Chapter 1

One

A llison opened the drawer and set about counting her supplies. The US Army was strict about making sure every bandage, pill and roll of medical tape was accounted for. It was the nurses' jobs to do an inventory at the end of every day.

A huge yawn came up from what felt like the toes of her ballet flats and creaked her jaw when it released. She clapped a hand over her lips. Not very ladylike. I need to get more than three hours of sleep tonight.

The quiet in the triage unit lulled her—and worried her. Often the place would slow down to the point where she didn't think she'd have anything to do the rest of her shift.

Then all hell would break loose.

Eyes watering from her yawn, she blinked at the rolls of gauze she was meant to be counting. The scuffing noise behind her brought her head up.

And her breath caught as a gorgeous soldier came limping in with the help of a buddy.

"Got a casualty for ya, Miss Allison," the friend said with a wide grin.

They were grubby, with mud and what looked like soot caked from head to toe. And smelled. That's where the annoyances ended. Everything else about them drew her eye and interest. Standard issued cotton T-shirts stretched over bulging muscles and she didn't need to undress either of them to know everything else about them was as hard as the thick mud-smeared biceps.

Well, this ought to be fun.

Her gaze wandered down to the man's foot, held off the floor. The worst was getting a private's stinky boot and sock off to see what type of injury they were dealing with, but it was her job.

"Here, get him to the table." She was met by pinched eyebrows and a glare that sent a shiver through her.

She didn't like the way the hurt Army guy looked at her. As if accusing her of causing the pain. His dark brows were drawn and his square jaw set. Mud was smeared across his broad chest, right over his olive drab T-shirt, and his camo fatigue pants were torn at the knee.

"I got it, Max. Thanks for the help," the man all but growled, waving his friend away.

His friend tried to help him onto the pristine white examination table, but the wounded man waved him away again.

She assessed everything about her new patient, including his surly attitude and the thick veins riding down each muscled forearm. Not to mention that he wasn't the one who smelled—he smelled like clean soap.

He was a sexy one, for sure. Towering over her a good half foot and almost twice her size everywhere else. but she wasn't into soldiers. They could be walking sex gods with rippling muscles and advertise earth-shattering orgasms and she still wouldn't take a second look. During her year of working here in Fort Bragg, she'd seen some amazing men. Have mercy did they do things to her and it might be a little embarrassing to recall, but she'd had a few moments alone in the shower with only her dirty thoughts.

But seeing, self-pleasuring and actually touching were two different things.

Max circled around her and the table as if to help where he wasn't wanted.

"I said I got it!" the man snapped at his comrade.

The good-natured of the two held up both hands and stepped away to allow him to hop onto the table.

"Thanks for bringing him in," Allison said in her calmest voice to soothe over whatever sting he'd received from the injured man.

Max grinned and saluted her.

"Get outta here, Max."

"Don't mind Private First Class Lincoln's attitude. He always sounds as if he's about to bite."

The glare Max received from the man said he might actually bite.

Allison hid her smile and came out with a clipboard and a pen. "Name."

"Valor, Lincoln." He shot off his number, which she recorded carefully on the form.

"What's your reason for being here today?"

He groaned, swiped his cover off his head and slapped it on the table beside him. Dust rose up from it. "Pretty sure my boot's full of blood."

Her eyes flew open wider and she hurriedly set the clipboard down alongside his hat. "Oh my. What happened?"

Max opened his mouth to say, but Lincoln leveled a glare at him that sent him back out the door with a wave.

Lincoln issued a loud sigh. "He means well but damn..."

"You're in pain," she offered, flashing him a small smile. "You're not in the mood."

His eyes connected with hers. "I'm not in that much pain. It's just a cut."

"What did you cut it on?" When she looked over his boot, she saw the leather gashed wide open.

"Wall of Terror."

She blinked. She'd heard of it, of course. A wall several stories tall with barbed wire at the top and spear-like objects to avoid on the downside.

Heavy shit to deal with for anyone.

"I've heard it's a rite of passage. It means you're crossing over into the next level of your training as a soldier," she said. She started to carefully unlace his boot, his eyes tracking her every movement.

"I've completed it four times before this. I never expected to get hung up let alone have my foot flayed open." He shook it and blood drops splattered on the white floor.

She winced. "Okay, we definitely need to get this boot off—fast. I need to see how badly you're bleeding."

She grabbed a pair of sharp scissors used to cut off clothing. She held them up and said, "You should lie back for this. I don't want you passing out."

"At the sight of blood?" He made a masculine noise that fed straight into her libido. Her nipples hardened, and she quickly looked away from his handsome face. Rugged features and hazel eyes thick with gold flecks. A heartbreaker, this one. But it wouldn't be hers.

"This is my job and you have to listen to me, Private First Class. I'm not your friend Max there. Please lie back and let me work."

At her hard tone, he only smiled. Damn, he could smile the panties right off a nun. And make them wet all at the same time.

She pursed her lips. "I mean it."

He stared at her for a moment. Those gold flecks brightening with stubbornness. "Yes, ma'am." Amusement tinged his tone, and she realized he might not be all growls and fangs. But she wouldn't mind getting bitten.

She smacked away that thought, wherever the hell it came from.

Once he was horizontal, she set about cutting off his boot. With broad shoulders wider than the table and long muscular legs that needed more bed space it was tricky getting him a the right angle for her to work.

The minute the sides that were haphazardly holding the raw edges of his wound together eased off, blood trickled freely.

"Crap."

"Is that a medical term, Doctor?" His deep voice held more amusement.

"I'm a nurse trained to deal with things like this." With all possible caution, she got his sock cut free, revealing a wide, jagged cut.

"Not that I had any doubts before, but this definitely needs stitches." She bit into her lower lip. "Let's get the bleeding stopped, and then I'll call in the doctor."

"You won't be stitching me up?" he asked, leaning on his elbows to stare down at her. When his gaze latched onto her lips, she realized she was biting them again. He stared for what felt like a full minute. Eye hooded despite the obvious pain he had to be in.

"Bad habit," she blurted out and felt a hot blush climb her face.

"Hm." His noise came out as a sexy grunt. She didn't want to stare, but hand to God, it looked like the crotch of his pants was starting to bulge.

She dipped her head and inspected the open wound. The blood was slowing a bit now, but the cut itself needed cleaned out. "I take it you've had a tetanus shot recently."

"Yeah, when I entered basic and another round of shots when I went off to Afghanistan."

"Good, because it will be one less thing I'll have to do to hurt you. Hold onto something, Soldier. I have to clean this out."

T he second the antiseptic wash hit Lincoln's wound, a hiss of pain left him.

Fuck that burns like a mother.

He clamped it off—no way was he going to wimp out at a little scratch like this. And definitely not in front of a beautiful little nurse with the sweetest ass in scrubs he'd ever seen. Nurse Allison had the blood that wasn't in his boot shooting straight to his cock. If asked he would freely admit to being swollen and dripping precum the second she strutted her cute little ass in front of him. Blue scrubs did everything for all those delicious curves.

To distract himself from the blistering pain in his foot, he focused on the top of her head. Thick brown hair with golden highlights that appeared to be natural, a kiss from the sun. Her hair parted on one side, and something about the line of vulnerable flesh of her scalp switched on his protective instinct. And the need to have all that hair in his hands.

Not to mention the way she bit her lip, smashing that soft, plump flesh...

Fuck me.

Damn, he couldn't get a woody while she probed at his cut. What would she think if she noticed?

She issued a quiet noise.

Dammit—he could and would get hard.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked.

"Hell yeah," he answered gruffly.

"I'm sorry. I need to see what we're dealing with here. It hasn't gone deeper than the subcutaneous layer."

He let his head drop back. "I take it that's a good thing."

She flashed him a smile that instantly stretched his cock to full length. God, she was a damn beautiful woman. And she was holed up in this building all day seeing to soldier's injuries? A sweet little thing like her should be sitting back with a cool drink in her hand, being pampered.

By him.

Morning, noon and night.

She straightened and looked him right in the eyes. "I'll just bandage it to stop the bleeding then call in the doctor to stitch you up."

"You won't leave my side, will you?" He gazed deeply into her eyes.

"We're required to remain to assist the doctor." Blue eyes, as clear as the midday sky.

"Good." He flexed his foot, and blood trickled down his instep.

"Don't move while I get it bandaged, okay?"

He watched her bustle around the small room gathering supplies. Every step made her ass jiggle deliciously and he didn't let his eyes miss anything.

She came back with a roll of gauze and some small scissors. A silver tray, which she set several items on that the doctor would use to stitch him.

"I promise to get some pain meds into you as soon as I call for the doctor. I'll be just a minute."

"A minute's too long," he said, thinking of her being out of his sight for more than ten seconds.

Her brows drew down, two delicate sweeping arches that met over her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll be just a minute."

She left the room, and he watched her go, latching his attention onto her tight ass in scrub pants.

"Helllloooo, Nurse!" he said under his breath and situated his hard dick a little better. He didn't usually go after women on base. It was too much of a hassle when he ran into them after a one-night hookup. He didn't even dip his wick into the waters at Walker's, the local bar where he and his buddies hung out. But for Allison, he might make an exception.

A few grunting noises and the door flew open. A tall man came in, doubled over and holding his stomach.

"This room's taken, man," Lincoln said.

"Fuck off," the guy said.

Lincoln recognized that voice. "Ford?"

His friend raised his head and gave Lincoln a long, angry stare that told him the grudge between them wasn't ended just because they were in the same room together.

A week ago down at Walker's, they'd learned they'd both fucked the same woman, and it wasn't the first time this had happened. Their tastes ran the same, and Lincoln was getting damn sick and tired of it. He and his buddies might share the battlefield, but he drew the line at sharing pussy.

If Lincoln's foot weren't out of commission, he would have jumped off the table and had a go at the private. "Why don't you fuck off instead?"

"I'm looking for triage. Can't you see I'm in pain here, douche-bag?"

"Whoa. Who are you? You look to be in pain." His Allison was suddenly back, hurriedly whipping back the adjoining curtain to reveal another bed. As she wrapped her arm around the guy's shoulders and assisted him, Lincoln narrowed his eyes. Jealousy was rising like a green fog inside him.

She hadn't helped him . He'd only had Max, and the guy had body odor.

"Ford, Ellis. I think I have a fever."

"Lie down and let me see." She ignored Lincoln in favor of a fever? He was bleeding out here. She hurriedly grabbed a thermometer and took Ford's temperature. "Yes, you do have a fever of 101.3. What's hurting you?"

"Stomach. Has been since yesterday, but after breakfast it was real bad."

"Anyone with a brain knows to avoid the ham," Lincoln grumbled.

They both shot him a serious look.

"I haven't eaten for...two days. Excruciating pain."

Allison pressed her palm to his forehead and looked into his eyes. "I'm getting the doctor right now."

On her way past Lincoln, she skimmed her fingers over his arm, right down to the back of his hand. Her ticklish touch twisted his insides up, and his cock throbbed despite the pain in his foot.

"I'll be right back, okay?" she said to him, and he hoped like hell it was to take Ford out so they could be alone.

A second later a doctor came in, followed by another one. They checked out Ford, said things like rapid breathing and pulse, and wheeled him out, bed and all.

"What the hell's the matter with him?" Lincoln asked Allison, who looked torn between staying and going. No matter what the beef between them, he didn't like seeing Ford in pain.

"We won't know until we run some tests, but I'd take a guess at appendicitis."

Lincoln released a whistle. "Poor bastard. But what about me?"

"Oh I'll find you another doctor to do the stitches. Give me another minute." This time when she passed him, she didn't stroke his arm. But she did give a little ass wiggle as she disappeared through the door whether she knew it or not.

Damn, he was going to have to break his own rule by hitting the bar and picking up one of the Army skanks who hung around there if this continued. He had a terrible case of blue-balls, and there was only one treatment.

A one-night stand would be more his speed than a dinner and movie, though. He wasn't a man to be tied down to one woman, especially when he could be sent back to Afghanistan at the drop of a boot.

When Allison came back, she seemed flustered. She buzzed around the room, grabbing everything from warm blankets from a unit in the wall to some vials of something from a locked cabinet. She stuck the cluster of keys back into her pocket and met his gaze.

"The doctor's on his way but I'm supposed to prep you."

"Prep away, sweetheart."

She shot him a look, and he saw she was more frazzled than he'd originally thought. Seeking to ease her, he smiled.

She blinked. Her lips fell open.

Hell, she looked ready to pass out.

Grabbing her by the arm, he looked into her eyes. "Feeling all right?"

"Yes, of course. Don't be silly." She stared down at his big fingers wrapped around her delicate arm. The skin of his hand was tanner, more callused. And she was as pale and delicate as a flower petal. He was tempted to pull her onto the bed with him and just hold her. Why? Who the hell knew? But the way she looked like someone needed to care for her had his protective side rearing up once again.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and moved to the foot of the bed.

As she took a seat on the rolling stool and began to open plastic trays with sealed, sterile lids, he watched calm return to her.

"How long have you been a nurse?"

"Two years, but I've only been here for one." She took off the gauze bandage and smeared a thick brownish-yellow liquid over his cut.

"And you like it here?"

"Yes, very much. You never know what you're going to have walk through that door." Her brows puckered again, and he wondered if she was concentrating on his cut really hard or worried about Ford.

He didn't like feeling as if he had to vie for her attention. He'd had women in the past—plenty of them. He'd never had to go begging for someone to be with him. But Allison wasn't falling into his arms as most women did. Sure, she was a professional, supposed to be caring for him. But that didn't mean...

He cut off his thoughts as she raised a lethal needle and filled a vial. "I'm just going to numb the site and then we'll get started, okay?"

"Sure." He didn't flinch as she administered the local and the hot sting of numbing agent moved through his skin until his whole foot felt deadened.

She patted his leg, and his cock jerked as if to meet her touch. "You did well."

"Well enough to get your phone number for later?"

She removed her hand and stood. "Um, I'm not allowed to date patients."

"I'm only a patient for today."

Her gaze travelled over his face and down to his chest and then back up. Did she like what she saw? Was it his imagination or was her pulse going wild in her long throat?

"I'm sorry, Lincoln."

He wasn't going to take no for an answer. She was beautiful, obviously smart and very good with her hands. And he hadn't felt such a spark with a woman in too long. He opened his mouth to speak but the doctor came in, took up the stool and immediately began suturing his foot.

Allison shouldn't be standing by watching.

She should be straddling me, sinking over my cock. And she will be soon enough.