7. Kyra

T he minute Rhodes started driving down the road, my nerves got the best of me. He's been doing so well, hasn't had a setback since he woke up from surgery, yet I'm the one who seemed to be more worried than him. That might be why tears came to my eyes when the doctor said it was time for the next stage. Rhodes looked toward me with a tilt of his lips; not so much of a smile, more like his signature grin. The wink he sent my way had my body lighting up, too. I'm talking nipples pebbling, and not because this place is colder than a witch's tit. Nope, it's all because of Rhodes. I squirmed in my seat. His nostrils flared, his jaw clenched, and I more than saw the muscles in his arms flex.

But he didn't say anything. The promise in his eyes said more than enough. We were interrupted by the doctor and then the nurse, then I watched as they fitted him with his prosthetic. They went through the basics, making sure it fit well and nothing would rub and make him uncomfortable. Once the doctor, nurse, and Rhodes felt everything worked the way it was supposed to, he took his first few steps in the room. Tears sprung to my eyes at the absolute awe before me. It was simply amazing and utterly indescribable. To be a part of Rhodes overcoming something so profound.

These men in my life, Rhodes and Dad for the most part, don't think they're heroes. Kade I'm not sure about since I've been around him the least, yet I'd still put him in same category. They chose to join the military life. There were times in life when annoyance set in that my dad had to be away from me, but he did what he felt compelled to do and he was there for me when it mattered most.

When I was a kid while Dad was deployed, there was one day his parents had come over to our home. When they saw the state of my mom and how dirty I was, eating peanut butter with my fingers while she lay on the couch strung out, everything had changed. Grandpa had called whoever was above Dad at the time, and in a few days, he was home. A grueling divorce later, the judge granted Dad emergency custody after child protective services had to be brought in for an investigation. I remember Grandma crying after I'd had a bath when she saw the bruises on my back and stomach. Looking back, I probably should have said something, but as a child with a mom raging and yelling at me that this is what I deserved, I didn't know any better or different. The times Dad came home, everything seemed better, almost normal. I guess in my little child brain I thought Mom just needed Dad to be nice, and at the age of seven, I just went with it.

Everything changed when the truth came out. Dad stayed for as long as he could, got us both in counseling, and when he had to go back to work, I learned what it was like to live with my grandparents. It was a whole new learning curve—there were meals morning, noon, and night, a bedtime story. I went outside to play, and I got daily baths. It'd also meant waking up early and having a schedule.

Since Grandpa was retired from the United States Marines, there was a running joke between him and Dad about who chose the better option. Either way, the two had earned military men a well-deserved spot in my heart.

After the doctor approved Rhodes for the new prosthetic leg he was wearing, we left the VA hospital. He still brought his crutch back to the truck, grumbling the entire time, but we're both well aware of the fact he may still need it. Still, the man did not want it. A lot like the shower chair he'd used. I'd watched him carry it to the garage, slam the door, and walk back inside like the chair did something to him.

"You chew on that thumbnail any more, it'll be a nub."

"Oh, yeah. I guess so." I pull my hand away from my mouth, and no sooner do I lower it does Rhodes take my hands in his.

"Kyra." He says my name with reverence. There's no way I can refuse to look at him. Our gazes lock for the barest of moments before he returns his to the road. "I can't fix the problem if I don't know what it is, sweetheart." Hearing him use a term of endearment for the first time shakes me to my core. Kyra and hellcat are the extent of what he's used so far. Sweetheart , well, it feels so good.

"It's dumb, really." I take a deep breath, trying to come up with a reason to shut our conversation down. The last thing Rhodes needs to worry about is me and my ridiculous thoughts. This is part of life, part of working as a traveling nurse.

"Nothing is dumb," he states, which gives me the strength to open up about my internal fight.

"The term of my contract is ending. You've done so well that you don't even need me anymore." I'll be back on the road, traveling to the next place my company sends me. Unless I ask to stay at a local hospital. Still, there's a good chance I'll have to commute to another location. Which is totally feasible. I could also pick up a few days at a time, then have a few days off.

"You're not leaving." Rhodes' hand is no longer holding mine. He flips the blinker up and merges across two lanes of traffic as if he's a professional racecar driver. I could never. There would be horns blaring, and I'd probably shit my pants worried about cutting someone off. The tires make a weird noise as he pulls over on the shoulder of the road. He slams the truck into Park , reaches for my seatbelt, and then he's pulling me up and over the center console until I'm straddling his lap.

"I'm laying it all out. This is how it's going to go for the time being. You want to travel as a nurse, I'm all for it. We'll make it work. The days you aren't working, you come home or I go to you. What we aren't doing is putting an end date on us when we're only getting started." His hands cup my cheeks, thumbs sweeping along my skin, and I'm having a hard time controlling myself when I feel him harden beneath me.

"Rhodes." His name is barely above a whisper. That's all it takes; no other response is necessary. My attention is solely on him, and his is completely on me. He moves closer, lips less than a breath away from mine. He doesn't ask if it's okay to kiss me—he takes what we both want. The press of his mouth against mine is soft and slow, gentle in a way I didn't expect. Rhodes kissing me feels better than I could ever imagine. The experience of what I'm calling our first kiss is soul consuming and rocks my world. I'm spinning in a way I've never felt.

When he pulls my bottom lip into his mouth, I open for him, and then his tongue slides along mine. His hands move to the back of my head, holding me as he controls our kiss entirely. We make out on the side of the road, cars flying by, road noise surrounding us, and neither of us seems to care. Time ceases to exist, nothing else matters, and my hands become greedy for Rhodes' chest. The tips of my fingers dig into his muscles, wanting to touch every part of him. My hips move along his cock. His kiss, his declaration, his body beneath mine, it's everything wrapped together as the best present ever. The view of seeing his outline is nothing like feeling it. I can honestly say it was worth the wait, and he's not even inside me yet.

My stupid stomach makes it known that I'm currently hungry for more than an orgasm. Rhodes pulls back. Losing his lips on mine sucks, and I'm cursing myself for not grabbing a protein bar before leaving the house.

"We'll continue this later. Let's get you some food, grab some supplies, and then we'll head home," he says with our foreheads touching one another's.

"Okay." I breathe out the four-letter word. Thoughts, let alone full sentences, are escaping me. I'm still on a roller coaster ride. My hips keep rolling, and Rhodes is doing nothing to stop me.

"Sweetheart, if you come right now, I'm not going to be responsible for stripping you down and taking you on the side of the road." My breath hitches at the same time my eyes close and my stomach growls once again.

"My stupid stomach is ruining all the fun." Nerves had gotten the best of me this morning and I hadn't eaten much, worrying he would have to wait even longer for his prosthetic. I should have known better. He's been overcoming every obstacle thrown at him.

"Not ruining a thing. We'll pick this up when we get home, Kyra, and that's a promise." He nips at my lips, and then he's helping me climb back into my seat. I'm still annoyed with myself, going so far as to cross my arms over my chest. I hear the man next to me chuckle. Two can play this game. I lick my lips, still tasting him on my lips, and this time it's him who lets out a groan. As far as I'm concerned, getting home can't come fast enough.