Sniper Fire (Love in the Crosshairs) (26 page)

Kyle blinked, still a bit stunned by Pen’s suggestion. He’d always loved working on cars. A bum leg wouldn’t be that much of a hindrance for a mechanic, would it? He was already starting to compensate some, too, just like the doctor’s had said.

He laid a hand carefully on his leg. If he had that knee replacement surgery and that popular whatever artery surgery, he might could get around even better. At least enough to run his own garage. The idea brought a smile to his lips. His own garage.
Fagan’s Garage.
Damn if that didn’t have a nice ring to it. He’d need to talk it over with Farrah…

Or would he?

Farrah had left him. Did that mean she was done with him? True, he’d told her he loved her, but he hadn’t given her a chance to reply. Had he scared her away? The possibility made him physically ill. He fumbled around on the bed for the nurse call button. The pain was growing, too, getting worse. He couldn’t think straight. Didn’t want to think at all. Not if it meant Farrah had decided he wasn’t worth her trouble. God, she’d killed a man for him. Could she ever forgive him for that?

A nurse pushed her way into the room, smiled at him, and started taking his vitals. She chatted while she did so, but he barely paid her any attention. Not until she also pointed out the neat morphine button that he immediately took advantage of. When the drug kicked in, he didn’t fight it. The pain of his body eased off, but the one in his heart remained. Still, he drifted off, wondering what life would have been like if Farrah cared for him half as much as he did for her.

****

The room was bathed in shadows when Kyle woke up again. The machine next to his bed beeped softly, small lights winking at him. More light came from the hall beyond the door, which was partially closed. He could hear the murmur of voices outside. Another noise came from nearby, sounding suspiciously like a soft snore. Kyle turned his head. A mass of red-gold hair lay next to him on the bed, cradled by a pale arm decorated with several small adhesive bandages.

Kyle stilled. Was it really her?

Slowly, half-afraid she’d disappear, he lifted a hand to touch her to be sure. He jerked back in surprise when the wealth of hair popped up at his first touch, revealing Farrah’s gorgeous, sleep-wrinkled face.

“Oh, you’re awake finally. Thank God!” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his forehead. She smiled. Kyle found himself smiling back at her, relief making him feel strong and weak both at the same time.

“You’re here.”

She ran her fingers through his hair. “Where else would I be?”

“Penwell said you’d gone back to work.”

“Only for an hour. I needed to arrange for someone to take my patients for the next couple of weeks.”

He tried to hold back the frown, but didn’t have the strength. “You going somewhere?”

She snorted softly. “Not hardly. You see, I have this one particular patient who’s so cranky, he demands all my attention.”

A warm glow began deep in his chest. “Does he, now?”

“Oh yes.”

“Maybe you should put the son of a—”

She pressed a finger against his lips. “You know, we’re really going to have to work on your vocabulary.”

He pursed his lips to kiss her finger. “Sorry, I’ll try to keep the swearing to a minimum. I might not always remember, though.”

“Hmmm, maybe all you need is the right incentive. What if, when you catch yourself and use something a little less colorful, I promise to…” She bent and whispered in his ear. Her erotic suggestion sent a surge of blood straight to his groin. The machine monitoring his heart stuttered and jumped into overtime as his erection swelled like it was connected to an air compressor. He cleared his throat.

“Um, sounds great, but I think we might need a license for some of that to be legal.”

Farrah cocked her head. “Why Mr. Fagan, if I didn’t know better, I might think that was a proposal.”

He swallowed hard. Please, God, don’t let him mess this up now. He took her hand, caressing her soft skin with his thumb. He met her gaze and held it. “What if it was?”

She stared at him. For a long moment, she didn’t say a word. He waited, saying nothing, almost afraid she wouldn’t answer. Then, “Well, in that case, I guess I’d have to say yes.”

Relief drenched him like a bucket of water. He grinned. “For real?”

She stroked his cheek. “Yes, for real and always.”

The blast of euphoria that blew through him was better than a ton of morphine. Pain? What pain?

He pulled her to him. “Come ’ere, woman.” Their lips met. Kyle wasted no time in rushing in to taste her again. She was even better than he remembered. The sweetness of her sent a rush of desire through him. Damn, how he wanted her. Their tongues met and dueled, happiness pouring into him each second like a spring shower. He tugged a little harder, pulling Farrah onto the bed with him. She snuggled in, careful of his leg, her lips trailing kisses along his jaw and down his throat. He felt her hands on his chest and wished desperately that the damn hospital gown was gone. He wanted her hands on him. He wanted his hands on her. Skin to bare skin, just like back at the pond—

A knock sounded on the door.

He wanted some damn-it-to-hell privacy!

“Oh! I guess I can come back a little later to check your vitals.” The male nurse at the door chuckled. “They’d be all over the place right now anyway.” He left, pulling the door closed behind him.

Farrah giggled and tried to sit up.

“Where do you think you’re going,” Kyle growled. “I’m not done yet.”

She smiled and snuggled next to him again, running her fingers down his chest and stomach, making his muscles jump. “And what might you have in mind that could possibly be safe to do in a hospital room?”

Kyle grimaced. Time to surrender. “Talk, I guess. You know those pamphlets you were passing around?”

Her wandering fingers stilled. He could see the hope in her eyes, guarded though it was. “Yes?”

“Well, if I’m going to stand up in front of a church full of people, I should probably go ahead with those operations you were pushing at me.”

Her slow smile reminded him of a rainbow after a thunderstorm, too beautiful for words and full of promise. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. Not to mention you’ll be able to get around your new garage better.”

He fell back on the pillow and groaned. “You’ve been talking to Penwell.”

The smug look she gave him would have done a cat justice. “Of course, who do you think gave him the idea in the first place?” She raised an eyebrow and reached down to pat the thick bandage around his leg gently. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re already scheduled for one of those operations.”

He gave her a mock scowl. She’d surprised him. That she could do that to him so easily didn’t bode well for his future peace of mind. “I am?”

“Yes.” Her expression sobered. “You tore things up pretty bad when you kneed Craddoc. Bad move, by the way. Gutsy, but still bad for you.”

“I was hoping to hit him with the brace.”

“You missed.”

“Still took him down though, didn’t I? And don’t you need my permission for an operation?”

“Not necessarily,” she said airily. “Next of kin works just fine when you’re unconscious, and you were still out when we arrived. I have your mother’s phone number and she was more than happy to fax me a signed release form.”

“What about the doctor? Wasn’t he supposed to be some kind of specialist?”

“He is.” The look she gave him now started out pensive, but quickly morphed into mutinous. “I called Dr. Powell four days ago and asked if he could fly in for a consultation. Considering you’re such a decorated veteran, he agreed. He’ll be here tomorrow.”

Kyle tried to hold on to his scowl, but failed miserably. He leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. “Are you always going to be such a pushy female?”

“Probably.” Her body relaxed in a way that told him she’d been worried over his reaction to her high-handedness. She curled into his embrace, all but purring. “Are you always going to be such a stubborn male?”

“Da—I mean, darn right.”

Farrah looked up at him, her eyes narrowing seductively. She leaned forward to brush her lips against his. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

“Do I have to wait until after the wedding for my reward?”

Her hand slipped under the sheet and drifted down, caressing that part of him that was not only silky hard, but hot and throbbing. “Not at all,” she said. “I believe in
instant
positive reinforcement.”

“Thank God.”

Epilogue

Farrah relaxed back into the water, closing her eyes against the late October sunset. The cold water felt wonderful, buoying her, caressing her skin, every wonderful bare inch of it.

“I can see your gooseflesh from here. Not to mention you’re starting to shrivel up like a prune.”

She smiled without opening her eyes. “Will you still love me if I’m all bumpy and wrinkly?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point. The sun’s going down.”

“So the point is?”

“It’s going to get a lot colder and I don’t want you catching a chill. Not good for you in your condition. Come on, time to get out.”

She opened one eye. Her soon to be husband stood at the edge of Joshua’s pool, hands on his hips and gloriously naked. She opened both eyes to get a better look. Kyle’s body had filled out some over the last few weeks. His right leg, bare of any mechanical brace, would never have the muscle it used to, but it was better. He could stand, and even walk, albeit with a decided limp. And there would always be some pain when he over-worked the muscles that were left.

“Like what you see?”

She waved her arms through the water a little, moving herself in his direction. “I could ask you the same thing.”

She watched as his gaze roamed hungrily over her body. He started at her feet and worked his way up, pausing at the juncture of her thighs and again at her still flat stomach, before lingering on her bare breasts.

“Mmmm, da—darn right I do.”

She grinned and crooked a finger at him. “That calls for a reward, I think.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped off, into the pool and came up beside her. Farrah curled her body around his, her arms going around his neck, legs around his waist. The center of her settled over the center of him and she rubbed against him blatantly. “That feels good,” he said groaning and leaning in to kiss her.

Farrah kissed him back, loving the way he tasted, the heat of him, the way he took control of the kiss. Kyle would always be all male to her. Even if the arterial bypass someday failed and he lost his leg, he would always be her alpha male. He pulled back, his grin warning her before he took them both under water.

They came up near one of the ladders.

“You’re serious about making me get out?”

Still grinning, he nodded. “I’ve got plans.”

She took one of his hands in hers and put it over her stomach. She batted her lashes. “But the baby loves swimming and we might not get to do it much longer. Winter’s coming.”

“I’ll build her an indoor pool,” he said, pushing her toward the ladder. “You first.”

Farrah huffed, not really upset by his demand. That naked eyeful of him had warmed more than just her cheeks. Rubbing against him hadn’t hurt matters either. “You just want the rest of your reward for not cussing.”

“
Instant
positive reinforcement, isn’t that your plan to reform me?” He looked down at himself sadly. “How can it be instant in a freezing spring?”

She laugh then, feeling the joy and love warm her far more than the weak October sun. Besides, he was right about the water being cold. She was starting to shiver.

She’d propped one foot on a lounge chair and was bent over, drying it off when Kyle came up behind her. The silky hardness that nestled between her butt cheeks sent a rush of wetness between her legs.

“Ah, this is more like it,” Kyle said, leaning over her and tugging the towel away from her. He tossed it aside and led her hands to the arms of the chair. Then he nudged her feet with his until she widened her stance. “See,” he said, nuzzling her neck, “isn’t this better?”

She felt him pull back, the thick hardness of his shaft sliding across her sensitive flesh. She could feel her wetness on his skin when he slid back, pushing forward slowly. He took his time, gliding back and forth teasingly, nibbling on her neck and ears, fondling her breasts. He tweaked both nipples, pulling a gasp from her and making her arch back into him. “Are you ready for my positive reinforcement,” he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.

“Yes, oh, yes.”

“Good.” He shifted, sliding forward and into her with one swift move. Her breath caught. He was big, but she was so wet there wasn’t the slightest pain. Only pleasure, so much pleasure. He pulled out, almost all the way, and slid home again. She let him get away with it a few more times, let him have his way. When she couldn’t take it any longer, she arched into his next thrust.

“More, Kyle. I need more.”

“You want it faster?”

“Yes.”

“Harder?”

“Yes!”

He gripped her hips and gave it to her, building the pace slowly, steadily until he was pounding into her. The slap of flesh against flesh was loud in the twilight of the evening. A staccato beat against the backdrop of their moans and gasps. Farrah felt the pressure building, the tingling in her clit a teasing sensation that begged to be fulfilled.

“Go ahead,” Kyle ordered, his breath hot in her ear. “Touch yourself, Farrah. Please,” he begged, “touch yourself for me.”

She obeyed him, reaching down to press a finger against her throbbing nub. She could feel Kyle moving inside her, his every thrust making her quiver, making her tingle, making her…come.

Farrah cried out and flung her head back. Her body jerked in Kyle’s careful hold, her insides clenching on him, pulling, milking, until he was coming, too. He cried out her name and she smiled.

****

Kyle was still hunched over Farrah and panting when he heard the glass door to Joshua’s living room slide open. He pulled out of her, scooped up the loaded Glock off the chair, and snagged the towel to cover Farrah all in the space of one breath. He was facing the house and aiming at the figure on the balcony in the next. Around them, light blossomed.