Page 27 of Outlaw Ridge: Reed
He heard something he didn’t want to hear. A groan of pain. He knocked again and was about to go in when Hallie opened the door.
Yeah, she was in pain all right. That was all over her face. But she was also naked from the waist up.
Hell.
He had no trouble seeing the big assed bruise the size of a fist above her right breast, and Reed stepped in and shut the door behind him. And that bruise wasn’t the only injury. He saw the others she’d no doubt gotten in their frantic escape from Walt’s house when the roof had collapsed. He had bruises, too, but they looked minor compared to Hallie’s.
There was no stirring of heat this time though that would normally be his reaction at seeing Hallie’s bare breasts. But any heat was squashed by the pain he knew she was feeling and the anger he felt at the SOB doing this to her.
“I’m okay,” she insisted, turning away from him and holding her arm over her breasts. “Nothing’s broken or cracked. I just got a twinge when I lifted my arm to put on my bra.”
He was betting it was a hell of a lot more than a twinge. “I’ll help you.” Reed picked up the white lace bra and reached around her to hold the cups to her breasts.
She managed a soft chuckle. “I recall you doing this in reverse a couple of times.” Hallie stopped and groaned. “Sorry, it's inappropriate to bring up the past like that.”
“It’s the truth,” he insisted. “I’ve never helped you dress before. Let me know if I’ve got everything lined up.”
Yeah, this was intimate as hell. And no doubt uncomfortable for her. But Reed figured she’d be more uncomfortable the longer she stayed partially naked.
Being as gentle as he could, he eased her arms through the straps, did some more adjustments and hooked her in. Hallie immediately reached for her top and began to put it on. Not easily. That bruise was clearly making itself known, and she was clearly trying not to groan out again. She had her teeth clamped tight over her bottom lip.
With a whole lot of concern, Reed watched her, aware of the pain she was enduring. Hallie took a deep breath, as if still trying to find her balance. Before he could think it through, Reed reached out and took her hand, keeping his touch light there, too.
She lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes shimmering with a mixture of that pain and something else. The worry. The fatigue.
The heat.
Yeah, that. So, he’d been wrong about it being nixed. Not just for him but for her, too. He could feel it stirring inside, and clearly, it made him stupid because he leaned in and touched his mouth to hers.
Man, that packed a wallop.
Way too much fire for a mere touch. Then again, this was Hallie so a touch was all that was needed.
Reed waited for her to tell him that’d been a mistake. Maybe even for her to chew him out.
But that didn’t happen.
In a move that seemed to surprise even her, Hallie hooked her left hand around the back of his neck and pulled his mouth back to hers. She snapped him closer, and she kissed him.
Not for a touch this time.
This was pure, raw pleasure. The best kind. And it notched up that heat so fast that the sensation went from pleasure to need in a snap. Hell, he forgot all about, well, every damn thing, including how to breathe, and his brainless dick thought this was the best idea ever.
It wasn’t.
Even if they hadn’t been in the middle of an intense murder investigation, Hallie was hurt. She had that fist-sized bruise on her chest, and all this moving around couldn’t be helping with that.
Somehow, Reed managed to get himself to step back just as Hallie must have come to her senses as well because she moved away as well. Her breath was gusting, and her face was flushed with arousal. Reed liked that look very much and wanted more of it. What he didn’t want was the apology he saw forming in the depths of those cool blue eyes.
“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry,” he blurted. “Because I’m sure as hell not. And don’t give me that boss spiel. You and I both know that didn’t play into what just happened here.”
Hallie hesitated, then nodded. “You’re right. It didn’t.” She adjusted her shirt and slipped on her jacket, all without too much wincing. “We need to get to the storage unit.”
Reed was all for that. Or rather he would have been if Hallie hadn’t been injured. She was.
“Don’t you need some kind of clearance or release from the doctor to leave?” he asked.
“No. I just wanted to make sure nothing was broken, and it’s not. It’s just a deep bruise.” She must have seen the concern on his face because she added, “I’ll take some over-the-counter pain meds on the drive.”
