Page 70 of Head Over Spurs

Weary eyes lifted upward as she poked her head into the hospital room. It was darker in the room than the hall, and her own eyes needed to adjust, blinking rapidly back at him as she entered.

That familiar smirk caught the corner of his lip, mustache twitching as Riley took her in. For a moment, neither of them spoke. He was stretched out in the hospital bed. She stood with her hands folded behind her, pressed between the now closed door and the small of her back. Nerves kept her rooted in place as she scanned his expression, searching for any signs of agony twisting behind his easy smile.

“Were you going to come over here?” he asked in amusement. “I can’t really meet you in the middle right now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered.

Riley in a hospital gown looked wrong. This was all wrong, and she found herself second guessing what would be alright. Even though her heart screamed at her to run and jump into that bed with him. To feel him close and know that he was fine, after all.

“Juliette.” His voice was gruff. “If a seven-hundred-pound horse couldn’t do my back in, I think I’m safe with you.”

She crossed the room slowly, giving him ample time to come to the realization that she should keep back. Instead, Riley lifted his arm. He waited for her to pass within his reach and then in a swift motion, he took her around the waist and pulled her the remaining distance to him.

Falling forward from his sudden tug, she landed with her hands on either side of his head, her knee catching on the edge of the bed. With one more tug, he had her completely seated beside him, one leg dangling off the side, the other curled up so her thigh skimmed along his ribs. Her breathing hitched as his eyes glowed up at her, a dark teal in this light. She stared back, mesmerized by the blue-green swirl in his affectionate gaze.

Riley kept his arm hooked around her, his hand clasping her hip as if afraid that she would flee. Raising his other hand, he trailed his fingertips across her cheek. “You came,” he murmured.

“Of course, of course I came. Riley, I couldn’t breathe when Coop called. Please tell me you’re going to be okay.” Her words came out rushed as his thumb dragged along her bottom lip.

“Hey, wild thing. Look at me. Don’t I look okay?”

She shook her head. “You always manage tolookokay. But you’re in the hospital.” Her voice cracked as it rose an octave. It was enough for him to let out a calming hush.

His fingers slid upward, disappearing into her hair, and his thumb dragged back and forth at the base of her skull. The gesture had an immediate soothing effect on her spiral of worry. She leaned down closer, lifting a hand to his chest and pressing a kiss to his jaw.

A sigh escaped him, his eyes fluttering closed as her lips met the short stubble of his cheek. Her mouth continued to followhis line of facial hair, dropping a kiss to the corner of his mouth next—his mustache tickling her face.

When her lips grazed across his, gentle and testing, he murmured, “Hospitals are pretty public, darlin’.” She responded by taking his bottom lip between hers.

“Jules,” he moaned, his mouth moving to sink together with hers.

She forgot about being gentle as her tongue slipped into his mouth, riding the vibrations of his moan. The hospital bed creaked as she shifted, angling herself over him more to deepen the kiss.

Riley responded like a man starved for her affection. And she was more than happy to serve him up a whole feast.

Their mouths moved together in perfect unison, and the hospital around them became only a distant memory.

Then Cooper’s voice boomed from the doorway. “Sure looks like he’s doing alright to me,” he chuckled.

Beneath her, Riley tensed. A weariness returning to his gaze. He was expecting her to pull away, which was fair—she had done that to him one too many times before.

Instead, she twisted until she was tucked into his side, facing their friends. Understanding that she wasn’t going anywhere, Riley adjusted his arm around her. His hand falling affectionately across her thigh. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and she could feel the smile on his lips.

“Maybe put a sock on the—” Cooper started again before Grey gave him a shove.

“How are you doing?” The gruff team lead asked, effectively ending his friend’s comment. The two of them crossed the room behind Maddie, who came to sit in the armchair beside the bed. Grey stood at her side while Cooper dropped down on the foot of the bed, making himself right at home.

“I feel fine right now. And I’m not sure why—maybe Doc loaded me up with some powerful stuff.”

“Do they know what happened?” Jules asked.

“Not yet. There was talk of swelling, my past fracture, something about vertebrae and discs. After shooting me up with a steroid, they ran some scans, that’s all I’ve been doing this whole time.” Riley’s answer carried a hint of his familiar, nonchalant tone. The situation warranted more though, in Jules’s opinion and she glanced over at him apprehensively. As if able to read her thoughts, he dropped his face into the crook of her neck and murmured, “Don’t be worrying about the what ifs. Might as well wait until the doctor tells us what it is.”

“Cooper said you couldn’t feel your legs,” she replied.

“Is that why he’s sitting on my foot? ‘Cause I can feel that.” He smirked as his friend jumped up frantically, only to realize Riley was joking.

Rolling his eyes, Cooper took two steps to lean against the wall beside Grey and Maddie. “Smart ass,” he muttered.

---