Read Online Sexy/Dangerous by Beverly Jenkins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beverly Jenkins
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me to argue with you?”
“Yes,” he said frankly.
“Excuse, me,” Kaitlin said, coming into the room. “While you all were out chilling in the storm, dinner came. I’ll eat in my room.” She set the bags down on the floor at her feet.
Adam warned, “Just make sure it’s your room and not mine.”
She showed him a sour face then left with her portion of the delivery.
Max was still lying on the floor. “If you don’t like her, why is she here?”
“It’s complicated.”
Max could feel her back stiffening like a board. She went to stand up but the pain refused to allow it. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to obey the command and struggled to her feet.
Adam saw her stiff movements. “You need a hot shower and some ibuprofen for that back.”
Outside, the storm was still wailing.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Are you always so hard-headed?”
“Always. Ask my mama.” She took a few stiff-legged steps that made her wince. The dogs looked up with concern. “I’m okay,” she told them. “Just moving a little slow, that’s all.”
She saw Adam shake his head at her stubbornness, and said to him in response, “I’ll take the shower and the pain meds, but first I want to get out of these wet clothes, then I plan to eat.”
If he had another comment to offer, he kept it to himself. On the other hand, the thought of walking up the steps and the struggle she knew she’d have getting out of her wet clothes were daunting even to a former Marine. Once again Rita Risk Taker, the name given her by her mama when Max was growing up in Texas, had bitten off more than she could chew. Max viewed her back injury as divine payback for foolishly placing the dogs in harm’s way, so she accepted her punishment without whining and reminded herself that she’d done far harder things, like surviving the Marines’ Crucible, hunting and eating lizards in the jungles of Colombia when the rations ran out, and making a fifteen-mile walk across the Afghanistan countryside to Kabul on a badly fractured foot. With those accomplishments under her beltshe could certainly drag herself up a measly flight of stairs.
Drawing in a deep breath to strengthen her resolve, she placed one wet sneaker in front of the other and climbed to the top.
Five
By the time Max stepped out of the shower, her back hurt so badly every breath brought agony. She managed to drag on some clean panties and a pair of sweats she dug out of the duffel she’d brought in from the car that morning, but she had neither the ability nor the inclination to do anything about her pancake flat hair, so she decided to avoid mirrors instead. She cupped her hand beneath the running stream of water coming from the tap in the sink and swallowed some of the over-the-counter meds she carried in her medicine kit. She hoped the relief would kick in soon because her back was on fire. It crossed her mind that her injury might be more serious than she’d first assumed, but she wasn’t going to deal with that possibility, either, at least not for now. For the moment, all she wanted was a bed so she could fall out.
But she didn’t have a bed, she reminded herself. She knew Kaitlin wouldn’t give up hers without a death match, so that left the SUV, but no way was she going to crawl into the back of the Honda, not in her condition. Instead she left the bedroom and took a slow walkdown the hall and up the set of rickety stairs. He was going to throw a fit, but she didn’t care. She needed to lie down, and his bed was the only game in town.
Downstairs, Adam stripped off his wet T-shirt and tossed it to the floor. He was hoping she’d be back by now. The dogs were lying on the floor by the patio door, watching him. He was still amazed by the fact that he’d picked up the one she called Ossie. Instinct, he supposed. It had been so chaotic out there, his aversion to dogs hadn’t even crossed his mind.
He studied the canines. Even though he’d rescued the big male, Adam
“Yes,” he said frankly.
“Excuse, me,” Kaitlin said, coming into the room. “While you all were out chilling in the storm, dinner came. I’ll eat in my room.” She set the bags down on the floor at her feet.
Adam warned, “Just make sure it’s your room and not mine.”
She showed him a sour face then left with her portion of the delivery.
Max was still lying on the floor. “If you don’t like her, why is she here?”
“It’s complicated.”
Max could feel her back stiffening like a board. She went to stand up but the pain refused to allow it. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to obey the command and struggled to her feet.
Adam saw her stiff movements. “You need a hot shower and some ibuprofen for that back.”
Outside, the storm was still wailing.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Are you always so hard-headed?”
“Always. Ask my mama.” She took a few stiff-legged steps that made her wince. The dogs looked up with concern. “I’m okay,” she told them. “Just moving a little slow, that’s all.”
She saw Adam shake his head at her stubbornness, and said to him in response, “I’ll take the shower and the pain meds, but first I want to get out of these wet clothes, then I plan to eat.”
If he had another comment to offer, he kept it to himself. On the other hand, the thought of walking up the steps and the struggle she knew she’d have getting out of her wet clothes were daunting even to a former Marine. Once again Rita Risk Taker, the name given her by her mama when Max was growing up in Texas, had bitten off more than she could chew. Max viewed her back injury as divine payback for foolishly placing the dogs in harm’s way, so she accepted her punishment without whining and reminded herself that she’d done far harder things, like surviving the Marines’ Crucible, hunting and eating lizards in the jungles of Colombia when the rations ran out, and making a fifteen-mile walk across the Afghanistan countryside to Kabul on a badly fractured foot. With those accomplishments under her beltshe could certainly drag herself up a measly flight of stairs.
Drawing in a deep breath to strengthen her resolve, she placed one wet sneaker in front of the other and climbed to the top.
Five
By the time Max stepped out of the shower, her back hurt so badly every breath brought agony. She managed to drag on some clean panties and a pair of sweats she dug out of the duffel she’d brought in from the car that morning, but she had neither the ability nor the inclination to do anything about her pancake flat hair, so she decided to avoid mirrors instead. She cupped her hand beneath the running stream of water coming from the tap in the sink and swallowed some of the over-the-counter meds she carried in her medicine kit. She hoped the relief would kick in soon because her back was on fire. It crossed her mind that her injury might be more serious than she’d first assumed, but she wasn’t going to deal with that possibility, either, at least not for now. For the moment, all she wanted was a bed so she could fall out.
But she didn’t have a bed, she reminded herself. She knew Kaitlin wouldn’t give up hers without a death match, so that left the SUV, but no way was she going to crawl into the back of the Honda, not in her condition. Instead she left the bedroom and took a slow walkdown the hall and up the set of rickety stairs. He was going to throw a fit, but she didn’t care. She needed to lie down, and his bed was the only game in town.
Downstairs, Adam stripped off his wet T-shirt and tossed it to the floor. He was hoping she’d be back by now. The dogs were lying on the floor by the patio door, watching him. He was still amazed by the fact that he’d picked up the one she called Ossie. Instinct, he supposed. It had been so chaotic out there, his aversion to dogs hadn’t even crossed his mind.
He studied the canines. Even though he’d rescued the big male, Adam
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