Fragged: A BWWM Military Romance by Paige Notaro

someone knocked on the door.
    I groaned and went to get it. Elsa or Mamá must have forgotten something. It seemed like that sort of day for our household.
    I pulled it open and staggered back at the vision that filled the gap. The night was rich and blue and the houses across the street glowed with life. They might as well have been distant islands compared to the man standing before me.
    “Calix?” I said.
    The faintest smile broke his hard face.
    “Good,” he said. “You’re home.”
    He’d switched into another army t-shirt and dark jeans, though a thin stubble still traced his face. His body seemed to blend into the air around him.
    “Good thing,” I said, barely able to do more than mirror him.
    The porch wind-chimes tinkled. The breeze brought his scent over me: pine and earth - something deep green on the shelves. There was also a trace of something richer, something authentically him.
    I could drown happily in a cloud of that.
    “You aren’t wondering why I am here?” he asked.
    “I- yes. Why?” My brain cleared. “Wait, how do you know my address?”
    “You left it with me.”
    I rattled my head. This was just cryptic now. But my thoughts went into fifth gear and everything whirred into place. “My address is on my hospital ID. You have my ID?”
    He dangled it across the doorway. I took it like he was handing me a million dollar check. “Why do you have this?”
    “You gave it to me,” he said. “Your hug left a bigger mark than you intended.”
    I remembered his hands reaching out for me. His heat seemed to pulse the air between us now with just the memory of it. My legs felt like they might crumble and drop me into his arms.
    I forced my mind out of his spell. “I don’t understand,” I said. “You’re saying I left my card with you?”
    “The string tangled around me. I didn’t realize till I was on my way home.”
    That had never happened. The clip on that thing was tight. I should have noticed if it came off. But I could have missed an atom bomb wrapped in Calix’s arms.
    I realized that Calix’s crystal gaze was on my lips. My heart started to set off in a chain reaction of its own. Maybe I hadn’t been the only one lost in our embrace.
    “I wanted to make sure you got it.” He looked at me. “I hope there was no trouble.”
    “No, nothing yet. Thank you.”
    He nodded, but didn’t move. His gaze ran up and down my body boldly. I would have never allowed this with another patient, but now I didn’t want to budge an inch. His lips shifted, but not with words so much as something voiceless. Something like hunger.
    A strong gust ran past. The chimes rang like church bells.
    Calix blinked and turned to the street. “It’s late. I should go.”
    “No!”
    He glanced down. I’d grabbed his arm without thinking. My hands together couldn’t dare to eclipse that thick bulge of muscle, but he didn’t move.
    “No?” he said. “What should I do?”
    The words came easily to my lips. “Whatever you want.”
    His eyes sparked. “What?”
    My face flushed warm. “Uh, I mean, you should come in. Let me thank you for helping me.”
    That still sounded dirty. But the heat of embarrassment quickly dissolved into something warmer deep within. I had said exactly what I meant.
    Calix took a last glance at the street. I wondered again just what he was afraid of.
    “Alright,” he said. “But I should get back soon. I need to rest.”
    “Sure, sure.” I led him in and shut the door. “How is the leg? It doesn’t hurt, right?”
    “I can’t feel anything with these painkillers.”
    “So you’re drugged now?” I said, chuckling. “No wonder you came over.”
    “No, of course not.”
    “I’m messing. I’m glad you’re here. Maybe you shouldn’t be standing though.”
    I set him on the sofa. I had no idea of where or how far I wanted this to lead. God, he’d been my patient. He was still hurt. This had to violate some nursing code.
    But my head just squealed over and