Page 95 of All I Need (Hearts of the South)
Something in his eyes left her wondering what he saw when he looked at her.
He shivered. “That is really cold.”
“I know, but it works.” She played her fingers through his hair once more. “And it’s only fifteen minutes.”
“You might have to warm me up after.”
She rested her lips against his shoulder blade, slightly above the bruising. “That can probably be arranged.”
When the time had elapsed, she helped him ease to a sitting position. His arms extended, she wrapped his torso in the compression bandage. His clean male scent filled her senses.
“Does this fall under the heading of adrenaline fix?” She held the elastic band in place with one hand and made another rotation around his ribs.
“Kinda, although I was the only one who thought so. Bennett bitched me out.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “And I was worried you’d be upset. I didn’t want that.”
“I think doing today means taking whatever it brings.” She pulled the bandage taut and fastened it under along his side. She let her hand linger on the skin exposed between the binding and his pajama pants. “I’m going to be concerned about you because apparently Mackey is right and you’re going to need to be stitched up more than once—”
“I told you, this is a total fluke. Usually, I go months without anything physical happening.”
She didn’t miss the hint of desperation in his voice. With gentle hands, she framed his face. “Emmett, I wouldn’t change any of this. You love it the way I love ER medicine. Your being a cop is not going to change anything between us. I promise.”
* * * * *
Intense movement and a hard elbow to the chest pulled Savannah from a deep sleep. Startled and fighting off the sharp pain, she struggled to orient herself. Moonlight poured in the tall windows, casting silver over the room. Beside her, Emmett groaned, a deep sound of distress in his throat. She caught his flailing arm with a firm grip about his forearm.
“Emmett.” She moved both hands to his biceps, holding him still. Under her palms, sweat dampened his skin. She shook him. “Em, wake up.”
His eyes snapped open. He stared at her a moment, panic visible on his face in the dim light. His chest heaved, but his expression relaxed. He sat up with stiff movements, a hand cradling his ribs. “I hate that dream.”
She stroked his hair and across his nape. “Your shooting?”
“Yeah.” He rested his forehead on his hand. “I knew he’d hit close to my femoral artery, and I was damned scared I’d bleed out. That’s the part I always dream about, feeling the blood and Clark and Singleton pushing down on my leg and how bad it hurt. Thinking I was going to die.”
“I’m sorry.” Fingers tangled in his hair, she kissed his neck. She knew better than anyone that she couldn’t take the memories away, but she could comfort him through the bitter taste of aftermath.
“You dream about Melbourne.”
She stilled. “I do. Like yours, it’s almost always the same. Gates is in that damned bloody uniform, but he’swhole. He sits on the side of the bed and he tells me it’s okay and he has to go.”
Emmett didn’t lift his head, and she knew with a fierce certainty that he’d heard her call out for Gates in her sleep the other night.
Savannah pulled in a breath. “The last time, in the dream, I wanted to talk to him about you. I guess I wanted him to tell me it was okay, but I really don’t need him to. Rob’s right—Gates wouldn’t want me buried with him.”
She caressed his nape, and he nodded under her touch. Leaning in, she rested her mouth against his shoulder. “I guess this is where you harass me to tell you I love you.”
“No.” He rotated his head on his hand to look at her, unsmiling and with an expression in his eyes that made her think of the vast void that had been life with Gates that first year. He looked lost. “You don’t have to.”
The quiet words, his constant tendency to put her needs before his own, drove home the reality she’d been trying to dodge all day. He could very easily have been killed. Tears filled her eyes, and her chin trembled. For the life of her, she couldn’t get any words out.
“Hey, don’t.” He moved to wrap his arms around her and stopped on a low groan. “Ow.”
With a pained laugh, he embraced her anyway. Savannah buried her face in the curve of his shoulder and wound her arms about his neck. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I know. You have no idea how thankful I am for that.” He rubbed his cheek on her hair. “I love you, Savannah.”
The damned tears spilled over. Beyond words, she took his face in her hands and pressed her mouth to his. He was here, and for now, he was hers.
Chapter Eighteen
