Sarah stared into Levi’s light green eyes, mesmerized by the way they gradually darkened with desire. With nothing more than his gentle touch, he’d managed to diffuse her anxiety, but his softly spoken words—I’m not even close to being done with you—made her all too aware of him as a man. A sexy, gorgeous man who’d literally saved her life.
“Thank you,” she whispered, knowing things could have ended very differently tonight if he hadn’t stopped by the store.
“For?” he asked as he let his hand fall away.
“Protecting me.” The only man who’d ever made her feel safe had been her father, and as a child, she’d been devastated when he’d died. The foster homes she’d lived in had taught her that the only person she could trust and rely on was herself. And the men she’d allowed into her life over the years since had only reinforced that realization.
“I’m just glad that I was here when it all went down,” he said in a low, gruff voice.
“Me, too,” she admitted. She shuddered to think what might have happened if she’d been alone.
“Kincaid!” Nick called out impatiently, causing Levi to look over his shoulder at his partner, who was standing just inside the store’s double doors. “Get your ass out here. The EMT can’t leave or sign off on your release until they examine you.”
“Be right there.” Levi glanced back at Sarah and rolled his eyes, his gaze filled with annoyance. “He’s such a pain in the ass.”
She laughed, then grew more serious. “I’m going to have to agree with him. You really need to make sure that you’re okay.”
“The shot probably caused nothing more than a bruise,” he grumbled like a typical man, even as he gingerly touched the area where the bullet was still lodged in his vest.
“Then it shouldn’t be an issue for you to let a paramedic look you over,” she insisted. “And it would make me feel better, too.”
He tipped his head to the side, looking adorably boyish instead of like the badass cop he’d just been. “Since you’re now off the clock, care to accompany me out to the ambulance?”
“Sure.” It was the least she could do for him, but before she could slide off the stool, he moved closer, keeping her in place.
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” he said, his voice low and husky as he slowly dragged his heated gaze from her mouth back up to her eyes. “I haven’t forgotten that you still owe me an answer.”
She’d only known Levi for a few weeks, but it was enough time to realize that he wasn’t a man who missed much or let things go easily, so it didn’t surprise Sarah that he’d given her a little reminder of the date he’d asked her out on. He’d certainly given her a persuasive argument when she’d questioned his interest in her, but did she really want to get involved with Levi, in any way, when she was going to leave Chicago in a few weeks?
The woman who was insanely attracted to him was jumping up and down and yelling, yes! while the more practical, cautious side was quick to remind her that she didn’t need the complication of having any man in her life right now. Her ex, Dylan, was complication enough.
After letting the graveyard shift know that she was leaving, she grabbed her purse and followed Levi outside to the ambulance, where an EMT was waiting for him. Not wanting to get in the way, Sarah stood off to the side while the paramedic asked him to remove his vest and shirt so he could get a better look at the bullet’s point of impact.
Levi took off the utility belt around his waist that held his handcuffs, baton, and other equipment, then removed the heavy outer armor that had protected him from the suspect’s bullet. He unbuttoned his uniform shirt and shrugged it off. Underneath, he wore a navy blue T-shirt, and when he stripped it over his head, Sarah found herself way too captivated with how freaking hot he looked half-naked. He was solidly built with broad shoulders and muscled arms, and his tight, defined abs were testament to regular workouts.
Holy smokes. If she thought he looked sexy and attractive in his uniform, he was devastatingly, breathtakingly gorgeous out of only half of it.
She was in complete and utter awe . . . until her gaze skimmed over the large bruise already forming on his rib cage. The area was swollen and discolored in a combination of red, blue, and purple hues, and when the technician gently touched the contusion, Levi winced and swore low and harsh.
The guy tending to him glanced up at Levi. “I need you to try and take a deep breath.”
Levi attempted to fill his lungs with air but instead expelled an agonizing groan. “Shit, that fucking hurts.”
He grimaced and clenched his jaw, and Sarah felt his pain, along with a jolt of guilt. It was difficult not to feel distressed, since Levi had been shot because he’d stopped by the store to visit her.
“I thought taking off the vest would relieve some of the pressure,” he grumbled, his brows furrowing into a deeper line. “But now it feels worse, and especially when I inhale.”
The EMT frowned. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ve got a cracked or fractured rib,” he said as he wrapped a blood-pressure cuff around Levi’s upper arm to get his vitals. “But hey, on a positive note, you’re still alive.”
Levi chuckled, but Sarah didn’t find the joke the least bit funny. Especially when he moaned again as he pressed a hand to his side, his features etched in unmistakable pain. She shifted anxiously on her feet, feeling helpless because there was nothing she could do while he was in such obvious misery.
Nick strolled up to the group. “So, is Ironman going to survive?”
“Probably,” the EMT said as he jotted down notes on a form attached to a clipboard. “But we need to take him to the hospital for x-rays and to have a doctor thoroughly examine him, just to make sure there’s nothing going on internally. The impact of the bullet hit pretty close to some vital organs. So, let’s get you up into the ambulance and on your way.”
Sarah’s worry increased, but she bit her bottom lip and remained silent, not wanting her presence to disturb anyone in any way. Levi needed a doctor and she didn’t want to distract anyone from that.
He gave the paramedic a perturbed look. “Do I have to go by ambulance?” he asked, casting a quick glance at Sarah.
She felt her face warm at that direct look. Levi obviously hadn’t forgotten her presence.
After a lingering moment, Levi shifted his gaze back to the paramedic. “Can’t Nick take me to the hospital?”
“No,” the EMT replied with a serious shake of his head. “Your blood pressure is a bit high, and while it’s probably normal considering what you just went through, I want you monitored until you’re under a doctor’s care.”
“Come on, Kincaid,” Nick said in a humorous voice. “Be a big boy and behave.”
Levi gave his partner the finger, and Nick just laughed it off.
When Levi stood up and slowly straightened so he could climb into the back of the ambulance, Sarah made a split-second decision, despite how late at night it was. Not to mention how foolish it was to allow herself to get further emotionally involved with this man.
“Can I go with him?” she asked.
The surprise and genuine pleasure that lit up Levi’s face when he looked at her was well worth her spontaneous request. Then again, it wasn’t as though she had anything or anyone waiting for her back at the motel, so why not spend a few extra hours with the man who’d just saved her life? She justified her rationale, knowing too well her actions weren’t motivated by gratitude as much as concern. Once she was certain he hadn’t suffered any internal injuries, she would head back to her place and try to forget about Levi Kincaid. Try being the operative word.
The EMT shrugged. “Sure, you can come with, as long as the patient doesn’t mind.”
“Nope, I don’t mind at all,” Levi said on a soft, sexy drawl that sent crazy swirls of sensual heat spiraling down through her belly. “Besides, I might need someone to hold my hand while the doctor pokes and prods me.”
He was such a rogue, but she couldn’t stop the smile that touched her lips. Hand-holding she could handle. But she swore that was all Levi Kincaid was getting out of her.
* * *
As soon as Levi arrived at the hospital, he was whisked away for a multitude of tests, leaving Sarah to worry and pace out in the waiting room by herself. She wanted to ask for an update, but since she wasn’t family, she knew there was no way anyone would release any kind of information to her. Which left her biting her thumbnail as she wore a back-and-forth path through the industrial-strength carpeting.
Nearly an hour later—which seemed like a lifetime—a nurse came out and approached her. “Are you Sarah Robins?”
“Yes,” she replied anxiously.
The other woman smiled, obviously used to dealing with nervous visitors. “Levi’s tests are complete and he’s been assigned a private room.”
Sarah exhaled a relieved breath. “So, he’s okay?”
“For now, he seems fine,” the nurse said, not confirming or denying anything. “The doctor will know more as soon as he has the chance to go over the test results, which should be soon.”
“Can I see him?” Sarah asked, unable to stand waiting in the lounge any longer.
The nurse nodded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Actually, he sent me out here to get you, so follow me and I’ll take you to his room.”
Sarah trailed behind the woman as they walked past the emergency room triage and down a corridor lined with numbered rooms. The nurse stopped at a door marked with a number eight.
“He’s right inside,” she said, then turned around and walked back toward the ER.
Sarah pushed the door open and tentatively stepped into the small room, the rubber on the bottom of her tennis shoes letting out a tiny squeak on the linoleum floor. Levi glanced in her direction with an irritable scowl, but as soon as he realized that it was her, an undeniably pleased smile lit up his face, causing her heart to race a bit faster and making her weak in the knees.
From the very first night she’d met him, the man had had that kind of bone-melting effect on her, and it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. He also made her want to throw caution and common sense to the wind, so just one time she could experience being the sole focus of Levi’s affection and attention. The sensual thought made her shiver as she moved toward him.
He was sitting up in bed, and she took in the hospital gown he still wore, which left his legs bare from the knees down, and yeah, she looked. His calves were nice and toned, and she couldn’t believe she was even thinking this, but even his feet were sexy.
“What was the grumpy look for when I walked in?” she asked as she rounded his bed to the other side. There were two chairs situated there for visitors, but she decided to stand. She didn’t intend to stay long. As soon as she was assured he was all right, she planned to leave.
“Oh, you saw that?” he asked with a small smirk. “I thought you were the nurse coming back for more blood tests, and I was hoping to scare her off.”
She laughed. “They don’t seem easily intimidated around here.”
“It was worth a try,” he said, then his expression turned serious as he met her gaze. “You stayed,” he said, the low, husky tone of his voice stroking along her body like a caress. “I wasn’t sure you’d stick around once they admitted me for the tests.”
“You took a bullet for me,” she pointed out, just in case he’d forgotten that not-so-little detail in tonight’s excitement. “I wasn’t going to leave without knowing you were okay.”
“I appreciate it.” He pushed his fingers through his dark blond hair, which only tousled the thick strands even more. As he lowered his hand, his IV tubing got tangled around another cord that tugged at an electrode patch attached to his chest. The wires pulled taut, causing his gown to slip down a few inches, and he released an annoyed growl.
“Hold on.” Before his frustration got the better of him, Sarah moved closer and separated the cables so he didn’t rip the IV out of his hand or disengage the machine monitoring his pulse and heartbeat. “There you go.”
“Thank you,” he muttered. “Jesus, I don’t know why they need to have me hooked up to all this crap.” He settled back against the raised mattress, his expression surly. “They even took six vials of my blood,” he added, showing her the small bandage on the inside of his arm.
God, he was a terrible patient, and it took effort for Sarah not to laugh at his cranky disposition. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to hold your hand while they stuck that big, bad needle into your arm,” she teased.
His grumpiness vanished as a very sly look flitted across his features. “It’s not too late to make up for that. You can hold my hand now,” he dared, and extended his right hand toward her.
There was no doubt in Sarah’s mind that he was goading her to touch him—and hand-holding, as innocent as it seemed, would be deliberate and intimate contact between them. Still, she wasn’t about to let him win the challenge, and she reached out and settled her hand in his much larger, warmer one. He curled his fingers around hers, capturing her in more ways than one.
He gently skimmed his thumb across her knuckles, the caress making her envision what it would feel like to have that same finger grazing over her taut, sensitive nipple. Which was incredibly stupid of her to even imagine, considering the mere thought made the tips of her breasts tingle and peak against her cotton T-shirt.
Levi’s gaze lowered to her chest for a few lingering seconds to enjoy her telling reaction to him, then gradually lifted back up to her face again.
There was no missing the heat building behind his gaze, which matched the one smoldering in her belly. “So, I think you’ve had more than enough time to think about the question I asked you back at the store before we were rudely interrupted by a robber,” he said, injecting humor into his voice. “Are you finally going to say yes to a date and put me out of my misery? And before you answer that, don’t forget . . . I did take a bullet to protect you.”
The man was utterly shameless, using her gratitude against her, and it took effort for her not to laugh out loud, because despite everything, she found him so damn charming. “Are you seriously going to use the I-took-a-bullet-for-you card and blackmail me?”
“Yes,” he replied unrepentantly while trying to hide his own smile. “Are you seriously going to say no again and completely devastate me?”
More than anything, she wanted to give him the answer he desired. Hell, it was what she wanted, too. Everything about Levi Kincaid was intriguing and tempting, and she couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, a man had made her feel so desirable and, yes, special. And God, she was so tired of being alone, and lonely, every day except for the time she spent at work.
But she didn’t have a great track record when it came to the male gender. She’d been burned badly, twice, because she’d made the mistake of trusting a few jerks she’d thought were good guys. Too many times she’d gotten complacent and let herself be lulled into a false sense of security—starting with her own family, to a specific foster home, to the guys she’d dated—only to end up with broken promises that had chipped away at her heart. It was a repetitive story in her life, and a painful pattern she wanted so badly to break.
If she weren’t on the run from a controlling ex-boyfriend, if she didn’t have plans to leave town soon, it would be so easy to fall for a man like Levi. But unfortunately, that wasn’t her reality. But she could accept the date, as long as he understood a few things first.
She shifted on her feet, and without thinking, she ran her tongue across her bottom lip before speaking. He released a low, sexy groan as his gaze zeroed in on her mouth, and the awareness in the small room thickened.
“Are you trying to deliberately tempt me with what I can’t have?” The tone of his voice was hungry in a way that had nothing to do with food and everything to do with her.
“What?” She tried to make sense of his words, and when his question finally registered—he wanted her mouth—she quickly shook her head. “No!” she rushed to say as a warm flush swept across her cheeks. “I wasn’t trying to tempt you at all!”
A slow, sensual smile eased across his lips. “Just for the record, everything about you tempts me,” he murmured.
There went those weak knees again. Before they could get any more off track with their conversation, Sarah said what was on her mind. “Levi, I need you to know that I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”
“Fair enough,” he said as his thumb started rubbing softly along the back of the hand he was still holding. “I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment, either. Just a simple, casual night out with you. We can see where it goes from there.”
“If I agree to a date, it will be a one-time deal, Levi,” she told him as she tried to nonchalantly extricate her hand from his.
He wouldn’t let her go and instead grinned confidently. “Then I’ll just have to do my damndest to change your mind.”
She refrained, just barely, from rolling her eyes at him. The man was persistent to a fault, even a little arrogant, and his determination wasn’t worth arguing over. “Okay, fine. Sunday evening you can take me out on a date.”
“See?” Triumph deepened his tone. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
This time, she did roll her eyes at him. “You wore down my resistance.”
“I knew I would.” He winked at her. “If you’ll give me your address, I’ll pick you up at your place at five p.m.”
A flash of panic surged through her when she thought about him arriving at the seedy, run-down motel where she was staying temporarily. “I’ll meet you at the restaurant.” She didn’t want to deal with the shame and humiliation of having to explain her living situation.
“You agreed to a date, not a meet and greet,” he said as he gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m picking you up.”
God, the man was so stubborn and tenacious, so she gave him the best compromise she’d allow. “Then pick me up at the store. I’ll be there by five.”
He frowned at her in a way that told Sarah he was analyzing her unusual reaction and was trying to figure out a way around her request, which she refused to allow.
“It’s a deal breaker, Levi.” Her tone was adamant. “Pick me up at the store or no date. You can’t have everything your way.”
The corner of his mouth twitched with humor, but he finally relented. “Fine. You win. This time.”
Loud male voices drifted into the room from the corridor outside, and Sarah watched as a sudden look of irritation passed across his features.
“Shit,” he muttered beneath his breath.
She had no idea what had caused the change in his demeanor. “What’s wrong?”
The line of his jaw tensed. “You’ll see in three . . . two . . . one—”
Sarah literally jumped when two big, good-looking men unexpectedly barged into the room, the older-looking one of the two speaking as they advanced toward Levi’s hospital bed.
“Jesus Christ, Levi!” the guy bellowed angrily. “You were fucking shot and you didn’t think to call one of your brothers to let us know?”
Oh, God, his brothers, and here she was, holding Levi’s hand like she was his girlfriend or someone he was intimately involved with. She tugged her fingers out of his grasp, hard enough that he was forced to let her go, but the other man with sleeves of tattoos wrapping around both muscled arms noticed—and smirked.
“Calm down, Clay,” Levi said, back to being grumpy. He glared at both brothers as they stopped on the other side of his bed. “The bullet hit my vest and it wasn’t life threatening. I’m just here for some routine testing before they’ll release me.”
The man named Clay glanced at Sarah, and there was no denying the quick spark of curiosity in his gaze before he pinned his brother with a direct and concerned look. “Well, your partner thought it was important enough to call us.”
That bit of information seemed to annoy Levi even more. He clearly didn’t like being coddled by anyone. “I have a fractured rib, but other than that, I’m fine,” he insisted, even though the doctor had yet to come into the room to go over his test results. “Or at least I was until you two came charging in here.”
The tattooed guy—who looked like a total bad boy who wasn’t the least bit put off by Levi’s gruff demeanor—merely grinned at his brother. “Yeah, sorry to interrupt . . . whatever we interrupted,” he said, not sounding the least bit contrite.
In fact, Sarah was certain he was deliberately goading Levi, and she found herself suddenly fascinated by the three brothers who clearly had very different dispositions.
The bad-boy brother took in Levi’s hospital gown and bare legs, that provoking smirk reappearing. “Nice dress, by the way,” he teased. “Though next time, you might want to shave your legs.”
Levi narrowed his gaze at his brother. “Don’t be a dick, Mason.” There was a distinct warning note in his voice, but Mason only seemed amused by Levi’s threatening tone.
“Knock it off, Mason,” Clay said, obviously the peace-keeper in the family, before settling his frown back on Levi. “I’m glad you’re okay, but you still should have called us. I nearly had a heart attack when Nick’s first words were, ‘Levi’s been shot,’ before he clarified that you were wearing your bulletproof vest.”
“Got it,” Levi said, finally relenting. “Won’t happen again.”
“So, are you going to introduce us to your . . .?” Mason let the sentence trail off, waiting for either Levi or Sarah to fill in the missing word.
“Friend,” she said quickly, and since they were on opposite sides of Levi’s bed, she gave both brothers a friendly wave. “I’m Sarah, and Levi was at the convenience store where I work when I was held up by an armed robber. I’m here just to make sure that he’s truly okay before I head home.”
Clay’s gaze was filled with understanding, but Mason’s glance was much more inquisitive, and it was that small smile on his face that made her wonder what, exactly, he was thinking. Thankfully, neither one of them asked her any other questions. Instead, Clay returned his attention to Levi and insisted on knowing the details of what happened.
While Levi gave them the quick version of their night, it gave Sarah a few extra minutes to really compare the three brothers. Clay’s and Mason’s hair was much darker than Levi’s lighter brown, and while Levi had green eyes, both his brothers’ were blue. Clay and Mason looked like brothers, with similar facial features, but she never would have guessed that Levi was their sibling.
Then there were their individual personality traits, she thought, as she watched each brother deal with Levi in distinctly different ways. Clay was protective, almost parental in his concern. Mason, well, he didn’t seem too serious about anything, though she had seen the initial worry on his face when he’d walked into the room. But now, he was all about giving his brother a hard time, which Sarah found endearing, even if it annoyed the hell out of Levi.
She wondered where Levi’s parents were and figured they probably lived farther away and Clay would give them an update on Levi’s condition. Or maybe they’d passed away, she thought with a pang of sadness that crept up on her before she could stop it.
Despite the absence of any parents, she could see and feel the connection between these brothers, and it made her all too aware of her lack of family. Levi had people who obviously cared a lot about him, and she envied that close-knit bond that they shared. One she’d lost when she was eight years old. Her whole entire family gone in one fell swoop that had left her devastated, lost, and completely alone. And while she might have gotten past the emotional devastation, she was still lost and alone.
The doctor finally arrived, and as soon as the older man walked into the room, the three brothers all grew quiet, each one of them looking at the physician expectantly as he stopped beside Levi’s bed.
“Hello, Mr. Kincaid. I’m Dr. Fisher. I finally had the chance to look over your CT scan, x-rays, and blood test results,” he said as he swiped a finger across the screen of the tablet he was carrying, his gaze reading whatever he’d pulled up on the small computer. “It appears that you have two fractured ribs on your lower left side, but your liver and kidneys are functioning fine, and you were spared any internal damage. Your lungs look good, as well.”
Sarah exhaled in gratitude and relief.
“Thank God,” Clay said beneath his breath, the worry furrowing his brows easing a bit.
“Damn, you’re like Superman,” Mason said in awe.
“Ironman, according to Nick,” Levi corrected his brother.
“All in all, you’re going to be fine,” the doctor went on. “It’s going to take a good month for your ribs to heal completely. In about two to three weeks, you can return to work on light duty until your personal physician releases you to full duty. In the meantime, you need to rest, take it easy, and don’t do anything strenuous. You’ll have severe bruising in that area, and I can give you a prescription for Vicodin or Norco to control the pain—”
“I don’t want any painkillers,” Levi said, abruptly cutting off the doctor.
Dr. Fisher blinked at him in surprise, and even Sarah was taken aback by the harsh tone of his voice. The only ones who didn’t seem concerned about Levi’s adamant refusal were Clay and Mason, which she found interesting. Clearly, Levi had an issue with those types of narcotics, and she couldn’t deny that she was curious as to why.
“You might need them to be comfortable, at least for a few days,” the doctor said, trying again.
Levi shook his head, his expression resolute. “I don’t want them. I’ll be fine. If I’m uncomfortable, I’ll take ibuprofen.”
“Okay,” the doctor relented. “If you change your mind, just call my office. I’ll make sure the nurse gives you my number when she brings in your discharge papers. Once that’s done, you’re free to leave.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Levi said.
Once the man was gone, Sarah decided it was time for her to go, too. She didn’t need to stick around while Levi was unhooked from the monitor and IV and got dressed. His brothers could help him in any way he might need.
“Now that I know that you really are fine, I’m going to head home,” she said, smiling when Levi glanced at her with those warm green eyes.
“How?” he asked.
She tipped her head in confusion at his odd question. “How what?”
“How are you going to get home when you rode in the ambulance here?”
Oh, yeah, that. She really loved that he was so concerned, when the guys who’d passed through her life so far wouldn’t have thought twice about her safety. She had every intention of calling a cab since the buses weren’t running this late at night—or morning, as the case might be—but instinctively knew that Levi wouldn’t stand for that.
“If you need a ride, we can take you home,” Clay said, his concern for her equally genuine.
Sarah swallowed past the unexpected gratitude tightening in her throat—along with the urge to say, yes, please, but there was no way she wanted any of these men to see how and where she lived. “I appreciate the offer, but I have a friend who’s waiting for me to call her to come and pick me up,” she lied, ignoring the way that Levi scrutinized her—as if he could see right through her fib, which she hoped wasn’t the case. She needed to get out of there before he figured out the truth.
“Take it easy, Levi.” She gave his arm a friendly squeeze, and though she didn’t mention their date on Sunday, she knew there was no way he’d forget—she could see it in his eyes.
She walked around the bed and glanced at Clay, then Mason. “It was nice meeting you both.”
“Same here,” Clay said, then nodded toward Mason. “And I hope this knucklehead didn’t give the two of us a bad first impression.”
Said knucklehead merely flashed her a charming grin, and she laughed. “No, not at all.” She’d enjoyed watching the three siblings interact.
“Good.” Clay gave her a warm smile. “I hope we see each other again, hopefully under much more pleasant circumstances next time.”
She doubted it. “Me, too,” she said politely, though she wasn’t going to be around long enough to have anything more to do with this close-knit family. The thought made her sad, and she rushed out the door before the ever-perceptive Levi could call her on the emotions she knew were shining in her eyes.
