Shadow Hawk

“If the worst happens-”

“Hold it.” Her stomach dropped. “The worst is not going to happen.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “If you really believed that, you wouldn’t have changed my chart.”

Damn.

“I just want you to know,” he murmured. “I could have fallen for you. The can’t-eat-can’t-sleep-can’t do-any- fucking-thing kind of fall.”

Well, if that didn’t grab her by the throat. She swallowed. “That’s the drugs talking.”

“Hell if it is.” He lifted his arm, revealing the fact that he’d pulled out his IV.

The man was fighting a massive concussion, three fractured ribs and a wrecked leg, with no drugs. “Logan-”

“I want you to believe me. I could have fallen in love with you.”

Her eyes filled. “Shut up and save it, because no one’s dying.”

He tried to smile but failed. “Shit.”

“Damn it, let me redo the IV.”

“No. I’m good. I’m still breathing, remember? Tell me again what Hawk said.”

“You need to rest.”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead. Listen, I know he needs help-”

“You need help. And I’m here to give it.”

“No. I’m not dragging you into this any more than I already have. I can handle this. You need…you need to go.”

He said this with his eyes still closed, and he held onto her hand as if he didn’t intend to ever let go. “Callen?”

She couldn’t tear her gaze from his face. “Yes?”

He licked his dry lips. A decidedly un-nurse-like longing filled her. “You’re still here.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a nurse.”

“That’s not why.”

She was glad he hadn’t opened his eyes. “Maybe I don’t want you to wake up alone. Why were you faking sleep?”

“Honestly?” He finally opened his eyes. “I was waiting for you to leave so I could break out of this joint.”

She stared at him. Laughed. “Come on.”

He didn’t smile.

“Logan. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Want to bet?”

Her smile faded. “You’re not kidding.”

“Hawk needs me, Callen.”

“He’s going to have to wait for you, then. And don’t even think about shaking your head, it’ll hurt like hell.”

“Jesus,” he gasped, and lay back. “Okay, you’re right.”

“There, now see? You just keep saying things like that, and we’ll be good.”

Logan laughed, low and a bit hoarse. “What the hell are we doing?”

“About your health? I don’t know, but I’m prepared to sit on you if that’s what it takes to keep you here.”

Swiveling his head, he looked right into her eyes, his own suddenly heated in spite of all the pain he must be feeling. “Maybe I’ll try to get up so you can do just that.”

“Probably sleeping would be a better use of your time.” Callen managed to sound normal in spite of the fact her entire body had reacted to his words. The man was a walking, talking sex toy. But she had a vibrator, thank you very much, and didn’t require a man for such simple pleasures as sex.

Although it’d been awhile, maybe she wasn’t remembering it clearly.

“I can’t sleep,” he said. “I can’t do anything but think about what I should be doing.”

Logan needed a distraction. So many inappropriate things came to mind she had to stand up and flick on the television.

“What’s that?” he asked.

She glanced up at the screen. “Friends.”

“I meant what are you doing?”

“Distracting you from trying to break out of this joint, when you’re still so hurt you can’t even take a deep breath.”

Reaching out, he snagged her hand. “Looking at you is distraction enough. You’re so pretty, Callen.”

“Stop it.” But his words did something they shouldn’t have, they warmed her from the inside out. “You’re just trying to charm me into complacency so you can get out of here.”

That he didn’t deny that sent a frisson of alarm up her spine. He was. He was still going to try to get out of here and head back into danger.

“How many patients like me have you had to babysit since you’ve been a nurse?”

“Like you?” She laughed. “Exactly none. You’re fairly different.” As in off-the-charts different.

“I don’t want to watch TV,” he whispered, and very, very carefully, he sat up.

“You’re not leaving.”

“Callen-”

“I’ll stop you,” she warned.

He eyed her. “How?”

Good question. She opened her big old purse that held just about everything except a kitchen sink and sifted through for inspiration. She pulled out the book she’d planned on reading tonight if there’d been a break.

Logan took a look at the nearly naked earl on the cover, the one pulling off some maiden’s dress, and laughed. “Okay, but could you skip to the good parts?”

Hmm, maybe not reading. Again, she searched the depth of the purse and came up with a pair of playing cards.

“I’m not a big card player.”

She was running out of options. “Are you telling me you’re not a gambling man?”

That caught his interest. “Poker? You’d take advantage of a man when he’s down?”

If that’s what it took. “What’s the matter, you chicken?”

His eyes heated with the challenge. “Lock the door.”

“What?” She laughed, though inside something leaped to attention. “Why?”

“Because if we’re playing poker, we’re going to do it right. Lock the door, Callen.”

As if she was having an out-of-body experience, she got up and locked the door. “This is crazy.”

“Now who’s chicken?”

“You’re suggesting we play strip poker?”

His eyes flashed. “I hadn’t suggested anything. But since you’ve brought it up, sounds great. I’m in.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, not wanting to analyze the way her bones felt sort of loose, and her skin too tight. At least he was no longer thinking about breaking out of this joint…

Oh, God. She was actually going to do this. Good thing she had a great poker face and was incredibly lucky. Not to mention fully dressed, while he had on a hospital gown and nothing else. It was a win-win situation for her. “Five card stud,” she said, shuffling. “Deuces wild.”

“I’m beginning to think that’s not all that’s wild.”

Her gaze met his. “If in the end-”

“You mean when you’re naked.”

“Actually, I meant when you’re naked.” Just the words brought an illogical thrill, since she’d already seen everything there was to see when they’d cut off his clothes. Except that hadn’t counted because at the time she’d actually been working on him, and truly had been focused on that. She wanted another peek, and the time to enjoy it. “If I win,” she went on, “you stay here.”

“And if I win…”

He paused and Callen felt like she was on the edge of a cliff, with her toes hanging off, a wind blowing at her