Sweet Affliction [Sweet Awakenings 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Nicole Morgan Read Free Book Online

the bowl and washcloth in her hand as she set them both on a small table by the doorway.
    “Is it late?” he asked.
    Turning back around, her brow furrowed. “I’m sorry?”
    “You said he was resting. I have no idea what time it is. Hell, I don’t even know what day it is.”
    “It’s the 19 th . You’ve been here for a little over a day.”
    Holy hell. He’d only lost a day? He felt like it’s been days, maybe even a week or longer. Reaching down, he felt the pain in his side and now knew why it still hurt like a mother fucker.
    “Only a day? I was shot. How did…” His voice trailed off as he considered who he was dealing with. Your average person can’t just stick their hands in your sides and pull out a bullet. “Is your father a doctor?”
    Her eyes widened in surprise. “Technically.”
    Technically ? For the love of God, why did this woman insist on speaking code? He was either a doctor or he wasn’t. What the hell was this “technically” bullshit?
    He reined in his annoyance. “Meaning?”
    She looked at him quizzically. Was she trying to size him up? He would’ve laughed had he not found it kind of endearing that she thought she stood a chance in hell.
    “Not technically. I mean he’s licensed to practice his medicine. In the States that is. You’re just not his…Well, his patients are usually furry and most have tails.”
    “A veterinarian? Your dad is a vet?”
    She nodded her reply.
    Well fuck me running . He had not been expecting that one at all. Damn if he didn’t want to laugh at the news. A doc of four-legged creatures had taken down a damn mercenary and saved his damn life. Unbelievable .
    “Your dad sounds like a bad ass mofo.”
    A pain shone in her eyes as she rubbed at them, faking fatigue, but he saw the tears well up. He didn’t know why, but he was remorseful.
    “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”
    Rubbing her eyes a bit longer than necessary, he wondered if she would rub them clear off of her face. When she finally looked back at him, he saw dark shadows lingering beneath. If they’d been there before he hadn’t noticed, but he was, after all, recovering from a bullet wound.
    “Is it true?” She pointed toward him. “About the tattoo, I mean.”
    “My tattoo? If we talked about my tattoo I don’t remember.”
    She shook her head. “No. We didn’t discuss it. Not you and I. My father said it means…Well he thought you might be…” She contorted her mouth to one side and chewed on the inside of her cheek.
    Oh . So her father saw the tattoo and suspected he knew what it meant. “You mean the trident on my back?”
    “Well, yeah.”
    He could have and should have denied it, but he was lying in a bed recovering from a gunshot wound and pretty much at her mercy. Or at least until her father awoke. The idea of pissing her off didn’t seem like the smartest idea, so he opted for half truth.
    “I can tell you I’m in the United States Navy, ma’am.”
    The corners of her mouth curved up, and she gave him a small smile. “He said if you were a SEAL you would never admit to it.”
    Was she smiling because she thought by saying he was in the navy he had admitted to it? Or was she smiling because she took his answer for what it was, a vague acknowledgement of his service with little detail? She was hard to read. That was unusual for him. He could almost always tell everything there was to know about a person within minutes of meeting them.
    “Well I’ve known some SEALs in my day, and I’d have to agree with your father. Speaking of which, when can I shake his hand and thank him?”
    “As I said, he’s resting.”
    Her smile disappeared again and was replaced with a sadness. He couldn’t tell if there was something he was saying that was upsetting her or if she was just a crazy woman who had mood swings that flew up and down faster than a bungee-cord descent.
    “Right. Well when he wakes I’d like to…” He stopped for a minute. The room