Page 67 of Her Ruthless Protector

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Well it was no suite at the Al Bustan Palace, but A.J. could care less. Cullen had given her an extra key to Kane’s room, but told her not to use it until Kane had gotten some sleep. To hell with that. It wasn’t like she was going to attack him or anything. She just needed to feel his body.

Warm.

Alive.

Whole.

The door to the bathroom was open and the shower was running when she walked into the small room. A.J. stripped and folded her clothes and put them on the one chair that was next to the window, then she slipped underneath the sheets and waited.

Kane came out of the bathroom pointing a gun toward the bed.

She shot up in the bed, holding the sheet to her chest.

“What the hell?” she yelped.

“A.J.?” He put the safety on and then put the gun on the dresser. “This is a nice surprise.”

“Yeah, well, I wish I could say the same thing. You always pull a weapon on a girl in your bed?”

He laughed.

“Ah, hell. I can’t believe I just said that. I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

He padded naked over to the side of the bed and sat down. He looked tired. She was actually pretty happy she’d made him laugh.

“I just talked to Asher before I came in here, he said that Zed is going to be okay.”

Kane reached over and turned on the bedside light. He cupped her cheek. “Yeah, he’ll be fine eventually.”

She looked at him and waited. Finally, she pushed him. “What aren’t you saying?”

“He’s going to be off the team for a while.”

“How long?”

“Six to nine months probably, and he’s going to hate that, no matter how much time he gets to spend with his daughter.”

“But he gets to come back, that’s the important thing, right?”

Kane sighed, then gave a wan smile. “Yeah. Zed is one of the ones who’ll come back. A lot of guys don’t. But luckily, Zed’s one who will.”

“You’re not talking physically, are you?”

“No. He was really close to death, Honey. He asked me to give his love to his wife.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked fast, but Kane didn’t miss it. He shoved his hands beneath her hair and brought their foreheads together. “Now that I know he’s going to live, I also know he’s going to be fine every other way too. I know him. I know Marcia. They’ve been through the fire together, and they will get through this.”

A.J. looked into his eyes.

“You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you? We’re not just a fling, are we?” she asked softly.

“No. We’re not.” She was afraid, and oh so hopeful, of what she saw in the emerald green depths of his eyes.

“You’re testing me. That’s why you’re telling this.”

“Not testing. Asking.”