Page 31 of True Valor
“Whoa.”
She wasn’t pointing the thing at him, buteven so, Nic eased the barrel of the shotgun toward the farwall.
Julie let out an exasperated sigh.“It’s notloaded and I didn’t point it at you.”With that, she laid theshotgun down again, stood up and pivoted on her heel.“There’s moreammo upstairs.I’ll get it.”
He hadn’t meant to tick her off, but heobviously had.When she came back down, ammo in her arms, she wasall business, getting the guns loaded and placing them at strategicplaces around the cabin.Nic watched and commented as long as hecould, but within a few minutes, his eyelids got heavy and he hadtrouble getting words to form in his brain.Sleep.He couldn’tremember being this exhausted since Indoc, when four hours sleepwas a luxury.Then, it was only his future as a PJ at stake.Nowtheir lives might depend on him and he couldn’t stay out of thefreakin’ bed for more than an hour at a time.
Julie surveyed her handiwork.The twohandguns occupied spots on the tables on either side of the bed.The twelve gauge stood propped by the front door, the 30-06 by theback.The .22 rifle, for what it was worth, lay on the floor by thebed.All extra ammo was placed near where the gun wasstationed.
Nic had made it through placement of two ofthe guns before drifting off to sleep.Good.The jerk had actuallyacted like she’d pointed the darn shotgun at him.If there was onething her dad and Uncle Jess had taught her, it was that you didn’tpoint a gun, any gun, loaded or not, at anything you didn’t want tokill or blow to smithereens.She’d learned that lesson once and forall with Dad’s belt on her backside.Never again!
She re-checked the shotgun at the front door,catching sight of the nails that Nic had taken for her.The thoughtmelted her anger.He lay there so still, it was scary, hisbreathing barely making his chest rise.She returned to the bed andcarefully perched beside him.Tenderness spread through her as shewatched him sleep.She took his hand.
He had strong hands with long fingers,beautiful hands.Tan, so brown against the white sheets.A lock ofhis nearly black hair fell over his forehead and dark lashes layagainst his cheeks, still-pale but now with two day’s growth ofstubble.He was an amazingly handsome man.And the way he calledher baby…
Whoa.Those thoughts had blindsided her.Julie shook herself and moved to the stove.But even as she threwmore fuel on the fire, her heart told her this man was one shecould give her life to.
Just before dawn, Nic woke up, adrenalinepumped in his veins.There was danger.It wasn’t quite light yet.Had he heard a noise?He tried to listen but there was somethingelse.It was when he moved to reach for the 9MM beside him that herealized the true nature of the threat.Not the kind of danger thatneeded a weapon, but danger it was, no doubt about it.
“Julie?”he croaked.There she was, tucked inthe crook of his good arm, warm, soft, smelling like heaven.Herhand lay on his belly and her leg was thrown over his, and itwasn’t just adrenaline coursing through his body.If she was awake,she wasn’t answering.And there was really nowhere to go.
“Julie!”
Nic winced as he moved his good arm, takinghold of her hand.“Wake up.”To make matters worse she came out ofsleep with the hum of a seductress, a sound that, by itself, wouldhave aroused him, even without her touch.
Nic’s only defense was to roll her off him,and the only way to do that put him in an even more precariousposition.Balanced over her with his good arm, he expected a lookof panic or fear or at least surprise when she opened her eyes.
What he got heldhimcaptive.Her eyessmoldered as she looked up at him.Before good sense had a chanceto outthink his other brain, he lowered his mouth to hers.
If there was a “no” within miles, he couldn’thear it in the way she kissed him back.
Did she know where she was, who she was?Didshe know whohewas?When pain shot through his chest andshoulder, some reason snuck back into his awareness.He couldn’t dothis.With a muttered curse, he rolled free onto his back and laypanting, both from the energy surging through him and from theexertion.
Beside him, Julie was breathing hard too.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.Sorry didn’t eventouch what he was feeling.Sure, she’d started it, probably in hersleep, but he shouldn’t have continued it.She needed hisprotection, not this.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated.Not just sorry, butfrustrated, guilty, and just plain pissed off.Pissed off that hehad kissed her, pissed off that he had stopped kissing her, andpissed off that he was so damn beat.
He’d never felt so betrayed by his body.Inmore than one way.Not only could he not deny what her nearness haddone to him, but—and this was the real betrayal—he’d never given asecond thought to his physical abilities.And now here he lay,whipped after simply turning over.To top it off, he thought hefelt the warmth of blood on his chest.But he was too spent tocare.
Julie pushed out of the bed as if she wereescaping a monster.Damn it, hehadscared her.His arm washeavy as he tried to reach for her.
Chapter Ten
It was nearly six in the morning.Juliedidn’t even have to rationalize staying up.Get the fire stirredup, maybe fix some breakfast.The thought of fixing breakfast forNic made her snarl inside.Did he think she had no pride, nofeelings?He’d ended things with an apology.An apology, for cryingout loud.Yeah, he’d reached out for her when she got up, but he’dpromptly fallen back asleep without a word.
Did he find her so unpleasant then?The lookon his face said it all, didn’t it?One second he was on top ofher, obviously more than just a little aroused.Then, in a flash,he must have realized who she was or something, looked completelyshocked, cursed and rolled over.And then said “I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t until he was finally awake and shebrought him a steaming bowl of oatmeal that she noticed that he’dbled again, soaking through his bandages.She’d have to change thedressing again, have to touch him, be near him.
Well, fine.She could do it.She justwouldn’t let his nearness affect her.And that would be that.
“Your wound opened again,” she said as flatlyas she could manage taking his bowl to the sink.He’d eaten most ofit.That was good.
He looked down at the red spot.“Yeah, Iknow.”He blew out a defeated breath.“At this rate, we’ll neverget out of here.”
Thatwas the wrong thing to say.
