CoyoteWhispers Read Free

bandage he’d ever seen but it would do for now.
    Steve gathered up the discarded wrappers and went to throw
them into the waste bin next to the bed but remembered just in time he’d used
it to catch her vomit. He put them in a pile beside him and pulled the
first-aid kit back together to return it to the bathroom where he tossed the
garbage in the bin. Back in his room, he cleared away Doc’s bloody clothes, the
waste basket and the bowl of now-cold water. Steve made sure she was resting
before he went to get his pants off the back deck. Detouring past the front
door, he locked it. No way would he allow anyone the chance to get near Doc
again. His pants and beer retrieved, he locked the sliding door to the deck and
went to the kitchen.
    He dumped the untouched warm beer down the sink before he
threw the bottle in the bin. Forgoing another one, he grabbed a soda instead.
He’d need his wits about him from now on. Not that one beer would get him
drunk, but anything that slowed his reflexes was off his agenda until he found
the bastard responsible for Doc’s attack. Throwing his pants in the laundry as
he walked by, Steve made his way back to the bedroom. Happy to see Doc resting
easy, he slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower.
    With a twist of a tap, Steve turned on the water. He
swallowed the last of the soda and dropped the can in the bin before stepping
into the glass enclosure. Water streamed down his body and he tilted his face
into the spray to let the hot stream wash the dirt away. A shudder traveled
through him. The thought of Doc’s spilled blood made his own boil with anger
and the urge to hunt and destroy the person who’d hurt her. His jaw clenched
and he ground his molars hard. They’d pay for touching her, but he needed to
focus on Doc before he could take revenge.
    Steve soaped himself and rinsed. For the second time
tonight, he shut the shower off and stepped out. Brisk movements dragged the
towel over his skin, soaking up the moisture and abrading nerve endings already
on edge. He tucked the towel over the rail and ran his fingers through his wet
hair. Emotions bombarded him. He wanted to hold Doc close and keep her safe but
he also wanted to go out and hunt down her attacker.
    Frustration tore at him, but he knew the only thing he’d be
doing tonight would be watching over Doc. Steve gave himself a shake to loosen
his tense muscles before he left the bathroom and returned to Gordie. The scent
of blood still tainted the air and his jaw clenched with renewed anger.
Pausing, he made a conscious effort to relax. It wouldn’t do her any good to
feel his rage and for now it had to be all about Doc.
    Making his way to the chest of drawers, he pulled a pair of
boxers out and stepped into them. Three strides had him beside the bed. Doc was
on top of the bedcovers but he didn’t want to disturb her so he pulled a
blanket from the back of his cupboard and draped it over her. Walking to the
other side of the bed he lifted the edge of the cover and crawled in next to
her.
    He wanted to pull her into his arms but he didn’t think he
could without hurting her and the last thing he wanted was to add to her pain.
Steve reached over to the bedside lamp and switched it off. Moonlight streamed
through the window and skylight, bathing the room in a soft glow. Doc lay on
her side, facing him, her body curled up as though protecting herself from
further harm. His heart ached at how vulnerable she appeared.
    Resistance was futile. The woman he wanted to the depth of
his soul lay hurting alongside him and he had to touch her. With the tip of one
finger he brushed the hair from her eyes. She moved into his caress and he
couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his mouth. In her most unguarded moment,
she knew him, reached for him. Her actions contradicting every protest she’d
made about their attraction.
    For three years he’d respected her need to push him away. He
knew her denial of their attraction stemmed from