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I was babbling.

I knew I was babbling. I could even hear the strident rising of my voice, but I couldn’t stop it.

“You told her we were engaged? Luke! What were you thinking—” Just as my voice reached the level where it might shatter glass, he reached up and pressed his finger to my lips.

My body, so long starved for his attention, responded according.

“Keep your voice down,” he begged, his ocean-blue eyes desperate.

“You want me to keep my voice down?” I yanked my head back, gaping at him in dismay. “You told your mother that we were engaged and you want me to keep my voice down?”

The door’s hinges, like most of the ones in the hospital, were squeakier than a mouse on a cheese spree, but I had no chance to see who was intruding because I found myself plastered against Luke, his hand in my hair. And his tongue was in my mouth.

I couldn’t help it.

I groaned.

As he kissed the living daylights out of me, I heard a high-pitched noise but my brain didn’t recognize it for what it was right away. My synapses were on overload. Could this much stimuli make my body shut down? I didn’t know. I didn’t care. Luke’s tongue traced my lower lip.

“Luke!”

He lifted up, only briefly, but the loss of his mouth was one I felt keenly. I gripped his shoulders. I didn’t even remember reaching for him, but I must have and I clung to him so tightly, my fingers ached. He spoke. I don’t know what he said, but I felt his chest rumbling against my chest.

Somebody else responded—a new voice. I was almost certain the last one I’d heard had been female. How many people were in here? I blinked, reality starting to settle in. I pushed at Luke’s shoulders, no longer clinging to him, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let me go.

“Geez, Luke…”

“Chris, get out before I throw you out,” Luke said. “Hi, Ellie.”

Ellie. I groaned and once more tried to extricate myself from Luke’s arms. When he didn’t let go this time, I turned my head and sank my teeth into his biceps. Hard. Never let it be said that he wasn’t skilled at controlling his reactions. Although I felt him stiffen, he didn’t show any other sign that it affected him. I applied more pressure. He made a low noise but didn’t relent.

“Come on, baby,” Ellie said. “It’s pretty clear these two wanna be alone right now. Besides, don’t you want to see your mom?”

The sound of the door squeaking closed should have been the signal that we were alone and Luke could let me go. He didn’t. Feeling stupid standing there with my teeth digging into him like some stubborn bulldog, I let him go and swung my eyes up so I could glare at him. He looked down at me, a bemused smile on his face. “Were you hungry?”

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