“That’s fantastic news. Thank you.”
“However—”
Of course there was a “but” to this scenario.
“He’s got to start taking care of himself. I’ll be making recommendations for follow-up care so he can learn how to manage his diabetes,” she said.
Thinking of the mission that brought him to Wishful, he scooped a hand through his hair. “Let’s get down to brass tacks, Doc. Does he need assisted living?”
“That depends on how well Percy will take care of himself.”
Hannah spoke up. “If Percy gets the proper nutrition and exercise, is there any reason he shouldn't be able to stay in his own home?”
“I don’t see why not. His mind is just fine.”
Ryan exhaled. That wouldn’t stop his mom from worrying, but it would certainly go a long way toward making Percy happy.
“You two should go get some rest. He’s sleeping comfortably now. Come on back by in the morning and you’ll be able to talk with him. He’ll be a lot more coherent then.”
He shook Dr. Campbell’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Thank you. Your diagnosis and quick thinking saved his life.”
The knots he’d been carrying around for hours finally eased the rest of the way.
“I understand you’re an Army medic? Special forces?” she said.
He frowned. “How did you—”
Dr. Campbell smiled. “Percy’s quite the talker. Anyway, if you ever decide to hit up med school when you get out, you’ve got the makings of a solid physician.”
“Thanks.”
As the doctor headed back through the double doors, he stretched his aching back. “I’ll take you home.”
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t want to get home this late. My sister will be waking up in a couple of hours for the bakery, and I don’t want to inadvertently wake her up early.” She slipped her hand into his and tipped those baby blues up to his. “I’d rather stay with you.”
A curious mix of gratitude and awareness slid through him. This woman would never cease to surprise him. Tightening his hand around hers, he tugged her toward the door. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 12
“I can’t believe scratching the front door was the only damage Duke did.” Hannah ran her fingers over the gouges from the dog’s claws. “Poor baby must’ve thought he was being abandoned again.”
“Can’t blame him for that. I can fix it. But it can wait until tomorrow.” Ryan jerked his head toward the stairs. “C’mon. I’ll get you something to sleep in.”
Exhaustion from the long day weighed her steps as she followed him. But along with the bone-deep tired, her heart was lighter for having cleared the air between them. She hadn’t been wrong about him. Hadn’t been wrong about the kind of man he was. Though, after tonight, she wondered if maybe he was wrong about himself. But those were thoughts that required more brainpower than she currently possessed.
The guest room he occupied was neat as a pin, hardly showing evidence he’d been living there. That was no surprise. She remembered how little he’d come with. The bag he’d carried that first day was tucked neatly into a corner, and she spied a neat line of toiletries arranged on the bathroom counter. Was he naturally this neat, or was that his military training?
Ryan opened a drawer and pulled out a t-shirt. “Is this okay? I don’t have much here.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.”
He didn’t let go as she accepted the shirt. “Thank you for taking care of me today.”
Her lips curved a little. “It’s the people who take care of everybody else who sometimes need caretaking the most.”
He was suddenly far too serious. “I didn’t know I did.”
Her heart pinched at the rare show of vulnerability. She kept her voice soft. “And now that you know?”
“I don’t know.” The admission was grudging, and she knew how much he had to hate the reality of it.
“Nothing wrong with that. Nobody said you have to have all the answers right now.”
“Good thing. I feel like I don’t have any of the answers. You’ve just made me ask a whole lot more questions.”
“I consider that a success. I wanted to change your view of things. Though, I confess, that wasn’t exactly the kind of rocking your world I intended.” She slapped a hand over her mouth, barely trapping the giggle that wanted to spill out. “Sorry. I have no filter when it’s late.”
His eyes went dark, and his faint smile was sharp as a blade. “I definitely feel like I missed out on that particular variety.”
She swallowed, a frisson of awareness racing down her spine, along her skin. The hunger in his gaze banished her exhaustion, banished any lingering doubts. Tossing the shirt aside, she stepped into him. “No reason to miss out. You’re still here.”
“For now.”
“We only have the now.” As a reminder to them both, she kissed him.
His hands dove into her hair, as he angled his mouth more firmly against hers, and she wrapped around him. His growing erection pressed against her belly. Opening to him, she gloried in the sweep of his tongue against hers. His fingers combed through her hair, stroking down her spine and over her ass, drawing her hips against his. She rose to her toes in an attempt to better line them up. Hooking his hands behind her thighs, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing, settling her exactly where she wanted to be. Tightening her legs around his hips, she pulled his hardness closer to her core.
He growled, turning them toward the bed, lowering her to the mattress. It sank beneath their combined weight, squeaking faintly as they dove at each other, their hands busy tugging, touching, taking, stripping each other down between frenzied, frantic kisses. When his mouth closed over her breast, she cried out, arching up and digging her fingers into the muscles of his magnificent shoulders. Her hands fumbled with his belt as he continued to kiss and suckle. At last, she managed to defeat the button and zipper of his jeans, making enough space to slide her hand inside and wrap her fingers around him.
He cursed, his own fingers swift and efficient as he stripped her the rest of the way, leaving her bare. His gaze raked over her in frank appreciation.
“Damn, you’re beautiful.”
“So are you.”
The bedside lamp painted the muscles of his arms and chest in shadow as he bent again to kiss and touch and stroke. His hand covered her sex, firm and possessive, and she arched up, needing more. More pressure, more friction. Just more.
“Ryan, please.”
Parting her folds, he stroked a lazy finger around her clit and through the wet heat between her thighs before sliding one finger inside her. She cried out, bucking her hips as he continued to rub.
“More.”
He slid in another finger, adding a twist of his wrist that had her flying apart in seconds. He wrung out every atom of pleasure, until she lay boneless and gasping. By the time she came fully back to herself, he wore a smirk of male satisfaction.
She found it hard to mind. “I’d forgotten what it was like to have a non-battery-assisted orgasm.” She clapped her hands over her mouth again, cursing her lack of filter.