Page 47 of Only Her (K2 Team)
“Nice try, darlin’.” He took the seat next to her, leaving the one at the head of the table empty.
That dimpled grin of his did its job again, making her stomach fluttery and curling her toes. “I bet if I tortured you, you still wouldn’t tell me.”
An unholy gleam lit his eyes. “Probably not, but might depend on just what you have in mind.” He leaned over and sucked her earlobe into his mouth. “There’s torture and then there’s torture.”
Which was exactly what he was doing to her by his words and his warm breath caressing her neck. Not to mention the tingling that shot through her as he nipped on her lobe. “Cody,” she gasped.
“Giving her a physical there, Dog?” a man said as he entered the room.
Riley jerked away, and when Cody laughed, she swatted him. Cheeks burning, she turned to the stranger, who was eyeing her with interest.
“As the team’s medic, I think I’m the one who should be examining her.” The guy winked at her.
“Touch her and you die.”
A wide grin split the man’s face. “Thought you weren’t going to drink the water,” he said mysteriously.
“Shut up, Doc.” Cody put a possessive hand on her arm.
What was that all about? The man was drop-dead gorgeous with his green eyes and beautiful smile. Another man walked in, and she recognized him as Maria’s husband, and following him was a blond, blue-eyed man. All of the guys were big, muscled, and just as drool worthy as Cody. She could grow to like this place.
“Riley, the one with the funny green eyes is Ryan O’Connor, our medic, which is why we call him Doc.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said after Cody introduced him. His eyes were definitely unusual, with orange streaks in the green, but they were beautiful.
“The scary looking one is Jake Buchanan, aka Tiger, aka Maria’s husband,” Cody said. “And the pretty one is Jamie Turner, aka Saint.”
The man he’d called Saint turned a beatific smile on her, and Cody was right. He was pretty in a very manly kind of way. Jake, she’d met once when he’d come into the clinic with Maria.
“If it isn’t Mouse’s favorite vet.” Jake grinned. “Except when you give him shots. Hear you got a problem, Dr.Austin.”
“Riley, please. Unfortunately, appears I do. Great seeing you again, but wish it were under better circumstances.” She turned to the one called Saint—and wasn’t that a perfect name for him? “And nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, Riley.”
The men took seats around the table, and she sent a questioning glance at Cody. Were they all here because of her? At his nod, she was overwhelmed that a team of men who appeared to be the take-no-prisoners types deemed her worth their attention. For a girl who’d had to fight her whole life to stay safe, who’d had to steal food in one of her foster homes to survive, who’d never had the kind of protection these men were offering, this scenario was beyond her comprehension. Tears stung her eyes and she swallowed hard.
As if he understood, Cody squeezed her hand. While she struggled to compose herself, and the men were razzing each other in a way that told her they were as close as brothers, another man walked into the room, taking the chair at the head of the table.
She would have known he was Logan Kincaid even if he hadn’t taken that particular seat. Although he’d not said a word yet, there was an air of command about him. And jeez, he was as good-looking as the rest of them. She glanced at Cody, and he gave her a reassuring smile.
Even surrounded by some of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on, to her, Cody was the only one that called to something inside her. She smiled back before turning her attention to Logan Kincaid, only to find him watching her. Riley had the unsettling feeling that if anyone had eyes that could see into the soul, it was this man. With considerable effort, she didn’t squirm.
“This is Logan Kincaid,” Cody said. “Boss, Dr.Riley Austin.”
“Dr.Austin, I hear you’ve got some trouble.”
That was it. No exchange of pleasant talk for a few minutes, no getting to know each other. That was fine. Since she found the man intimidating, she wouldn’t have a clue how to chat with him. “Riley, please.”
“Riley it is. Because we all go by more than one name, we’ll keep it to first names to prevent any confusion, so I’m Logan.” He chuckled, making him seem more human. “See, you’re already confused. Take my brother-in-law. Sometimes he’s Jake, sometimes Buchanan, other times, Tiger, and always Dumbass.”
Jake snorted. “Hey, be nice to me or I’ll tell Maria.”
“I’m shaking in my boots,” Logan said. He shifted those inquisitive dark eyes back to her. “Cody’s briefed us on the situation, so we don’t need to go over that. Maria’s working on narrowing down the list of possible cars. She’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“I’m here now.” She pressed Riley’s shoulder as she passed, sitting in the empty chair next to her husband.
With so much testosterone in the room, it was nice to have another woman at the table. Riley gave an inward snort. There wasn’t a woman in the world who wouldn’t think she’d died and gone to heaven to be surrounded by so much eye candy, and here she was feeling relieved to have female company. She’d likely be enjoying herself more if not for the reason she was here.
