Unsurpassed by Charity Parkerson Page A

day. When she heard Drew’s key
turn in the front door, she had to force herself to stay where she was, even as
the door closed behind him. Leaning her weight on one elbow on the kitchen
countertop, she flipped to the next page in the magazine and called out. “Hey
baby, I missed you when you left the hospital today.”
    A shadow fell over the pages in front of her and the same
burst of happiness she always experienced when he was nearby ran through her.
“I had a few things to take care of. Isn’t this a tempting picture?” Drew’s
deep rumbling voice ran down her spine as his hands gripped her waist. “Do you
have anything on underneath this t-shirt?” Without giving her time to answer, he
added, “Wait. Is this my t-shirt?” He tugged at the collar, checking the size.
“It is. Damn, that’s sexy as hell.”
    “It’s comfortable,” she complained with no real heat. She
wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and she was waiting for the moment he
discovered it. Gripping the counter on either side of her, he crowded her with
his body. Touching his lips to the back of her neck, he spoke against her skin.
    “I’m not bitching. It makes me feel like I’ve marked my
territory.” Goosebumps covered her entire body and her nipples hardened as she
dropped her chin to her chest giving him more access to her neck. Her eyes
landed on his hands. His knuckles were split and blood still oozed from the
open wounds.
    “Oh my gosh, Drew! Why didn’t you wrap your hands today?”
She grabbed him by the wrists, tugged him to the sink and shoved his hands
under the tap. Turning the water on, she leaned closer to his wounds. “What
were you thinking?” she asked when he didn’t say anything. “All it would take
is one fracture in the right spot to screw up your whole career.”
    “Aubree.”
    “I’m serious, Drew. You’d be crushed.”
    “Aubree.”
    “It would break my heart too because I know how much you
love it.”
    “Aubree,” he said louder. Cutting off her tirade, Drew
pulled his hands away and switched the water off. Spinning her around, he
forced her to pay attention to him. As soon as she met his gaze, she realized
how serious he was, and she bit down on her tongue to keep from saying anything
else. “I’m going to get hurt,” he told her firmly. “I’m going to bleed and
bruise. It’s my job, but I can take it, and you have to trust me when I say I’m
okay.”
    “You could wrap your damn hands,” she grumbled unable to
stop the words.
    He smiled at her childish tone. “It won’t happen again. I
promise.” His smile fell and the solemn expression dropped back into place. “I
need to tell you something important.” She felt sick at his tone. If he was
done, then she really wished she had more clothes on.
    Shoring up her courage, Aubree gave him a short nod. “Okay.”
    Cupping her face between his hands, he held her stare while
keeping her in place as if he feared she would look away. He didn’t say
anything and her nerves were ready to snap as panic settled in her gut. “You’re
killing me, Drew.”
    “I’m in love with you.”
    “What?”
    “I love you,” he said again. “Actually, it was pretty
instantaneous, which is a concept I always thought was a bit ridiculous, but
then I met you. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you or give you.”
    “I don’t want anything else,” she said, cutting him off. Tears
pricked at the backs of her eyes, and she realized she was gripping his shirt
between her hands as if she’d been trying to physically hold him to her side.
Relaxing her hands, she smoothed them up his chest before circling his neck.
    “Really? You don’t want anything else from me?” The
seriousness of his tone brought her fear back to the surface. “Because I want
things from you. I want you to love me in return.”
    “I do,” she said without hesitation, but his expression
still didn’t change.
    “I want you to want things from me, not because you know I
care so