Harrier's Healer (20 page)

and touching his fingertips together as his gaze held hers.

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Aliyah Burke

Her eyes grew to a rich honeyed color, but then she cleared her

throat and blinked a few times. “Okay. What’s the problem?”

The problem is we aren’t married.
“Well, I have this thing in my

mouth.” He sat forward and pointed to the back of his throat. “It’s

making me very uncomfortable, especially when I swallow.”

He watched as her mind went through the possibilities. “Maybe

you should see the dentist instead of the doctor.”

“It’s not my gums or teeth. I already thought about that,” he re-

sponded in a deep voice full of frustration and longing.

“Okay.” Alexis flipped open a steno pad, picked up a pen, jot-

ting down some notes. “Excuse me,” she said as her phone began to

ring.

With an ease he recognized, she maneuvered the pen and paper

to her left hand and began to scribble more things on the paper while

she picked up the phone with her right. “HMC Rogets,” came her

greeting. “Yes, sir. I am in the middle of a consultation right now. Oh,

yes, sir, he is the one in here. Just a moment, sir.”

Alexis handed the phone across the desk. “Commander, it’s for

you.” As soon as he took the phone, she turned around in her chair to

give him privacy.

Frowning, Scott took the calm, a little annoyed they were being

interrupted, but considering it was from his own superior officer, he

tamped the emotion down.

“Sorry about that,” he said a few moments later, handing her the

phone.

“No prob,” Alexis taking the phone from him as he lowered his

large frame back into the chair. “Well, let me ask you some questions.”

He just watched her, waiting, revealing nothing about what was

going through his mind.

She shifted slightly in her seat and continued with her questions.

“Are you taking any meds currently?”

He barely even blinked. “No.”

“Fevers, sweats, or anything uncommon like that been happen-

ing?”

“No.”

Her dark hand moved swiftly, taking down more notes. “How

long have you felt this,” pausing, Alexis narrowed her eyes and waved

her hand, “this thing?”

“About five days now,” he admitted, thinking back. That was

the night of the gala in Hong Kong.

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“All right…” She paused as a knock sounded on the door.

“Yes?” It opened and in walked one of the corpsman with a few papers

for her to sign. As she did, Alexis instructed the young man to make

sure they weren’t interrupted unless it was important. Since her eyes

were looking at the papers, she missed the heated flare of desire in

Scott’s eyes.

The corpsman left quickly and soon it was back to the two of

them in the small office. “Sorry, Commander, for the interruptions. Is

there any chance you could have picked something up during your stay

in Hong Kong?” Her voice was totally professional, as was her gaze.

“Nope.” He leaned back again and held those unwavering eyes

on hers. “And before you ask, not before that either. My last sexual

encounter was…” He closed his eyes as if he had to remember.

He cracked open one eye and saw her clench her jaw as she

waited for him to finish, giving off the appearance of being totally

unaffected. He knew she definitely wasn’t.

“Well, it was with someone who was clean. I know this for a

fact,” he stated as his eyes opened again to stare into her alluring ones.

“Very well then. As long as you are sure.” More notes landed on

the paper.

I am very sure, my gorgeous healer, for you were the last woman I was

with.
“I’m sure.”

She cleared her throat dramatically. “Okay, have you been

around anyone with strep that you know of? Or, actually, tell me where

you were prior to Hong Kong; perhaps you got something there and it

just took a bit of time to show symptoms.”

His hand rubbed his throat and he cleared it a bit. “Everyone

else in my team is fine. I am the only one feeling this way. It is leaving a

bad taste in my throat. I don’t even like the food that I normally eat.”

“Okay, but remember, people don’t react the same to being ex-

posed to things; so while it may not have affected them, you might still

feel the effects. As far as leaving a bad taste, I am not sure.” She put

down the pen and rose, walking over to a medical cabinet along a wall.

“Let me just take a look and see if I can find anything.”

Scott ran his eyes over the firm ass cupped by her khaki uni-

form.
God, I want to peel that off of her.
His body began to respond even

more to her nearness; it was a miracle he hadn’t taken her against the

wall already, as randy as she was making him.

Alexis walked back over to him, hands gloved and holding a

small penlight. “Tip your head back, Commander,” she ordered.

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Aliyah Burke

Silent, he did as she bade and opened his mouth so she could

peer into it. His eyes remained on her face when she leaned over him.

He inhaled her soothing and yet damnably arousing feminine scent. He

loved how she smelled. Like heather.

Finally, she stood up and clicked off the light. “I don’t know. I

don’t see anything. There is no swelling, no redness. No indication of

anything that could be irritated or infected.” Her head tilted to the side

as she thought about another cause and pulled off her gloves to toss

them in the garbage.

Scott grabbed her wrist, halting her. At her look between his

hand and his face, he said, “I know what it is.”

His touch momentarily forgotten, her eyes flew up to meet his.

“What is it?”

“My foot.” He jerked his arm and she fell back across his lap,

where he imprisoned her against his chiseled chest.

“Let me go!” she shrieked, struggling to get free.

“Ever since I said those horrible things to you in Hong Kong I

have felt like this moronic asshole. I was jealous. I still am jealous,” he

muttered against her cheek where his lips were pressed.

“Let me go, Commander,” she demanded even as he felt her

body melt against him.

“Never, Lex, I can never let you go. I love you.” His eyes closed

as he nuzzled the smooth skin of her neck, once again feeling the

completion this woman brought to his life.

She sank further into briefly before she froze. “Let me go! We are

on the ship! Do you know how much trouble we would get into?” She

struggled more.

His tongue trailed along her cheekbone. “No.”

Alexis stopped fighting to get free; she was so shocked at his an-

swer. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I’m not letting go of you until you hear me out.” He kissed her

neck.

She looked at him with wide eyes. “Someone could come in.”

“Then I suggest you hold still and let me say what I want to say.

We both know you can’t get away from me.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” She asked her panicked ques-

tion in a hushed voice, as if the slightest noise would alert someone that

she was on his lap.

“You told them you were in a consultation. The corpsman came

in and saw that nothing was wrong. I don’t know how you have been

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able to avoid me on this ship, but you have and I couldn’t go another

second without talking to you and trying to make up for my idiotic

remark that I said in anger in Hong Kong.” His fingers began to move

up her bare arm. “Will you hear me out?”

“I don’t have much choice, now do I?” She huffed, trying not to

give in and lean against his body even more.

“I just want a chance to explain my actions,” His body grew ri-

gid as his tone lost all emotion, noticing her shift in posture. “If I offend

you that much, maybe I should leave.”

Putting her face directly into his, her eyes golden fire, she chal-

lenged him. “Maybe you should.”

Eyes so blue they rivaled the sky narrowed, meeting her glare

with his own. One blond eyebrow arched. “Fine.” After being careful to

make sure she stood securely on her feet, Scott stood abruptly. “Thanks

for the advice, Chief.” His chilling voice froze the entire room as his

hand turned the knob on the door, opening it to allow their conversa-

tion to be overheard. “I understand now what you are saying.”

“Good, Commander.” She tilted up her proud chin, her expres-

sion set. “As long as it’s clear. Have a good day, sir.”

He watched her return to her computer, her back to him once

more. Feeling more frustrated than ever, Scott left the room, shutting

the door behind him.

C h a p t e r E i g h t e e n

Alexis willed the tears to not fall as she began to enter in more

data into the computer. When she heard the door quietly close, her

shoulders shuddered as she realized she’d just gotten rid of the best

thing that would most likely ever happen to her. “
Jesú
, Alexis, you have

to be the dumbest broad in the world! You know you love him. If you

would just learn to control that temper and mouth of yours, you

could’ve had the best man in creation around—to hold you, be with you

and, most of all, love you,” she muttered as her fingers typed in the

information.

Alexis kept at it for about two more minutes before simply

dropping her head forward to land on the smooth wood beside the

keyboard. “I’m such an idiot,” she wailed to the confines of the room. “I

can’t believe I let him go…”

“And I can’t believe you actually thought I would let you go a

second time, Alexis Milele Rogets.” A velvet fold of seduction wrapped

itself around her as those words were murmured into her ear.

Without raising her head, for fear it was just her imagination,

she asked hesitantly, “Are you really here?”

Breath warmed her neck. “Turn your head and see for yourself.”

Eyes that shone with unshed tears opened as her head turned.

Alexis found herself looking into those beautiful, bedroom blue eyes. “I

thought you left,” she whispered, her mouth a hair’s breadth away from

his.

“I am not leaving you, Lex.” Scott promised. His lips moved

tenderly over hers as he spoke. “I’m so sorry for what I said to you in

Hong Kong. I was being immature and jealous, can you forgive me?”

“I forgive you.”
I want to kiss him so bad.

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“Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right

now?”

“No,” she breathed, hope plain in her eyes.

“I know we are on the ship and I would be breaking protocol,”

he said, offering her a chance to back out.

“I don’t care. Kiss me, Scott,” she ordered.

His eyes flashed. He didn’t have to be told twice. With a slight

movement of his head, he covered her lips with his firm ones. Kneeling

beside her chair, he turned her body towards his, never breaking

contact with her mouth.

Alexis brought her hands up to cradle his face, her dark skin

contrasting beautifully with his tanned skin. The kiss was forgiving,

gentle, and promised a future together. Her thick lashes fell to rest on

her cheeks as she gave herself over to the sensation of being loved by

this man.

He drew away from her slowly, pulling on her bottom lip and

she felt his eyes waiting for hers to open again. “I have to stop or I am

going to take this much farther.”

She still didn’t open her eyes. “Why didn’t you leave like you

said?”

“It is going to take a hell of a lot more than your temper to get

me to leave your side, my amazing little healer.” He caressed her full

lips with his thumb. “I happen to like that spark in you.”

Her exotic eyes widened. “So you heard me?”

“Yes, I heard. And I am waiting to hear it again.” His eyes never

relinquished their hold on her.

“I am in love with you, Lieutenant Commander Harrington

Prescott Broderick Leighton the Third,” she admitted, surprised at how

easy it was to share that with him. Her fingers brushed tenderly over

his temple. “I love you.”

Eyes the blue of Gentian violets deepened with love and desire.

“And I you, my stunning woman. And I you.” His lips covered hers

again, drawing them both closer to the point of no return.

As before, he was the one to draw away from her intoxicating

lips, an act that got him a groan of frustration from her. “Now is not the

time,” he said, standing and moving back from her tempting body.

She grumbled her displeasure again but realized he was right.

Her body was on full alert from his presence. The fact that he’d touched

her only added fuel to the flames that coursed her body.

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Aliyah Burke

Alexis stood and moved towards him and the door. “Was there

anything else you needed to discuss with me, Commander?” she

wondered as she opened the door.

“I think that will take care of it. Again, thanks for seeing me,” he

said, brushing past her and his fingers grazing lightly along her ass,

positive the act would be unobserved by the corpsman sitting out in the

main area.