Rowan’s sex constricted again. She was far too aware of the man, of his potent virility and strength. Her brain kept trying to replay his confession of love over and over. Neither helped her now.
Now she just wanted to get out of the hospital and go…
She bit back a curse. Aslin was right. Where was she going now?
Still refusing to look at the man behind her, she cast her brother a hopeful look.
“Hell, no.” Chris shook his head and took a step back. “I only brought you a new set of clothes ’cause I thought you didn’t want to spend all day in a hospital gown. I didn’t think you were planning on taking off. As far as I’m concerned, you should be back in the gown and the bed.”
“Which is exactly the doctor’s opinion,” the nurse piped up, retrieving the pen from Rowan’s fingers with a pointed expression.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re being stupid.”
Aslin’s calm declaration stoked her anger. She pivoted on her newly booted heel, crossed her arms over her tank-top-covered breasts and glared up at him. “I don’t need to be here. The doctor has given me a list of what to look out for. I know not to take aspirin for the next forty-eight hours and—” she cocked an eyebrow, “—I’ve had worse blows before. Professional martial artist, remember? Being knocked on my ass isn’t anything new.”
Aslin drew his head closer to hers. “Being knocked on your arse by an explosion is.”
“Keep up the attitude, soldier boy, and I’ll put you on your arse to show you just how fine I am.”
Something dangerous flared in Aslin’s eyes. “Right,” he murmured. “That’s it.”
He straightened, shoved a hand in his hip pocket, withdrew it and turned to Chris. “Here you go.” He tossed something to her brother, the distinct sound of metal clinking telling Rowan it was a set of keys. “Where’s Jeff and the SUV?”
Chris snatched the keys from the air, surprise pulling at his eyebrows. “Jeff is in the cafeteria, no doubt trying to hit on someone. The SUV is on parking level four.”
As Rowan gaped at them both, Aslin nodded. “The Ducati is yours for the rest of the day. Get Jeff to the car in five minutes.” He turned to face her. “You want out of here. Fine. I’ll take you out of here. Back to my hotel room. At least there I can keep an eye on you.”
“What?” she burst out.
“Oh, good idea, Rhodes.” Chris grinned.
“Very good,” the nurse agreed.
Rowan’s pulse pounded. “Not a good idea.”
“Why?” Dark emotion flared in Aslin’s eyes, but what that emotion was Rowan couldn’t tell. “Are you scared of me?”
Scared? Oh God, scared couldn’t be further from the truth. And yet that’s exactly how her body was reacting. Her heart raced, her palms were sweaty, the hair on her nape was on end and her mouth was dry. If it wasn’t for the fact her damn pussy was contracting and constricting and fluttering like mad she’d say scared was exactly how she felt.
But all those very feminine, very sexual things were happening to her. At the thought of being in Aslin’s hotel room. Alone. With him. With the man who’d told her he loved her.
The man she was more than half in love with in return.
Half? Huh. You’re freaking head over heels, fully, totally and utterly in love with him. Admit it.
She clenched her jaw and tilted her chin. “No. I’m not scared.”
And to prove it, she stormed toward the exit, hitching the shorts Chris had snagged from the wardrobe department higher up on her butt to hide the fact her head was still wobbly and her balance was still…unbalanced.
Behind her, Chris laughed, and then she heard him say, “Get your ass into gear, Jeff. You’re taking Aslin and Rowie wherever they need to go. You can hit on the natives later.”
She stopped at the closed elevator door and stabbed the down button.
“Well?” she snapped, turning to glare at Aslin at the counter.
But he wasn’t at the counter. He was right behind her. So close she could feel his heat on her body. So silent she hadn’t heard him move.
Damn him.
And damn her nipples for puckering so hard at his proximity. And his…his…fuck, damn his everything.
His gaze melded with hers and the corner of his lips curled. “Ready for me to take care of you, Ms. Black Belt?”
She narrowed her eyes, tilted her chin and ignored the way her sex throbbed with increasing want. “Ready for me to—”
The elevator binged and opened before whatever pathetic comeback was going to fall from her lips could. She started, her cheeks filling with heat at the very sudden and very raw look of desire that crossed Aslin’s face a second before he cupped his hand around her elbow and guided her inside the empty elevator.