you?” she said.
“No. No, I… It'll be a relief. Really.”
Except that frown stayed in place.
Black Dagger Brotherhood 2 - Lover Eternal
Chapter Forty-eight
Around nine the next morning, Rhage stretched in bed and was surprised to feel like himself. He'd never recovered so fast before and had a feeling it was because he hadn't fought the change. Maybe that was the trick. Just go with it.
Mary came out of the bathroom with a load of towels in her arms and headed into the closet to drop them down the chute. She looked tired, grim. Which made sense. They'd spent a lot of the morning talking about Bella, and though he'd done his best to reassure her, they both knew the situation was bad.
And then there was another reason for her to be worried.
“I want to come to the doctor's with you today,” he said.
She came back out into the room. “You're awake.”
“Yeah. And I want to come with you.”
As she walked over to him, she had that tight look she got whenever she was going to argue.
He jumped the gun on the most obvious objection. “Switch the appointment to late in the day. Sun goes down by five thirty now.”
“Rhage—”
Anxiety made his voice hard. “Do it.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I don't appreciate your pushing me around.”
“Let me rephrase myself. Change the appointment, please.” But he didn't ease up on his tone in the slightest When she got the news, whatever it was, he was going to be by her side.
She reached for the phone, all the while cursing under her breath. When she hung up, she seemed surprised. “Ah, Dr. Delia Croce will see me… us… tonight at six.”
“Good. And I'm sorry about being such a hard-ass. I just have to be with you when you hear. I need to be a part of this as much as I can.”
She shook her head and bent down to pick a shirt up from the floor. “You are the sweetest thug I've ever known.”
As he watched her body move, he felt himself harden.
Inside, the beast shifted as well, but there was a curious calm to the sensation. It was no big rush of energy, just a slow burn, as if the creature were content to share his body, not take it over. A communion, not a domination.
Probably because the thing knew that the only way to be with Mary was through Rhage's form.
She kept going around the room, tidying up. “What are you looking at?”
“You.”
Sweeping her hair back, she laughed. “So your sight's returning.”
“Among other things. Come here, Mary. I want to kiss you.”
“Oh, sure. Make up for being a bully by plying me with your body.”
“I'll use any asset I've got.”
He threw the sheets and duvet off himself and swept his hand down his chest, over his stomach. Lower. Her eyes widened when he took his heavy erection in his palm. As he stroked himself, the scent of her arousal bloomed like a bouquet in the room.
“Come over here, Mary.” He twisted his hips. “I'm not sure I'm doing this right. It feels so much better when you touch me.”
“You are incorrigible.”
“Just looking for some instruction.”
“Like you need that,” she muttered, taking off her sweater.
They made love in an unhurried, glorious way. But when he held her afterward, he couldn't go to sleep. Neither could she.
That night Mary tried to breathe normally as they took the elevator up to the hospital's sixth floor. Saint Francis was quieter in the evening, but still teeming with people.
The receptionist let them in and then left, pulling a cherry-red coat on as she locked the door behind her. Five minutes later Dr. Delia Croce entered the waiting room.
The woman almost managed to hide her double take at Rhage. Even though he was dressed like a civilian, in slacks and a black knit turtleneck, that leather trench coat was still something to see falling from those broad shoulders.
Well, and Rhage was… Rhage. Unbearably beautiful.
The doctor smiled. “Ah, hi, Mary, would you come down to my office? Or will it be the two of you?”
“Both of us. This is Rhage. My—”
“Mate,” he said loud and clearly.
Dr. Delia Croce's eyebrows shot up, and Mary had to smile in spite of all the tension in her body.
The three of them went down the hall, past the doors of the exam rooms and the scales in the little alcoves and the computer stations. There was no small talk. No chatty, how's-the-weather, gee-the-holidays-are-coming-up-fast kind of stuff. The doctor knew Mary