Page 23 of Rescuing Erin (Red Team #5)

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Colin asked for the fourth time since we’d left his house.

I’d done nothing but sleep, or I should say, tried to sleep, for the last two days.

After my MRI showed no swelling or bleeding in my brain, I was given the all clear to fly home.

We landed at Andrews and went straight to Colin’s house in Annapolis.

True to his word, he hadn’t left my side.

As a matter of fact, he was following the doctor’s orders to wake me up once an hour—down to the second.

I didn’t know how he was functioning. He had to be exhausted.

Zane had called yesterday and asked if Colin would come into the office today, and the only way he’d agreed was if I went with him.

So that was where we were headed. And if I was going to spend the day lollygagging around his office, I thought I should ask if Olivia could meet me there since Leo would be at the meeting as well.

At the time I’d thought it was a good idea, however the closer we got to the downtown office the more nervous I became.

“Sunshine?”

“Sorry. Yeah, I feel fine. ”

“You sure? You were out of it there for a minute.”

“Just thinking about Olivia. What if she doesn’t forgive me?”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I talked to Leo and she’s thrilled you texted her.”

“But what if—”

“The sky falls? A bus pulls in front of us? The world explodes?” he joked.

“Stop. I’m being serious.”

“I know you are. You’re working yourself up for nothing. I’m more worried about you taking it easy than anything. The doctor said—”

“Yes, I know what he said. Relax. No exercise or strenuous activity. I’ll be sitting in your office talking, not PT’ing.”

“He also said no stress.”

“Last night I offered you a perfectly reasonable stress-relief option, but you turned me down.”

“Reasonable? Sweetheart, me giving you orgasms while you have a concussion isn’t going to happen.”

“Why not? All I have to do is lie there.”

“Right. You don’t just lie there. Your head thrashes, your hips buck, you scream in excitement. No part of that is relaxing.”

“Fine,” I huffed.

“I think I’ve created a monster.” He chuckled. “Besides, right now, all I want to do is hold you. I want to feel your breath on my neck and your heartbeat against mine as you cuddle into me.”

Okay, so I wanted to have sex, and I wanted to pout I couldn’t have it but when he said things like that to me, it was hard to stay disappointed.

“I don’t think you understand how hard it is to sleep next you while you’re practically naked and not want to jump your bones. ”

Colin pulled into a parking garage, found an empty spot, put the car in park, undid his seat belt, and turned to me. “Jump my bones?” I could easily hear the humor in his voice and even in the semi-darkness of the parking structure, I could see his eyes dance with mirth.

“Something wrong with the way I talk?” He shook his head and grinned. “I would think someone with your sexual prowess and experience would understand how your nakedness could have a tingling effect on a woman.”

It took a long time for Colin’s amusement to die down. And when the laughter finally faded, I had to squeeze my thighs together to quell the ache his stare was causing.

“Sunshine, I’m dying to see you squirm again while I eat you out and go to sleep with the taste of you on my tongue. I’m counting down the days until I get to finally slide inside of you and make you mine, fully and completely. But I will never put you in danger, and, right now, you need to heal.”

“I love all of that except maybe the not brushing your teeth after you go down on me part. Just saying.”

His head hit the back of the headrest and once again he roared with laughter. “Goddamn, I love you, woman. Duly noted, brush teeth after pussy licking.” He reached across the center console and picked up my hand, toying with the ring he’d placed on my finger. I loved when he did that. “You ready?”

So, that happened. Yesterday, a courier came by Colin’s house and delivered a small package.

He disappeared into his home office and when he reappeared, he lowered himself to his knee and asked me to marry him for a second time.

With blue eyes gazing up at me, I said yes—again.

He slipped a familiar diamond ring on my finger.

And I was speechless as I studied the sparkling family heirloom.

He explained my parents had sent it over with a note, while he wouldn’t tell me exactly what it said, he did tell me my mother had given her blessing as well.

Considering I now had my grandmother’s ring on my finger, the very engagement ring my dad had given my mother, I’d assumed she shared my dad’s sentiments.

“Yep,” I finally answered.

“Whenever you’re ready to go, tell me. I don’t want you overdoing it.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

“Right. Just like the last time you promised—”

“Do we have to go over this again? They were going to kill you, Colin. I wasn’t going to sit there and watch the man I love get beaten to a bloody pulp.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t joke about it.”

I waited in the car for him to come to my side and open the door. A habit from all the years of having personal bodyguards. “Sorry. I guess I can open my own door and get out. I’m just used to having to wait until someone comes around.”

“And you should. I’ll always open the door for you.”

I looked around the parking garage and thought it was strange I hadn’t seen any secret service. “Are there agents here?”

“Sure are,” he answered.

“Huh. I hadn’t noticed them.”

“I told them they were to stay back. I didn’t want you to feel like you were under lock and key. Besides, for now, you won’t be anywhere I’m not.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Colin beeped the locks and placed his arm around my shoulders, drawing me close as we walked toward Z Corps headquarters.

“Hey, what happened to the rental?”

In all the excitement, I’d forgotten all about driving from Texas to California .

“Totaled just like Abe’s cabin.”

“Shit. How pissed is Abe?”

I felt horrible about destroying Abe’s home. Not that we did it on purpose, but it was because of us the property had been infiltrated and the cabin had been on fire after two rockets, or bombs, or whatever the explosive devices were called had hit the house.

“He’s not. They don’t keep anything personal there, and he knows it will be rebuilt by Zane.”

“I feel really bad about it.”

“You shouldn’t. It comes with the territory.”

“Seriously?”

“Did I tell you why Fletch sold his house?”

“The one you bought?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t think so.”

“It all started when, Sadie, the niece of a hotshot PI out of Dallas was being guarded by her now husband. Everyone was gathered at Fletch and Emily’s having a wonderful evening until ...”

Colin continued his story as we walked through the lobby of Z Corps. Only stopping to enter in a numeric code and place his hand on a scanner to get through the secure door that led to a long hallway.

“An RPG?” I gasped when he got to the part about the house exploding.

“Not one, but two.” He stopped again, placing his forehead against the plastic shield of the retinal scanner. “It was a bad night.”

The elevator door opened, and he motioned for me to precede him. “I’ll say. Was anyone hurt?”

“Yeah. Fletch was pretty banged up and so was Chase Jackson.”

“Damn. But they’re both okay now, right? ”

“Yeah, sunshine, they’re both fine. But after what happened, even after the house was rebuilt, Fletch and Emily decided to sell.”

“It’s a beautiful house. Will we get to go back?”

“Anytime you want.”

“I want to go back soon.”

“Okay.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head as the doors slowly opened. Thankfully, Colin still had his arm around me because the squeal coming from a hugely pregnant Olivia nearly gave me a heart attack.

Once my heart rate settled, and I took a good look at my best friend who I’d turned my back on, my heart broke.

I’d been such a bitch. I buried my face into Colin’s side and couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

Olivia was pregnant, very pregnant, and I’d missed it.

Almost all of it. For what? Why hadn’t I’d seen her after she’d been rescued?

Why hadn’t I gone to see her after she’d married Leo?

Why had I been so stupid to let so much time pass?

Now there was a chasm I needed to bridge.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Colin was trying to get me to look up at him, but I wasn’t ready.

“Erin?” Olivia called out. “Get your ass out of the elevator and let’s go eat. I’m freaking starving. And I’ve waited for my one soda a day Mr. Bossy allows me to drink until you got here. I want my Dr. Pepper and I’m not going to stand here and wait for you all day.”

“Um?” I could hear the uncertainty in Colin’s response. He must have thought I’d lost my mind. “Are you laughing?”

I nodded.

Yes, I’d gone from bawling my eyes out to cracking up. Olivia, being Olivia, had pulled me from my self-pity that quickly .

“You look like you’ve eaten a beach ball, Livie. You sure you have room in there for food?”

I slowly pulled away from Colin and looked at my beautiful friend. She was glowing. Marriage and motherhood looked great on her.

“I know, right? It’s all the food Leo’s mom force feeds me. I swear they think I’m growing a linebacker.”

“I’ve seen your husband. That’s a strong possibility.”

Olivia’s face broke out in a smile and she held out her hand. “Damn, I’ve missed you. Missed this. Life has been ... incomplete without you. Now let’s go get me a soda before Leo comes out here.”

“I heard that, tesorino. ”

Olivia rolled her eyes even though her husband could see her. “There was no doubt you wouldn’t.”

“You have two more weeks.”

“I’m well aware.” Olivia rubbed her belly. “All ten pounds of her is currently sitting on my bladder.”

“Ten pounds?” I gasped. “Is that possible?”

“I’m joking. At least, I hope I am.”