Chapter 15
“Headache?” Rocco asked, growing concerned.
Jemma had regained consciousness as he laid her on his bed, frowning as she glanced around his place. Rocco had to admit, it wasn’t much to look at. A one-room, shotgun-style warehouse space converted into residential living for singles in San Juan. As expected of a bachelor, his furniture was sparse—a king-sized bed covered by a faded cotton black duvet, one bedside table, a desk and a chair that had seen better days, and an eighty-inch flat-screen television mounted on the wall.
“Where is he?” Jemma asked, looking dazed as she scanned the room. “What happened to … the guy?”
“I took care of him. You’re safe, I promise.”
Jemma sat up, her eyes searching his. “What did you do to him?”
“The thing he was planning to do to you,” Rocco said. “Whatever was in that syringe is now in his bloodstream instead of yours.”
“Oh.” Jemma touched a hand gingerly to the cut on her forehead. “Is this your … house? Why did you bring me here? You should have taken me back to my hotel.”
“You didn’t let me walk you back to the hotel, remember? I had no clue where you were staying. Plus, you weren’t speaking much, with being knocked out by that thug,” Rocco said, enjoying her defiant confusion a tad bit too much. But what happened to Jemma at Vieja Nueva was serious. She was a highly trained DEA agent but had still been subdued by her attacker. He didn’t let himself think about what would’ve happened to her if he hadn’t shown up.
“I had everything under control,” Jemma insisted.
“That fucker was about to inject you with some unknown narcotic, and you were in no position to fight back.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jemma shifted off the bed and stood up. She swayed, taking a few stumbling steps. He reached for her, resting his hands on her hips to help balance her. For the first time, his brain registered how fucking sexy she was standing in front of him, wearing his sports coat. A hint of her lacy bra and the soft curving swell of her breast could be seen through the opening. He had to force himself into doctor mode.
Jemma inhaled and exhaled slowly, then said, “Take me back to the hotel. I’m fine.”
“Not until I check you out for myself. Doctor, remember.”
“Is that necessary? You had plenty of time to check me out on the ride over here …” Jemma’s words trailed off as she succumbed to his determined stare. “Right, I was unconscious. Fine. But make it quick.”
Rocco couldn’t help but wonder if her resistance to being evaluated had to do with the undeniable attraction radiating between them. Or maybe because she didn’t want him asking questions.
She wasn’t the first woman to pick up a guy in a club who turned out to be a sadistic asshole. Maybe she was embarrassed or ashamed that he got the jump on her. But in her defense, the guy was twice her size and a difficult takedown for even the most skilled agent. She shouldn’t be ashamed, not that she’d want to hear him say that.
“Take off that coat and your dress, and let me look at those bruises.”
Jemma’s dark brown eyes grew wide as saucers. “What?”
“I need to examine you. Make sure you don’t have internal bleeding, broken ribs, or a concussion.”
“I’m not getting naked in front of you,” Jemma said.
She looked down at the sports coat, no doubt realizing that underneath it, the clingy yellow dress had lost the battle of covering her amazing body. Last he’d checked, it was bunched around her waist and likely hadn’t moved since.
Her words jolted him from being a medical professional back to a horny man who wanted this woman more than he’d wanted any woman in a long fucking time.
A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Trust me, I don’t have to play doctor to get you naked.”
Jemma scoffed. “Oh, you think it would be that easy?”
“If I tried? Really, tried?” Rocco rubbed a hand against his jaw in mock contemplation. “Yeah.”
“You don’t lack confidence, do you,” Jemma said, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. They both knew he was right.
They also knew it was a line they’d agreed not to cross.
Not that he hadn’t second and third-guessed that decision dozens of times.
“Nope,” he responded. “And right now, I’m confident I can examine you and assess your injuries. I need you to stop looking at me like the man you want to fuck and treat me like any other doctor.”
“The man I want to fuck?” Jemma laughed. A light and infectious sound that made his heart skip a beat. “You are unbelievable.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Rocco said, teasing her. “Coat and dress need to come off now. You’re wasting time.”
“Aren’t you supposed to examine patients while they have on a robe or something?”
“I’ve seen my fair share of lacy bras and thongs. Doesn’t faze me,” Rocco lied. Every fucking thing about Jemma fazed him in the most insatiable ways. “The sooner you comply, the sooner I can take you back to the hotel.”
Although he wasn’t sure he was going to do that.
Jemma pressed her hands on her hips and glared at him. He could see the contemplation of her options playing across her face. It was the cutest damn thing. She shrugged and unbuttoned the coat. Slipping out of it, she folded it neatly and laid it across his bed.
Rocco”s heart pounded in his ears as Jemma lifted the skimpy dress over her head and tossed it to the floor. He took a moment to appreciate her body, eyes raking over every inch of her perfect, smooth, dark skin.
Her curves were soft and inviting, accentuated by the strapless, yellow lace bra that held up full breasts. They were perfectly round, with small dark nipples pressing against the sheer fabric, begging to be sucked and teased. He was barely able to control his body’s reaction to her. The only small favor was that she hadn’t turned around to show him her plump ass in the yellow lace thong.
“Well, Agent Doctor Forrester, what do you need me to do?”
Rocco sucked in a sharp breath.
He wanted her to turn around and bend over so he could thrust his cock inside her tight heat and pound until his orgasm erupted from his body, but he couldn’t say that.
He could not do that.
He had to maintain some semblance of medical decorum.
“Let me know if this hurts,” he instructed, then gently palpated her abdomen, feeling for any sign of internal bleeding or swelling. The tightness of her stomach muscles revealed she was in excellent shape. Her skin was warm under his fingers. He couldn”t help but take a deep breath of the faint scent of cocoa butter wafting from her.
He gently pressed his fingers against the bruises on either side of her ribcage, checking for any tenderness or swelling. Jemma winced but otherwise didn”t show much discomfort.
“How much pain are you in?” Rocco asked as he pressed harder.
”A little bit,” Jemma admitted. “But I’ve been in worse.”
He didn’t doubt it. In their line of work, there were always opportunities to find yourself on the wrong end of a fight. Rocco continued his examination, gently prodding and probing the bruises while examining Jemma”s reactions.
”It looks like the bruising is mostly superficial,” Rocco said, relieved that there didn”t seem to be any internal injuries. “Now I want to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”
He gently ran his fingers through her hair, feeling for any bumps or lumps that could indicate a head injury. He checked her pupils with a penlight on his keyring and asked her basic questions. Her answers were coherent. She showed no signs of dizziness or confusion.
”You”re fine,” Rocco said after a moment. “You’ll be sore, and that headache you’re trying to pretend you don’t have may stay around until morning, but I don’t think it’s anything serious. I have pain meds I can give you if it hurts too bad.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Rocco said, knowing she wouldn’t like what he said next. But there was nothing she could do about it. “I want you to stay here?—”
“What?” Jemma shrieked.
“Just for the night. I’ll take you back tomorrow. With everything you went through, you shouldn’t be alone in case some complication arises,” Rocco insisted. “It’s that or I take you to a hospital to get checked out officially.”
“I’m not going to a hospital.” Jemma pressed her hands on her bare hips, and he thought he was going to fucking lose it. “I can’t let anyone find out what happened tonight. This has to stay between us. No one in the DEA or on my Proteus Team can know about it.”
“So, you’ll stay here then?” Rocco pressed.
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
Rocco crossed his arms over his chest.
Jemma threw her hands in the air. “Yes, I will stay here overnight. Now, your turn.”
Closing the distance between them, Rocco said, “I won’t tell a soul.”
She looked up at him with gratitude in her eyes. An irresistible urge tugged at him as he caressed her face.
“Rocco—” Jemma said, her hands resting against his chest but not pushing him away. “What are you doing?”
“This,” he said, then silenced her with a blistering kiss.