Hot & Bothered (A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 8) by Lynn Raye Harris Page B

he carried her inside and laid her on the bed. She promptly sprang upright, intending to shove him out the door, but her stomach rebelled and she went down again.
    “Goddamn it, Emily, why are you fighting? You’ve got a virus or something, and you need to be still.”
    “I don’t need you here to do it.” She ripped at the abaya until he came over and caught the edge, lifting it up and over her head.  
    He dropped it on a chair and continued to loom over her. It was nothing like the night he’d loomed over her in his apartment, all sexy and naked and hard.
    “I have to pee,” she said, trying to shove the thought of a hard Ryan from her mind.
    “Need help getting there?”
    “No.” She stood, more carefully this time, and made her way down the hall to the bathroom. She knew Ryan was standing in her open door and watching to make sure she didn’t disappear in the other direction.
    She would if she didn’t have to pee—and if she didn’t feel like hell.
    When she opened the door again, he was still standing there watching her. She made her way slowly back to her room, then sat in the chair in front of the fan. There was air-conditioning, but she also kept a fan for when the AC just didn’t get the job done.
    Boots clomped on the stairs, and then Jared appeared in the door along with Ian.  
    “What happened?” Ian asked, and Ryan sneered at him.
    “You sent her out there when she’s sick. What do you think happened?”
    Ian growled. “I wasn’t talking to you, fuckwad.”
    Emily’s heart thumped. Jared ripped open his medical kit and pulled out a blood pressure cuff.
    “I got light-headed again. I’ll be fine after I sit here for a bit. And I could use some water. Someone want to get it for me?”
    Ryan didn’t move. Neither did Ian. Jared looked up from where he had the cuff around her arm. He pressed the stethoscope to her veins and lifted an eyebrow.
    “Well, I can’t get it,” he grumbled.
    Ian swore before whirling and disappearing down the stairs. Then he was back with two bottles of water. Emily took one and twisted off the cap before drinking gratefully. God, that felt good.
    “Pressure’s up,” Jared said, “but that’s not surprising. Tell me what’s been going on, Emily. Don’t leave anything out.”
    Emily glared at Ryan and Ian. “I don’t need an audience for this.”
    Jared turned to look at them both. “True. Why don’t you two give us some privacy?”
    Ryan’s jaw tightened. Ian shrugged.  
    “I’ll go,” Ryan said, “but I’ll be right outside.”
    “It’s none of your business, Ryan. Just go away.”
    He looked militant. “Not happening, sweetheart.” Then he stalked out of the room, and she knew he’d taken up residence in the hall.  
    Ian started to follow Ryan. “Let me know what’s up, Jared.”  
    He left the room and closed the door behind him. Emily let out the breath she’d been holding.
    “Wow,” Jared said.
    “Yeah, wow.”  
    “Anytime you’re ready.”
    She began to recite her symptoms while Jared listened. He nodded and frowned a bit. When she finished, he only stared at her.
    “Emily, when was your last period?”
    Her cheeks flamed. “I can’t be pregnant,” she hissed. “It’s impossible.”
    “Doesn’t sound impossible. Have you had sex in the past three months?”
    “Yes.” She shook her head. “But I’ve been tested. When I was married. The doctor said I’d never get pregnant.”
    “Doctors aren’t perfect. I think, before we go any further, you need to take a pregnancy test. We can eliminate it as a cause.”
    Eliminate it as a cause. She didn’t know why those words made her panic, but they did. “I’m just hot. And tired.”
    Jared’s expression was patient. “That may be, but your symptoms are consistent with the first trimester of pregnancy.”
    She appreciated that he kept his voice low, but frustration hammered at her. She shoved her hand through her hair. Her scalp was still damp, but she was feeling