“Don’t be an idiot.” She stubbornly pocketed the keys. “You heard Pike. You’re one of us now.” She took his good arm and pulled. He stayed rooted in his spot.
“Raven—”
“So help me, don’t give me this crap. Move.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Are you going to ground me if I don’t?”
“You don’t want to find out.”
He gave her a slow smile. “Actually, I think I might.”
“Aren’t you a funny man? Come on.” She opened the door and dragged him right through the lodge into the family kitchen, ignoring the looks they received from guests lounging around the main room. “Sit.” She pulled out a chair and waited for him to take a seat.
“This isn’t necessary,” he said, still standing.
“That’s enough.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “I’m not buying the tough guy act. You can pretend all you want, but you need me right now.”
He grabbed her hand before she drilled a hole in his chest. “I’ve always needed you, Raven” he whispered, his heart pumping hard.
Something soft flickered in her eyes before she blinked. She pulled her hand free and reached for the phone.
He fell into the chair with a groan as she called Eva. When she finished, she refused to meet his gaze, instead busied herself by grabbing the first aid kit from the cabinet, setting it on the table, taking out peroxide, bandages, and scissors. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he took in the items.
“Do you want a stiff drink before we take your coat off?”
He shook his head. What he needed was to know what her look had meant. “We should move out of the kitchen for this. Is my room still free?”
“No. The lodge is full. A snow machining group came in for the weekend.” She reached over to help him struggle out of his coat, all business. She worked the parka easily free of his left arm and then started on the right. Blood had soaked into the dark fabric, making it wet and sticky. “Are you sure the bullet just grazed you?” she asked, her voice catching.
Aidan closed his eyes for a moment of strength as they worked the material down his arm. The arm had been a dull throb, now without the coat, the wound started to pulse with pain. “Not totally.”
“You’re going to need a new parka.”
“I didn’t get my money’s worth out of this one. Think Tiny Tom will give me a discount as a repeat customer?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work as she saw the wound.
“Oh, Aidan.” She cut at the fabric of his shirt with the scissors, revealing the extent of the damage. “Why don’t you rethink that drink?” She swallowed.
Aidan glanced at his arm. Blood slowly bubbled out of the ragged edges of torn flesh. He turned away. “Damn, I shouldn’t have looked.” He clenched his jaw.
“Where the hell is Eva?”
He heard tears in her voice. She went to work on the buttons of his shirt, and he watched her face. Her eyes were focused on her movements as her fingers carefully slid open each button, but he caught the tightening of her mouth, her ragged breathing. Realization warmed his insides. She was scared. Scared for him.
“Hey.” He caught her hands. “I’m going to be fine.” He smoothed back the loose strands of dark hair that had escaped her braid, and cupped her jaw. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
Her lower lip trembled, and a tear blinked to run unfettered down her cheek. “You could have died out there today.”
His heart thumped so hard in his chest, he felt something break free. Gently he kissed her lips, tasting the salt of her tears. Tears for him. Her lips quivered under his, and then she was clutching the sides of his face, her mouth pressing harder against his. He groaned and pulled her down to sit on his lap.
“Well,” Eva snickered, bustling into the room, a smile splitting her face as Raven jumped out of his arms, a blush firing in her cheeks. “Glad to know the bullet didn’t slow you down.” She took in Aidan’s condition, a frown replacing the grin. “I hope patching you up isn’t going to become a full time job.”
Lynx and Pike followed in Eva’s wake. Raven backed up out of the way, moving to lean against the counter. Her eyes hooded as though what had just happened between them, had shaken her up more than the events of the day.
“What’s this I hear about you getting shot?” Pike asked, all bite and bluster. He already had his forty-five holstered on his hip. “Raven, you okay?”
“F-fine.” Her eyes narrowed over the firepower. “Lynx, you too?”