I came to a panting stop. I held up the syringe. “Just one second.”
“Absolutely not.”
Reed pointed at me. “Call the cops. This man is assaulting me.”
Several people snickered. Theo leaned from behind the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. “No violence in my cafeteria, Doc.”
I rolled my eyes at the chef. He winked back.
Turning to my husband, I cajoled, “C’mon, Reed. You need this,” I said. “Tetanus can be fatal.”
“I choose death.”
Reed backed toward the far wall, keeping the table between us, his eyes on the syringe the way a man watched a live grenade. Two hundred and forty pounds of decorated military pilot, and he was edging toward the industrial sink like he thought he could fit behind it.
“If you let me do this, you’ll get a reward,” I said.
Viktor choked on his burger. “Ah, is this some kinda fucked-up foreplay?”
Laughter rang out in the cafeteria. My face felt warm. Sam looked equally red.
“Shut up, Viktor,” I grumbled.
Reed stopped moving, and his eyes shone with sudden interest. “Reward?” he asked.
I blew out a breath and reminded myself that I loved him. “Yes.”
“What kind of reward?”
“Kink negotiation lessons!” Viktor declared. “Today the famous duo, the one and only Waypoint Station power couple, will teach you—ouch.” Sam clapped a palm over his mouth, much to my eternal gratitude.
These past few days, Reed and I had been having so much sex that I was worried we would run out of lube. We were insatiable for each other, both of us stealing kisses whenever we could, rutting against each other, fucking for hours, blowing each other in every possible location—my clinic, our cabin, the lounge late at night when I was on call, and once evenoutsideour cabin’s front door because we couldn’t wait.
I didn’t recognize myself. And yet I was the happiest, most sated I had ever been. We slept like babies. His dark circles had disappeared, and I apparently smiled so often that I was starting to get teased about NASA swapping my body with a doppelganger.
“What reward?” Reed asked me again.
“You will like it. It’s a…” I cleared my throat. This was embarrassing as hell. “Surprise.”
“For my birthday today?” He lit up like a kid on Christmas.
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Are you just saying that…” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“I have witnesses.” I turned. Theo raised his hand. “Daniel does have a surprise.”
Reed’s eyebrows climbed up. Garrett raised his hand from another table. “The doctor has big plans.”
Reed blinked. I was not a man to conduct surprises or public affairs, so I knew he was genuinely curious now.
“Okay.” He nodded, looking terrified. “Okay.”
I slowly advanced on him, keeping the syringe pointing down and away.
“Fuck. Fuck.” He stood rigid with his eyes shut, hands fisted. My poor husband. If he hadn’t cut his hand on a metal edge and I hadn’t discovered he had let his tetanus shot lapse, I would have preferred to spare him.
“I promise it will be over in a fraction of a second,” I said in my most soothing voice. I rolled down his jacket and shirt collar and quickly inserted the needle. “All done.”
