“I’d prefer not to talk about it at all, but I’m done hiding it.” He glanced at her, and at the uncertainty in his eyes she smiled, nodding for him to go on. “I can’t ask any of you to back me up if I’m not honest with you. So, yeah, the flashbacks scare the shit out of me . . . that I might have one in the middle of a situation again. The thing is, if Riley’s life is on the line, I think I can power through it. My next appointment is Friday afternoon, and if the head doc disagrees, I’ll tell you.”
Riley could tell it was killing him to admit he had a problem, but he had, and in front of those whose opinions he valued the most. He was a beautiful, brave man, and she fell a little in love with him sitting there, surrounded by his teammates. She wished they were alone so she could wrap her arms around him and hold him close, but settled for putting her hand on his bouncing knee. His leg stilled, and he covered her hand with his.
“Fair enough,” Logan said. He glanced around the table, his gaze landing on her last, and staying there. “Anyone have a problem with that?”
She waited until everyone else had chimed in, all of them good with Cody’s offer, before speaking. “I trust Cody with my life.” There was nothing to add to that, no caveat, no buts.
Cody’s gaze landed on her, and she was probably the only one who heard his quiet expel of breath, as if he’d been holding it, expecting to hear her say just the opposite. It got very quiet, and she glanced around to see everyone watching her with knowing smiles on their faces.
“Welcome to the club, Dog,” Logan mysteriously said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Call me after your appointment.”
After he left, the others filed out, each one touching both Cody’s shoulder and hers. It felt like she’d just been initiated into some kind of society she knew nothing about. Maria was the last to leave, and she gave both Cody and Riley a hug. Then she left while humming the “Wedding March.”
Riley frowned at Maria’s back as she left. “What’s up with that?”
“Damned if I know,” Cody said right before he put his hand behind her neck, pulled her to him, and kissed her so hard and possessively that she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone her name if asked.
And guess what, she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was forget her problems and lose herself in this man and the mouth he had fused to hers. Okay, she definitely wanted more than that, but jeez, they were at his place of work and it probably would be frowned upon if she threw herself onto the table and hollered, “Yes! Yes! Oh God, yes! Take me right here, right now.”
Cody broke away and put his forehead against hers, his heavy breaths warming her face. “There are security cameras in every part of this place. Unless we want to be the X-rated show of the day, let’s get out of here.”
“I’m ready. We have just enough time to grab some lunch before my doctor’s appointment, where I will be pronounced well enough to have sex.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her next to him. “Please, God, let it be so.”
It wasn’t so. “I’m sorry,” she said for the third time as she and Cody walked up to her door. Although tempted to deny it, she’d admitted to still having headaches when asked. They weren’t as bad as the first three days, but they hadn’t gone entirely away, so she was still under a no-sex order. As a doctor, she understood the seriousness of a concussion and couldn’t argue, but she was disappointed.
“Darlin’, you’re worth waiting for.”
That was about the best thing he could have said. He put his hand on the back of her neck, and she leaned her cheek against his shoulder. She’d never been a touchy-feely woman, but she could change her mind about that where Cody was concerned. Everything about him called to her. She inhaled his spicy man scent as she leaned into his strong body, liking how well she fit against him.
“I sure hope so. The doctor said if my headaches are gone by Saturday, then I’m good to go. Wanna make another Saturday night sex date?”
“You really have to ask a man that question?” He grinned as he took her keys from her and unlocked the door, ushering her in with his hand on the small of her back.
“What was I thinking?” His expression changed from teasing to what she could only describe as warrior mode as he pushed her behind him, but not before she saw Arthur’s lifeless body on the middle of the floor and the mess that was her living room.
“Arthur!” She was only dimly aware of Cody reaching into his boot and coming back up with a gun in his hand. When she tried to push past him to get to her cat, he put out an arm, stopping her.