Totally awesome.
Not.
Chapter 13
TANNER
As I sit in the chair next to Cybil, my teeth grind as I attempt to keep my cool, something that Dr. Smooth—yes, that’s really his name—is making nearly impossible for me to do. Before now, I never understood why men act like Neanderthals around their women, pounding their chests and growling one-syllable words. Now, I fucking get it, and it will be a miracle if I make it through Cybil getting her stitches without acting like a jealous asshole.
“I travel to Oregon quite frequently. We should meet up the next time I’m there and have coffee,” Dr. Smooth says with his head tipped down, completely missing the daggers I’m shooting at the side of his head.
Cybil licks her lips, glancing at me quickly. “Maybe,” she says, and the only reason I don’t toss a chair, pound my chest, and war-cry the word mine is because she looks a mix of bewildered and a little horrified by the attention and suggestion.
“Cool.” He looks up at her, smiling, with his shaggy blond hair falling into his eyes. “And if you’re going to be here a few more days, I could show you around.”
“She’ll be with me,” I say, unable to help myself, and he turns my way.
“Oh.” His brows draw together as he focuses back on Cybil. “I thought you said you were just here for one of those adventure trips.”
“Buddy,” I growl, and his eyes fly to me, “can you just focus on stitching up her hand? She’s tired and not interested.”
Swallowing, he drops his gaze and gets to work. Thankfully, he’s quiet while he finishes up, then quickly provides instructions on how to take care of the injury and when to return to have the stitches removed. By the time we leave the hospital, the sun has set, and Cybil is half falling asleep. I stop at the drugstore to pick up her prescriptions and then drive to the lodge, when all I really want to do is take her up to my place and hide her away for the next week, maybe even longer.
“Do you think everyone will be mad if I just wave at them and go to bed?” she asks after I open the passenger-side door to my truck.
“Even if they are, who the hell cares?” I turn so that she can climb onto my back, ignoring her huff before she wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my hips. Thankfully her ankle is fine, but she did twist it, so it’s going to be sore for a couple of days. “And you need to take a pain pill.”
“I know. I also want to shower, but I don’t know that I’ll be able to do that with this stupid thing.” She holds her bandaged hand in front of my face. “It’s going to take me a year to wash my hair.”
“I’ll help you,” I assure her, feeling the muscles in her thighs tense under my palms. “I’ll also keep my eyes closed.”
“Yeah, right.” She laughs, and I smile as I head up the steps and walk through the door. Before I even have a chance to put her down, Parker spots us and tells everyone we’re back, so Cybil is engulfed and slammed with question after question. I watch as she’s helped to one of the couches, then lift my chin to Blake and Maverick as they make their way across the room toward me.
“We need to talk,” Blake says, walking past me and right out the door. I look to Mav, who shrugs, giving me a look that states clearly he doesn’t know what’s going on, before we both follow Blake outside.
“I talked to our lawyer,” Blake says, spinning to face us, and my spine stiffens as my eyes narrow. “He assured me that the contract Cybil signed is pretty much ironclad, so she can’t sue us. But he said it might be smart to have her sign something to say that the accident was not our fault.”
“Pardon?” I narrow my eyes, sure I heard him wrong.
“Look, I get that you’re into this girl, but we need to protect our business and not get caught up with pussy.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” I take a step toward him but stop when Mav’s hand comes to rest against my chest.
“Brother.” Mav shakes his head at me.
“We had a deal when we started this business.” Blake takes a step back. “We agreed that there would be no fraternizing.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m not willing to lose everything because you got the hots for a client and can’t keep your dick in your pants.”
“First.” I lift my hand and point my finger in Blake’s face as rage runs hot through my veins. “Do not ever”—I accentuate each word—“fucking ever again refer to Cybil as ‘pussy.’ Second, what the fuck I do with my dick has never been and will never be any of your business. And third, we are equal partners, so you should fucking know that I would never do anything to jeopardize what we’ve built.”