Wyatt Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 23), стр. 16

“I’m not a victim!” Diana angrily insists as her fists beat on my lower back. “How many times do I have to tell you guys, I’m barely hurt!”

With her over my shoulder, I stand in front of the doctor, ignoring my partner. “I thought you were in that room waiting to inspect her.”

He glances to Diana’s kicking sneakers. “Uh…let’s go there now.”

Wash chuckles and follows him, walking ahead of me.

I carry Diana into the hospital room. She swings her arm out and shuts the door, which is pretty funny and causes both uniformed men to wryly smile as I set her down, careful of her leg.

We lock eyes, hers defiant.

“I’m not a child.”

My gaze drops over her contained curves. “I can see that.”

She flushes red, and the sound of a throat clearing makes us look over at the doc.

“I was…flustered by the circumstances and didn’t think ahead. Now that we’re all in here, we have to leave so that…” He looks at her, needing her name.

“Diana,” she offers, pushing back damp strands of hair that escaped her ponytail.

“So that Diana can change into a hospital gown.”

She scissors the air with her hands. “I don’t need to wear one of those things. I’m not staying.”

“I need to inspect your leg,” he explains.

She glances to her workout pants, realizing they’d have to come off for that. Our eyes lock.

“Alright, Doc,” I smirk, pulling my focus to him. “We’ll be outside while you do your thing.”

“I have to walk out, too, so my patient can change.”

“Your patient,” she mutters as he leaves first. “Our victim. My name is Diana. Diana Verseli, thank you.”

Washington’s eyes glitter as he passes me.

I clear my throat. “Show some respect for the doc, Victim.”

Her nostrils flare as she points at the door.

My hand is on it, and I was ready to go, but now…

“Oh, did you want me to leave?” I shut it, leaving the two of us alone in the room.

Cherub lips part. Something flickers behind her eyes that I recognize as attraction, and suddenly my desire to razz her flips on its side into something more exciting. I feel my zipper twitch, blood rushing.

I’m not stupid or a caveman — this attraction I’m perceiving could be the vivid imagination of my cock.

He can be very persuasive.

But I’m in control.

So I stand where I stand, eyes narrowed with interest as neither of us looks away from each other.

Diana’s gaze drifts up and down.

My eyes, my lips, my eyes, my lips.

She’s trying not to want a kiss.

Breathy, unsure, she asks, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“What are you thinking? Because my mind is going all kinds of places I can’t action right now. How ‘bout you?”

Washington appears, half his body still outside. “Cocker, I hate to be your Momma, but if you don’t get out here…”

I nod, eyes locked with Diana’s. “I’m coming.”

He vanishes.

I’d like to make her say that.

Wyatt…I’m cumming.

I’m cumming!

Don’t stop!

I catch the door before it closes, holding it a second as I smirk, “Get undressed.”

The hospital is loud-speaker announcements and hushed, worried voices.

None of it penetrates my mood.

Diana is interesting.

One second I’m annoying her, the next she’s got bedroom eyes. Might need to see her again.

Our doctor is prescribing treatment for another patient to a young nurse in peach-colored scrubs, a tablet held out. That leaves Washington and I alone, and I can’t avoid his stare any longer.

“You have something to say?”

“Do I need to say it?”

“Nope.”

“One word: Chief doesn’t like you.”

“That’s four.”

“I couldn’t stop at just Chief.” His baritone lowers to a private volume. “You are losin’ your damn mind. What the hell were you thinking throwing that civilian over your shoulder? Do you know how many ways we could get sued?”

Eyeing him, I scoff, “She wouldn’t sue us.”

“And how do you know that?” He stares at my unconcerned face, and explodes with wild gesticulations. “You do not know that! We just met the girl. And yeah, she seems alright. But we do not know that! People do some fucked-up shit. Nobody has to tell me that, so why am I reminding you?”

This finger he’s pointing is unnecessary, so I push it away. “Alright, calm down. Trust my instincts if you can’t trust your own.”

He swears under his breath as I cross to rap on her door. “You dressed, Diana?”

She calls through the plaster. “I thought you told me to undress?”

Intrigued, I start to open the door but Washington knows me so well he interrupts, “Doc! Get over here.”

I chuckle and release the knob with more than my fair share of reluctance. She was toying with me. A challenge.

Stepping to make room I subtly peek over the white-coat as he enters, curious if she was sitting in there naked waiting for me.

On the bed in a frumpy hospital gown, Diana’s eyes sparkle, fingers wiggling I-see-you.

He shuts the door.

Washington hangs his head like I make no sense to him. “You’re so dumb.”

“She’s flirting with me. Chief told me not to date on the job—”

“—is that what you call dating?”

“So I guess I gotta look elsewhere. She’s cute, right? Spunky.”

“You’re still on the clock. This is officially the job.”

“You know what, Washington, don’t get all high and mighty with me.”

“High and mighty? They still use that term?”

“If the shoe fits, it’s usable.” Sliding out my phone I stare at the vibrating screen. My brother. Before I answer I throw a memory out for my partner to chew on while I’m gone. “You had us going back to that coffee shop twice a day for a month when you were crushing on Gena.” As I bring the phone to my ear I block out Washington’s harumph to hear what Nate has to say.

“Who’s Gena?”

“Dyed-blonde dreadlocks plus tats and a sexy nose ring that Washington wanted and never got.”

“Don’t be telling Nathan my business!”

“You’d have wanted him to know if you did get her.” I walk away to focus, hospital humming around me. “How’re things in your world?”

Nate exhales. “Not as good as yours. No