Hot Pursuit - Denise A. Agnew [42]
“Cute,” he said with a smile as he folded her in his arms and they huddled under the covers.
“What is?” she asked with a yawn.
“Your pajamas.”
She laughed, and the soft rumble vibrated against him. “I’m freezing still.”
He rubbed her shoulders and back. “If I wasn’t bruised up and damned tired, I’d make sure you got hot. Fast.”
She laughed again, this time with a higher-pitched giggle filled with genuine mirth. She propped up on one elbow and gazed down at him. Dark shadows marred her eyes, but so did a relief he wanted to understand.
Seriousness pushed away the joking expression she’d worn moments ago. She sat up, sitting cross-legged next to him.
He tucked his hands behind his head. “You were wonderful at the hospital.”
“What?” Clearly she didn’t expect him to say that.
“You were wonderful. You came to see me, number one, and to make sure I was okay.” He touched her knee, cupped her flannel-clad skin. “More than that, you were fantastic with Danny’s parents.”
Her gaze met his and tears mounted. Ah, Jesus, he hadn’t meant for her to cry. But she did, and though he wasn’t one hundred percent sure why, he didn’t need the answer. He held his arms out to her, and she came into them without hesitation. He wrapped her close, felt her tears moisten his chest. She wasn’t sobbing, her tears silent.
She sighed. “Thank you. Of course I would want to see you. And Danny’s parents are nice people. They’re so worried about him.”
“With good reason.”
“Yes. For more than his injuries.”
“You told them about the whisky bottle in the car?”
She stroked her hand, which was no longer cold, over his chest. “Didn’t have to. The police did. He’ll be charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence at the very least. I think at first his parents thought you’d press more charges.”
He shook his head. “Ain’t worth it. He’s already facing some bad times with the military.”
“I have to go and see him, you know. When he’s well enough for visitors.”
Vic didn’t want her to see him, and yet he did. Mendoza had to know once and for all that she was off-limits.
“I don’t have feelings for him any more, Vic.” Her voice held absolute reassurance.
Damn straight. The possessiveness zinged through his blood was hot and fast.
He tightened his arms around her. “Yeah, that’s for certain.” He almost gritted his teeth. “You should see him.”
She kissed his chest. “Thank you for understanding.”
“You’re welcome.”
Quiet covered them for so long, he thought maybe she’d fallen asleep. Then she said, “I didn’t finish telling you something.” She took a huge breath, as if she might be going for a swim and said, “When I met you I had an attitude about military men. You know that.”
“It’s understandable.”
She tapped his chin with her index finger. “Still, I shouldn’t have had the attitude. All military men are not alike. I know there are plenty of men out there that women don’t hit on all the time, and those men still cheat. I’ve come to realize that someone, man or woman, will cheat if they want to. It wasn’t the military that made those guys cheat. They would have cheated no matter what job they had. I just had blinders on and was attracted to them the same way I attracted the wrong friends in high school. Yes, you’re a gorgeous man and other women are going to see that. And no matter what you do for a living, I trust you and want to take a chance.” She caressed his face, touched him with reverence. “I know it’s too early. It’s too amazing to be real. But I almost lost you tonight in that car wreck. So I want you to know, even if you don’t feel the same. I’m falling for you, Victor Moore.”
His chest expanded, but not from breath. From the beauty of her words, the comfort, the sense of home and happiness her statement gave him. No woman, other than his mother, had ever expressed love to him, and this was new and fresh and amazing. He wanted it with a fierceness, a raw emotion, a punch that hit him in the gut. With