" Raelynn?" the voice asked hesitantly.
Raelynn licked her dry lips and tried to speak, but nothing came out.
" Holy shit! Hold on, baby! let me get a nurse," the voice said excitedly.
Raelynn heard him move. A beep sounded, then a disembodied female voice spoke. " Can I help you?"
" I think Raelynn's waking up!" he practically shouted.
" Okay hun, I'll be right there," the female voice said hurriedly.
Within seconds the woman came into the room and started asking Raelynn to do different things like squeeze her fingers and wiggle her toes. The more Raelynn did, the more she was able to open her eyes and think more clearly. The woman looming over her was a nurse - going by the scrubs she was wearing. Raelynn figured she was in the hospital for some reason. She'd find out later. Right now she wanted to know who the guy was that had been talking to her.
The nurse finally moved out of Raelynn's line of sight. That's when she saw him. Sebastian. His hands were laced together on top of his head as he paced back and forth at the end of her bed. He looked anxious and relieved and excited all at the same time. His face was covered in stubble like it normally was. He was wearing a long sleeved navy blue Henley with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His jeans were faded and fit snuggly to his muscled thighs. He looked as gorgeous as ever.
The nurse announced that she was going to go find the doctor and headed out of the room. Sebastian watched her leave then slowly turned back to look at Raelynn. He drug his hands down his face then looked at her with watery eyes. Raelynn frowned. Why was he so upset? What had happened?
" Sebastian?" Raelynn rasped, her voice sounding like she chewed on some gravel.
Sebastian pressed his fist to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears to roll down his cheeks. " Dammit," he breathed and swiped angrily at the tears. " I swore I wouldn't cry anymore," he said, more to himself then Raelynn.
Sebastian opened his eyes. He looked a little more composed as he walked over to the side of her bed and sat down next to her hip, turning slightly to face her. He gave her a shaky smile and held her hand in both of his.
" Hey, sweet cheeks. I missed you," Sebastian murmured then kissed her knuckles.
" What happened?" Raelynn croaked.
Sebastian's smile faded. " You were shot and also cracked your skull when you fell down a flight of stairs. The doctors weren't sure if you were going to make it. You were in the ICU for a week and a half in a medically induced coma to get the swelling in your brain to go down. You were finally well enough to be moved out of the ICU two days ago. We've just been waiting for you to wake up," he said, running his thumb over her knuckles.
Raelynn gasped is disbelief. " What?"
Sebastian nodded sadly. Raelynn frowned. She didn’t remember any of that. She didn’t remember anything past showing up to work at 2:30 in the morning.
" Damn, Rae. I missed you so bad. I was so afraid you would never wake up," Sebastian said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Raelynn looked up into his green eyes which were once again tearing up. How often had he cried since she's been here? She never thought of Sebastian as an overly sensitive guy. But it was twice now since she's woken up that he'd gotten teary eyed. She really must have been in bad shape for him to be this emotional. Raelynn squeezed his hand.
" I heard you talking to me," Raelynn whispered since her voice and throat were raw.
Sebastian smirked, just the one corner of his mouth lifting. " Yeah? Hear anything interesting?"
Raelynn tried to laugh but it more came out as a wheeze. " Maybe," she teased.
Sebastian bit his bottom lip. He looked like he was trying not to cry. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with one hand. " Fuck. See what you do to me? Turning me into a blubbering fool," he grunted.
" Come here," Raelynn whispered, tugging on his hand.
Sebastian - oh so carefully - leaned over her. She wrapped her arms around him as he tucked his face into her neck. He sighed heavily, his big body trembling slightly. Raelynn's heart broke for him. She couldn't imagine what he'd been feeling this whole time. She stroked the back of his head and tucked her face against his.
" I thought I lost you," he choked.
" You didn't, I'm here now," Raelynn soothed, smoothing her hand over the back of his head.
Sebastian pulled back a few minutes later. The doctor strolled in as he gave her a kiss on the lips. Sebastian stood and excused himself from the room, saying that he was going to call Raelynn's parents. Which was probably true, but she was sure he also needed a minute for himself. The doctor was really nice and explained everything about what happened. He also told her what to expect while she recovered. He said as long as she kept getting better she could be out of the hospital at the end of the week. Sounded good to Raelynn. She hated hospitals. The sooner she was outta here the better.
Sebastian returned just as the doctor was leaving. He smiled at her as he tucked his phone into his back pocket. He looked better, more composed. " What did the doctor say?" he asked as he pulled the chair over next to her bed and sat.
" That as long as I keep improving then I should be able to leave at the end of the week," Raelynn said.
Sebastian's smile widened. " That would be great."
Raelynn nodded in agreement. " He said that I'm going to be out of work for a couple months and I'm going to need to take it easy for the first couple weeks before starting physical therapy."
" Why don't you stay with me the first couple weeks? I can be your servant," Sebastian said with a wink.
" Really?" Raelynn asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.
" Yeah, really. Let me help you," Sebastian said sincerely.
Raelynn nodded. " Okay," she agreed. " As long as I get to watch you walk around naked," she added with a nonchalant shrug.
Sebastian chuckled. " I might be able to help you with that."
Raelynn smiled fondly at him. He was so handsome. This whole thing must have been horrible for Sebastian after everything he’d already been through. She couldn't imagine being in his shoes. They had just gotten back together the night before and the next day he thought she was going to die. Raelynn's eyes teared up just thinking about it.
" Hey," Sebastian said gently, his hand covering hers. " What's wrong?"
" I just...I can't imagine what you've been going through," Raelynn sniffed, swiping the tears from her cheeks.
" It's been rough. That's for sure," Sebastian agreed.
" How did you find out?" Raelynn asked quietly.
" I was at Jared's house apologizing when your mom called Bianna," Sebastian said roughly.
Raelynn nodded. What a nightmare!
" But you're here. You're awake and doing well and that's all I care about," Sebastian said sincerely, giving her hand a squeeze.
Raelynn gave him a soft smile. " Can I have another kiss?"
Sebastian grinned. " Of course you can," he murmured, standing to lean over her to kiss her tenderly on the lips.
When Raelynn's parents showed up Sebastian left to give them some privacy. Her mother Jillian cried and hugged her. Her dad Oliver - or Ollie, as everyone called him - kissed her cheeks for what seemed like a hundred times before letting her go.
" We are so glad you're okay sweetie," Her mother croaked, squeezing the hand that she wouldn't let go.
" We were so afraid you weren't going to make it," her father said gruffly, tears glistening in his eyes.
" Well I did. So everyone can stop crying. You're all killing me with the crying," Raelynn whispered, her own eyes tearing up again.
" Okay okay," Ollie chuckled and patted her leg. " So tell us what the doctor said."
Raelynn told them what the doctor said about her recovery and when she'd possibly be out of the hospital. " Sebastian wants me to stay with him for the first couple weeks. He said he'll be my servant," Raelynn smiled.
Both her parents grinned, their smiles warm and loving.
" You have a good man there, Raelynn. He was here everyday, twice a day. He came here before and after work," Ollie said proudly.
" He took care of you. He wouldn't let the nurses do anything that he was allowed to do. He brushed your hair and your teeth. He washed you and made sure to move your arms and legs to keep your muscles from weakening. He talked to you as if you were awake. I swear Raelynn, if you don't marry that man I'm going to disown you," Jillian said seriously.
Raelynn stared at her in shock. Sebastian did all that for her? He took care of her and went to work everyday? Raelynn’s heart swelled to the point of bursting. The love she felt for him was overwhelming. She knew he was a great guy, but this...this was above and beyond greatness. He was phenomenal. Raelynn was speechless.
Her parents kept talking, but Raelynn wasn't really paying attention. She could only think about the wonderful man that was her boyfriend. He had to love her. There was no way a man who was not in love would take care of her like that. Raelynn smiled to herself. She wouldn't say anything to him because she knew he had to say it on his own terms. But she was sure that she would hear it eventually. That made her ecstatic.
Sebastian helped Raelynn into his apartment. She was still weak and needed to lean on him when she walked any kind of decent distance. And the distance from the elevator to his door was a little too long for her to walk by herself. He offered to carry her but her pride had her turning him down.
Sebastian helped her into the living room. He made her sit in the recliner, then he pulled the lever so she could prop her feet up. He knew Raelynn hated that she was still so weak. He didn't really care, he liked taking care of her. And he was just so fucking happy that she was out of the hospital. After he got her situated with the tv remote and a bottle of water, he went back down to his truck and grabbed her bags. They had stopped at her house on the way so she could pack up some stuff since she was going to be staying with him for a while. If he had his way, she'd never leave.
" Hey, babe? Are you up for some visitors? Henry and Claire have been asking about you and I know they wanted to see you," Sebastian asked as he walked in the door.
When Raelynn didn't answer, he went over and found her fast asleep. Sebastian smiled. She was exhausted. Okay...no visitors right now. Sebastian left Raelynn to rest. He took her bags into his bedroom and moved around some of his stuff to fit her things in his drawers and closet. He put all her toiletry stuff in the bathroom then decided that his place needed a good cleaning. He couldn't have a woman living here in his filth. He hadn't been keeping up with his place while Raelynn was in the hospital.
Sebastian started with the bathroom. Once he was finished there, he headed for his bedroom. After putting his dirty clothes in the wash, he stripped his bed and put new sheets and pillow cases on it. Then he dusted and vacuumed in there. Next he went to the kitchen. He cleaned the dishes piled in the sink, cleaned off the counters, the stove and the microwave. Raelynn hadn't budged. So he went about dusting and vacuuming the living room. She slept through it all. He even checked her pulse just to be sure she was okay. She was fine, just tired.
By the time Sebastian was finished, it was around 6pm. He decided to make some dinner. The doctor had said to keep her food light for a first couple days. So Sebastian put together a salad and cooked up the fish he had his mother buy and bring over earlier today before he brought Raelynn home.
Sebastian felt all domesticated and shit. He had cooked for Victoria once. She hadn't liked what he made, so he never cooked for her again. Then when they moved to California, she had hired a cook. Sebastian considered himself a pretty decent cook. Victoria was just really picky about what she ate. Sebastian had learned to cook after moving out of his parents house. He had been tired of eating out all the time and decided to start cooking for himself. Henry loves his chili. He was aactually a bit nervous as to what Raelynn would think of him cooking for her. Would she think it was sweet? Would she think it was too much? And what if she didn't like it? He knew she wouldn't be hiring a cook. Would she want him to cook for her again? Why the hell was he over-thinking this? Raelynn wasn't Victoria. She wasn't picky. She would probably like whatever he made.
Sebastian made her up a plate, then grabbed one of the fold up trays he used when it was just him and he wanted to sit in front of the tv and eat. He set it up next to the recliner and set the plate down. Then he smoothed his hand over Raelynn's hair and called her name to wake her up.
" Rae? Hey...sweet cheeks? Wake up."
Raelynn pulled in a deep breath and stretched her arms and legs out. She slowly blinked her eyes open. She looked up at him and gave him a tired smile. " Hey. How long have I been sleeping?"
" Almost 4 hours," Sebastian smirked.
" Really?!" Raelynn gasped, her eyes widening some. " What a bore! What have you been doing?"
" I cleaned and cooked you dinner," Sebastian said sheepishly.
Raelynn grinned. " Well aren't you just the little homemaker," she teased.
" Shut up," Sebastian scowled and put the recliner upright for her.
He set the tray in front of her and headed back to get her a glass of water.
" Wow, Sebastian. This looks great!" Realynn praised.
" It should. I’m a damn good cook," Sebastian said smugly.
Raelynn giggled, bringing a smile to Sebastian’s face.
He brought her some water, then set up another tray for himself. He made himself a plate then joined Raelynn in the living room. He sat on the couch and pulled his tray closer. Sebastian turned on the news and dug into his food. It turned out really good.
" Yummy. This is fantastic, Sebastian," Raelynn murmured around a mouthful of food.
Sebastian smiled. " Thank you, baby,” he said gratefully. He was glad she was enjoying what he made.
Sebastian glanced at her. She watched the tv, only looking down to take a bite of food. Her hair was piled on top of her head. She had no makeup on. She was wearing a baggy long sleeved t-shirt and sweatpants. And Sebastian thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. He was so in love with her. He couldn't fucking believe it. How did he let that happen? After everything he'd been through. He fell in love again. He blamed it on Raelynn. She was too marvelous to not fall in love with. She was smart and cute and brave. She was insanely sexy. He loved her laugh and her smile. He loved her sense of humor and the fact that she could handle him teasing her. She didn't take any shit from anyone, which he also loved. She could be kind and caring and sweet. And damn, could she make a man melt in bed. She was everything he could ever want in a woman and he was never letting her go.
Raelynn was slowly regaining her strength. Every day she got a little stronger. She hated being weak and relying on Sebastian so much. She hadn't expected to need him as much as she did. The first few days were the worst. She couldn't even walk to the bathroom unassisted. Sebastian took off the first couple days to be with her. After that, her mom would come over while he was at work. That went on for the next four days. But Raelynn was strong enough to take care of herself now and she wanted to do everything on her own. She refused to be an invalid any more then necessary. If she could take care of herself, then she would. Although, people still insisted on coming to see her. Her sisters and brother-in-laws, her parents and grandparents, Henry, Claire and the boys, Sebastian's parents...one thing was for sure, Raelynn sure felt loved.
Raelynn could not wait to be cleared from the doctor to start physical therapy. It was to help her get back to normal, physically. She was itching to get back to work. She wasn't one to just sit around and do nothing. It made her irritable. She even snapped at Sebastian a few times. He had looked at her like she was crazy and ignored her. He apparently must have known that she was going stir crazy. This last week of rest could not be over with fast enough.
Sexual frustration was also playing a part in her bitchiness. She never thought she could crave sex. She never had that problem until she slept with Sebastian. The man was m
agnificent in bed. He was open and sensual and Raelynn loved the noises he made during sex. She loved knowing a man was enjoying it as much as her. Sebastian’s noises? Major turn on. The doctor had told her to refrain from sex until he cleared her for physical therapy. But Raelynn was about to break that rule. Sebastian had teased her enough. Not that he really did anything purposely, but just him breathing made her want to jump his bones.
Sebastian walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped low around his hips. His skin was still damp from the shower he just got. His hair was flattened to his forehead, partially hanging over his eyes. Raelynn was laying in bed. It was 7:30 am and Sebastian was getting ready for work. Raelynn couldn't help but stare at him, he was built so fine. She could see all his muscles rippling under his lightly bronzed, tattooed skin. His tattoos just making him all the more sexy.
Sebastian (The Beck Brothers #2) Page 14