4. Andrie
Andrie
Iwoke up to nails hammering into my temples the next morning.
Biting back a moan, I flung a hand over my eyes, trying to keep out the morning light peeking through the window blinds.
Blowing out a slow breath as my stomach rolled, I tried to talk myself into committing to waking up.
The responsible thing would be to hydrate, eat some toast, and force myself to spend the morning in misery as punishment for my bad choices last night.
But the old me—Alex—the side I didn’t let out often, wanted to give the morning the middle finger and go back to bed.
I’d just decided that burrowing into the covers and going back to oblivion was the best choice for working through the hangover when something large moved next to me.
Adrenaline kicked in immediately at the realization I wasn’t alone, but I resisted the urge to scream … or scramble out of bed.
Andrie, what did you do? I tried not to panic.
In the almost eight years I’d lived there, I’d never once had a houseguest, let alone anyone in my bedroom.
Vik had tried to tell me Demi would understand needing companionship if I felt the desire, but the thought had horrified me as much as it had uninterested me. At least, until now.
Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I opened one eye, then resisted the urge to squeak. Xander freakin Hawkings—Vik’s brother—was in my bed … naked.
Immediately, I looked down at myself. Please, no, please. No matter how much I wished otherwise, the perfectly sculpted man wasn’t the only one lacking clothes. How much did I drink last night?
I resisted the urge to rub at my throbbing head again, trying to remember how I got from the bar to my own house.
I wouldn’t have put it past Lessia to continue to encourage the ridiculous one-night stand suggestion, but surely, Vik wouldn’t have let me …
and his brother … not when he knew my feelings on the matter.
Add in that he knew I’d have to face this man again and again, and it just didn’t make sense.
Vik protected me from the world, even when I didn’t need protection.
It didn’t matter that we weren’t truly brother and sister; in his mind, I was his family, and he’d do anything to keep me safe.
Letting me go home with a stranger was the exact opposite of what he’d permit.
Maybe he thought his brother was the perfect man to let loose with?
I stared at the man sleeping in my bed. Most people looked more innocent in sleep, but Xander looked just as scary and deadly as he’d been walking into the bar last night.
His dark blond beard was unkempt—something I distinctly remembered being responsible for—the tattoos that ran over his chest and down his torso were nothing but swirls of black on backgrounds of color, but they looked more sinister for their meaninglessness, not less.
He obviously spent his downtime lifting weights; his biceps alone were the size of my thighs.
His chest was almost entirely bare of hair, save for a smattering that got more plentiful before disappearing beneath the sheet.
The man had muscles on top of muscles, even in rest I bet I could bounce a quarter off his six-pack.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I carefully lifted up the cover to peer down at the rest of him.
Holy mother of pearl. I felt my jaw drop at his impressive morning wood, even as my body heated.
It had been a good long time since I’d seen a cock in person, but Xander rivaled Demi in his rather impressive girth.
Xander shifted, causing me to freeze. The last thing I needed was to have this man catching me ogling him.
Carefully, I shifted off the bed, not wanting to wake the sleeping man.
If I could just get some clothes on, I could probably think of a way to make this less awkward.
I looked down at my hands, clenching them when I thought of the small tattoo, invisible without a black light but a part of me nonetheless.
My rolling stomach had little to do with my choice of drink last night now and everything to do with my betrayal of the man I’d swore to love forever.
A shrill tone had me jumping in bed while Xander bolted upright, a wicked looking knife appearing in his hand.
Recognizing the lifeline for what it was, I scrambled to answer it before it went to voicemail.
“Dr. Andrie,” I said, trying not to sound hungover as I swung my legs over the bed so I could sit up.
“Hey, Doc.” Steve, one of my DEVGRU patients, sounded as rough as I felt.
Steve had been captured during a mission and spent over three weeks being tortured for information before he was rescued.
By a miracle, he’d escaped the entire ordeal without any lasting injuries, save from multiple scars, insomnia, and a huge helping of PTSD.
It was his goal, with my help, to manage the PTSD enough to go back to his unit.
I had to give the man huge props; if I’d gone through anything close to what he had, I’d have been a shivering mass, huddled in a corner.
Steve, on the other hand, was already working on regaining his physical fitness, went out on a date with his wife for their anniversary, and was having his men over for a get-together next week.
His unit was based in South Carolina, but he’d been staying in Texas to be closer to his wife’s family and had gotten in touch with me at the urging of a friend the week they’d arrived.
He had another few weeks left before he’d be going home and, hopefully, back to his unit.
“Bad night?” I asked, rubbing a hand over my face and trying to ignore Xander as he walked naked into my bathroom.
“Yeah. Look, I know I’m not on your books today, but I don’t suppose you have an opening …” he trailed off.
“Of course,” I said, ignoring the fact it was a Saturday and I hadn’t scheduled any patients today. “I can squeeze you in right away. Can you meet me in an hour?”
“Thanks, Doc.” The relief in his voice was evident. “I appreciate it.”
“It’s never a problem,” I reassured him. “That’s what I’m here for.”
I hung up, rushing for my closet. I longed for a shower, but the sound of the water running told me it was already occupied. If I hurried, I could use my emergency bag in my desk and at least brush my teeth and pull my hair back before Steve arrived.
I’d just jammed my feet into my shoes when I heard the water cut off. “I have to run into the office,” I yelled from outside the bathroom, careful to keep my eyes averted from the half-open door. “Just lock up when you leave. I’ll have my key with me.”
“What?” Xander, wearing a small towel that barely covered him, came into view as he stepped out of the shower. Clearly, modesty wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
“Sorry,” I said, feeling guilty about not only my own actions the previous night, but that I’d wrapped this man into my issues.
He’d been looking for some no-strings companionship for the night and, likely, was perfectly comfortable with a quick—and normal—goodbye.
And there I was, basically abandoning him in my own home and making it awkward on top of it. “I have a patient.”
“Patient?” He looked so bewildered.
“I’m a psychiatrist. I specialize in trauma studies. My patients are military, former military, and their families. Most of them, anyway,” I said, not wanting to get into the rest of my patient list.
His dark blue eyes held mine as if looking into my soul. “I’m sure you have a patient,” he said in his deep, rough tone, after a moment. “But I can’t help but think, regardless of that phone call, you’d be looking for an excuse to get me out that door or for you to disappear on me.”
I flushed, embarrassed that he’d read me like a book. “I-I’m sorry. It’s not you. I’m sure you’re a nice man. It’s me. I know you probably won’t believe me, but I’m not the kind of woman who has one-night stands.”
He gave me a rueful smile. “I guess I was hoping this wasn’t exactly a one-night type of scenario.”
Wincing, at my own rushed judgement, I hurried to explain. “I-I didn’t mean it that way. I am—I was—with someone. And … he … died. I’m just not ready to move on.”
His gaze softened with sympathy that was neither wanted nor appreciated as he inched closer to me. “I’m sorry to hear about that. How long ago did he pass?”
Shaking my head, I took a step back. I wasn’t about to get into that story.
“Not long enough for me to get over him.” Running a hand through my hair, I continued, “Look, I’m sure we’re going to run into each other a lot, with you being Vik’s brother.
” I raised a hand when he went to speak.
“So, I’m hoping you’ll agree to pretend like this night never happened.
Apparently, we both needed a little companionship for the night, but it was a one-time thing. ”
Glancing at my watch, I cursed softly, knowing if I didn’t leave right now I wouldn’t have a chance to clean up before Steve arrived. “Feel free to grab a bagel from the kitchen if you want. Otherwise, I’m sure Vik has something at his house.”
“You’re kicking me out,” he asked, looking amused.
“No, of course not.” I could feel myself blushing. “But I figured Vik might be more suited than an empty house here,” I explained. “He lives in the house next door. Fair warning, though, he’s not a morning person.”
His mouth twitched. “He never was.”
“Well, being up until the wee hours of the morning doesn’t bode well when it comes to any business before noon.” Why I felt the need to defend Vik to his own brother, I had no idea, but my words seemed to amuse Xander even more than me rushing off this morning and leaving him here, almost naked.
“All right, sweetheart. I’ll let you get to work. But I feel it’s only fair to warn you.”
“Warn me of what?”
He strolled up to me, predatorily, taking his time.
“I understand you might still think you’re grieving.
But there’s no way you would have taken me to your home—yours, not mine—if you weren’t looking for something more than stress relief.
Even if you haven’t admitted it to yourself, you’re ready for more. ”
Cupping my cheek, Xander leaned down until his lips were only a whisper away from mine, freezing me in place.
“And I intend to show you just how much you’re ready for.
” His kiss was gentle against mine, barely a whisper.
“I’ll wait while you think about my words, but I’m not known for being a patient man, so I’ll warn you now, I’ll likely push you faster than I’ve a right to.
You just push back when I get to be too much, all right? ”
I stared, too surprised to say anything, as he pulled away.
“Go on, sweetheart. You’ve got a patient waiting. I’ll see you later.” The last part sounded almost like a threat.
Unable to think of anything else to say, I turned around and walked out of the room, my head spinning for more than one reason.