She wasn’t afraid of Tiger. “This is a really nice room.”
His blue gaze narrowed and a frown curved his mouth. He watched her. She glanced away again, staring at the blue bedding.
“Zandy? Look at me.” His deep voice brooked no argument. It was a demand.
“Are you mad at me?” She held his gaze.
“For what?”
“I had to tell everyone we’ve been sleeping together to get to see you. Is that why you really wanted me to leave the hospital? You said not to show anyone the bites on me but I was so worried when I heard what happened to you. I—”
His hand rose and he cupped her uninjured cheek. “I don’t care who knows about us. You risked your life to reach me. You should have waited for an escort to bring you to me and again when you left the hospital. It’s not safe in the out world.”
It was cute how he called the world outside the NSO gates that. She knew what he meant. “I kind of freaked out when I heard you’d been in a helicopter crash. I just wanted to make sure you were alive. I had to see you.”
“I want you to promise me that you will never leave Reservation without officers to protect you. You were taken because you work for the NSO. They know who you are and where you live.”
She didn’t want to think about her destroyed house. She’d have to call her insurance company but didn’t want to deal with it at that moment. “I have to leave at some point to go home.”
A soft growl passed his lips. “No, you don’t.”
She was unsure what that meant.
He took a deep breath and blew it out, his expression softening. “You can’t go home, Zandy. You will stay with me.”
A hundred questions sprang into her mind. She tried to decide which one to ask first. Did he mean he wanted her to live with him or that he expected her to stay in the apartment she’d been assigned? Tiger seemed to take her silence as a refusal.
“You’re not leaving Reservation.” His hold on her face tightened. “I won’t allow it.”
That stunned her. “What?”
He growled, clearly angry. “Look what happened to you in the out world. It won’t happen again. I’m going to keep you safe.”
“What does tha—”
He pulled her face closer to cover her lips with his, muting her with a hot kiss. His tongue delved inside her mouth, tasting and exploring. His arm hooked around her waist and she fell against his chest when he yanked her to him. The hand on her face slid to the back of her head where he fisted her hair, making sure she couldn’t get away.
Zandy didn’t want to. She’d missed Tiger and had thought she’d never see him again. Actions spoke louder than words and the passionate kiss he laid on her spoke volumes that their relationship wasn’t over. He pulled her tighter against his chest, almost crushing her to him. The hand at her back fisted her shirt and shoved it up. He released it and gripped her side.
Pain made her gasp against his tongue and he snarled, breaking the kiss. They were both out of breath as their gazes met. His blue eyes narrowed with concern.
“I am being too rough. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that. I have some bruises.”
Rage tightened his features. “Did they beat you?”
“No. They had me strapped to a bench with belts and they were tight enough to dig into my skin when they were carrying me around. I’m fine.”
“Take off your clothes,” he demanded. “I want to see all of you.”
Her eyebrows rose. “We’re in the Medical Center. Anyone can walk in.”
“Lock the door.”
“I’m fine. Just don’t grab me there.” She tried to kiss him again but he pulled back.
“Take off all of your clothes and show me.”
He looked pretty determined.
“It—”
“Do it.”
He was being unusually aggressive and demanding. “Did they already give you that drug to help you heal?”
“Yes. I want to see every inch of you right now.”
She just hoped he wouldn’t order her to leave and start saying she was his enemy again.
“There is a lock on the door.” He released her. “Lock it and strip out of your clothes.”
“I’m really fine.”
“Do it, or I’ll tear them off.”
She didn’t doubt him with the determined look he gave her as they stared at each other. “Fine.”
She rolled away and reached the door. It might be smarter for her to just leave until he was off the drug but she twisted the lock instead and turned to face the man she loved. Her hands trembled a little as she removed her clothes. Tiger watched her with rapt concentration. He didn’t look aroused—he looked enraged as he got his first look at the bruises.
“Turn around.”
She was na**d and cold in the room but did as he asked. A growl came from him that caused her to peer at him over her shoulder. “I told you it’s just some bruises.”
“Go shower. The bathroom is right there. Hurry and return to me.”
She wanted a shower, probably needed one as well, so nodded. Right then didn’t seem the time to argue with him about anything. She just headed for the bathroom.
“Zandy?”
She paused and glanced back at him.
“Thank you.”
“You know you’re being pushy, right?”
“I almost watched you die. I’m behaving extremely well. We are both lucky my leg is broken.”
His blue gaze narrowed and a frown curved his mouth. He watched her. She glanced away again, staring at the blue bedding.
“Zandy? Look at me.” His deep voice brooked no argument. It was a demand.
“Are you mad at me?” She held his gaze.
“For what?”
“I had to tell everyone we’ve been sleeping together to get to see you. Is that why you really wanted me to leave the hospital? You said not to show anyone the bites on me but I was so worried when I heard what happened to you. I—”
His hand rose and he cupped her uninjured cheek. “I don’t care who knows about us. You risked your life to reach me. You should have waited for an escort to bring you to me and again when you left the hospital. It’s not safe in the out world.”
It was cute how he called the world outside the NSO gates that. She knew what he meant. “I kind of freaked out when I heard you’d been in a helicopter crash. I just wanted to make sure you were alive. I had to see you.”
“I want you to promise me that you will never leave Reservation without officers to protect you. You were taken because you work for the NSO. They know who you are and where you live.”
She didn’t want to think about her destroyed house. She’d have to call her insurance company but didn’t want to deal with it at that moment. “I have to leave at some point to go home.”
A soft growl passed his lips. “No, you don’t.”
She was unsure what that meant.
He took a deep breath and blew it out, his expression softening. “You can’t go home, Zandy. You will stay with me.”
A hundred questions sprang into her mind. She tried to decide which one to ask first. Did he mean he wanted her to live with him or that he expected her to stay in the apartment she’d been assigned? Tiger seemed to take her silence as a refusal.
“You’re not leaving Reservation.” His hold on her face tightened. “I won’t allow it.”
That stunned her. “What?”
He growled, clearly angry. “Look what happened to you in the out world. It won’t happen again. I’m going to keep you safe.”
“What does tha—”
He pulled her face closer to cover her lips with his, muting her with a hot kiss. His tongue delved inside her mouth, tasting and exploring. His arm hooked around her waist and she fell against his chest when he yanked her to him. The hand on her face slid to the back of her head where he fisted her hair, making sure she couldn’t get away.
Zandy didn’t want to. She’d missed Tiger and had thought she’d never see him again. Actions spoke louder than words and the passionate kiss he laid on her spoke volumes that their relationship wasn’t over. He pulled her tighter against his chest, almost crushing her to him. The hand at her back fisted her shirt and shoved it up. He released it and gripped her side.
Pain made her gasp against his tongue and he snarled, breaking the kiss. They were both out of breath as their gazes met. His blue eyes narrowed with concern.
“I am being too rough. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that. I have some bruises.”
Rage tightened his features. “Did they beat you?”
“No. They had me strapped to a bench with belts and they were tight enough to dig into my skin when they were carrying me around. I’m fine.”
“Take off your clothes,” he demanded. “I want to see all of you.”
Her eyebrows rose. “We’re in the Medical Center. Anyone can walk in.”
“Lock the door.”
“I’m fine. Just don’t grab me there.” She tried to kiss him again but he pulled back.
“Take off all of your clothes and show me.”
He looked pretty determined.
“It—”
“Do it.”
He was being unusually aggressive and demanding. “Did they already give you that drug to help you heal?”
“Yes. I want to see every inch of you right now.”
She just hoped he wouldn’t order her to leave and start saying she was his enemy again.
“There is a lock on the door.” He released her. “Lock it and strip out of your clothes.”
“I’m really fine.”
“Do it, or I’ll tear them off.”
She didn’t doubt him with the determined look he gave her as they stared at each other. “Fine.”
She rolled away and reached the door. It might be smarter for her to just leave until he was off the drug but she twisted the lock instead and turned to face the man she loved. Her hands trembled a little as she removed her clothes. Tiger watched her with rapt concentration. He didn’t look aroused—he looked enraged as he got his first look at the bruises.
“Turn around.”
She was na**d and cold in the room but did as he asked. A growl came from him that caused her to peer at him over her shoulder. “I told you it’s just some bruises.”
“Go shower. The bathroom is right there. Hurry and return to me.”
She wanted a shower, probably needed one as well, so nodded. Right then didn’t seem the time to argue with him about anything. She just headed for the bathroom.
“Zandy?”
She paused and glanced back at him.
“Thank you.”
“You know you’re being pushy, right?”
“I almost watched you die. I’m behaving extremely well. We are both lucky my leg is broken.”
