CAPTURED: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys(56)

"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.