All I got was a nod.
I sat back down and smiled at the receptionist as I draped an arm over Siren’s good shoulder. She stiffened but I brought my lips to her ear. “Lean into me,” I quietly commanded.
Two heartbeats later, she relented.
I gently rubbed her shoulder and tried to ignore how she felt like she belonged under my arm. “How ya doin’?”
“Tired.”
I doubt she got any sleep last night. Neither did I but I’d been trained to handle it. “Close your eyes, darlin’.” I pulled her closer, rested my head against the wall and shut my own eyes. Jesus, that felt good.
“You smell nice,” she said quietly.
She smelled like everything I shouldn’t want. “You comin’ on to me?”
She ignored me. “It’s like coconuts and the beach.”
Plenty of women had paid me the same compliment over the years but coming from this Siren who didn’t flirt or waste words, it meant more than it should. “Surf wax and shampoo. I can’t take the credit.”
“I like it.”
Pretending she didn’t just give me a rush, I looked down at her and lazy smiled. “I’m glad.”
Her head on my shoulder, she studied me. “How come you don’t have a girlfriend?”
I couldn’t help myself, I fingered a strand of her hair. The soft waves fell across my hand like silk. “I thought you said I had a reputation?”
“You do. Is that why you don’t have a girlfriend?”
The question, coming from her, especially while she was curled up against me, wasn’t one I wanted to answer. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes again. “I’m not a one-woman kinda guy.”
“How long were you in the Marines?”
I peeked at her. “We playin’ twenty questions?”
“No.”
I nodded and closed my eyes again. “Six years. My turn. Why didn’t you go home to Ocala?”
“It’s not my home anymore. Why did you leave the Marines?”
Because my wife died and I had a mental fucking breakdown. “Wasn’t into it anymore.”
“Hm.” But it wasn’t an acknowledgement hm, it was an I-know-you’re-lying hm.
“Nicole Archer?”
I stood and pulled Nic up, but when I saw the nurse, I silently cursed.
“Oh.” The nurse faltered. “Hi, Talon.”
Shit. I couldn’t even remember her name. But I remembered what she could do with her tongue. “Hey,” I said warily as Nic looked between us.
Thank God Tongue Nurse turned her attention to Nic. With a sympathetic expression, she looked at her face. “That looks painful.”
“Surfing accident,” Nic lied casually.
“It happens.” Tongue Nurse politely nodded and led us into a room but not before giving me the stare of death over her shoulder.
Normally I didn’t give a shit about this type of thing, but with Nic there I felt like a fucking tool. “She’s got a possible scaphoid fracture on her right wrist,” I said, “and I’m concerned about a zygomatic fracture. She needs X-rays.” Holding Nic’s waist, I lifted her onto the exam table.
Tongue Nurse eyed me suspiciously. “You seem familiar with medial terms.”
“He was a medic in the Marines,” Nic supplied.
“Really?” Tongue Nurse stepped forward and started examining Nic. “I’m sure you saw a lot of fractures then.” She turned Nic’s head to the side. “Did you lose consciousness when you hit your head?”
Nic said “No” the same time I said “Yes.”
I glared at her and she caved.
“Maybe for a few seconds,” Nic admitted.
“And this was…” She checked the paperwork. “Yesterday?”
The tone in Tongue Nurse’s voice and the fact that she directed the question at me said it all. “I was out of town until this mornin’ or I would’ve brought her in sooner.” I didn’t know why the hell I was explaining myself.
“Let’s get some X-rays and we’ll have the doctor take a look. Talon, you can wait here.”
Ignoring Tongue Nurse, I helped Nic off the table. “You want me to come with you, darlin’?”
“No, thank you.”
Watching her try not to limp as she walked out of the room made my protective instincts kick into high gear. “I’m comin’ with.” I took a step toward Siren.
Tongue Nurse held a hand out and almost smiled at me. “I’ll take good care of her.”
The door shut before I could react and my cell vibrated in my pocket. When I saw the display, I cursed. “What’s up?”
André sighed. “You’re not going to like it.”