Page 59 of The Dire Reaction

“Well, it looks like you moved at least,” I say quietly. It’s a good thing, albeit a little taxing on the equipment.

“Dani…” he groans. Then softly snores.

A soft warmth spreads through my chest and lifts my lips in a small smile. He’s thinking of me in his sleep. It makes me feel, well, special that such an amazing man dreams of me.

His heartbeat is strong and steady, nearly back to normal. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I gently pick up his arm and unwind the tubing that has encircled his wrist.

It surprises me when his long fingers snap around my palm and pulls it to his mouth, gently kissing the pads of my fingers.

“Dani, I love you. Marry me.” His words spill across the pillows, but he doesn’t turn his head.

I’m stunned. Speechless. And doubtful. He has to be sleeping or delirious.

“Shh, Sam, go back to sleep. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” I brush his hair back from his eyes. It’s already longer than it was at Thor’s first treatment. That seems like it was a lifetime ago.

His color is better. He isn’t nearly as pale as he was last night. The additional IVs that the captain brought seem to have really helped.

Trying to pull my hand away proves useless as his fingers tighten around mine.

“Come here, please. I need to hold you.” He tugs my arm until I find myself kicking my shoes off to crawl over him.

“Sam, I’m filthy.” I’m sure I have blood and dirt splattered on me from the last patient.

“I don’t care. You can be my dirty girl and I’ll spank you for it later.” His arm wraps around me, nestling me against his chest, and my nose tickles against the hollow of his neck.

The bandages on his shoulder crinkle as he leans his nose into my hair and feathers light kisses on my temple.

A huge weight lifts from me. He’s alive, he’s awake, and I’m right where I want to be, in his arms.

“I do fucking love you. I’m not dreaming it. All I could think about was getting back to you.” The rumbling from his chest vibrates through my body while little starbursts explode in my stomach.

He really did say he loves me. “Sam, I, I…”

I don’t know what to say. I do, but is it true? We have only really been together a couple of weeks.

“Dani, I’d die a million times to save you. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. You’re my sanity in this crazy world, and if I die today, I wanted to make sure you knew.”

I can’t stop the giggle that erupts, the crazy, giddy feeling from his declaration and just from him being alive.

He tilts his head back and cracks one glacier blue eye to look down his nose, his brow lifting along with the corner of his lip. “It’s funny?”

“I willingly threw my career out the window for you,” I admit. “I didn’t even think about it. I was so scared I was going to lose you,” I add quietly.

His smile grows as he folds back around me. “See? I knew it. I’ll just buy more cows. We’ll stay busy preg checkin’ them and spraying each other down with the hose.”

Smiling against his throat, I pepper his Adam’s apple with soft kisses as my hand snakes around his ribs. Being wrapped in his arms just feels, well, perfect. We lie in silence, our hearts beating in rhythm, pretending the world doesn’t exist for a few minutes.

“Dani,” he breaks the silence. “I have to piss like a racehorse.” He chuckles over the top of my head, his whiskers scuffing my forehead as he gives me one more hard kiss before rolling onto his back. “And I feel like I got hit by a freight train,” he groans. He starts throwing his arm over his eyes, but stops to inspect the bandage.

“You were torn up pretty good. I think that coat saved your life.” I run my fingers lightly down his arm. “I went through nearly all of my suture packs.”

“Sounds like you saved my life.” His thumb rubs circles on my lower back, but he puts the other hand across his eyes. “My head is killing me, too. That dog did a number on me.”

“I can give you some pain pills now that you’re awake.” I prop up on my elbow and press down the corner of the bandage on his chest that is rolling up. “I need to change your bandages, too.”

When he nods, his arm over his face moves, too. “Okay, but bathroom first. There’s no way I’m sleeping in a lake of my own piss.”

Giggling again, I scoot out of bed to help him sit up.

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