The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(89)

“You okay?” Riggs asked.

Carlise nodded.

“You’ll see her soon.”

Carlise nodded again.

“How’s your shoulder? You need a pain pill?”

“I think I’m okay until later.” She turned in his arms.

They were standing on the landing outside his apartment door. The building he lived in wasn’t fancy, just two stories, and all the apartments had outside doors. There was a set of stairs leading up to the second floor and a small parking area. She’d already met most of his neighbors. They’d all been appalled to hear what had happened to her and had gone out of their way to make sure she and Riggs had everything they needed so he wouldn’t need to leave her side while she was healing.

“How’re your hands?” she asked.

She’d been alarmed the first time she’d noticed his damaged hands on the way to the clinic. He’d shredded his fingers trying to dig through the snow and ice to get to her. They were bandaged now and healing well, but she hated that he’d been hurt in the first place.

“They’re fine,” he said. “And before you ask, Baxter’s paws are also fine. The vet said to keep him out of the forest for a while, and he’d be good as new in no time.”

Carlise knew that, but she still worried. She looked down at the pit bull with a tender gaze. Baxter hadn’t moved from her side, his gaze still locked on her. Riggs hadn’t been wrong earlier when he’d said that Baxter was her dog. He was completely devoted, and the feeling was definitely mutual.

“April’s coming over later and bringing a casserole,” Riggs told her.

“Another one?” Carlise said with a small laugh.

“Yup. JJ’s jealous as hell about it too.”

“What’s going on with those two?” Carlise asked. “I mean, they can’t keep their eyes off each other, but as soon as one knows the other is looking, they pretend they weren’t just staring wistfully.”

“I think it’s complicated,” Riggs said with a shrug. “She’s our employee, and he’s still dealing with what happened to us while we were POWs.”

“I could talk to her,” Carlise offered.

But Riggs shook his head. “Don’t. Until he’s ready, it won’t do any good. And if you talk April into making a move, and he rebuffs her, we’ll lose the best admin assistant we’ve ever had. They’ll figure it out sooner or later.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because if it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Look at us. Somehow, against all odds, we’re here, safe, madly in love, and getting married. Speaking of which . . . we need to set a date.”

Carlise chuckled softly. “You that worried I’m going to change my mind?”

“No. When you find the best thing to ever happen to you, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible,” Riggs said, making Carlise melt into him. “Besides, when I get you pregnant with our first child, I want to be married. And neither of us are getting any younger. If we’re having four kids, we need to get on that.”

Carlise’s belly clenched. She couldn’t wait to give Riggs babies. She pulled out of his arms and turned to the apartment door. “Come on,” she said breathlessly.

“Where?”

“To bed. If April’s coming over, we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Your shoulder—” Riggs started, but Carlise shook her head and interrupted him.

“Is fine. You’re just going to have to be creative. I need you, Riggs. Inside me. It’s been days. And we’re finally alone. All this talk of babies and being yours has made me extremely horny.”

He chuckled, letting her lead him into their bedroom. Baxter, seeing where they were headed, went to the expensive dog bed Carlise had bought for him to take a nap.

“Help me get this shirt off,” she told Riggs.

He carefully grabbed the hem and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he said softly.

“I love you too,” Carlise said on a sigh. “And to answer your question . . . soon. I’ll marry you as soon as I can arrange it.”

“Good.”

Then there were no more words as they used their bodies to prove exactly how much they loved each other.



Later that night, Chappy was glad he and Carlise had taken the time to make love when they had. Because not only had April shown up with a casserole, but the rest of the guys had been right on her heels. JJ reported that her mom had gotten to the airport just fine, and they were celebrating the fact that both Carlise and Chappy—and Baxter—were safe and everything had turned out all right.

His friends were sitting on the floor around the coffee table in front of his couch, everyone playing a cutthroat game of Uno, when Chappy got up to refill drinks. He stood in his small kitchen and watched as Carlise threw her head back and laughed at something April had said.

It was amazing how well she was doing. Of course, she’d had a few nightmares, and he’d held her while murmuring into her hair that she was safe and brave and how proud he was.

What had almost happened to Carlise made him physically ill whenever he thought about it, which was more often than he wanted to admit. He’d never forget the moment when he’d opened that bunker door and seen her. Lips blue, gasping for air . . . she had literally been minutes away from dying. He had no doubt of that.