Page 27 of Lucky Charm
“Sleep isn’t a bad idea,” Hunt put in. “We’re here until the storm quits.”
“Let’s hold and see if I can manage to sleep on my own. We may need the drugs later.” She had no idea how she was going to follow these men wherever they needed to go to get rescued. The whole problem seemed insurmountable.
A hard shiver worked its way from head to toe. She ducked her head against Hunt, desperately stifling tears at the same time. They leaked out anyway.
She would suck it up.
She had to.
Hunt’s hands stroked her back, spreading the cursed heat across her skin. This was not what she had in mind when she dreamed of being horizontal with the man again.
∞∞∞∞∞
Another hour passed. Hunt held on, knowing Cait was struggling with the pain and trying not to sound off. She couldn’t yell here. The echo of hervoice off the cave walls would transmit sound out the entrance and for miles down the mountain. Even in this weather.
“Keep your breaths even, honey. In and out. That’s it.”
“You need a break, LT.”
Cait clutched at him. He ran a hand over her back. “Not going anywhere, Doc,” he whispered.
“Thing is, LT, you should move, drink some water, use the john, and let me look at you. Plus, I need to set her up with that IV. I’ve warmed the fluid bag by the fire.”
Hunt squeezed her tighter, reluctant to let her go. “Let’s get Doc a shirt to put on. Keep her from losing some of her heat. In my pack. Thermal.”
Carter never blinked at the request but turned to rummage through the pack and pull out the shirt.
With Doc straddling his lap, Hunt felt the closeness of intimate body parts in every way. He kept the top cover tucked over her body and used his ab muscles to sit. Expecting the jab of pain from his ribs, he hissed quietly through his teeth. He shifted to shield her as much as he could before grabbing the shirt from Carter and slipping it over her head. “Raise your arms a bit, Doc. Let’s get you bundled in this.”
Clumsy and in pain, she did her best to cooperate, but he finally had to help her. There was no way she was sitting on her own, and Carter needed both hands to do an IV. “Doog. Get over here.”
The man rolled from his position near the front of the cave.
“Sit here and prop Doc up while Carter puts in an IV.” He fought an instinct he didn’t understand letting the man close to her. Ridiculous thoughts. Doogie was his best friend. He’d be as protective of the Doc for Hunt’s sake as he was for hers.
“Got it,” Doog answered, shedding his outerwear. He handed Hunt a canteen of water and then carefully sat behind the Doc. “BFF coming in for support, Doc,” he whispered in her ear.
Tension releasing, Hunt swung a light blanket over his shoulders to protect his naked skin from the chill and made his way to the very back of the cave to relieve himself. He’d learned early on to control how and when he peed. His father wasn’t known to be accommodating of any bodily functions. He used those moments as times to punish not support.
Dammit, why could he not banish thoughts of his parents forever and ever?
Regardless, as a SEAL he had to be rigorous in the when and where to take care of business. The relief from finally letting down left him wondering about Cait. God knows he didn’t want to embarrass her, but it seemed a conversation with Doc would be necessary to make sure she had the opportunity to use the facilities such as they were. God, he’d have to help her. There was no other way.
He moved back toward Baxter, uncapping the water Doog had given him and drinking a goodportion of the jug. Baxter anticipated him and handed him two energy bars. “You want more?”
He shook his head and made a small circuit around the cave to stretch his legs and give the erection he had strategically covered time to dissipate.
His eyes never left Cait. Carter was in the process of inserting the needle in her arm. Doogie was quietly talking to her, and she was nodding at what he said. They all were stepping up to take good care of her, Carter especially, and he blasted himself for being such a stupid douche.
Still the thought of any of the other men being naked against her skin made bile rise in his throat. Christ! Who knew he could get this attached to a woman he barely knew. They’d connected with a mind-boggling intensity on the physical level, but in terms of trust – well, he didn’t know her. Not like he knew his teammates. In truth, well, he trusted no one with his secrets. He learned early in his life to keep his walls firm and not depend on anyone.
One of the hardest things he’d had to do when he joined the SEALs was to let his walls shift and accommodate letting his teammates in. It was a necessary thing for teams to operate smoothly. But he’d searched for his walls with Cait, and they weren’t there. He swallowed hard against the loss of control and vulnerability.
He gobbled one bar and set the water and the other bar close to his pack. The IV was in. He went to his pack for a couple pairs of socks. Doogie watched him while he shifted their sleeping cocoonand fit two pairs of socks on her feet. They weren’t blue anymore, but they weren’t pink either. Dammit.
He wedged in once again beside Doc in his original position and Doc sighed. Doog helped get her comfortable and then tucked them back in while Carter kept the IV from getting tangled. “Thanks.”
“You’re a nice shade of purple there, Hunt,” Doogie noted.
