“Thanks. I’ll do it if I get tired,” I tell the nurse.
Back at her side, I see tears streaming down her cheeks as she laughs. “She thought you were my fiancé. How funny is that, Eden? She thinks I should let you lie in this bed with me! Ha, how crazy?”
Okay, it’s not so crazy she has to laugh so hard tears flow out of her eyes!
I pull the blanket up and tuck her in snugly. “Okay, it’s not that funny, Alyssa.”
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she stifles the laughter. While captivating, it’s a bit annoying she can find so much humor in us being engaged.
“It’s just the thought of you and me together like that. Well, come on. You’re so classy and well-mannered and drop-dead gorgeous. And I’m, well, I’m none of those things,” she says, and it breaks my heart she doesn’t realize how wonderful she is.
She is all of those things and more.
My fingers trail along her delicate collar bone. I’d like to trail kisses there instead, but I settle for this. Her reaction is clear as the heart monitor beeps faster. I do affect her, even with a good dose of morphine in her system.
“You are beyond gorgeous, Alyssa. Never have my eyes laid upon a woman as perfect as you are.”
A dreamy look comes over her. “You sound like the romance novel I read the other day. The hero who saved the damsel in distress. You sound like him. You’re my hero, aren’t you?”
I lean close to her, my lips touch her ear, and I say, “I’d like to be. If you would let me. All you have to do is ask and I’ll be yours.”
The sound of her steady breathing makes me look at her. Her eyes are closed and she’s fast asleep.
I wonder if she heard me.
CHAPTER 11
ALYSSA
Weight upon my stomach beckons me to find out what’s causing the pressure. Dark brown waves highlighted with strands of gold fill my eyes. A squeeze of my hand finds it in the one’s whose head lies on me.
His name? What was his name?
Damn this bump on my head. It hurts and leaves me stupid. What time can it be? When can I leave this place?
Why is he still here?
Oh yeah, how could I’ve forgotten? He’s staying with us for a week. He’s my parents’ friends’ son. And he’s lying on my stomach for reasons I can’t understand.
Why didn’t he go home and sleep?
The warmth of his breath goes right through the thin sheet and hospital gown between us. The dark waves of his hair are mesmerizing. I must touch them, but I’ll surely wake him if I do. I can’t stop myself. Gently, I plow my fingers into the thickness, finding it the softest thing I’ve ever felt.
He moaned! Oh, crap!
Pulling my hand back, I feign sleep. The weight is gone from my stomach. He’s sat back up. The sound of his footsteps as he walks across the floor, then the sound of the door closing, lets me know it’s safe to open my eyes. And he’s gone.
Why does that make my stomach hurt?
What must I look like? At least the bed moves up on its own with the push of a button. I barely have to move at all to sit up. I pull the table over and open it to find a hairbrush and a mirror, among a few other things.
My reflection surprises me. My hair’s been combed out and my face is shiny, as if it’s been washed. How hard was I sleeping?
I also find a small bottle of mouthwash. I swish some around in my mouth and spit it in the empty cup on the nightstand. That is so much better.
God, I’m starving. Why didn’t they ever bring me anything to eat?
The door opens and in he walks.
Why does he have to be so damn handsome? Eden! That’s his name—Eden Fontaine!
His smile lights up the entire room. “Hey, sleepy head,” he says with that crazy hot accent.
He has a tray in his hands. I hope it’s for me. “What did you bring?”
He places it on the table in front of me. “I asked your doctor if you could eat now and he said yes. When he showed me what the cafeteria was planning on feeding you, I said not to give you that disgusting mess. So I went down myself and picked out a few things that looked a bit better.”
He pulls the lid off, exposing brightly colored strawberries which sit on top of some yummy-looking oatmeal. I smile up at him. I love oatmeal. “Did Mom tell you about my oatmeal fetish?”
The shake of his head surprises me. “I thought this looked good and healthy. I’m a bit of an oatmeal lover myself. Seems we have something in common.”
“I see,” I say. We must be on the same wavelength or something. “I hope you ate too.”
Trailing his hand up my arm, he watches it until it reaches my shoulder, then his eyes land on mine. “I did,” he says. “I had to make sure it was good enough for you to eat before I brought it to you.”
Wow! How fucking thoughtful this guy is. Never have I met someone like him. Too bad I already have someone. Which reminds me—where is my beloved anyway?
“It was extremely thoughtful of you to do this for me. You’re the best, Eden,” I say, hoping to let him know he’s a great guy, but we can only be friends.
I hope Kyle likes him and we can all hang out this week.
He pushes the button on the bed, bringing me up to a better sitting position. His other hand is running through my hair, pushing it from my face. The fact he touches me so much may put Kyle off. I’ll have to talk to Eden about it before the two meet.
“You eat while I find something to watch on the television,” he says, taking a seat in the chair next to my bed.
“What time is it? Maybe Teen Mom is on. I hate the show so much I love it, you know what I mean?”
He chuckles. It’s soft and flows effortlessly through the air. “I do not know what you mean at all. But if my princess wants to watch trash TV, who am I to stop her.”
He called me his princess. Man, we have to get this straight, and quickly. “Eden, maybe you shouldn’t call me things like princess and baby. I hope we can all be friends. I’d like you to hang out with me and my boyfriend and our friends this week. But if you talk to me like that and touch me like you’ve been doing, it won’t work out.”
The look on his face makes me sorry I said anything. “I’m sorry if I’m offending you, Alyssa. If you want me to stop touching you, I will. If you don’t like how I talk to you, I’ll modify it. But please only ask me to do those things if it’s you who’s uncomfortable with them, not anyone else.”
Okay, what the hell does that mean?
“It’s not that I don’t like it. I mean, hell, who doesn’t like being called sweet names? My boyfriend, though, he might get uncomfortable, and that would make me feel badly. You understand, don’t you, Eden?” I take a bite of my oatmeal to find it tastes heavenly, with just the right amount of sweetness. “Mmm, really great oatmeal. Thank you so much.”
The cock of his eyebrow draws my attention as he reaches for my hand, sending chills through me.
Why does his touch do this to me?
“He’s not here right now, Alyssa. It’s only you and I, so can I still touch you and talk to you how I want to?” His deep green eyes twinkle at me.
Sure, he can do anything he wants. Kyle’s not here after all. I blink to clear the dreamy gaze I must surely have off my face. “I guess so.”
What have I done? Is this a type of cheating? Am I a damn cheater?
When his lips touch the hand he has in his, I almost faint. My head is so light it’s as if I could fly. “Thank you, Alyssa, my sweet princess,” he says, low and sexy.
Crap, crap, crap! I am a cheater because I am loving this way too much.
“Eden, you’re too much. Stop teasing me,” I say with a giggle, because he has to be messing with me.
Eden moves to sit on the bed in front of me. The remote sits on the chair, so no television right now, I guess. He picks up the spoon I’ve laid in the bowl. Dipping it in the oatmeal, he brings it to my lips.
“Less talking and more eating, please. You n
eed to get your strength back,” he says as he places the spoon between my lips, which readily open for him.
Traitorous lips!
Who knew being fed oatmeal could cause a fire to grow in your lower regions? But it can.
Bite after bite, he feeds me, stopping to hold the cup of water with the straw in it for me to drink from in between bites. The bowl is empty before I know it. He dabs at my mouth with a paper napkin.
Leaning his head down, his lips touch my ear as his words flow warmly over it. “I’m not teasing you, Alyssa.” My damn tattletale machine beeps like crazy as my entire body blushes.
This is bad!
CHAPTER 12
EDEN
This is pure torture, having to wait in this small waiting room while the doctor and nurse hurt my poor mate. If we were married, I could’ve stayed while they took all the tubes out of her body.
Her eyes held fear as they explained how they must remove the horrible catheter. Then they sent me out like I’m nothing.
The squeak of the door to her room draws my attention. Yes, there they go, done bothering my sweet princess. I hurry to her with the bag of clothes her mother brought. Pushing the door open, I see her pale face.
“Are you okay?”
Her face is pale as she answers, “Not really, but everything had to come out of me and it was not pleasant in the least. I feel a bit sick to my stomach, but I’ll be fine.”
Rubbing her shoulder, I run my hand down her arm, stopping where the IV has left a bruise on her hand. I gently rub my thumb over it. “My poor Alyssa,” I say, as my eyes go to hers. “You’ll be better soon. This will all be behind us.”
Her plump red lips lift to one side. “Us?”
“You, I mean,” I say, finding the slip up amusing. I laugh, which makes her smile.
Maybe she likes my laugh as much as I like hers.
“What’s in the bag, Romeo?” she asks as she reaches for it.
I hand it over. “Your mother brought them early this morning. She found us both asleep and left them with the charge nurse. Its clothes for you to put on so we can go home.”
Her expression becomes riddled with confusion. “Mom came and didn’t wake me up! How crazy is that? I mean, I’m aware you don’t know my parents, but that’s insane. Why in the hell do they trust you so damn much?”
With a shrug of my shoulders, I say, “Couldn’t tell you. Now get dressed while I sign whatever it is they need me to, and come out when you’re ready. Then we can get on the road.”
Leaving her with the bag, I walk away, but turn back to her, gripping her chin in my hand. “The little black box is from me, though. You should put it on too. I’m dying to see how it looks on you.” Then I leave the room, slightly giddy with the knowledge that she must have thought I was about to kiss her, because she leaned in a bit with parted lips.
I lean against the wall next to her hospital room door. She’s taking a while. It must be hard for her to dress herself. I would go help her, but I doubt she’d let me. She might have let me kiss her before I left the room, though. That’s a step in the right direction.
When the door opens, she takes a weak step forward. She holds onto the handle like it’s holding her up. “Wow, I’m dizzy and weak. This is crazy.”
I wrap my arm around her waist, making her lean against my side. “Let me help you, Alyssa,” I command as I look her over to be sure she’s really okay to leave.
She looks fine, just weak. And there’s the necklace I gave her, hanging just below her collar bone. I hold the small silver bird with sapphires for its eyes between my fingers. “Do you like it?”
“I do, thank you. It’s really beautiful. You didn’t have to do that, though,” she says as she looks up at me, making my heart break for her. Such a tiny thing, and hurt. It’s almost unbearable.
“I wanted to. Now let’s get you home,” I say as I smile down at her, then brush a stray piece of hair from her face.
A nurse comes to us with a wheelchair. “Mr. Fontaine, you go get your car and meet me at the entrance. I’ll take her down in the wheelchair. It’s hospital policy, sir.”
I place her in the chair, although I’m reluctant to walk away from her. Then I hurry out to get my car.
The sight of her in the wheelchair makes my stomach churn. I never want to see that again. Except maybe when she’s carrying our babies in her arms.
As I wait at the entrance for her, a tall, black truck barrels into the parking lot.
What must his emergency be?
I watch him jump from the entirely-too-tall vehicle and run at break-neck speed into the hospital.
I hope no one’s died!
As my eyes follow the poor distraught guy, I see the elevator doors open, and there’s my Alyssa, with her nurse pushing her out. I get out of the car to help her in.
As I walk around, opening the passenger side door I hear a man’s voice shout, “Ally!”
I turn to find the tall blonde man who rushed in picking my mate up from the wheelchair. My blood is boiling, and in an instant I’ve made it to them.
Running my arm around her waist, I pull her from him. “Alyssa!” I growl.
“Eden, this is Kyle. My Kyle. The one I told you about. Kyle, this is Eden, a friend of my parents’, in a way,” she says.
Her body leans into mine, only because she hasn’t the strength to hold it up on her own.
The nurse clears her throat. “Please sit her back down in the chair. I must wheel her all the way out to the car. It’s hospital policy.” I place her back down in the chair and send a harsh glance at the boy.
“I’m taking her home,” he says.
Like hell, he is!
I follow the nurse and say, “My car is right there. She’s going with me.”
He walks next to Alyssa as he speaks to her. “Tell him, Ally. Tell him you want to go with me.”
The pain medication has her a bit loopy. She looks ahead at my car, a faint smile on her lips. “Hmm. I’m sorry, Kyle. Do you see that badass ride? Is that a jaguar?”
Kyle looks up at the car. “Yeah, but, Al, tell him you’re coming with me.”
Stopping at my car, the nurse gives me a look that tells me to take this elsewhere. Which I plan to do, but the jackass just took my mate’s hand in his, lifting her up. And now he’s hugging her, whispering something in her ear.
She’s mine!
I want to yell it at the top of my lungs. Instead, I wrap my arm around her and pry her away from him. “Her father knows I’m taking her home. He wouldn’t be pleased if I allowed her to go with anyone else,” I say as I open the door and help her into my car. “I suggest you take it up with him if you’d like to see her once she’s home.” I strap her seat belt, then stand back up, facing the boy.
“See you at home, Kyle.” Alyssa smiles and waves. Before I turn and close the door, I hear her say, “This car smells magnificent. Is this real leather?”
I move around the car as the boy gives me an extremely confused look. “Who the hell are you, dude?” he asks.
I don’t bother to answer him. Once in the car, I drive away. Alyssa watches him through the rear-view mirror.
“That went poorly,” she says. “Why did you snatch me away from him? I told you who he was. I know dad wanted me to ride home with you. It wasn’t like I was going to go with him. A minute or two to explain things to him would’ve been nice.”
Pure anger flows through my veins. I grip the steering wheel. “Alyssa, have you no anger towards him? His lack of communication made you so distracted you nearly got yourself killed.”
Alyssa’s head leans on the leather headrest. She turns her head to look at me. “It isn’t his fault I let myself get into such a tizzy over not hearing from him for a while. Not even a whole day had passed, and I was all upset like a crazy person. Don’t be mad at him.”
“Well, I am. If you were mine, I’d never go somewhere without letting you know,” I say. “If it was important, I would want you with me. He
left you alone and neglected to call or leave a damned text message. That’s inexcusable in my book.”
Her arms cross over her chest, a clear sign she’s not happy with me right now. “Well, I’m not yours. I’m his. So you’ll have to get over it if you want to be my friend, Eden. Kyle and I are a package deal.”
I have to put this anger away. It’s pushing her from me. Her words are like stones being thrown at my head. The idea of telling her who she really is does battle with the idea of bringing her around to that reality slowly. She’s in no condition to receive the information.
Much calmer now, I reach over, dragging my knuckles across her cheek. “I’m sorry, Alyssa. I don’t know what got into me. I want us to get along. Anything to make my princess happy.” I smile over at her. Her arms uncross and she lays her head back.
“Good,” she says, closing her eyes. “This is the softest leather I’ve ever felt. Does the top come down?”
Good, she’s loving my car. I knew she would. “It does, but I’m not dropping the top today. Once you’re better, I’ll take you for a ride with the top down.”
Blinking back visions of her sitting in the passenger side, her silky hair flowing around her gorgeous face, I’m hard in places I’m supposed to be steering clear of with her for now.
The thump in my chest is back. I look at her in the bright sunlight. She’s here with me. It’s reality, not a dream. Her hand looks so inviting lying in her lap. I take it in mine, stroking her knuckles with my thumb. It does little to ease the tightness in my pants, but I don’t mind.
Without opening her eyes, she says, “When Kyle comes over, none of this, okay?”
When Kyle comes over. That’ll be never!
“Agreed, baby.”
CHAPTER 13
ALYSSA
After all the theatrics, Kyle hasn’t even shown up. Mom refuses to give me my cell because I need to be resting. It’s Saturday night, and I was supposed to get to go watch his band play for a while, but now I can’t.
With no cell, I can’t even call him to let him know I won’t be there. He’ll be crushed, I guess.
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