Tattoo (Take It Off #7)(24)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“His name is Snake?” Mac asked.

“That’s what he said.”

“I need you to come down to the station so we can get all your knowledge into a statement.”

Movement around the building paused our conversation and we watched several officers coming out with the large bags full of cash.

“Yeah, I figured,” I said. “Let’s go.” I motioned toward one of the black unmarked sedans.

“Wait,” Taylor called, and I looked back. “He needs to come to the hospital!”

Mac looked at me with a shrewd gaze. He sighed. “Is that your blood, West?” he asked, looking at my shirt.

“It’s not that bad,” I lamented.

“Go,” he ordered.

I was about to protest, but he held up his hand. “Just freaking go. If you don’t, the department head will be breathing down my ass for weeks.”

I didn’t protest too much. I’d lost more blood than I wanted to admit, and I was feeling a little lightheaded.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital after we wrap this up here,” Mac said before turning away to issue orders.

I climbed into the back of the ambulance, sitting across from Taylor and her father.

“Maybe I should ride with you,” her father said, glancing at me.

What a jackass.

“No, Dad,” she sighed. “I’m fine and you have your car here.”

He turned toward her. “I’ll be at the hospital when you get there.”

“Okay.”

His eyes softened when he looked at her, and some of the animosity I felt toward him disappeared. He must not be that bad if he loved her, and it was clear he did. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

She smiled. “Me too.”

When he was gone, the EMTs glanced at us warily. “We’ll be fine back here alone.”

They didn’t argue, instead eagerly shutting us in the back and then jumping into the front of the cab.

“What did you do to those poor guys?” I asked Taylor.

She laughed. “What a bunch of wieners.”

A laugh burst from my throat and my side stung. “Did you just call them wieners?”

“If the shoe fits…” She shrugged.

I grinned.

“Hey,” she said softly after a moment.

The vehicle began moving forward and the lights from the scene faded away.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for everything.”

“Just doing my job,” I said casually, even as my insides felt anything but.

Nothing at all about the way I felt for Taylor was casual.

12

Taylor

Just doing my job.

If he said those words one more time, I might scream.

Maybe I would feel differently in the morning. After I was safe in the hospital, with pain meds dulling the sharp ache in my body, but until then, no. Just no.

Until then, I didn’t want to hear this was only a job for him. I didn’t want to hear that the reason it felt so good to be tucked up close to him was because I was in a dangerous and traumatic situation. I didn’t feel traumatized.

I felt… I felt like I liked being near him.

I wanted to sit here in the back of this ambulance, reliving the moment he kissed me, reliving the gentle way he tried to take away the sting of the IV. I wanted to romanticize the totally pissed look on his face when he saw the blood on my hand from that total douche bag of an EMT.

Yeah, I wasn’t in high school and I shouldn’t be over here swooning, especially since I almost died, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help feeling like there was more between us than some sort of bond that we forged when he was saving my life.

I didn’t want him to say he was just doing his job. I wanted him to say the thought of me being hurt drove him insane. That even though we didn’t know each other, the thought of never seeing me again was too much to bear.

Yeah, so maybe I was a sappy romantic.

I almost died. I’m entitled to excessive daydreaming about a ripped, tattooed cop who doesn’t think twice about firing a gun and throwing a punch.

I’d take ten bullets if it meant you didn’t have to take any.

*Sigh*

Okay, that was way better than anything I just imagined. And he actually said that.

“What’s wrong?” he said, gazing across the inside of the ambulance with a concerned look on his face.

I must have sighed out loud.

“Nothing,” I answered. I couldn’t help but notice the dark stain on his shirt. “But you haven’t even been looked at.”

Worry struck me. He’d been so busy insisting I get taken care of and then looking after me that no one bothered to take care of him. I felt like an ass.

Worse than an ass. I felt like a turd circle.

Nearby, there was a little kit one of the EMTs left out, and I grabbed it and stepped toward him. Of course, the ambulance chose that moment to stop abruptly. The guy driving laid on the horn, and I was sent flying sideways.

Brody moved fast, reaching out to steady me, and then the ambulance started moving again, throwing us both into the seat.

“These guys are complete idiots,” he muttered.

I was half reclining across his chest, lying between his legs. He seemed to realize I was lying on him and he looked down. “What’cha doing over here?” he asked softly.

“Someone needs to look at your side.” I breathed, proud that I actually remembered.

His fingers brushed through the hair at the side of my head. “Here I thought maybe you just missed me.”

“Maybe I did,” I admitted.

He leaned down and I moved up, both of us meeting in the middle. Our mouths brushed together and Brody’s fingers tightened around the back of my head, holding me close so he could deepen the kiss.

This time, instead of catching my bottom lip between his, he nibbled at my top lip, applying a little bit of pressure as he pulled it out and nipped at it. As much as I loved the heated, playful gesture, I wanted more. I wanted to feel his tongue against mine. I wanted to feel him move inside me.

I pushed myself closer and his hand left the back of my head and wound around my waist, anchoring me against him as he dragged me upward so he would have better access to my lips.

Anticipation curled my toes as we kissed again, this time full on the mouth, neither of us pulling back, just enjoying the constant rubbing together of our lips. If he kissed me any harder, I was sure sparks would ignite and we might start a fire. I grabbed his side, wanting him even closer, wanting his tongue, practically begging for it.