Page 57 of Ethan
The corner of my mouth tugged up. Damn him.
I set my mug on the counter, caught his jaw in one hand, and pulled him in for a kiss. His pout turned into a soft sound against my lips, and I took advantage, biting lightly at his lower lip until he gave way.
I pressed him back against the counter, the height difference now tipping in my favor. My fingers threaded into his hair, tugging his head whichever way I pleased, and he followed without hesitation.
I could feel the smile tugging at his lips as I kissed him deeper, and the lazy slide of his mouth melted into mine until I forgot about the coffee, the paperwork, the exhaustion. Everything but him.
His hands found my waist, then slid lower, cupping my ass and pulling me flush against him. The gentle roll of his hips sent heat sparking through me, and I groaned into his mouth.
“Mm.” Dean’s voice was a husky whisper between kisses. “You want to go back to bed?”
For one dizzying second, I thought about it. About dragging him back to that rumpled bed, about losing myself in him instead of facing another long day at the clinic.
But reality intruded fast. Dean had an early patrol, and I needed to be at the clinic before the first enforcers returned from theirs.
With a reluctant sigh, I slid my hands down from his shoulders to his sides and pushed him back just enough to break the kiss. “Maybe tonight.”
He rested his forehead on my shoulder, breathing me in. Then he pressed a lingering kiss to the side of my neck, brushed another across the line of my jaw, and finally bumped his nose against mine.
“Tonight, then.”
When I pushed open the clinic doors, the front desk was empty.
Josh, the new temp night receptionist, wasn’t at his post. The chair sat pushed back, abandoned, which immediately put me on edge.
I scanned the lobby until I caught sight of Micah. He was halfway down the hall, peeking nervously around the corner toward the back corridor.
“Micah?” I called softly. “What’s wrong?”
He jumped and quickly pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for me to come closer.
Confused, I padded quietly across the lobby until I stood beside him. He flattened himself against the wall, and I followed his lead, leaning just enough to peek around the corner.
All the doors were shut except one: Devon’s office.
My heart lurched. He’s back?
Before I could process that, raised voices spilled into the hall. Muffled at first, but the anger in them was unmistakable.
One voice was loud, bristling with fury; another low, trying, and failing to calm him.
Shadows shifted on the wall. Then, suddenly, the door flew open, and Ben stormed out, his expression thunderous.
Devon followed a step behind, his hand raised in a placating gesture.
“I don’t know what the hell that guy did,” Ben snapped, his voice echoing down the corridor, “but Nick’s leg is not fine at all!”
“Ben—” Devon’s tone was even, steady. He angled himself slightly, steering Ben toward one of the examination rooms. “I’m sorry. Let’s take a look right now.”
I froze. Nick? Wasn’t he discharged almost a week ago?
I remembered checking him carefully before letting him go. He’d been able to walk. Not perfectly, but well enough.
Ben’s eyes suddenly landed on me. His face darkened further.
“What kind of healer are you? You didn’t even do the job right!” His voice cut sharp, each word flung like a blade.
“And where were you?” He spun back toward Devon, fury practically vibrating off him. “How could you leave someone like him in charge?”
