The Rescue Of Jenna West Page 24
“Stitching you up.”
“You’re a vet, for crying out loud—ouch!” He winced, gingerly touching the back of his head. “All right.”
Mace moved into the doorway. “I’ve called the paramedics. They can stitch it.”
“No, Jenna can do it.” Linc smiled up at her, love shining in his pain-ravaged eyes.
Mace shrugged and turned away to confer with another officer. The other officers milled about, taking notes, herding dogs into cages. Someone covered Ramsey’s body with a disposable sterile cloth from her cabinet.
She eased down beside Linc, her hands still shaking. For just a moment, she sat there, clutching his hands tightly. Slowly his strength seeped into her.
She knew how close she and Linc had come to death, knew a more severe reaction might set in later, but right now she was giddy with relief and gratitude and security. Ramsey could never hurt her again.
She rose to her knees and turned toward Linc. “Okay, let me look at your head.”
“I’d feel a lot better if you’d just kiss me again.”
She did, then gently turned his head away so she could examine the cut on the back of his head. The wound was about an inch long, but deep. “You’re going to have a big bump.”
“How many stitches?” He nibbled on her neck, his breath tickling her skin.
“Stop that.” She drew back to look at him, smiling softly. “Probably seven or eight.”
“They can wait then.”
“No—”
“Jenna.” Linc winced slightly, but didn’t stop. “I’ve got some things to say and this time, you’re going to let me say them.”
“He hit you really hard, Linc.” She lifted an alcoholsoaked cotton pad to his head. “I think you should let me clean it up.”
His fingers circled her wrist and he lowered her hand back to his lap, lacing his fingers with hers. “Sam told me not to screw this up and I’m not going to.”
“Sam?” She frowned. “What does Sam have to do with this?”
“I was about to ask that myself,” Mace drawled from his position in the doorway.
“Mind your own business, bro,” Linc commanded, keeping his gaze on Jenna. “Last night in the bam, I committed myself to you. All of myself. I didn’t even realize it.”
Wonder shone in his eyes and his hand tightened on hers. “I thought I was still protecting myself, maybe even protecting you, but now I see I had already given you my heart. I didn’t even know I was capable. You found my heart again, Jenna. You made me not only believe in love, but want to take a chance.”
Tears burned her eyes, but she smiled, lowering her voice for Linc only. “Do you know what you did for me?” Emotion choked her voice. “What you gave me?”
Tenderness and male satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “It was pretty good,” he admitted smugly.
“Not just the sex, but yes, it was great. It’s more than that. You...fixed me. You really did. You restored a piece of myself that I thought damaged forever.”
Tears welled up and this time she couldn’t stop them.
Linc placed a tender kiss on her lips, thumbing away her tears. “I love you. You have to know that. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Joy swelled in her chest, stretching almost painfully across her lungs. “Oh, Linc.”
He smiled crookedly. “That’s not exactly the response I was hoping for.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
Heat flared in his eyes. “Enough to marry me?”
Mace snapped to attention, squinting at him, “How hard were you hit?”
Linc glared at his brother, then turned back to Jenna. “Well, how about it? We belong together and you know it. There’s no way I’m letting you walk away.”
One corner of her lip lifted in a smile. He was offering her a life of stability, of trust, of passion.
“You can’t use the excuse of your past anymore,” he growled. “And neither can I.”
She laughed softly, caressing his beautiful face. “I wasn’t planning to.”
“Then what? Tell me. I can get rid of every excuse—”
“You really think you can fix everything, don’t you, Dr. Garrett?” she said smartly.
“Damn right.”
“Well, this time you’re right”
His eyes widened. “Does that mean yes?”
“Yes,” she whispered, leaning into him for a long, deep kiss.
A small smattering of applause broke out and Jenna pulled away, her face heating as she smiled sheepishly at the officers who now crowded the doorway with Mace.
Mace shook his head, planting a fist on his hip. “Sam is never gonna believe this. And I owe Devon big time.”
“For what?” Linc hugged Jenna to him.
Mace grinned. “When I told her about Jenna, she bet me two months’ kitchen duty that you were in love with her.”
“You should never bet against love, big brother.” Linc smiled down at Jenna, the promise of the future shining in his eyes. “I love you, Jenna West.”
“I know, Linc.” Love ached in her heart, thawing the last frozen piece of her past, healing the scar that had caused her to nearly lose the one man who had found her soul, guided her back to passion. “That’s why it’s so wonderful. Because I know.”
Has the charmer met his match? Watch for Sam’s story coming in December, 1998!
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6560-8
THE RESCUE OF JENNA WEST
Copyright © 1998 by Debra S. Cowan
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
“Whatever happens to you happens to me.”
Letter to Reader
Books by Debra Cowan
About the Author
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Copyright