Harrier's Healer Read Online Free PDF Page A

happening again. “There you have it.” Scott
    sent Alexis a small shake of his head before dropping it and digging
    into his breakfast with relish. The relationship was too new for him to
    hash things out with a young man who wanted to protect her.
    As the rest of the group sat down at her long table to eat, talk
    was turned towards Alexis and her plans for the day. “What gives you
    boys the right to think you can run my life?” she asked the young men.
    “We’re family,” they responded as one.
    “And, yet, you don’t stay out of trouble. I can’t help you out
    next time. You know that, don’t you?” Her tawny gaze pinned each and
    every young man there.
    “Yes, Lex. We know.”
    One by one they finished and put their dishes in the sink before
    kissing her on the cheek and leaving the kitchen. “Dinner’s at six-thirty;
    it’s ribs. I’ll do some laundry tomorrow as well, so bring a change of
    clothes,” she yelled to their retreating backs.
    As the screen door slammed, it dawned on the two adults that
    they were completely alone. No young people, no crew, no ship, no
    regulations. Just them. A man and a woman who had a fierce attraction
    for one another.
    Swallowing hard, Alexis shoved back from the table and took
    her dishes to the sink. She opened the dishwasher and began to load it.
    “You can’t ignore me forever, Alexis.”
    She shrugged . “I’m not ignoring you,” she lied. “I am just clean-
    ing up.”
    His chair scraped the wooden floor as he rose with his plate in
    hand. A glance at the sideboard showed nothing but empty dishes.
    Those boys had cleaned up every bit of food she’d made for them.
    “Wow, they sure can eat a lot,” he said as he handed her the plate.
    “They are growing boys,” she replied easily.
    “So am I,” he muttered as his gaze swept over her denim-
    covered ass.
    Shutting the black door of the dishwasher, she leaned against it
    and met his blue gaze. “Tell me where you got the gunshot wound.”
    Her tone was doctor-like, demanding an answer.
    “There was some kind of shootout a few streets over from where
    you found me. It was a stray bullet.”
    Harrier's Healer
    21
    Her eyes narrowed. “What were you doing down here, anyway?
    No offense, Commander, but you don’t exactly fit the look of the majori-
    ty of people who come down here.”
    “Would you please not call me Commander? If you won’t call
    me Scott, call me Harrier. But for the love of God, Alexis, we aren’t on
    any military installation anymore. Don’t call me Commander.”
    “It’s easier for me to call you Commander, but I will try to call
    you Scott for the time being.” At his gesture, she took a seat across from
    him at the table. “What are you doing here? I’m not going to believe
    you have family down here.” She raised a brow quizzically.
    The one who I am here to see will be family soon. “I needed to see
    you.”
    His blatant statement made her eyes grow wide. “Why?”
    He sent her an incredulous look. “Because since I met you in
    Norfolk, I can think of nothing but you. Jesus, Alexis, I know this will
    sound corny, but you have bewitched me. Totally.”
    Alexis shook her head. “We can’t do this,” came her inevitable
    protest.
    “Don’t give me that whole code of behavior or modus operandi
    shit, Alexis. Where is the nearest military base from here?” At her
    silence he continued, “See, there is no reason for that to be an issue. You
    do realize that, although it is frowned upon, people do fraternize in the
    Navy.”
    “It may not be a problem for you, being a commissioned officer,
    but for us non-coms it is. I am not willing to risk my career for a roll in
    the sack with you, no matter how much I want to, only to have you need
    to put me somewhere where I won’t be able to ruin your career, or to
    please your ‘trophy’ wife. I worked my ass off at Harvard and I love
    serving in the Navy, so no matter how tempting it may be…” Her eyes
    roved over