Page 55 of Rescuing Dr. Marian
I felt something hot and possessive flare in my chest.Mine. The thought came unbidden and unwelcome, but I couldn’t shake it. Tommy was mine, at least for now, and watching Robyn flirt with him like I wasn’t even there made me want to mark my territory in the most primitive way possible. Like the predator he’d once jokingly accused me of being.
That was impossible for several reasons, of course.
First, he wasn’t actually mine. At no point had we made a commitment to anything other than hooking up. We’d never said we’d remain exclusive, not even for the summer.
And then there was the fact he wasn’t out. Or… whatever. It wasn’t my business to even act in a way that might imply Tommy was less than the straight man he appeared to be.
“Foster and I have training to finish,” Tommy said politely.
“I can send a student to take your place,” Robyn said, tilting her head at me. “Maybe one of yoursearchand rescue students?”
“No need,” I said, my voice flat. “Come on, Chickie. Let’s take a walk.”
I turned and started walking toward the trees, Chickie’s leash tight in my hand. Behind me, I heard Tommy say something apologetic to Robyn, then the sound of footsteps following me.
“Foster, wait up.”
I kept walking, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. This was exactly what I’d been afraid of—that I’d start thinking of Tommy as mine when he wasn’t. When he never could be.
“Foster.” Tommy’s hand caught my arm, spinning me around. “What the hell was that about?”
“Nothing.” I glanced over his shoulder toward the meadow before realizing we were too deep in the trees to still catch sight of Robyn. “You should go help with the campfire program. Sounds important.”
Tommy stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “Are you… jealous?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You are,” he said, and I could hear the amazement in his voice. “You’re actually jealous of Robyn.”
“Why would I be jealous?” The words came out sharper than I intended. “You can flirt with whoever you want. It’s not like we’re?—”
Tommy backed me against the nearest tree before I couldfinish the sentence, his hands braced on either side of my head. “Not like we’re what?”
His body was pressed against mine, warm and solid and completely focused on me. I could smell his scent mixed with pine needles and fresh air, could see the challenge in his eyes.
“Together,” I finished weakly.
“No?” Tommy’s voice was low, dangerous. “Then what do you call what we’ve been doing every night for the past week?”
“Twoweeks,” I corrected. My face heated, and my brain scrambled for an answer that didn’t make me sound like a complete asshole. “And I call it… temporary.”
Something flashed in Tommy’s eyes—hurt, maybe, or anger. But then his mouth was on mine, hard and demanding, and all rational thought fled.
This wasn’t the gentle exploration we’d been doing in our cabin. This was possession, claiming, a reminder of exactly who I belonged to, whether I cared to admit it or not. Tommy’s tongue swept into my mouth as his hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer.
I groaned and kissed him back just as desperately, my hands sliding down to grip his ass and pull him flush against me. He made a sound low in his throat that went straight to my cock.
“Just temporary, huh?” he asked against my lips.
Before I could answer, he was kissing me again, one hand sliding up to tangle in my hair while the other worked its way under my shirt. His fingers found the sensitive spot just below my ribs, and I had to bite back a moan.
“Tommy,” I managed, though I wasn’t sure if it was a warning or a plea.
“Tell me you don’t want this,” he said, his mouth moving to my throat. “Tell me you don’t think about this every second of every day.”
I couldn’t. Because Ididthink about him constantly. Had since Hawaii. Every breath, every heartbeat, every quiet moment—he was there.
“I can’t,” I admitted, the words torn from somewhere deep in my chest.
