Page 50 of Only Her (K2 Team)
“Welcome to the club, Dog,” Logan mysteriously said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Call me after your appointment.”
After he left, the others filed out, each one touching both Cody’s shoulder and hers. It felt like she’d just been initiated into some kind of society she knew nothing about. Maria was the last to leave, and she gave both Cody and Riley a hug. Then she left while humming the “Wedding March.”
Riley frowned at Maria’s back as she left. “What’s up with that?”
“Damned if I know,” Cody said right before he put his hand behind her neck, pulled her to him, and kissed her so hard and possessively that she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone her name if asked.
And guess what, she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was forget her problems and lose herself in this man and the mouth he had fused to hers. Okay, she definitely wanted more than that, but jeez, they were at his place of work and it probably would be frowned upon if she threw herself onto the table and hollered, “Yes! Yes! Oh God, yes! Take me right here, right now.”
Cody broke away and put his forehead against hers, his heavy breaths warming her face. “There are security cameras in every part of this place. Unless we want to be the X-rated show of the day, let’s get out of here.”
“I’m ready. We have just enough time to grab some lunch before my doctor’s appointment, where I will be pronounced well enough to have sex.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her next to him. “Please, God, let it be so.”
It wasn’t so. “I’m sorry,” she said for the third time as she and Cody walked up to her door. Although tempted to deny it, she’d admitted to still having headaches when asked. They weren’t as bad as the first three days, but they hadn’t gone entirely away, so she was still under a no-sex order. As a doctor, she understood the seriousness of a concussion and couldn’t argue, but she was disappointed.
“Darlin’, you’re worth waiting for.”
That was about the best thing he could have said. He put his hand on the back of her neck, and she leaned her cheek against his shoulder. She’d never been a touchy-feely woman, but she could change her mind about that where Cody was concerned. Everything about him called to her. She inhaled his spicy man scent as she leaned into his strong body, liking how well she fit against him.
“I sure hope so. The doctor said if my headaches are gone by Saturday, then I’m good to go. Wanna make another Saturday night sex date?”
“You really have to ask a man that question?” He grinned as he took her keys from her and unlocked the door, ushering her in with his hand on the small of her back.
“What was I thinking?” His expression changed from teasing to what she could only describe as warrior mode as he pushed her behind him, but not before she saw Arthur’s lifeless body on the middle of the floor and the mess that was her living room.
“Arthur!” She was only dimly aware of Cody reaching into his boot and coming back up with a gun in his hand. When she tried to push past him to get to her cat, he put out an arm, stopping her.
“Easy, darlin’. I’ll get you to him. I don’t sense anyone still in your house, but better safe than sorry.”
Although it seemed like it took forever, he led her to Arthur in only a few seconds, and she knelt, putting her fingers to his chest, letting out a relieved breath. “He’s alive. Where’re Merlin and Pelli?” They should have come to her at hearing her voice.
“Stay here. I’ll go look for them.” He eased away, his tense body alert to his surroundings.
“I have to get Arthur to the clinic.” She grabbed the afghan from the sofa and gently nestled her sweet boy into it. Tears freely rolled down her cheeks. Who would have hurt such an innocent creature and where were Merlin and Pelli? If they were... no, she couldn’t even think it.
“The house is clear,” Cody said, returning. “Merlin’s under the bed, but he won’t come out. Can’t find Pelli.”
Riley handed an unconscious Arthur to Cody. “I need to get him to the clinic so I can take care of him, but I have to get Merlin and Pelli. I’m not leaving them here.” She ran into the guest bedroom, got the cat carrier out of the closet, and then raced to her room. “Hey, Merlin, it’s all right. Come on out, baby.” He let out a yowl as he crawled to her. She got him in the carrier and looked under the bed, hoping to see Pelli. He wasn’t there.
“Pelli,” she called as she headed back to the living room. The little thing could be hiding anywhere, but she couldn’t take the time to search for him if she was going to save Arthur. Not seeing Cody, she glanced around, noticing that her kitchen door was open.
“Riley, come here.”
She found him standing in the carport, staring at the doorframe with Arthur held in the crook of his arm and his gun still in his hand. If there was one thing Riley hated, it was guns, but at the moment, she appreciated that he had one. When they found the person responsible for so much heartache, Riley would be tempted to shoot that person herself.
“What?” she asked, frowning at the crunch of glass at her feet.
“They broke the window, and then it was a simple matter of reaching in and unlocking the door. You need a good alarm system. I’ll take care of it.”
The door had four small framed-in windows, and they’d broken one of the bottom ones. “Bastard.”
“Find Pelli?”
“No.” She tried calling him again, but didn’t get even a small meow back from him. “He must be hiding somewhere, but I can’t take the time to find him.”
Cody pulled the door wide. “Let’s get you to the clinic, then I’ll come back and do a search while I’m waiting for the alarm company.”
