He looked at her with a serious face while he struggled to reach up to the handle attached to the bed so he could get up in a sitting position. Vanessa reached out, put a hand on his arm, and pushed him with a soft touch back to his position of laying down.
“You should just rest,” she said with her best professional voice.
His face lit up in a big smile and she couldn't help but admire his gorgeous face and perfect mouth with as perfect white teeth.
“You are a very impressive Nurse then,” he smiled at her. His eyes locked hers with a persuasiveness she could feel in her whole body.
“How come you saved me then? They said the doctors did a hell of a job keeping me alive last night?”
“Well, I am not supposed to talk about what happened last night,” she said as she looked back at him, trapped in his gaze of dark blue. The color reminded her of a lagoon she had seen on one of Kat's postcards when she had been on a yoga trip to Greece.
“In that case, let’s not talk about it, I don't want to put you in any uncomfortable situation. But I will tell you, that it made me glad you saved me, although only being a Nurse,” he added with a smile.
“And I prefer if you call me Alex, it sounds as if you’re referring to my late father when using my last name.”
She returned his smile and as Alex closed his eyes, she prepared for his medical check-up. She couldn't resist taking a small peek at him from the corner of her eyes while she pulled down the heavy curtains along the sides of the large glass doors leading out to the small patio. A luxury set off outdoor furniture stood in the middle with small palm trees symmetrically planted on both sides. Beautiful garden lights hung from the ceiling and gave the chilly winter evening a golden shimmer that more reminded her of a warm summer night.
He looked up, and in a strained voice he told her he looked forward of seeing her again.
“Very soon,” he added as he leaned his head back on the pillow and dozed off.
The rest of the day Vanessa spent looking after her new patients and even though she had hesitated from the start, she soon realized that working up here at the Ninth floor was much calmer than on the floors below. Up here, she even had the time to chat with some of the patients and give them that extra time many of them needed. On the other floors there were no time for pleasantries, the overwhelming workload prevented that. She couldn't help it, but she enjoyed it.
Later in the afternoon, she got a call to return to Alex´s suit. As she entered, she saw the managing Nurse and an angry looking Mr. Brunetti standing close to Alex bedside taking notes on small pads. It seemed as Alex was giving them instructions.
“Come on in,” the manager said and put a halt on her frantic scribbling. “We are here to make sure that the hospital fulfills all of Mr. Di Savoy’s wishes so he can focus on getting well. To do that, he has requested to have his own team of nurses and doctors around him and you will be one of them. So from now on, Mr. Di Savoy will be your only patient. “
Mr. Brunetti looked miserable, but he gave Alex a forced smile as his protégé lied in his bed occupied by putting his signature on every paper from a huge stack of documents.
“If I will work solemnly for you there are rules that needs to be followed,” Vanessa said as soon as the manager had left the room. And that starts with you, she pointed at Mr. Brunetti, “take your paperwork away from my patient and leave him alone so he can rest."
“We will call you as soon as he feels better and take visitors but for now he is better with some peace and quiet around him.”
“So please,” she gestured at the door.
Mr. Brunetti took his briefcase and stomped out of the room looking as grumpy as only he could. In the doorway, he turned around and gave a small halfway sort of wave to Alex who gave a tired smile back.
“It’s all right Gian-Carlo, I’m certain I’m in the best of hands. You can relax and I'll see you tomorrow. If anything important has to be signed, you have the full power to do so.”
Mr. Brunetti nodded and left the room. Vanessa couldn't help but feel sorry for the man who after all seemed to care a lot for his client.
She turned to her patient and checked his IVA and doing her routine nursing. When she finished she looked at him, his face as beautiful as before but now it had a pale color of ash over his natural olive tan.
“How do you feel?” She asked in a soft voice. “Is there anything you need before I end my shift?”
“I am just going to rest, thank you, Nurse,” Alex answered in his dark sexy voice. His accent, she now knew came from his Italian background mixed with the posh English only years at private schools could give, was coming through more now than before due to his tiredness.
She put her hand on his forehead just to check if it was signaling any fever. He was feeling a bit hot, but nothing to worry about.
“But I was wondering,” Alex said now looking straight at her, “could you be so kind and stay with me? Just until I am asleep?” his voice was low and even though he was weakened by his injury, it told her he was not used to not being obliged.
Vanessa nodded, as it was common for patients not wanting to be alone. “I will just sit here on the couch as you rest.”
“Thank you, Nurse,” Alex said and even in his state, he had the power to look as sexy as he was at a beach bar.
She took a seat in the big plush sofa and looked at Alex who soon was sound asleep. His cheeks chiseled like a carved Michelangelo statue. His nose and chin in perfect symmetry with the rest of his facial structure. His lips slightly full and ended in a cute little smirk at the corners. She couldn’t stop admiring this man's face. Vanessa forced herself to look away and closed her eyes.
She must had been slumbering off because when she woke up she could see that the sky had darkened and the small spotlights outside lit up the beautiful patio.
She looked at her watch, it was almost 9 pm. Her shift had ended one hour ago.
She stood up and stretched to soften up her legs after the strange position during her little nap on the sofa. Alex wasn't moving, but she could read on the machine that his heart rate was under control. She took one closer step to his bed and reached to feel his temperature on his forehead. He was burning up!
“Where am I,” Alex mumbled.
“You are at the hospital and I'm Vanessa, your Nurse.”
“Vanessa,” he said the name as if he tasted every syllabus. “Vanessa,” he said again, this time almost so low that she almost couldn't hear him.
She looked weary at him. How high was his fever? She took a quick glance at the heart rate machine and then headed for the corridor.
“I'll get you something for the fever she told Alex who appeared to be sleeping again.”
After she had given him the medication, she took a chair and sat close to the bed. She had gone off her shift by now, but she couldn't leave him like this, although a night Nurse would take over, Vanessa felt obliged to stay and tend for Alex herself.
She sat still in her chair and looked at the sleeping Alex. Suddenly he woke up and looked her straight in the eyes.
“You are so beautiful,” he said before closing his eyes again.
She was glad it wasn't her heart rate the machine was counting, as she was sure her heart had missed at least one heartbeat when he said those words. His sandy blond hair looked wet from moist due to his high temperature and his face was still pale, but she could feel that the temperature was decreasing.
He looked up again, and she helped him take a few sips of water. He leaned back and rested his head on the pillow.
“So you have stayed with me all night,” he asked and gave her a smile. “You have an excellent work ethic I have to say.”
She didn't know what to say, so she pretended to study his fever curve on the computer screen.
“So what happened?” she asked. “What caused your accident?”
Alex looked away for a second but then turned his eyes back at hers.
“I had a rough
night that's all. But it started way before that, nothing to talk about.”
They went silent for a minute.
“Do you want to step outside she asked, to get some air, and to cool down your fever?”
As they stood leaning on the glass fence of the patio, they admired the skyline in silence. Vanessa took a deep breath. It was amazing how beautiful the city was looking down at it.
“Isn't it beautiful?” she whispered to Alex, who seemed deep in thoughts and didn't answer.
“It is,” he finally said, “but not as beautiful as you Vanessa,” his voice so low by forced back passion she had to lean towards him to hear.
She looked up at him and leaned closer to him standing on tiptoes. She had taken her shoes off during her little nap and now she stood barefoot in front of him.
Even if she had been having on her most ridiculously high-heeled stilettos she should have had to stand on her toes so much was he towering over her.
His eyes dark blue and daring, his frame looked so firm and perfectly fit in his white T-shirt and speckles of sweat run down the cuts of his abs, still warm from his fever. His hair fell like deep waves that Vanessa couldn't help but imagining running her hands through it. His breath was like steaming hot bath water as it brushed the side of her neck.
She felt almost transfixed at his gaze as he put one hand around her waist while placing his other hand on her neck. His touch soft and gentle, but yet strong and seductive. He stroked her hair with slow gentle movements and she felt as her body was floating on air. With his hand steady at the back of her head, he leaned closer. Their faces so close she could feel his cheek against her lips.
None of them moved. Vanessa had no idea for how long they stayed like that, frozen in their position, just leaning into each other. Overwhelmed by the force of nature bringing them closer and closer. His grip around her waist was getting harder and the hand holding her neck tightens its grip. She couldn't bare it anymore, her whole body screamed to be close to him, to be with him. She put her hands around his neck and leaned into touch his mouth with hers.
Alex swept her up in his arms, and as he lifted her, he kissed her.
Chapter 4
“Hello?” A high-pitched voice cut through Vanessa's bubble of excitement and startled she pulled her face away from Alex’s. His eyes were closed but as she moved away, he looked up and even if it seemed to take all his willpower to do so, he put her down with care.
“Hello?” The voice called again, this time sounding much closer. “Mr. Di Savoy, where are you?”
“Oh, it must be the night round,” Vanessa mumbled and tucked her shirt in, without her noticing it had been halfway unbuttoned by Alex, and ran a hand over her tousled hair. Alex looked as if he had just woke up, his thick hair was a mess. Vanessa took the blame for that as she had a vague memory of running her hands through it.
Vanessa called to the Nurse, “We’re just outside taking in some fresh air,” her voice sounded short of breath.
She took a glance at Alex who had gotten himself in order and looked as calm as someone who just had gotten some air at his private balcony accompanied by his Nurse.
The night Nurse gave them a disapproving look.
“Mr. Di Savoy, you should be asleep and not running around at balconies in this state you’re in,” she said with a stern voice.
“And Miss Green, why are you still here, it's time for you to go home. Do you even realize that your shift ended more than four hours ago?”
The Nurse was right, Vanessa could feel her whole body ache of tiredness and while she looked at Alex, she nodded to the Nurse and gathered her stuff and turned for the door. Alex looked amused and winked at her as the Nurse led him to his bed and tucked him in like a disobedient child.
Vanessa drove home in a state that could best be described as someone who has seen the light at the end of the tunnel and then coming back to life, she had experienced a miracle. Everything around her was brighter, sharper and the nature swishing by her was so much more beautiful than she could remember. She felt like singing, turned on the radio, tuned in one of her favorite music channels, and as she drove home, sang from the top of her lungs to Whitney Houston.
Vanessa spent the next few weeks walking on clouds as she and Alex evolved their relationship. It was not a usual one, where they went out on date nights or spent time in the park. They were stuck in Alex´s hospital suit at most times but spent the days and nights talking and cuddling like teenagers. In the evenings Alex had made arrangements for dinner to be served on the patio and even though it was early April the air felt warm around them as their love kept them warm from the surrounding world. They got in a routine with medical exams, rehabilitation exercises, and just relaxing. Alex made progress day by day and just to be sharing the time together made them both happy and none of them seemed to care about the world outside the hospital.
One morning Vanessa woke up startled like it had been her subconscious waking her up from a dream. She couldn't remember the dream, but she had a weird feeling that urged her to be with Alex. A gut feeling that something was wrong. She had to be at the hospital, she had to be with Alex.
As she half-ran through the hallway to get in the shower she took a glance at the clock on the microwave telling her she had overslept. Her shift started in just 30 minutes. She couldn't believe this, she had never once overslept. Well, she rarely got involved with European princes either, she thought to herself. What was happening to her? Was she turning into Kat?
She leapt into her hospital gear and ran thru the corridor towards Alex's room. Her heart racing and her cheeks glowing, as she couldn't wait to see Alex. She imagined how he would get out of his hospital bed as soon as he saw her, with a single movement lift her up, and kiss her, deep and with passion. His voice would be filled with sexual tension as he would whisper in her ear that he had longed for her all night. She gave away a small sigh and forced herself to slow down before she got too carried away.
As she got closer, she could hear voices coming from the room and she hesitated for a second before knocking on the door and opening it. Alex sat on one of the plush couches looking as handsome as ever, for the day dressed in a dark navy suit that made him look like he was on his way to an important business meeting. Almost out of breath, she stepped inside but hesitated when no one in the room looked up to greet her. She cleared her throat and Alex looked up from his papers.
“Good morning Nurse,” his voice was formal and polite. “Please come inside, my associates are just leaving,” he added with a little nod towards two men sitting at a small table covered with documents and folders.
Vanessa looked at him, his acting was good, she had to admit that, and his poker face had to be admired. He was much better than she was at concealing his feelings as they were among other people. Both Vanessa and Alex had agreed on keeping their flowering relationship a secret for the time being. Nothing gave away even the slightest that he was going crazy by sexual longing for her body, she thought a little disappointed. She studied his charts from the night as the two men gathered their stuff and told their goodbyes and with a small nod at her direction, they headed out of the room. She looked at Alex who had positioned himself in front of the large window standing looking out. Vanessa moved up next to him and joined him in his view.
“Beautiful day today isn't it, Miss Green,” Alex said, and even though he was talking directly to her, she could hear that his thoughts were somewhere else. He sounded distant and she couldn't figure out why.
He must be thinking of a perfect way to tell me his feelings, Vanessa thought. This must be when he tells me he loves me.
During their month long love affair, Vanessa had waited for those magical words. Even though Alex and Vanessa had come to the point in their relationship were they had shared memories and thoughts about the future, she could still get a little nervous thinking about his life outside the hospital. Both regarding of what Kat had told her but also because she could read between the lin
es from Alex stories of his life, he clearly had some serious commitment issues. Still, she could hardly judge him, she was a total beginner when it came to love and relationships. The difference between them was that she never had been in a relationship and Alex had been in plenty. Although, he had always been the one ending them and going back partying with his best friend Mitch.
She couldn't wait for being introduced to Mitch, she had understood he was in the movie business as both an actor and producer. Alex had been brief about Mitch work and even as Vanessa wanted to know more about him, he was after all the one who brought Alex along on all his crazy adventures, she didn’t push for more information. As long as Alex playboy days were over, she was fine. And he had reassured her that his accident made him open his eyes and realized he wanted something more out from life. She had to trust him, nothing that came easy for her, but for the first time in her life, she felt she slowly started to.
My Italian Prince: Clean Romance Page 3