Chapter 2

Two

A llison had spent far too little time sleeping lately. The toll on her was a pair of dark bruises under each eye. She'd used a lot of concealer to try to cover them, but the only answer was a tube of bright red lipstick to draw attention away.

She applied it and leaned away from the mirror to examine her reflection. The ugly fluorescent lighting of the hospital's restroom didn't help her appearance at all, and she grunted.

Spinning away, she headed out to work. Whatever today brought, she would slap a smile on her face and make the most of it. Being a nurse meant more than just healing someone. She couldn't count the number of men she'd just listened to.

Coming back from war, going into it. Even the young guys struggling to get through basic training.

A few of those men stuck out in her mind, but recently one had her heart doing backflips and her body aching in ways she wished it would not. She'd tried for a week to get Lincoln out of her head. Of course, it didn't help that he'd come back daily to have her change the dressing on his wound and check it.

Then there was Ford...

She'd been so worried about him that she'd gone into the hospital to find his room. In her time as a nurse, she hadn't often seen a man in so much pain, and she just had to see him without that grimace or the beads of sweat on his face.

But it turned out his easy-going smile had a much worse effect on her. She couldn't shake it from her mind either.

Man, she needed laid. It had surely been too long if she was daydreaming about the soldiers she treated.

When she walked into triage, the night nurse was just doing her inventory. Jessy turned from the cabinet with a smile. "Hey, Allison. You look ready to slay the day."

"What, me? I haven't gotten more than three hours of sleep a night for two weeks."

"Really? Why not? You're getting off shift early enough, aren't you?"

"Yeah, for the most part. I just have a bad case of insomnia, it seems."

"Have you tried taking any over-the-counter sleep aids?" Jessy was tall with her light brown hair in a short pixie cut barely skimming her ears. It suited her delicate features and made her green eyes look huge.

"Yes, I have. They make me feel so sleep-drunk that it isn't worth it. I'd rather be alert."

Jessy made a face. "I know the feeling. I'm almost finished here and then the triage is yours."

Allison heard a step behind her that sent goosebumps skittering over her whole body. After a week, she knew the sound too well.

Lincoln.

She didn't need to turn to know she was right. The look on Jessy's face said it all. Her eyes went round, and her jaw dropped.

Bracing herself, Allison pivoted. There was all six-foot-one inch of Lincoln. Eyes blazing, wearing fatigues and a badass crooked smile that had her panties wet instantly.

A warm tingle ran through her body, lighting every spot in its path. Her pussy gave a hard squeeze before she could find her brain and form words.

"Hello, Private First Class."

He gave her a nod that was quick and efficient—and all man. That heat inside her kicked up a notch and so did the tingles making her nipples pucker to attention.

He looked past her at Jessy. "Lincoln reporting for wound check, ma'am." His gaze flicked down to Allison, a smoldering there making her panties wetter.

Finding her voice, she waved at the bed. "Have a seat, soldier. I'll have a look, but you know you don't need to have this looked at daily."

"A soldier's feet are important. I figure it's best to make sure there's no trouble."

His scent wafted toward her, male spice and a hint of whatever masculine soap he used.

Jessy went about her business of inventorying, but Allison didn't dare look at her. She watched Lincoln's long fingers work over the laces of his boot and then pull off the leather followed by his sock. Before she even took a proper look, she knew the stitched area was fine. She suspected he was coming in for another reason, one that she couldn't act on.

Men in the Army were lonely. They worked day and night without comforts of home or loved ones. And definitely not the comfort of a good woman.

But she couldn't be that woman. She wasn't into soldiers, no matter what her hardened nipples and needy pussy said.

Lincoln twisted his foot aside for her to examine the area. Behind her, Jessy made a noise and then hurried out of the room with a "See you later, Allison."

Leaving her alone with the man she'd been having more than odd tingles for. She'd actually dreamed about him last night, of rolling in his arms and his long cock pleasuring her for long long hours?—

Needless to say, her vibrator got a good work out last night.

Note to self. Pick up more batteries.

She stomped all over that thought and leaned in to peer at his foot. "It's healing perfectly. No sign of infection."

"It itches like a motherfu—" He gave her a sheepish smile. "I mean it itches badly."

She straightened and threw him a smile. "You know, you're not exactly the first guy I've heard swear, Private First Class. It itches because it's healing. It's a good thing."

"Ah. Gotcha." Something about his rough tone drew her gaze to his. A hard throb of her heart and she was lost hopelessly in his eyes. Feeling as if she were driving a fast car and losing control.

"Allison. Do you ever go by Alli?"

She shook her head. Unaware that she'd drifted closer to him until he reached out and caught a loose tendril of hair that always escaped her bun and floated around her face. He rubbed it between his fingers, and her body reacted as if he'd stroked her straining nipples.

She issued a quiet noise.

"Go out with me, Allison." His dark, promising tone, his scorching gaze and the way he lightly tugged at her hair all threatened her sanity. "I promise a night you won't forget sweetheart. More if one date won't be enough for you either."

The hot soldier had barely whispered but she heard the hot, scorching promise of panty-melting sex in his words all the same.

His eyes held hers.

Before she could say something she'd regret, she stepped away.

Good thing too, because at that moment Jessy poked her head around the curtain. "Someone is requesting to see you, Allison."

"Thanks, I'll be right there." She gave Lincoln a look. Jessy disappeared again. "Your foot is fine, Private First Class. You can just come in for your final scheduled appointment to have the stitches removed."

He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn't want to know what else he'd say or do to get her to go out with him. She rushed from the space and into another.

Where she came face-to-face with Private Ford. God, these soldiers were going to kill her this week. He was tall, his hair freshly cut. Where the hair had been above his ears there were small white slivers of skin.

He was shirtless.

Gloriously so.

Her gaze traveled over broad shoulders and rounded pecs down to the speed bumps of his abs. At the bottom where his fatigue pants hung low on his hips was a small white bandage where they'd removed his appendix.

"You're doing well, I see," she said breezily. He was a beautiful man, and she was a woman. Of course, she was going to look. But not act.

"Hello, Nurse Allison. I wondered if you could take a look at it for me and make sure there's nothing wrong?"

She skipped her gaze up to his face, which was as much of a mistake as staring at his abs. He was tanned to a golden brown, his nose straight and a small scar running through his brow. Below his brows was a pair of bright blue eyes. Bright with interest, that was.

"S-sure."

She moved closer to him. Touched his bandage at his waist. When she began to pull the tape free, she shot a glance up at him to make sure she wasn't hurting him.

"What do you do in your free time?" he asked in a deep rumble.

She bit her lower lip. "Umm, I don't have much of that to be honest."

"Too much work and no play for a lovely woman like you?" He shook his head and made a noise of distress.

She freed the edge of the bandage and slowly removed it. He didn't wince, and why should he? It was only a little tape and he'd likely been through a whole lot of hell just in training.

"Will you go out with me, Allison?"

A growl sounded from behind her, and she whirled to see Lincoln glaring from around the white curtain.

W alking in and seeing Allison so close to that asshole Ford—bent down on a level with his groin—shook Lincoln to the core.

Why, though? He and Allison didn't know each other, but ever since he'd set eyes on her he'd known he wanted more, even despite the pain he'd been in. And now he was in another sort of pain, a hollow, aching pain that ripped him up.

And made him want to punch Ford's teeth out and put him in another wing of the hospital.

Away from his Allison.

He stepped into the space.

"If it isn't the douche-bag," Ford drawled.

Lincoln took a threatening step toward him. Allison thrust out both hands as if to hold them off.

"No trouble in here, guys."

Lincoln glared over her head at Ford. The man wrapped his hand around her wrist as a lover might right before he pinned her on the bed.

"Get your hand off her." Lincoln barked the order. As he was a superior officer, Ford had to obey him.

Yet he didn't.

"You're out of conduct, private."

Ford gave him a slow smile that had no joy in it at all. "This is my private space where I'm being examined by my nurse. I think it's you who's out of conduct."

"Stop, it, guys. You're both healthy—neither of you need medical care. Now why don't you go back to your duties?" A desperation sounded in her voice, but when she looked at Lincoln, her voice hitched enough that he knew she was affected by him.

Lincoln wrapped his hand around her other wrist and lightly tugged her in his direction.

"Both of you stop before I call security. I'm sure neither of you want to be written up for this!" Her eyes shot sparks and her hair was slowly trickling free of her bun. More tendrils floated around her face. God, what he wouldn't do to cup her beautiful face and tip her mouth up for his kiss and then spread her over his cock.

Again and again.

But it was more than just sex with her. He knew it just like he knew if Ford put another hand on her, the last thing he would worry about is being written up.

Ford took her hand and drew it down to touch his chest. She gasped and wrenched away from both of them, putting several feet of space between them all, but it was a mistake.

It gave Lincoln a clear shot at Ford.

"I think the nurse is right. You're healed," Lincoln bit off.

"I've got six weeks of light duty."

"Then I'd suggest you go do it before I tell your CO."

Ford gave a wide grin, which he turned onto Allison. She flushed to the roots of her hair and glanced away. Lincoln's chest burned. Did she find this asshole attractive? Maybe something was going on between them.

Damn, he was a fool.

But a fool who wasn't about to give up. He hadn't seen someone like Allison in—well ever. She was special, feminine, smart and had a soft touch that reached deep into a man and grabbed him by the heart.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who felt this way, though.

But I'll be the last, dammit.

He and Ford glared at each other until a noise brought their heads up. Allison had left the space and returned with the security she'd threatened them with.

"Is there a problem, soldiers?" the man said in a hard voice.

Allison stood with hands on her hips, looking about to throttle them both. Damn, she was so damn cute and fuckable it hurt his heart and dick.

Too bad Ford had that smitten look on his face. Lincoln was about to knock it off for him.

"Is there a problem, soldiers?" the security guard repeated in a harder tone.

"Guys." The soft pleading in Allison's tone broke the moment. Lincoln looked into her eyes. "I'll see you in two days, Allison." He looked to the guard. "For stitches removal."

He gave a nod and Lincoln walked out, ignoring Ford even as he burned to go back and punch his face in. Lincoln wasn't finished with trying to win Allison over. A date with him was in her future—and he was going to wine and dine and treat her as she deserved to be treated even if it cost him a reprimand or five.

Allison was worth the punishment.