I raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because it’s your looks that hooked me.”
He kneed me in the side. “My legs still work. Besides, I think we left off where you were telling me how amazing I was tonight.”
I brushed my fingertips gently over his left side, under his arm, and over his rib cage. I tugged the sheet lower. His hip, along with his shoulder, seemed to have taken the brunt of his fall.
“Why didn’t you want me in the room with you?”
When he said nothing, I raised my head. He chewed on his bottom lip and rubbed behind Cinnamon’s ear.
“Kit?”
“You sounded so proud of me earlier. Told me I was amazing. I already passed out once. I didn’t want you to change your mind and think I was weak when I cried because of the pain when the doctor poked around my shoulder.”
“You cried?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry. I understand if you think I’m not tough enough and want me off your team.”
“Are you kidding me?” The words came out of me more forcefully than I’d intended, and Kit jerked. “I listened to you thinking on the spot and hitting every note right tonight with little guidance from us. Not everyone would have been able to pull that off. You’re incredibly brave and loyal. Even if you were a coward, that wouldn’t matter. Loyalty isn’t something I find in many people, Kit, and you refusing to leave me behind tells me everything I needed to know about you.” I leaned forward and kissed him softly. I cupped the side of his face and slid my tongue between his lips. He moaned and grabbed my shirt with his free hand.
Kit protested when I turned my head to avoid his kiss. “That being said, if you do anything crazy like that again, I’ll strip you down and paddle your ass until you can’t sit for days. Don’t ever do that again.”
“If crazy means saving you, then paddle away because I’m not going to stop standing by you, dodging bullets with you. You’ll only have to make it better anyway.”
And because I knew he would and had no shame or fear of telling me so, I kissed him hard. I pulled back from Kit and stared at him. It wasn’t just his looks, though that was the first thing that had caught my attention. It was also his heart and his bravery.