Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (4 page)

“Yeah, you’re fine. Give it a while longer, and you can dance on out of here.” She was caught by surprise by a humongous yawn. “Sorry! I’m going to go get some sleep, okay?” Mia stepped out and closed the bedroom door behind her. As she walked down the short hall, she decided that she couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to go back to work. But first she had to get some sleep. She had been going for almost two days, and she couldn’t stay up anymore. She collapsed onto the sofa and almost instantly tanked.

When Mia woke up, it was dark. She sat up quickly and looked toward the kitchen. She could see the glow of the digital oven clock, and she squinted at it. “Oops!” She scrambled off of the sofa. She hadn’t checked on her patient in far too long.
I’m sure he’s okay.
Actually, what she was most worried about was that he might already have left. She raced down the hall to the bedroom, pushed open the door, and rushed over to the bed.

Out of the semidark, an iron arm swept out and around her, yanking her off her feet. Mia yelped. She landed on the mattress, on her back, the arm still banded around her, and a heavy, heated, very nude male body covering her.

All her inner alarms were going off like crazy. They didn’t calm down when warm breath puffed on her face, and a deep voice rumbled, “I’ve wanted to do this for hours.” Then his lips came down hard on hers, and her mouth was devoured. Mia managed to pull one arm free and did the only thing a girl could do under those circumstances. She lassoed his brawny neck—and they went at it like French cousins.

A huge, hot pike pressed firm against her thigh.

He suddenly heaved up, groaning, and rolled over onto his back. He flung an arm over his face. His chest was heaving a bit. Mia was panting pretty heavily herself. “Sorry! I shouldn’t have—”

Her mind was short-circuited, but she still had enough neurons firing to understand he had quit before things were finished. Mia shimmied out of her sweatpants and took hold of the velvety-hot joystick. He jerked, his body coming up off the bed, but her bent legs were already grasping his hips. Mia took her seat and let it rip. She had once ridden a mechanical bull. The soldier-boy bucked a whole hell of a lot better.
Yippy-ki-yay!

It was really, really good. No batteries required.

Mia sank into a deep, contented sleep. But not before she felt his hand smoothing her hair and his weight lifting off of the bed. Her last drifting thought was that she was glad he had second watch.

* * * *

He found his uniform and underclothes and dressed quickly. He padded barefoot back into the outer room. There were no lights on, but he didn’t need any illumination. He had memorized the furniture setup. Without giving it much conscious thought, he moved with easy physical grace through the darkened room.

He approved of the blackout curtains. There would be no one peeping in the windows and no hint of light or movement from inside would leak through. He wondered what kind of life the woman led that required such precautions. He recalled the well-supplied medical kit. Was he just the last in a line of refugees she had helped? She was obviously an American, a civilian. What was she doing in this backwater country?

He carefully moved aside a corner of one drape far enough to give a swift glance outside. The sky was edging toward an orange sunset, creating lengthening shadows. He could see the entire sweep of bare ground in front of the building. Not a living thing in sight, just a few parked vehicles. He grunted, pleased, and let the curtain drop. The place was safe enough.

He felt an unexpected peace seeping into him. His body was relaxed but ready for action. The stitched-up wound on his arm barely bothered him. He felt good.

He seated himself in the big stuffed chair and angled his weapon across his knees. It was his turn to stand watch and guard. It was more than a duty. Fierce feelings burned in his chest, protectiveness and frighteningly strong liking. Somehow, the woman curled up asleep in the warm bed in the next room had become more than a hot, convenient hook-up. She was so utterly unlike anyone else he had ever been with. He was beginning to think his life had been turned upside down.
I’d take a bullet for her.

* * * *

Her alarm went off. Mia put out her hand and groped for the clock, finally slapping the button on the top. She stretched, yawning, feeling all warm and pleasantly relaxed with the aftereffects of her erotic dream.

“You’re awake.” The deep voice was familiar.

Mia opened one eye to take a peek. Yep. There was her erotic dream, leaning against the doorframe, dressed in his clean, dull-colored uniform. She opened the other eye. He was giving her a slow once-over. Her whole body flash-warmed red. She kind of bunched the sheet in her hand and pulled it up over her bare breasts.
Bare
. She looked down.
Well, I guess I lost my T-shirt somehow.

He was grinning at her, a kind of sexy, knowing grin. His eyes were heated as he stared at her. “You look real pretty, all rumpled and sexy.”

Mia swallowed. “Uh, hi.” She could have hit herself. Could she have sounded any lamer? She tried again. “I better get up and–and take a shower.”

He straightened. His wide hands flexed at his sides. The heat flared hotter in his eyes. For a second, Mia got the impression that he was going to pounce on her. He didn’t say anything, but his jaw tightened. He nodded then spun round on his heel. She heard his rapid tread going down the hallway.

It was obvious that her hunk wasn’t at risk anymore. Mia reached for her cell phone on the bedside table. Her supervisor was happy to hear from her. Her regular shift was covered, but the emergency room had been slammed, and another body was needed, someone who had experience in triage.
That’s me.

It didn’t take her long to leap out of the bed and scramble into the bathroom. The toilet seat was down, which made her grin. She showered, shampooed and conditioned, and dried off in twenty minutes. Then she put on her work clothes. Mia stared at herself in the mirror, frowning at her hair while she blow-dried it. She needed a cut, maybe some highlights. She took more time with her make-up than she usually did. G
orgeous guy in the house, so sue me
. She knew she would have to hustle on the way to work to get there on time.

When she was ready, Mia sucked in a good, deep breath. It didn’t help. She was still nervous. Mia went to find the incredible hunk who had given her the most fantastic night of her life.

He had fixed her breakfast.
Okay, cleans up the kitchen.
Check.
Puts toilet seat down.
Check.
Makes breakfast.
Check.
Screws-your-eyeballs blind sex.
Check. Check. He was perfect. Too bad he was crazy.

Mia sat down at the table and looked at the orange juice, scrambled eggs, and toast. “This is great!” She picked up her fork and dug in.

He joined her at the table, but he didn’t have a plate. Mia looked a silent question, which he actually understood. “I ate earlier.” He flicked his fingers in her direction. “You’ve got scrubs on.”

She nodded and swallowed some more puffy-light eggs. The man could cook. “I’ve got to get to work.”

“I don’t think you should go out. It could be dangerous.”

Mia looked at him over the toast that she had lifted up to her mouth. “It’s the last day of my shift. I can’t pretend to be sick anymore. Besides, I already called in, and I’m really needed. I wouldn’t want to, uh, make anyone suspicious by changing my routine.” She bit into the toast.

He frowned thoughtfully. “You’re probably right.”

Mia finished breakfast and carried her glass and plate to the sink. She rinsed the dishes. “You’ll be all right here until I get back, right?”

“I don’t think anyone will look for me here. I’ll be safe enough.”

Mia turned away from the sink to look at him. “How are those stitches holding? Do you want me to look at them before I leave?”

His face softened. “I’m fine. You can take a look and change the bandage when you get back.”

She ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then into the bedroom to snatch up her purse. She hurried to the front door. “Okay, lock up behind me. I’ve got a ten-hour shift. I’ll see you after.”

Before Mia got out the door, he grabbed her close and lifted her high enough that her feet left the floor. His kiss was hard and quick. He set her down, murmuring in a low voice, “You be safe today.”

Her head went up and down just like a bobblehead toy again. Mia stumbled out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her. She heard the locks slide home. She got into her car and kind of drove off on autopilot.

Mia was almost at work before she realized something really, really important. They didn’t know each others’ names. “Well, shit.” If she ended up dead, done in by a gorgeous Rambo-wannabe, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone who had killed her.

Chapter Three

Mia’s mind wasn’t really on her work. Even when blood spurted from a bleeder and she had to set a clamp, she just got the job done. She didn’t let anyone die or anything, but it was just one of those days. Some days, she just didn’t want to hear a lot of whining or moaning from sick people. Fortunately, most of them were knocked out with pain medication or sleeping.

She called her best friend, who worked on the same floor she usually did, to let Marti know that she was back but stationed in the ER. Marti came downstairs to sit with her at break and started chattering in her usual cheerful way.

Mia couldn’t help it. Her attention wandered. She wondered what her hunk was doing. She knew what she wanted him to do—to her. She propped her chin in her hand and drifted into a pleasant, sultry daydream.

Her girlfriend abruptly broke off in mid-sentence. Marti tilted her head, eying her. “What’s with you tonight? You act like you’re off in your own little fantasy world.”

“That’s about right,” Mia muttered.

When Marti
really
looked at her, Mia could see the wheels spinning. Mia knew that she knew that she hadn’t really been sick. Marti sometimes could come off as a little flakey. She just had that innocent, naïve, beautiful kind of face. She also had blonde hair. But she was smart.

Marti was scary smart.

Mia looked at her best girlfriend and debated telling Marti about the weird stuff that had happened to her lately. She kind of edged up to it. “I met this guy at the movies. We had hot monkey sex last night.”

Marti’s eyes got real round and excited. “
Girl
! You had a one-night
stand
? Meaningless, random
sex
with a
stranger
?” She squealed, hurting Mia’s ears.

Well, it was only one night. And he was pretty strange.
Mia didn’t know anyone else who had gotten shot up in a theater where there hadn’t been any bullets flying. “I’m seeing him after shift. I think.”

She frowned.
He could leave. He could disappear. I’d never know his name. I’d never walk bow-legged again.

It was too horrible to think about.

“Details! I want
de-tails
!” Marti’s eyes glistened. She didn’t get much action, either. Mia thought Marti was a whole lot prettier than her, too. She was normal-curvy. Mia had more bosom—she liked thinking of it that way better than saying she had “big tits” because she thought it was more dignified. Mia also had an apple butt. Only her waist measurement was smaller than her friend’s.

“There’s not much to tell.” But Mia grinned, just to let her girlfriend know she was lying. Marti squealed again and bounced in her chair. So Mia told her about her hot bull ride and about a couple of horizontal slow dances, too. When she was done, Marti slumped back in her chair, fanning herself with her hands. “You lucky girl! I am just so
jealous!
A man in uniform, too!”

“Yeah, but Marti, he hasn’t said, but I get the feeling he’s not going to stick around long.”

Marti nodded, looking wise. “Special Ops. You’ve got to expect that. They can get orders to ship out at anytime.”

“Yeah.” Mia felt herself sink into deep gloom. She stared down at the pitted Formica tabletop and heaved a mournful sigh.

“Ah, Mia. Don’t look like that.” Marti consolingly patted her arm. “You’re off for the next two days, right? So make the most of it.”

Break was over, and they both hurried back to their stations. Mia usually loved working the ER. It could be such an adrenaline rush, all the blood and broken bones and screaming. This time, she couldn’t wait for her shift to be over. She hoped her hunk would be waiting for her.

When Mia finally got home, she inserted her key in the lock. She didn’t want to take him by surprise and get shot, so she called out a warning. “Incoming!” She pushed open the door. Someone grabbed her by the arms, and her feet left the ground. Mia got a whirling look at her living room. She heard the door slam. Then she was thrown up against it. A hot mouth slammed down, sealing her half-open, astonished mouth. Strong hands flexed on her butt, lifting her up, and lean hips pressed between her thighs.
Whew. Now that’s a welcome home, honey.

He let her slide down. His forehead rested against hers. His hands smoothed circles over her tingling ass. He was breathing hard. Or maybe that was her. Mia couldn’t tell. The heat still radiated between them. Her heart was trip-hammering.