Love On The Line Read Online Free Page A

little.
                  Noah breathed deeply, and the scent of coconut oil and strong, hot sunshine filled his senses.
                  “Hey.” He forced his eyes open to fix them on his partner, but the move took a lot more effort than a few minutes ago. “Has anyone else been in here to see me?”
                  Jason nodded. “Lieu and a couple of the guys were here last night, but you were pretty out of it. I’m not surprised you don’t remember much.”
    “No, not the guys. A…woman.” Pale blue eyes, hair so soft, Noah wanted to tangle his fingers in it and feel it on his bare, hot skin.
    “A woman?” Jason chuffed out a surprised laugh. “Now I think you’re dreaming, dude.”
    The details swirled together in his head, bouncing around in snips and splashes from the past. Counting down from ten, the impulsive stroke of his mouth on the woman’s, the deep, sexy taste of surprise on her lips, the bolt of the same on his own when she kissed him back…
    All at once, his over-full brain made the elusive connection, but as meticulous as he was about storing away even the smallest details, surely Jason had it right. Noah had to have dreamt the woman at his bedside.
    No way would Violet Morgan have been in the hospital. After all, she’d hated his guts for the last two years. And for many more reasons than either of them would ever admit to her brother.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
                  Violet pressed her back against the stainless steel door in the ladies room at Brentsville Hospital, letting the coolness seep through the thin cotton of her peasant shirt even though it did little to calm her.
                  She had to be out of her mind.
                  Okay, so she’d shown up at the hospital strictly to bring her brother some breakfast, since he’d flat-out refused to go home last night. Not that Violet had expected anything less, really. Jason’s dedication to his job and everything surrounding it bordered on the ridiculous, which wasn’t such a bad thing on the surface. But since the same bone-deep devotion that had gotten their father killed in a situation just like this one, yeah. As far as she was concerned, ridiculous pretty much covered it.
    Violet hugged the paper bag full of breakfast burritos and assorted fruit to her chest, where it gave up a heavy crinkle. She’d meant to get Jason’s attention, drop off the food, make sure all was well, and go— God, being back in this hospital, even for a few minutes, gave her the shakes. But the charge nurse said she’d just missed him. The last thing Violet had wanted to do was dawdle in the hallway, or worse yet, the claustrophobic, chest-pressing space of the waiting room. The nurse had assured her Noah was still sleeping off his anesthesia. What harm could it do to just slip in, leave a quick note for Jason with the food, and get herself out of there?
                  She hadn’t counted on Noah actually waking up in the thirty seconds she’d planned to spend in the room. And she really hadn’t counted on him opening up those steely gray eyes and fixing them on her with enough vulnerability to knock the last grab of breath from her chest. Noah Blackwell was a gruff and tough career cop, all serious, all the time, from his badge to his boots. But just for that moment, the look on his face had suggested something else.
    And like a coward, she’d called for the doctor and run.
                  The main door to the ladies’ room pushed open on a heavy creak, reminding Violet that she was standing outside a bathroom stall with enough breakfast items for half a dozen people clutched to her chest. She straightened and moved toward the bank of sinks and mirrors, her charm bracelet giving up a soft jingle as she ran a hand over her two hastily plaited braids. She’d have plenty of time to fix her messy