Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force Read Free Book Online Page A

the doorway.
    Henry lifted his head off her chest and leaned in to kiss her.
    Susannah combed her fingers through his hair and brought him back for a better kiss.
    “I’ll call you later,” he said, breathless from her passionate kiss.
    She nodded.
    He left without looking at Ryan.
    “Does it make you feel like a big man to make him feel small?” she asked.
    Ryan stepped into the room. “He is small.”
    “Compared to you, he’s a giant.”
    “So then why aren’t you sleeping with him?”
    She gasped. “You were listening to us?”
    “I overheard by accident.”
    “You disgust me.”
    “Does that mean you’ve already forgotten about me saving your life? I thought my heroics would buy me at least one day of
     sweetness. I feel cheated.”
    She glared at him.
    He pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His strapping presence made the small room feel crowded. “So why aren’t you sleeping with him?”
    “That’s none of your business.”
    “I’ll bet I know why,” he said with a cocky grin.
    “I can’t wait to hear this.”
    “You’re afraid you’ll be disappointed after me, and it’ll be better if you’re married when that happens.”
    Susannah fought to keep the indignation off her face. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I’m afraid you’re way off,
     but I wouldn’t even try to explain my relationship with him to you. We both know you’re incapable of real intimacy. All we
     ever had was sex, not intimacy.”
    His eyes flashed with anger. “That’s not true,” he said, stepping closer to her bed. “It was more than that, and you know
     it.” When his ribs bumped into the bedrail, his face went chalky and sweat beaded on his upper lip. He reached out for something
     to hold on to and stumbled when he came up empty.
    “Ryan! What’s wrong?” When he didn’t answer her, she called for a nurse. “Something’s wrong with him!”
    The nurse eased Ryan into a chair and checked his pulse. “How did he get hurt?”
    Susannah realized she was dealing with one of the three people currently alive in Denver who had no idea who Ryan Sanderson
     was. “Playing football. Three broken ribs and a concussion four days ago.”
    The nurse, who was old enough to be his mother, clucked her tongue with disapproval as she shone a flashlight in his eyes.
     “He needs to lay down.” She put her arm around Ryan. “Come on, big fella.”
    He didn’t resist when she helped him up and led him to the other bed in the room.
    “Do you know if he’s taken anything for the pain today?”
    “No, I don’t.” Susannah was more worried about him than she cared to admit. “I wasn’t with him earlier. Is he all right?”
    “He will be. He probably just overdid it. Concussions can make you feel really sick if you’re not careful.”
    “He saved my life earlier,” Susannah said softly, her eyes fixed on Ryan in the next bed.
    “I’d say that probably qualifies as overdoing it,” the nurse said with a smile. “I’ll send the doctor in to check on both
     of you in a few minutes.” She glanced at Ryan who appeared to be asleep. “He sure is a handsome devil. You’re a lucky lady.”
    “Yes,” Susannah whispered after the nurse had left the room. “Lucky me.”
    “You’re both going to have to take it easy for a few days,”
    the doctor was saying.
    Susannah was still focused on Ryan’s face, which had yet to regain any of its usual robust color.
    “You’ve had a bad knock to the head, and broken ribs are nothing to mess around with. If you don’t want me to admit you, you’ll
     have to promise me you’ll do nothing more strenuous than take a leak for the next five or six days. You got me?”
    “Uh-huh,” Ryan said.
    “You’re not convincing me. I don’t care who you are, I’ve got a bed with your name on it upstairs if I don’t think you’re
     taking me seriously.”
    “I got you, Doc. I’ll lay low.”
    Somewhat mollified, the doctor turned to Susannah.
    “You