“All right. What’s her name?”
“Gigi. Georgina Reynolds.”
“Here, carry her through here.” She led him through the doors and into a cubicle. “Set her down. The doctor will be in soon.”
“Her leg won’t stop bleeding.”
“Is she allergic to anything? On any medication?”
“I’m not sure about any allergies. She is on medication; I have photos of the labels.”
Suddenly, another nurse appeared and started working with her. They got Gigi hooked up to monitors, oxygen and a drip.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Are you family, sir?” The second woman asked. The first woman disappeared out of the cubicle and he wanted to call her back, preferring her caring attitude to this woman’s briskness.
“I’m her guardian,” he told her.
“Her guardian?” She frowned. “How old is she?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, knowing they’d no doubt catch him out in a lie when they looked up her medical history. “She lives with my grandmother. But my grandmother is ill and left me in charge of her.”
The woman gave him a suspicious look. “If you’re not family and you don’t have legal guardianship over her, I need to ask you to leave.”
“No.”
“Sir—”
“No,” he repeated firmly.
Suddenly, Gigi groaned, her head moving from side to side. She started making low whimpering noises that tore at his heart. “Macca?”
“I’m here, sweet pea.” He moved to her side, clasping her hand in his. “You’re all right.”
Those low, scared noises stopped and she settled.
“All right, sir,” the woman said softening. “I’m still going to have to ask you to leave while the doctor examines her. But I’ll come get you as soon as he’s done.”
Macca sighed. He knew it was as much of a concession as he was going to get. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, worried over her hot skin. “I’ll be back soon, sweet pea. Behave.”
He turned and walked out to the waiting room. He paced back and forth for twenty minutes until that same nurse reappeared in the doorway. He strode over to her. “Is she all right? Can I see her?”
“She’s being admitted,” the nurse told him. “I can’t tell you everything without her permission. However, she does need monitoring. We want to get the fever down and keep an eye on her so she could be here a few days.”
“Can I see her?”
“You can go with her up to the ward. Come with me.”
He followed her to the same cubicle. Gigi was lying under a hospital sheet. She looked so tiny. He clasped hold of her hand in his and just watched her sleep. Fuck, if anything happened to her.
Okay, slow down, man. You just met her. And it wasn’t the best meeting. You don’t need to be falling for her right now. She needs you.
And he was going to be here for her. He walked beside the orderly as he wheeled her up to a ward, then watched closely as another nurse got her settled.
“Visiting hours are going to end soon, sir.”
“I’m staying,” he said brusquely.
The nurse frowned. “We don’t let people stay in patients’ rooms.”
“You can make an exception. Please.” Macca forced himself to smile at her, hoping that would work. “I wouldn’t sleep if I was worrying about her all night. I promise, you won’t even know I’m here.”
The nurse still looked a little doubtful but then she sighed. “All right, but if my supervisor sees you, then you’ll have to go.”
“Thank you so much,” he looked at her name tag, “Enid. I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll find you a blanket and pillow. You’ll need to sleep in the chair.”
“That’s no problem.” He’d sleep on the floor if need be. He’d promised Nan he’d take care of her and that’s what he was going to do.
4
She felt like shit.
Her head was pounding, her body achy and she was so thirsty.
“Here, drink this.” A straw prodded at her lips and she opened her mouth, hoping she wasn’t being fed poison.
“It’s not poison,” an amused voice said. “Your mind goes to some strange places, doesn’t it? It’s water, baby. Drink it up like a good girl. You’re dehydrated.”
She forced her eyes open, blinking to clear her blurry vision. There he was, again. Looming over her like a bad smell.
He sighed. “So far, you’ve called me a jerk, an ass head, a butt face and now I smell bad. I’m starting to get hurt feelings. I may even have a complex.”
“Sorry.” Guilt flooded her. She wasn’t being very nice to him.
Regret chased away the amusement on his face. “No, baby, I’m the one who should apologize. I’ve behaved so badly; you have every right to call me names. Not that you’d be allowed to get away with that at any other time.”
There was a stern note to his voice as he said that last sentence. Instead of annoying her, it made her insides tingle. She’d always wondered if she was a submissive.
Snippets of a conversation they’d had came back to her. Had they really discussed BDSM and gags? Oh God.
“You’ve gone all red. What are you thinking about, little one?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Um, where am I?”
She reached up with her hand to massage her aching head then realized she had a needle in her hand. Shoot. Hospital. On a drip.
“You were admitted into the hospital. They won’t tell me much other than to say it was a flare-up and that you need to be monitored.”
Frustration filled his face and she noted how tired he looked. “You should go home and get some sleep. How long have you been here?”
“All night.”
Her eyebrows rose. “They let you stay here?”
“It took some persuasion.”
“Yeah, right, bet you just smiled at the nurse and she gave right in.”
He grinned. “You think my smile is that powerful, huh? Does it work that way on you?”
She scowled. “No.”
“Too bad. Especially since I’m pretty certain you’re going to make a bad patient. I guess I’ll just have to keep a naughty girl book and give you all your punishments once you’re better.”
“Am I still asleep? Is this some weird dream?” She reached over and pinched her own hand.
“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t do that.” He grabbed her injured hand, rubbing the sore spot. “You have enough bruises; you don’t need to be adding to them. And yes, you’re awake.”
“Um, you’re not taking care of me.” And he wasn’t keeping a naughty girl book, whatever the heck that was.
“Do you have someone else who can care for you?”
His words made her flinch as they struck deep. It was a cutting reminder that she had no one. The only person who’d truly cared about her was Penny.
She turned her head away from his, not wanting him to see how deep that struck.
“Hey, baby. I didn’t say that to hurt you.” He gently turned her face back. He gave her a warm look. “You’re sick, sweet pea. It’s obvious that you haven’t been looking after yourself. And you ending up in here is partly is my fault. I was the one who scared you. If you hadn’t been running from me, then you would never have fallen over and hurt yourself. And you wouldn’t have been alone and ill.”
“This isn’t your fault,” she told him. “I know how it must have looked. But I wasn’t stealing anything, I promise.”
He grasped hold of her hand, stroking his thumb up and down the back. Small shivers ran through her body. What was that about?
“I know you weren’t, sweet pea. I jumped to conclusions. I was feeling sad and exhausted and not thinking straight. I’m usually much clearer headed than that. I should have let you talk. Should have let you tell me who you were. I’m not proud of myself for yelling at you. I’m usually very protective of women.”
She stared at him and
something shifted between them. She didn’t know what and it scared her slightly. She licked her dry lips. “Th-that’s okay. Shouldn’t you be with Penny?”
He winced and looked at his watch. “I’ll go there after the doctor has made his rounds and you’re down for a nap.”
She just woke up. Why would she want a nap?
“You don’t need to stay for the doctor,” she told him. “I’m fine by myself.”
She was used to it.
He eyed her. “I have a feeling you’ve been on your own for far too long. It’s not good for someone Little like you to be alone.”
“I’m not that little.” She was pretty thin, though. The steady supply of food at Penny’s these last eight months had fleshed her out a little. But this last week of barely eating had put her back at nearly square one again.
“That remains to be seen,” he said mysteriously.
What did that mean? He was so frustrating.
“I know you feel guilty because you thought I was a thief. But I understand why you’d think that. I’m fine. You found me and brought me in here,” even though she didn’t particularly want to be here, “you’ve done enough. You need to go be with Penny. She’s your family.”
Not me.
He sat back in his chair. “She woke up yesterday.”
“She did?” The tension weighing on her lightened for a moment. “Did she say anything?”
“She did. She told me to take care of you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What? Why would she say that?”
“Because she obviously knew you needed someone watching over you.”
“I’m a grown woman.”
He studied her. “Hm, are you?”
“I’m twenty-five,” she lied.
He shook his head. “Lying gets you into trouble, little one. Do it again and it will go in your naughty girl book.”
“Excuse me? Are you joking? Is this some sort of weird prank?” Was someone going to jump out with a camera and yell surprise!
He frowned. “Getting admitted to the hospital is no joke.”
“Neither is talking about punishment and naughty girl books and. . .and looking after me.”
She’d dreamed of having someone do that for her. She’d always been jealous of other kids with parents that cared. With older siblings who watched out for them. She’d never had that.
“Gigi, I can assure you, I am not joking. My grandmother woke up and her concern was for you. Obviously, you have a close relationship. You live in her house. You took care of her.”
“We kind of looked after each other.”
He nodded. “And what are your plans now, sweet pea?”
She gulped, unable to answer that. Because she didn’t have a plan.
“That’s what I thought. Baby, we both know that Nan,” he took a deep breath, “that she hasn’t got much longer.”
She knew how hard it must be for him to say those words. Just thinking about Penny never returning to her home. . .about her dying. . .it had tears tracking down her face.
“Sh,” he told her. “Sh, baby. It’s okay.” He carefully sat on the bed, facing her and drew her up so she was resting against his wide chest. Oh God, it shouldn’t feel so good. She should pull away. She didn’t even know him.
Except she felt like she did. Penny adored talking about him. Which kind of made her feel sad that she’d never mentioned Gigi to Macca. She wondered why she’d never said anything.
It’s not the same, Gigi. You were her companion, not her granddaughter.
“I didn’t say that to upset you, baby. I know it’s hard. But we need to figure out a plan for you, yeah? Because you need to work out what you’re going to do next. But the first thing you have to do is get better, okay?” He leaned her back so he could stare sternly down at her. “And you’re going to let me help.”
“I’m not your responsibility.” She swiped at her cheeks. He reached over and grabbed a tissue. She reached up to take it, but he held it back.
“Hands down,” he told her.
She frowned. Had he grabbed it for another reason? She lowered her hands and to her chagrin, he started to wipe her cheeks.
“I could do that,” she muttered.
“I know,” he said with a grin. “But that would deny me of the pleasure. Now blow.”
She blew her nose. Gross. And he got pleasure in cleaning her face? That was. . .weird.
His smile widened. “You should see the look on your face. I’m just wiping your face, sweet pea, not asking you to commit murder with me.”
That might be less weird.
She slumped back on the bed, yawning tiredly. God, she’d just woken up and already she was exhausted. He reached up and pushed back some strands of hair off her face. “You scared me.”
“I did? How?”
“I couldn’t find you. I had no idea where you went. I couldn’t find a phone number for you anywhere. I started calling motels and lucked out with the caravan park. When I walked into that cabin and saw you lying there, injured and ill, I felt sick myself.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“I know you’ve been taking care of my nan and I know she must care about you. She wouldn’t let just anyone close. Or tell me to look after them.”
“You don’t have to—”
“But I want to,” he said in a kind but firm voice. “That’s what I’m not getting through to you. I wronged you. Yelled at you. Scared you. Then you hurt yourself. You were ill and alone and if I hadn’t found you. . .” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to think about that. Even if none of that had happened, my nan asked me to look out for you. I assume she meant she wanted me to make sure you were taken care of once she passed. So, this is what will happen. I’ll wait for the doctor. I want to ask him about your care. Then I’ll go visit my nan. I’ll be back before dinner. If you’re a good girl, I’ll even bring you back a treat.”
A treat? Like she was five?
“When you’re discharged, I’ll take you back to Nan’s place and help you get better. Once you’re back to a hundred percent, we’ll work out where to go from there, okay?”
She shook her head. “People don’t. . .they don’t do that for strangers.”
“But we’re not strangers, right? You don’t want to go against my grandmother’s wishes, do you? You’re going to need someone to look after you when you get out of here and to find another job, a place to live. Take my help.”
She sniffled. “I hate being sick. Feeling helpless.”
“I get that. The feeling helpless part. No one wants to feel like that. But just because you let someone help you doesn’t make you weak, okay? It can be difficult to ask for help and I think it makes you brave.”
“I’ve never been brave. I’m a coward.”
“Uh-uh, enough of that.” He tapped her lips. “Talking bad about yourself is akin to lying. It gets another entry in the naughty girl book.”
She narrowed those blue eyes at him, studying him. He knew he was pushing things. She could well tell him to piss off and if she wanted him gone there wasn’t much he could do. He wasn’t sure why he felt so strongly that he needed to take a true guardian role with her. Part of it was guilt, part of it was his grandmother, but those two things alone wouldn’t make him feel this attraction to her.
This possessiveness.
“I don’t like this naughty girl book thing.”
“As long as you don’t do anything naughty then you don’t need to worry, do you? Be a good girl and you won’t get punished.”
She took in a sharp breath and he realized he was pushing her too far. Ease back, man.
“Sorry. I’m coming on a bit strong. My grandmother always told me I was a tad too bossy.”
“Just a tad,” she managed to tease. She even managed a small smile. She was always so serious, looking out at the world as though she expected it to bite her. He promised himself he’d make her smile more often.
He took her hand in his. “D
o you remember our chat about BDSM on the way to the hospital?”
He could see her thinking. “A little.”
“You had a fever, so I wasn’t certain you’d recall much at all. You asked me if I was a Dominant and I told you that I’m a Daddy Dom.”
“Oh.” Red filled her cheeks. Was that interest in her eyes?
“I like helping people. I like caring for a Little in all ways. I—”
“I’m not a Little,” she blurted out, interrupting him.
Hm. Was she in denial or did she not want to admit the truth to him?
“Little girl, it’s rude to interrupt Daddy when he’s talking,” he told her in a voice filled with warning.
Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. She looked at him like he’d just grown another head.
“Apologize to Daddy like a good little girl would.”
Her breathing grew fast. Something filled him. Something that felt right, but she lived here in Australia; his home was on a ranch in Montana. It wasn’t fair of him to start anything with her. At the same time, maybe if she knew what she needed it would help her to find someone who would treat her right. Guide, protect and love her.
Maybe he could do that for her while he was taking care of her for his grandmother.
Right, like this is all for Nan.
“I. . .I. . .”
“It goes like this,” he said in a low voice. “Sorry Daddy, for interrupting you.”
She still stared at him.
“You know you were naughty, little girl. Apologize and all will be forgiven.”
“It. . .it will?”
He gave her a nod. “It will.”
She stared at him as though the idea of forgiveness was a foreign one. That made him wonder about her life up until the time she moved in with his grandmother. He knew her father was abusive, that yelling was a trigger for her.
“S-sorry for interrupting you.”
“Daddy,” he said firmly. Oh, he knew he should back off. But he felt this inexplicable tie to her that kept pushing him to push her.
“Daddy.” She gulped heavily.
“Good girl. Try not to do it again. Daddy doesn’t like having to scold his little one.”
“I-I’m not yours.”
No, she wasn’t. And that didn’t feel right.
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