Page 86 of High Alert

“Uh-huh, and I’m Ryan Kwanten’s secret lover.”

I chuckled, ignoring the throb in my head. “Take that back.”

“Perhaps if you promise to heal properly before doing… hell, anything, then I just might.” He climbed into bed beside me and pulled the sheet up once I’d eased down next to him.

Rather than answering, I closed my eyes and breathed him in, relaxing even more when he wrapped his arm around me, holding me close.

“I missed you.” He placed a kiss against my uninjured temple, and I sighed against his touch.

“Missed you too. It’s been a wild few days.”

“Weeks,” he corrected.

“True.”

The soft hum of the air conditioning unit filled the space. Beyond that, Ross’s soothing breaths close to my face were the only other sound. Getting the chance to snuggle up to Ross again was the best, but I would have preferred it to be without the shitty situation or the brain-splitting concussion. But I wouldn’t complain, not when his body heat was a familiar, welcoming comfort.

“You know I love you too, right?” he whispered.

I angled my neck to look at him. His eyes locked onto mine, a quiet intensity in their depths that spoke only of absolute conviction and love. The breath trying to escape my lungs caught in my throat, and it took a couple of times to remember how to loosen my muscles enough to breathe.

“You do?”

“Definitely.” A small smile pulled at his lips. “So much.”

My shoulders eased, my whole body relaxing at his words. “Good, ’cause I love the shit out of you.”

He chuckled. “The shit, huh?”

“Well, perhaps a different image would be better.”

“I’m good with sticking to a simple ‘I love you.’”

I tried to turn, but he stopped me with a frown. I reluctantly gave in, secretly relieved, as the movement bloody hurt. Instead, he lifted up off the mattress so he was above me a little, still at my side.

“There’s nothing simple about how I love you.”

For the second time, he took my breath away, and all with a look before saying, “You can’t say things like that to me when I can’t do more than kiss you.” An honest-to-God groan followed.

“You didn’t believe me before.”

“What’s that?”

“That words can be my thing too.”

The love in his eyes hit me square in the chest and he leaned closer.

Just as his lips were a hairsbreadth from mine, my eyes widened as a thought hit me. “Oh shit.”

“What?” He edged away, his eyes roaming my face in concern.

“What did I say when the doctor asked about you?”

Ross’s snicker told me enough and probably all I needed to know. The rest I expected I’d remember in time. But for now, I was happy to be silenced before my head became too fuzzy and I forgot what even a tongue could be used for.

“Just kiss me.”

And he did.

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