.
Unbidden, the conversation from when they'd awakened in her bed early this morning jumped back into his head.
"I assured them you were fine. They'll be here as soon as they can arrange for emergency visas. Next week, perhaps."
"Damn it, Reya!" he'd fumed, "don't get me wrong, I appreciate your not wanting my brothers to be concerned, but the last fucking thing I need is the James clan prowling around Belize, dogging my heels."
Well, at least he hadn't shouted at her, but he'd been so angry and annoyed his face and ears felt hotter than hell. When Reya's eyes narrowed and she barged from the bed, he'd known his "charging bull" face was in full force.
And he didn't even want to think about her patrolling the jungle alone at night. He knew he'd been a royal pain in the ass about it, but it simply didn't matter that she'd done it for years, long before he crash-landed in her bed. In her bed … damn, that had a nice ring to it.
Now he wished he'd kept his big mouth shut. The woman had avoided him all day. His chest tightened and it had nothing to do with sore ribs. It wasn't an easy thing to admit, but he was man enough to do so.
Plain and simple, he missed Reya and doing right by her was important.
Brooding would get him nowhere. He had a ton of things to do and what better way to get your mind off a woman than do something else? Besides, he'd decided that this was one woman he wanted to keep, whether she was mad at him or not.
Chapter Five
Finally! It was all he could do to keep himself from yelling his thanks to the rafters! Dr. Matons had given him a clean bill of health. While the older man cautioned him to take it easy, he could run, jump, do anything he pleased. Including woo Reya.
As soon as the doctor left Reya's apartments with his big medical bag of tape, butterfly stitches, antibacterial ointments and pharmaceutical goodies in tow, Aaron moved all of his things out of Reya's bedroom into her office. He'd had enough of trying to keep himself from wanting her. But he would do this right. First, since he could get up now, he had no right to keep her from her bed. Second, he had no right to join her there without a true commitment. He was beyond ready, and he would seduce her until she felt the same. If he had his way, soon she'd be banging on the office room door to jump his bones.