Six Of The Best Of Desire 2016. Maisey Yates

the stands, she ran smack into James, the security guard who had first alerted them that the whole Mitras clan was arriving. He stood at the door to the tunnels leading through the bowels of the stadium and out onto the field. His credentials were clipped to his jacket, a communication piece in his ear. “Princess, I am afraid I can’t allow you onto the field. Please wait here. I promise to keep you updated about Mr. Reynaud.”

      James put a hand on her shoulder. Consoling? Or to restrain? Either way, it didn’t matter to her because this man kept her from Gervais.

      Years of practice drills during her time in the military pressed her muscles into action. Without sparing a second thought, she grabbed his hand and bent back his pinkie. A minor move but one that could quickly drive a man to his knees if she pushed farther. “James, I am a nurse, but I am also former military. I can flip you onto your back in a heartbeat and you cannot—will not—fight me because I am pregnant. Now, we can do this simply or we can make this difficult, but one way or another, I am going to Gervais.”

      James’s eyes narrowed, then he exhaled through gritted teeth. “I could lose my job for this.” He shook his head, rolling his eyes. “But come with me. You’ll need my credentials to get through to the field.”

      She bit her lip hard in relief. “Thank you.”

      “Um, ma’am, could you let go of my pinkie?”

      “Oh.” She blinked fast, having forgotten she’d even still held him pinned. She released his hand and stepped back.

      Wincing, he shook his hand. “Follow me.”

      She followed him through the corridors, urging him to go faster and barely allowing herself to breathe until she saw Gervais with her own eyes. He waved off his personal security team as soon as she came into sight, his face twisted in pain as the team doctor shone a small flashlight in front of his eyes, checking his pupils.

      Her medical training came to the fore and took in his pale face. He sat on the ground, upright, and was not swaying. His respiration was even, steady. Reassuring signs. Her heart slowed from a gallop. He would need a more thorough exam, certainly, but at least he was conscious. Cognizant.

      “Gervais? Are you okay?” Erika knelt beside him, then turned to the team’s doctor, her voice calm and collected now. “Is he all right?”

      On the field beside him, the game continued, the fans cheering over a play while Erika’s focus remained on Gervais and all that mattered to her.

      “I’m fine,” Gervais growled, then winced, pressing his hand to the back of his head.

      The doctor tucked away his flashlight into his bag. “He’s injured, no question, given the size of that goose egg coming up. Probably a concussion. He should go to the emergency room to be checked over.”

      “Then let us go.” She barked the command at the doctor. Meanwhile, the game had resumed playing, and she trailed behind him.

      As she stepped out of the arena with Gervais, leaving her family behind, reality crashed into her. Her heart was in her throat for this man. He was the father of her children. But she barely knew him and already he’d turned her world upside down. She felt as if she, too, had taken a blow to the head and her judgment was scrambled. How could she care so much so soon?

      What was she doing here? She had started to love him, but maybe she just loved the surface image. Maybe she’d done what her family had done—just looked at the surface. After all, he’d offered no feelings, no emotions to her. Just convenient arrangements for their children and sex. His marriage proposal had never included mention of love.

      And she couldn’t settle for less than everything from him, just as she wanted to give him her all.

      What if in spite of all logic, she had fallen in love with him and he could never offer her his full heart?

      * * *

      There were only a few times in his life that Gervais had felt extreme elation and intense concern all at the same time. This was certainly being added to that tally.

      Later that night as he stretched out in his own bed, Erika hovering, he was still replaying that moment Erika had rushed out to him. His head throbbed but his memories were crystal clear.

      Watching Erika care enough about him to rush to his side filled him with a renewed purpose. He’d been blown away and more than a little unnerved watching her rush to his side, somehow having persuaded James to let her through security and out onto the field.

      Make no mistake, he always wanted her there. By his side. But he didn’t want any harm to come to her or their children, either. The thought of harm befalling her or their children by her own rash actions gnawed at him. The security was there for a reason. God, she was everything to him. Everything. And he wasn’t sure how he could have missed out on realizing the depth of that.

      They could be so good together, but it also seemed as if the risk of her pulling back was at an all-time high. All of her interactions with him since the CT scan came back had been rigid. Formalized. As if she was a nurse doing a job, not a woman tending to her lover.

      That reaction clapped him upside the head harder than the wall of a football player that had crashed into him. Her reactions didn’t add up. She had been so upset on the sidelines, so freaked out about what was happening to him. And now she was answering in snippets of sentences. He didn’t want to upset her more, or keep her awake all night. But his family had been in and out of the room for hours. It was nearing morning before he finally had a moment alone with her.

      His head throbbed far more from this situation than his minor concussion.

      Propped up on the bed, he quietly said, “How did you get James to let you join me on the field?”

      She flushed the most lovely shade of pink, her hand fidgeting with her blond hair draped over her shoulder. “I used some of my military skills to persuade him. Nothing extreme, given my condition, of course, just a small but painful maneuver.”

      “Seriously? Apparently, I need to have you train my security.”

      “And give away my secrets?” She gave him a princess-like annoyed scoff. “I think not. Besides, he should not have tried to keep me from you.”

      “While I find that sexy on one level, you have to be careful and think about the babies. What if you had been hurt?”

      She shrugged, looking him square in the eye. “I was careful. You are the injured one. Now, relax. You may not be stressed but you have to stay awake. Do as the doctor instructed or I am taking you back to the hospital.”

      He felt the prickles of her emotions. Had to change the direction. Bring it back to breezy. Shooting her a sly smile, he said, “We could have sex. That would keep me awake.”

      “You’re supposed to rest.” Eyes narrowing with annoyance, Erika crossed her arms.

      “Then take advantage of me. I’ll just lie back and be very still.” He closed his eyes, then half opened one of them to look at her. Hoping to elicit some sort of response out of her. Hoping to see that radiant smile spread across her face. Damn. He loved that smile.

      “Oh, you think you are funny. But I am not laughing right now. You are injured and I am here to make sure you take care of yourself.”

      “You could tie me up so I don’t get too...boisterous.”

      “Boisterous? Now, that’s an interesting word choice and a challenge. But sadly, for your own health, I will have to hold strong against your boisterous charms. Let us play cards.” There was no jest in her voice.

      “Cards? Strip poker, maybe.”

      “No, thank you.”

      “Then I’ll pass on the cards. I gotta confess, my vision is a little blurry.” He held up his hand, trying to focus on his fingers. A dull ache pulled at him.

      Turning, practically out the door to the room, Erika said, “I should get the doctor.”