Page 137 of Firecracker

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tyler wasn’t one to lie around in bed a lot—unless he had company—but obviously he was messed up because all he did was sleep. Got up to take a leak every once in a while. Stared out the hospital window. Slept some more.

He felt marginally better than yesterday—less nausea. Still had the occasional ringing in his ears, which was annoying as fuck. Still dizzy sometimes, but that could also be the painkillers. He wanted off the drugs. They fucked with his mind and made him have weird dreams. He’d been sure Arden had been here in his hospital room last night, naked. But when he woke up, he was alone, dammit.

Mom came back of course. Couple more guys from the station had dropped by. Even his battalion chief had visited.

But not Arden. She was gone.

He was having a very pleasant dream involving a blow job…Arden’s hot little mouth wrapped around him, her fingers caressing him, her hair tickling his thighs… “I don’t know if I can do this,” Arden whispered.

“You can do it, gorgeous.” He lifted his hips. “Just open a little wider…”

A throat clearing made him open his eyes. Jamie and Arden were staring at him.

“Fuck off, Jamie.” He frowned. “You can’t be here.” Major ick factor, since Arden was his sister. It was just a dream, but still…

“Uh…dude…”

Arden’s gaze was on his dick tenting the hospital sheets. As it should be, if she was about to…

Fuck. This was real. His dick wilted.

“I’m outta here.” Jamie held up his hands. “Good luck.”

Tyler watched his friend’s back disappear.

He swiveled his gaze back to Arden, eyes now determinedly focused on his face. “Um, hi,” she said weakly.

“I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“No.” She swallowed, her hands so tight on the handle of her purse her knuckles were white.

“Damn.”

Her eyes widened.

“I mean…I was having a really good dream.”

“I got that.” Her eyes flicked to his groin, then back up. “Good to know you’re not that injured.”

He still wasn’t totally convinced this was real. “The drugs are really good.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “What are they giving you? Viagra?”

He choked out a laugh. First one in quite a few days. Then he sobered. Apparently this was in fact really happening. And he was pissed at her. “What are you doing here?”

She bit her lip, slid her gaze away from him, then back, shifting her purse from one hand to the other. “I had to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine.” He waved a bandaged hand.

Her gaze caught on the bandages, then moved to his splinted wrist. Her eyebrows drew together and one hand went to her throat. “You’re not okay. You’re hurt.”

“You came back from Florida.”

“Yes.” She ran her tongue over her teeth.

He gritted his teeth at the flare of anger inside him. “What do you care if I’m okay?”

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