Solid Steel (Unseen Enemy Book 6) (8 page)

“Alright,” Mark said, then he hesitated. “And Diana Keeler?”

“I want nothing more than to drop her spoiled, selfish ass, but we need to finish the assignment properly. Her stalker is in custody so stay in touch with the police about that. If he’s released on bail, she’ll still need security. Handle it, yeah, until we know what the cops’ll do?”

“Got it. Don’t worry, Dallas, I’ll get all the bases covered.”

“Thanks, man.” Dallas shifted his attention to Luke. “And thanks to you, too. I’m sorry you got dragged out of bed at the goddamn crack of dawn.”

“No need to thank me.” Luke shrugged. “I’m happy to help out and anyway, I was up. I worked the night shift last night, so I was wide awake.”

“You do night work?” Mark said.

“Sometimes. I bartend at Dangerous Curves, and I change shifts every few weeks. So no biggie, guys… I was at work when Felicia called.”

“OK.” Dallas stretched a bit. “Mark, you get to work, and Luke, you go get Selena.”

“You want another coffee before I head out?” Mark asked.

Dallas scowled again. “No, thanks. I have to go and file an official complaint about that resident’s big, fat mouth.”

Mark and Luke grinned.

“Oh, man,” Mark said. “I almost feel bad for the little twerp.
Almost
.”

“I don’t,” Luke said roughly. “Selena deserves better than for us to find out like this – it should have been
her
decision to share that with everyone.”

“You going to tell her that you know?” Mark asked him.

Luke ran his hand through his hair. “Honestly? I’d say that she suspects the secret is out. She was stabbed in the chest, she knows you guys are out here, she knows the doctor’s reporting in. If I were her, I’d assume that the cat was well and truly out of the bag.”

The other men considered that.

“Yeah,” Mark said reluctantly. “You’re probably right.”

“I won’t push it,” Luke said quietly. “But I won’t be surprised if it comes up.”

“And can you handle it if it does?” Dallas asked.

Luke held up his left arm and the men looked at the rounded, scarred flesh at the end of it. Neither flinched: they’d seen battle and they’d seen violent amputations and they had some idea what they were looking at.

“I know what it’s like to lose a part of yourself,” Luke said. “I didn’t choose this, but it happened and I’ve figured out how to live with it. If Selena wants to talk to me about her own loss, I’ll be there. No problem, I promise you.”

“Thanks, man,” Dallas said again. “And just to let you know: I have some experience being around women who are coping with bad scars and grappling with body image. You need me, you call.”

Luke accepted Dallas’ business card with a nod. Then he turned and headed down the hall to Selena’s room.

**

Selena stared down, blinking, trying to keep her thoughts straight. She was incredibly tired and shocked and all she wanted was to go home and crawl in to her own bed.

She ran her hand over her chest, felt its flatness. In the ER, they’d cut her clothes right off her, including her bra, and taken her breast forms. The left one was completely destroyed, anyway, but it had saved her life. That few inches of silicone and gel had absorbed the knife impact just enough to change the entire course of her fate. She was standing here and breathing and looking at the first rays of the sunrise because of it, she knew.

There was a knock at the door and she spun, almost losing her balance. She tugged the loose hospital gown around her chest more tightly, crossed her arms.

“Yes?” she called.

The door opened and she almost fell over again when she saw Luke standing there.

“Hey, Selena.” His voice was gentle, rough. “How you feeling?”

“I’m – I’m OK.” She stared at him, almost shaking with the need for him to hold her against his steadiness. “What are you doing here?”

He came in and shut the door behind him. “I heard about Griff, so I came to see how he was. That’s how I found out about you.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll take you home, OK?”

She started. “Oh, no. I’m sure one of the guys can…”

“I talked to Dallas and Mark, and said I’d get you out of here.” He gave her a small wink that was devastating in its sexiness. “You’re stuck with me, babe.”

“But –” She tried to gather her incoherent thoughts. “But it’s a hassle for you.”

“No hassle, I swear. Let’s just go.”

She looked down at herself again. “I don’t have a shirt or coat. The cops took mine as evidence.”

Right away, Luke peeled off his jean jacket. It was lined and warm and when he wrapped it around her shoulders, using his hand and his elbow, she felt his body heat. She shuddered, near tears with exhaustion and confusion.

He saw that her eyes were suspiciously bright and he looked away, giving her a few seconds to pull herself together. He put his arm around her carefully, started to lead her to the door. She moved slowly and he paused.

“You in pain?” he said.

Selena looked up at him, feeling vague and hazy from the drugs. “Ummmm. Some, but it’s not too bad. The painkillers are strong, the doctor said.”

“So you’ll be in pain later?”

“Yeah, I imagine so.”

“You got anything at home for that?”

“Uh.” She fished around in her jeans pocket. “They gave me a few extra, but I have a prescription for something too.”

Luke took the piece of paper from her, stuck it in his own pocket. “I’ll take care of this, OK? Let’s just get you in bed.”

She nodded, too weak and tired to protest against any of what was going on. She was too exhausted to even be outraged that Luke had totally gone back on his promise to stay away from her – and if the truth be told, she was
happy
that he’d gone back on it.

God help me, but I’m thrilled to see him. I’ve missed him.

Damn. I’m dead in the water when it comes to this guy.

Chapter Seven

Selena stood in her bedroom, struggling to get her pyjama top over her head. She couldn’t raise her left arm at all, she realized now, and her top was just a bit too tight to be comfortable against her stitches anyway.

Out in the kitchen, she heard rattling around. Luke had ordered her in to the shower, reminding her to not get her stitches wet, then he’d ordered her out, then he’d ordered her to get in to bed. He said he’d make her some breakfast and tea (no coffee, he stipulated, since she needed to get some sleep) and so she imagined he was in there now, attempting to find something in her woefully-understocked kitchen. She’d planned to go grocery shopping that morning, and her cupboards were pretty bare.

She heard a noise behind her now and she glanced over her shoulder.
Damn
, she hadn’t shut her bedroom door all the way when she’d come in after her shower, and now Luke was standing there staring at her.

Automatically, she turned around and away fully, held the pyjama top against her chest protectively. She looked down to make sure that her scar and flatness were completely hidden. Her breath caught as she stood there, half-naked and vulnerable in front of the most attractive, amazing man that she’d ever met. She shut her eyes, suddenly terrified.

Luke gazed at Selena’s bare back and a shock of longing went through him. All he wanted was to touch that smooth, golden skin. Just once, just with one fingertip. If he could do that, he’d die a happy man – he’d have touched an ass-kicking angel, and not many men could say they’d ever done that.

“Selena?” His voice came out huskier than usual. “You alright?”

She nodded, still clutching the top to her body.

He moved a bit closer. “You need some help?”

“I got the bottoms on OK,” she said, reluctant to admit that she needed assistance. “But the top is a problem.”

“So you want some help?”

“I – yes. Please.”

Luke approached slowly and she tensed. He was right behind her now, so damn close that she felt his breath on her bare skin. He reached for the top and she held it closer, tighter.

“Give me that,” he said gently. “I’ll help you get it over your head.”

She shook her head, panicked at the thought of being bare-chested even for a few seconds, even with her back turned. “I – I can’t.”

“How come?”

“I don’t…” Her voice trailed off and her throat closed up. “It’ll be a bit too tight on my stitches.”

“You got a bigger top?”

She bit her lip. “Not a clean one.”

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Luke reached behind his neck, yanked off his t-shirt. “Wear mine.”

Stunned, she glanced over her shoulder at him. Holy Lord, look at that chest… it was a mouthwatering, broad expanse of rippling, hard muscle and dark hair. Her mouth went dry, her legs went weak, her stomach went south.

“Selena.” Luke was trying very hard not to notice how gorgeous she looked with all that amazing hair tumbling around her face in waves and curls. “Turn around and face me and hands up as far as you can. Let me get my shirt on you.”

“Luke,” she whispered, trying to hold that intense blue gaze.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t – don’t look at me, OK?”

Luke stood still. He had a decision to make right now, and it was a fucking huge one. He took a deep breath and he just went for it.

“Selena… I know.”

She froze. “You know what?”

“I know why you’re covering your chest. I know it’s not just modesty.” His gorgeous face was hard but his voice was gentle. “I know about your surgery, babe.”

Selena gave a small cry and spun around again, holding her top even tighter against herself. She lowered her face to the material, shut her eyes again. She was mortified – completely and totally
mortified
– and all she wanted was to dive in to a hole and never, ever re-emerge. Because if Luke knew, then so did Dallas and so did Mark.

When her whole body started to shake, Luke slid his arms around her waist, tugged her close. She stiffened, just for a second, but then she relaxed in to his embrace. She leaned back against him, her warm skin pressed to his bare chest, and she wept.

She cried for the women in her family and for the loss of her breasts, and because she was so damn exhausted and hurting, and because she was scared about Griff. She never cried, never let herself be seen as weak or out of control –
never
,
ever
– but for a few minutes, Selena just let herself feel it. She felt
everything
.

Luke held her, his face buried in her tousled hair. When her legs gave out beneath her, he caught her and lowered them both to the floor. He leaned against the bed, pulled her back to rest between his legs.

“Cry, babe,” he murmured in her ear. “Just cry. I got you.”

She turned in his arms now, still clutching the pyjama top to herself. Her face was buried in his chest, her tears were warm on his skin, her legs were curled up under her. Carefully, mindful of her injury, Luke gathered her closer.

He was amazed at how small and fragile she was in this moment. Fuck, she was totally broken right now, and all Luke wanted to do was help her put herself back together again. He just wanted to offer her some strength; God knows, he had plenty, and he’d give her some of his without a second thought.

Selena barely felt Luke’s hard, powerful body: all she felt was incredible warmth. The man was pure
heat
and she felt like she was in a cocoon, surrounded and safe. Nothing bad could get to her here, nobody could hurt her, not ever again. Luke wouldn’t allow it, she knew. He’d stand between her and anything that was determined to cause her pain or worry… she could trust him. She could look to him for help and support. For acceptance.

Maybe even for love.

Slowly, she calmed. She half-expected Luke to release her now, but instead he tightened his grip around her body. She didn’t fight it, not at all. She relaxed fully, just sank down on to him.

After a minute, Luke pushed her hair back, lifted her chin. Her beautiful eyes gazed up at him and he was shocked at the heat in them. The urge to kiss her was strong now, stronger even than it had been that day at the track, but he kept his desire in check. She was drugged and in pain and upset: only an asshole would take advantage of her like this.

“You good?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice rough from crying. “Better now.”

He nodded. “So. We’re sprawled together on the ground again, huh?”

Startled, she laughed. He watched as her beautiful face lit up and opened up, and right away his cock hardened. Fuck, she was stunning and it suddenly occurred to him that they were both half-naked and all wrapped around each other. She didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, either.

Carefully, he ran his hand up her waist, up her arm, across her shoulder. She shivered at his touch, and when he paused just above the pyjama top that she was still holding in a death grip, she stared up at him. The look of pure, shining trust on her face almost killed him and he gently bunched the material in his hand.

“Selena?”

In her name, she heard everything that he was asking, everything he wanted to give her. And all she knew was that she wanted to say ‘yes’, to accept the precious thing that he was offering.

“Yes,” she said.

He hesitated, still not sure if she was fully aware of what was happening between them. “Yes?”

“Yes.” She let go of the top, put both of her smaller hands on top of his huge one. “You can look at me.”

“You brave, beautiful girl,” he said, that hard face so impossibly tender. “Are you sure? Totally sure?”

“Yes.”

And with that, she lifted her hands off his and rested them on his muscled chest. He felt an explosion of heat at her touch and without a second thought, he lowered his head and took her mouth. He kissed her gently, his tongue tracing the curve of her lips, and it was the hottest, sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced. He pulled back, just a bit, and whispered against her mouth.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

Luke lowered the pyjama top, revealing her upper body an inch at a time. He watched her face the whole time, looking for any sign that she was uncertain or embarrassed, but he saw none. She was looking up at him, so open and calm, so sure that he wasn’t going to hurt her or reject her. She believed in him, he saw it all over her face and his heart squeezed at the enormity of the gift she’d just bestowed upon him.

The pyjama top fell to the floor. Selena took a deep breath. Luke dropped his eyes, saw the thick bandage covering the entire left side of her chest, gazed at the exposed right side.

She was totally flat; nothing of her breast remained at all and Luke assumed it was the same on the other side. The dark scar was thick, far thicker than he’d thought it would be. It started near the center of her body and curved up and under her armpit. It looked like the letter ‘c’ turned over on its back; it looked like an open palm.

He stared down at her, seeing nothing but a survivor in front of him. Luke knew a thing or two about battle scars: he had some of his own, for damn sure, and his fellow former team members were covered in them, too. He’d seen hundreds of injured soldiers in Afghanistan, seen thousands of scars, all shapes and sizes. Some had been heartbreaking, some had been inspiring – but Selena’s were something else again.

“Oh, babe,” he said. “You’re so beautiful. You just don’t know.”

“With you, I think I do,” she said quietly. “The way you look at me, Luke… I
feel
beautiful.”

He smiled, then saw that she was very pale and shivering a bit. He didn’t know if it was from cold or delayed shock, but he
did
know that he didn’t like it.

“Come on, beautiful.” In his mouth, the adjective sounded like her name. “Put on my shirt before you catch your death of cold.”

Without any hesitation now, she raised her right arm. He slipped his t-shirt over her head, over her right arm, then gently, carefully, he worked her left arm through the sleeve. She winced and he stopped.

“Hurts?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She winced again as she got her arm in a bit farther. “It pulls and burns.”

“Damn stitches.”

She gave him a smile. “Yeah. Getting stabbed by a psycho sucks, huh?”

“No kidding.” He pulled her hand towards him and the material slid down over her entire body. “OK, there you go.”

“Thanks.” She glanced down at her arm. “I guess I have to figure out how to do stuff one-handed for a while, huh?”

He grinned at her. “I can give you a few pointers.”

She looked at him, suddenly realizing what had just come out of her mouth.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why do you keep doing this with him?

“Oh, God, Luke.” Selena was beyond horrified. “I can’t believe I just said that to you. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, not the slightest bit offended. “Why do you keep acting like the fact that I’m missing my left hand is news to me? I
know
it’s not there, babe.”

“I know. I just feel like I could be way more sensitive about it.” She paused. “But the weird thing is that I keep
forgetting
about it. Is that dumb?”

“Nah,” he said. “In fact, I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Really?”

“Sure. I like that when you look at me, you don’t see what’s missing.”

“Oh, Luke.” She spoke softly. “Nothing’s missing with you. Not one thing.”

He cupped her face in his large hand, held her eyes.

“I feel exactly the same way about you, beautiful.”