Harrier's Healer Read Online Free PDF Page B

matter how much you wish he
    would…” she mumbled as she stood and walked back to her bedroom,
    rubbing her head and totally ignorant of the wide grin on the very real
    and now very knowledgeable Commander Leighton.

C h a p t e r F o u r
    Scott remained smiling and sitting on Alexis’s worn, yet com-
    fortable couch for a minute, basking in the revelation that she wanted
    him as much as he wanted her, before unfolding his muscled body to
    follow her.
    He bypassed the room he’d slept in the night before and paused
    at a second. It was wall-to-wall with books: medical textbooks, medical
    thrillers, Shakespeare, and more. There was a laptop computer on the
    desk that had a caduceus screensaver floating back and forth on it,
    changing colors as it went.
    There were a few pictures of her naval career on the spaces of
    the wall not covered by bookshelves. He noticed only one of her family,
    which was on the top of a bookshelf not in the main line of sight. She
    had an overstuffed chair beside the window with a stuffed unicorn
    propped up against the pillow. Leaving the room as silently as he
    entered, he was left with one other doorway.
    Her bedroom . He knocked with one knuckle. “Alexis,” he called
    to her through the door.
    Her naturally husky voice reached him. “Come in, Command-
    er…Scott. I am just getting some things together.”
    Pushing open the door, he stopped and took in Alexis’s sanctu-
    ary. She had a medium-sized room with two large windows that
    allowed in the light. A queen-sized bed was against one wall. Every-
    thing was neat and orderly.
    The colors were subtle and warm of pale purples and soft golds,
    although her bed was accented by a rainbow of multihued pillows. Her
    furniture was all dark wood but the somber tone didn’t detract from the
    serenity of the room.
    Harrier's Healer
    25
    “What did you need, Commander? I can drop you back off at
    your hotel since I am on my way out. I have to get some more things for
    tonight’s dinner.” She was standing in front of the mirror and examin-
    ing how her shirt looked, totally oblivious to the reaction of the man in
    the room with her.
    Coming closer, Scott looked at her in the mirror. “I’m not a
    dream, Alexis. I won’t disappear if you touch me.”
    With a swallow she said, “I know you aren’t a dream. But I have
    things to do and I am sure you do as well.”
    “I want to spend time with you. Get to know you. All of you. ” He
    moved even closer to her until his large body stood directly behind her,
    allowing her to see them together.
    She opened her mouth but he reached around her and placed his
    fingers over her lips. “Don’t give me that same speech. I want to spend
    time with you. Come away with me.” His eyes held hers prisoner in the
    mirror and were full of promise.
    “Okay,” she said as if a daze. “I can’t leave until tomorrow, since
    I have the dinner tonight.” But then panic and shock came across her
    face.
    Oh, no. I’m not letting you out of my sight and giving you the chance
    to change your mind. I have you now, Alexis. You are mine! “I’ll hold you to
    that,” he vowed. The back of his hand ran down the side of her face and
    she instinctively pressed into it.
    “Lex! Lex? Where are you, girl?” The screech reached them all
    the way back in the bedroom. Immediately, Alexis slipped out of the
    room, glad for a reprieve from Scott’s intensity.
    In the middle of the living room stood her neighbor from a few
    houses up, Shirley Allen, a very happy, very loud, very beautiful black
    woman. “Hey, Shirl. What’s up?” Alexis asked as she approached. Stay
    back there, Commander. Please stay back there until she is gone.
    “Well, two things. First off, I hear we are making ribs tonight. Is
    it going to be a block party?” She waggled her eyebrows at her friend.
    “You know it’s gonna end up as one, so it’ll be smart to plan for it from
    the jump.”
    “Yeah, you’re right. Sure, why not? Spread