Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“You did good,” I said.
“Yeah,” Avery agreed with a sigh. “Yeah, we did good. For tonight.”
“I know this part’s not great,” the nurse murmured, but I don’t think you’ll need stitches.” She fastened what looked like a butterfly bandage over the deepest part of the cut, pulling the sides of the torn skin together until the cut almost disappeared. “We’ll start antibiotics since we don’t know where that blade was, but it’s not too bad. It should heal up without much of a scar. We just need to take a look at that head.” She finished bandaging Avery’s arm. “Hang tight for a few minutes. I’ll be back to bring you up for the scan, okay?”
“Okay,” Avery said.
The nurse laughed, and her eyes flicked to me. I nodded, understanding. “I’ll make sure she stays put.”
“West,” Avery said, “I’m okay.”
I didn’t know what to say. Technically, she was okay. I wanted her under guard until we figured out what the fuck was going on, but did she need me sitting next to her bed holding her hand? Probably not. I could have stood up, untangled my fingers from hers, and stood guard in the hallway. I could have, but I didn’t.
I leaned in close until my forehead rested against hers and murmured, “You scared the shit out of me.”
And then I did the thing I’d wanted to do most. The thing I’d told myself I definitely wasn’t going to do. All my logic, all my defenses fell apart at the thought of how close she’d come, how much damage that knife could have done. I tilted my head and pressed my lips to hers, wondering what she would do.
Pull back?
Slap me?
Ask me what the hell I thought I was doing?
She didn’t do any of that. Instead, she lifted her mouth to mine, her lips warm, giving. I cupped her face in my hands, feeling the throb of her pulse under my fingertips as I parted my lips and kissed her again, longer, deeper, my tongue sliding against hers, tasting Avery.
And I was lost. The soft rush of her breath, her lips curious and eager against mine. I didn’t want to stop kissing her. I couldn’t remember why I should. Shifting, I slid my hand to cup the back of her head, lifting her mouth to mine, my other arm wrapping around her waist, easing her closer. Her good hand came up, her fingers wrapping around the back of my neck, pulling me in, a low moan vibrating in her throat.
Fuck, I was in trouble. So much trouble, I didn’t hear the beeping. Not until the footsteps squeaked behind me and Avery went still against me.
Then the shrill, urgent alarm cut through the haze in my brain, right along with the glare of Avery’s nurse. “Behave yourselves and stop messing with my sensors,” she ordered. I thought there was a glint of amusement in her eyes, but that might have been wishful thinking.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, settling Avery back against the pillow, my hand finding hers and giving it a squeeze. Her eyes, when they met mine, were wide with panic. Over getting caught or from kissing me? If it was from the kiss, she wasn’t the only one.
Part of my brain was going off with clanging alarms that matched those coming from her heart rate sensor. I’d kissed her because I wanted to. Needed to. Even though it was the last thing I should do. She was lying in a hospital bed, possibly with a head injury, for fuck’s sake. I was the police chief and her brother’s best friend. So many fucking reasons I shouldn’t have kissed her.
Reality was, I didn’t give a shit about any of the reasons I shouldn’t have kissed her. Something had happened inside me when I’d seen her on the ground by the barn. Maybe I could have put aside the vision of her in her vampire costume. Maybe. That hint of cleavage would have tortured me. But everything had changed at the prospect of losing her.
I wasn’t going to turn away from Avery Sawyer. I wasn’t going to forget our kiss. And neither was she.
Chapter Eleven
WEST
By the time Griffen walked in the room, followed by Hawk, I was sitting a respectable distance from Avery, nothing to hint at what had happened except for my fingers still tangled in hers. Griffen didn’t miss a thing, his eyes lighting on our clasped hands for a split second that was just long enough.
I’d deal with that later. My stomach was twisting at the thought of telling my oldest friend I’d kissed his sister. It would be awkward, probably uncomfortable, but that wasn’t enough to scare me away. Not from Avery. Not now. I don’t know what I had intended with that kiss. Maybe a brush of the lips to test the waters. That was assuming I was thinking at all. I hadn’t expected her response. If I’d known she could kiss like that—