Marked (14 page)

“Oral?” he asked, and Cacy almost giggled at the hopeful note in his voice.

“I’m afraid not. You need a massive dose, and the only way to do it is through injection.” She held up the capped injector pen.

He shook his head. “I’ll take my chances. I’ve got a healthy immune system.”

She touched his face, running her fingers along his cheekbone. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of needles, Sergeant Margolis.”

He stood up, put his hands on her shoulders, and guided her out of the shower stall. “Can we talk about this sometime when I don’t smell like a sewer?”

He turned his back to her, facing the showerhead. When the steaming spray hit his face, he moaned. Cacy tucked a bar of antibacterial soap into his hand and took a step back. For a moment, he seemed to forget she was there. He twisted so that the water was on his back, and Cacy stood there, mouth agape. The water streamed over his dark-blond hair, down the planes of his handsome face, and fell in rivers across the hard ridges of muscle on his abs. Cacy locked her knees as the rush of warmth between her legs nearly sent her to the floor.

“I’ll get a towel,” she squeaked, then spun and headed down the hall, cursing Eli all the way. She grabbed a towel from the rack and walked in a slow, determined stride up the hall.

She peeked into the shower room to see Eli leaning against the wall, his hands spread against the tile on either side of the
showerhead
. Lather streamed down his legs and pooled at his feet. The muscles of his back were flexed, like he was trying to hold himself up. Without even thinking about it, she dropped the towel, tucked the capped injector pen in the back pocket of her skirt, and ducked under his arm, soaking herself in the process but not caring at all. She took his face in her hands.

“Hey,” she said softly, “are you still with me?”

He squinted, like he was working hard to bring her face into focus. “Just a headache.”

She threaded her fingers through his hair and found the knot on the back of his head. Both of them winced at the same time. “We can scoot over to the hospital for a scan after we clean you up.”

“No hospitals.” He leaned his head on her shoulder. “Please. I hate those places. The front door is as far as I go.”

The pleading in his voice pricked at Cacy’s heart.
He’d
been willing to walk into the hospital when
she’d
needed him. For him to be unwilling to go there himself, something must have happened to him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what. It hurt enough to know that it had, which told her she was in some trouble. She already cared about him too much. Somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, part of her was screaming to back off, to stay professional. But it was easy to ignore right now, with Eli here and needing her.

She let him lean on her, the warmth of his breath on her neck drawing her nipples tight against the fabric of her tank top. “You can’t stay in here forever.”
But I wish we could.

He groaned. “A few more minutes. It feels so good.” He raised his head and opened his eyes, and it was like he was just fully understanding she was in there with him. “You’re . . . wet.”

She smiled at the dawning realization in his eyes. “It’s all right. I don’t mind.”

His gaze dropped to her breasts, which were easily visible through the thin white fabric. “You’re very wet.”

Watching his gaze go from dazed to hungry gave her an idea. “I am very wet,” she said, and that was true in more ways than one. She lifted her chin so their lips were a few inches apart. “Does that bother you?”

His laugh was low and rough. “It bothers me quite a lot, actually.” She looked down to see the head of his cock peeking over the waist of his soaked boxer briefs.
Oh.
She was trying to distract him, but now all she could think about was touching him. With her hands. With her mouth.

Focus, Cacy.

“Do you want me to leave?” she asked, moving a little closer. His breath smelled like whiskey and the minty antibacterial mouth rinse.

“Cacy . . . are you playing with me?” He lowered his head until their noses were almost touching. Water from his hair dripped onto her face.

She licked her lips and slowly reached forward, touching the tips of her fingers to the head of his shaft. She skimmed over the top slowly, feeling him jerk in response. He let out a breath and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. The look in his emerald-green eyes set her on fire, but she couldn’t tell if they held anger or desire. Maybe both. His lips parted, and then he pulled her close and kissed her, his lips crashing down on hers with a desperation she could taste. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed her against him, allowing her to feel the thick jut of him against her belly.

She slid her arms around his neck and ran her tongue along the seam of his lips as her world tilted on its axis. It had been a long time since
she’d
been with a guy, but even so, it had never felt like this. All the safety of being near Eli was there; it was like the rest of the world took a full step back and fell silent, unable to touch her when he was with her. But there was danger as well. The heat of his smooth skin, the tension coiling in the muscles of his arms and chest, the shaking need she felt as his hands slid under her tank top and up her back. He kept himself under such control, but Cacy could tell there was something wild lurking beneath the surface. She wanted to be the one to bring it out.

She kissed him deep, relishing the thrust of his tongue against hers. He moaned and backed her up against the wall of the stall, causing the capped injector pen to poke her. Through the mindless desire spiraling within her, the need to feel him as close as possible, it reminded her how she had gotten to this madness in the first place.

Better get this over with. As healthy as he appeared, Eli was human, and he would be incredibly sick if he didn’t get the heavy dose of antibiotic in her back pocket very soon. As much as she was desperate for him and afraid he might hate her in a minute, it had to be done. It was probably better this way.

Still kissing him breathless, she pulled out the injector pen. Eli’s hands were busy, one now tangled in her hair, one cupping a breast. He rubbed his thumb over the tight bud of her nipple. She gasped and saw stars behind her closed eyelids. He growled and rocked against her. It sent a hard thrill right through her that his control was starting to break. She wanted it. She wanted him. She wanted to be the one who drove him crazy. But getting involved with him was probably a mistake, and if she let this go on much longer, they would hit the point of no return.

She ran her free hand down his back, his muscles taut under her touch. Her fingers wiggled beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs and inched them down over his hips. His erection sprang free and rubbed against the bare skin of her belly, making them both moan. Eli’s hand dropped to her thigh, where he started to draw her skirt up.
Oh God.
The throb between her legs made her tremble. She wanted him to lift her up. She wanted to wrap her legs around his hips. She wanted him inside her.

As he bowed his head and kissed her neck, his fingers slipping along the seam of her panties, she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. The pain was just enough to keep her sane and focused. She skimmed her other arm around his waist, flipped the cap off the injector pen, and, with a regretful, silent apology to Eli, stabbed it into the round, hard muscle of his butt.

Eli jerked in her arms and froze. Cacy pulled the pen away from his skin, pressed the lid closed, and cleared her throat. “It had to be done, Eli. You needed it.”

His hand was still on her breast, and he rolled her nipple gently between his finger and thumb, sending jolts of pure pleasure straight to her core. He raised his head and made sure she was looking at him. “I guess the joke was on me? This was all a distraction so you could jam a needle in my ass?”

This was it. Her out. She could pull away and make light of it. And thank God he hadn’t gotten her panties off, because if his fingers had slipped between her legs, he would have felt exactly how much she wanted him, exactly how ready she was, exactly how far this was from a joke. Maybe
he’d
buy that it was just a trick. Sure, he would hate her, but it would protect them both. She had secrets to keep. He had a life to live. And he was probably safer leading it away from her.
Especially
now.

His hand slid down her belly and around her hips, and her body responded automatically, flexing forward, hungry for him. “Are you going to lie to me, Cacy?” His voice was low in her ear, and she shivered.

All right, maybe he wouldn’t buy it after all.

“Cacy? Eli?” Dec’s voice echoed off the tiles.

Cacy spun herself away from Eli and stepped out of the stall. Dec’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”

Cacy held out the spent injector pen and pointed to the small pile of used supplies at her feet. “I was making sure you didn’t lose a good paramedic to botulism, cholera, leptospirosis, or typhoid. You?” She licked her lips, hoping they weren’t too swollen from Eli’s kiss. God, that man could kiss. She folded her arms over her chest.

Dec nodded, but his eyes skimmed over her dripping-wet clothes and hair. “Is he all right?”

“I’m fine, Chief,” called Eli from the stall, sounding perfectly friendly, though Cacy could detect the edge in his voice.

“Glad to hear it,” answered Dec. He looked back at Cacy. “Concussion?”

“Mild. Pupils equal and reactive to light. Oriented to person, place, and time.” She continued to rattle off information about Eli’s physical and mental condition, hoping to bore Dec into leaving them alone. She hadn’t yet decided what she wanted to say to Eli, and she knew they weren’t done talking. But Dec stood there, listening, annoyingly attentive.

“I can call a company car for him. He doesn’t need to ride the bus home,” Dec said when she was finished. “Are you sure he doesn’t need a scan?”

“No scan needed, sir,” called Eli. The water switched off.

Cacy picked the towel up from the floor and held it out to Eli without looking in his direction. He took it from her. She heard the wet slap of his boxer briefs hitting the floor of the stall and had to force herself not to turn toward him.

Dec was staring at Cacy with a distinctly suspicious gleam in his eye. “You went a bit over and above tonight,” he said softly.

She glared at him. “He’s my partner.”

“You punched our night supervisor. And kneed him in the balls. And kicked him. You broke one of his ribs, Cace.”

She shrugged. “I’ll send him flowers. What are you going to do, fire me?”

“Don’t tempt me,” he growled.

Eli stepped from the stall, the towel slung low on his waist. Cacy swallowed hard, rocked by her lingering, unsated desire. But Eli didn’t look at her. His eyes were focused on Dec. “I’m sorry about the fight, Chief.”

Dec gave Eli an appraising look. “Manny has a cracked rib, too. And Gil’s pretty banged up. You took three of my paramedics off the roster for Monday. Want to tell me why?”

Eli stared at Dec’s feet. “Manny and Gil were self-defense, sir. Len is more debatable.” Eli didn’t see it, because his eyes were on the floor, but Cacy saw Dec working hard not to laugh at Eli’s cryptic assessment. She wondered what the fight was really about. Eli raised his head. “I’d appreciate it if you gave me another chance, though I’ll understand if you want to transfer me.”

Cacy’s mouth dropped open. “You are
not
getting transferred.”

Dec put his hands on his hips, any humor erased from his face. “Isn’t that my call?”

Cacy clenched her teeth. “You’re
not
transferring him. I know Len, and this was his fault. Three against one! How is that fair? And I bet—”

Dec held up his hands. “
Cacy.
It’s been an incredibly long day for all of us, and I think it’s time to go home. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Dec was using his superpatient voice, which meant he was one smartass comment away from losing his shit. Cacy didn’t argue further.

Eli touched her shoulder. The look on his face was so sad that it stole her breath. “Thanks for looking out for me, Cacy. I really appreciate it.” His hand fell away from her, and he walked down the hall and into the locker room without a backward glance.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

E
li turned down Dec’s offer of a company car and took the bus, unable to stomach more exposure to the Psychopomps empire. It only reminded him how far he was from Cacy’s world. He leaned back against the hard vinyl seat and closed his eyes, trying to will away the throb in his head. And in other places. He was still trying to figure out which parts of this evening had actually happened. Thoughts swirled and gusted in his brain, splitting apart and leaving odd gaps. He remembered the taste of whiskey. The flash of Cacy’s smile. The aching sight of her dancing with tears in her eyes. The satisfaction of his fist smashing into Len’s face. The sick, tilting feeling of falling. Glowing red eyes. A bone-splintering chill and the comfort of Cacy’s arm around his waist, pulling him close. All of it was hazy and seemed only half-real.

But those moments in the shower . . . he was pretty certain
they
had been branded into his memory forever.
He’d
been out of it, dizzy and hurting, barely able to remember how
he’d
gotten there, but Cacy’s touch had made it all go away. While her hands were on him, while her smooth skin was beneath his fingers, all he could think of was her scent, her taste.
Her.

And apparently, all
she’d
been thinking of was injecting him with an antibiotic.

But . . .
he’d
been certain there was real desire in her eyes, certain
he’d
felt the eager quiver of her body as
he’d
touched her. It had been enough to make him forget everything else, to make him willing to risk everything for a chance with her. Then it had all turned out to be a distraction.
Another
distraction. That’s what Cacy was all about. Drawing attention away from what was really going on.

He couldn’t handle it anymore.
He’d
been seconds away from taking her right there in the shower stall. Seconds from getting caught by her brother.

On Monday, when he returned to work, he was going to ask Dec to transfer him. Or to place him with a different partner. No matter how much he loved working with Cacy, his feelings for her were going to get him in trouble. Knowing she felt nothing for him made it both better and worse.

He trudged up the hallway toward his apartment, but the door opened before he could reach it. “Oh, thank God. I was worried!” Galena came jogging down the hallway, took the bag of ruined clothes from him, and ducked under his arm.

“What are you talking about? You knew I’d be late.” He leaned against her gratefully.

“Cacy called me. She got my number from your emergency contacts. She told me what happened.”

Eli winced at the mention of her name. “And I’m sure she made it sound worse than it actually is.”

Galena laughed as she helped him through the doorway of their unit. “She said you’d make it sound better than it actually is.” She guided him into his bedroom and pointed to his uniform, which had been the only clean thing he had to wear home. “Do you need help getting that off?”

“I’m not an invalid,” he snapped, then instantly regretted his tone. “I’m sorry, G. It’s been such a long night.” He fell back on his bed.

“Are you not going to be up for tonight?” she whispered.

Tonight? Oh, shit. The fund-raiser.
He squeezed his eyes shut. No, he wasn’t up for it. “I wouldn’t miss it. After some sleep I’ll be good as new.”

Galena leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “You are the best little brother ever.”

Because I have the best big sister.
He sighed as he heard her walk away and shut the door. With shaking hands, he unzipped his uniform and peeled it off, then collapsed back on his bed and welcomed the smothering blanket of unconsciousness that descended over him.

He dreamed of Cacy. That spicy scent, her warmth, so real. He let it take him, didn’t even try to fight it. He didn’t have the strength. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Her hands were on his face, on his arms, stroking.
I’m here,
she said.
I’m here.

He smiled, wishing it were true, because that would mean he meant something to her. She smoothed the hair from his face, kissing his eyelids and nose.
Be all right,
she whispered.
Please be all right.

He felt her body against his, her arm around his waist, her head on his shoulder. He let the lush heat of her roll over him, thinking this was all he wanted from her—this closeness, this warmth.
Don’t go,
he wanted to say.
I’ll do anything. Just don’t go.

Her breath was on his neck.
I’m here.

He sank into the feeling, the dream of Cacy pressing him into a deep ocean of rest.