“Maybe a little less light would help,” he said quietly as he moved closer to where she lay on the white-sheeted bed looking as pale as death and in an awful lot of pain.
Before even so much as another minute went by, a very well-organized nurse bustled into their room, pushing a cart of first-aid supplies and immediately set about tending to her injuries. The gash required Shannon to unbutton her adorable cowgirl blouse, and slip one arm out as she protectively clutched the rest of the shirt to her front in defensive modesty.
Common sense told him to give her a bit of privacy. That and the realization that he did not want to get caught out staring at what he could suddenly see of her voluptuous breasts barely held in by a white lace bra. Nick placed himself at the head of the examining bed while the nurse very efficiently attended to what ended up being a superficial gash on her shoulder that luckily did not require sutures.
Less than a minute later, a pair of orderlies appeared in the doorway with a special orthopedic wheelchair. They had her out of bed and into that wheelchair completely pain free, down to the X-ray department for a series of scans and then back in her private exam room in the blink of an eye.
Somewhere in that process they must have given her something for the pain because she did appear somewhat more relaxed upon her return. Not necessarily loopy, but certainly less cross than she had been. In fact, she may even have smiled at him when she came back into the room, but it all happened so quick Nick couldn’t be sure.
In short order, Dr. Surfer Dude reappeared to let her know what the X-ray showed. The good news was the ankle wasn’t broken; the bad news was it was quite deeply bruised. His instructions were pretty straightforward—stay off of it completely for 24 hours, as in don’t even put it down. She was instructed not to do anything for herself, and if she did that he could almost guarantee that within a couple of days she would be able to walk without assistance. Oh yeah, that and she was going to need crutches and someone to wait on her hand and foot for the first 48 hours.
Hearing the prognosis, Nick thanked his lucky stars for the incredible opportunity before him. Adopting his best, Mister I’m here to take charge of everything attitude he stepped forward right at that moment and let them both understand in no uncertain terms that he would be handling this entire situation. Whatever was needed to assist Shannon, he would provide. He would make sure that she was off her feet for the prescribed amount of time. He would make sure that she followed doctor’s orders. He would make sure that everything was fine.
Shannon was having her ankle wrapped and braced for comfort and stability while he was pinning down the specific details of having crutches and a ridiculously vast assortment of home medical supplies for every possible need delivered to her home. Somewhere in the midst of all that, he had the thought that here he was all but taking over her life and, until the woman at the front desk had noted Shannon’s address from her intake information, he hadn’t a clue where she lived. It was a surreal feeling to be overwhelmed in an instant, consumed by her nearness, feeling oddly connected, deeply connected, while at the same time having absolutely zero knowledge of who she was today. Connect and disconnect, new territory to navigate for him.
By the time his vehicle was brought to the clinic door and Nick had returned to her room to help move her to the car, she was in full, loopy, I am woman hear me roar mode, jumping all over him and insisting she didn’t need his help the moment his face appeared in the doorway.
“I know how to take care of myself, Nick Temple! Do not put yourself out for me,” she declared with an uncharacteristic bite of snark. Nick assessed in an instant what was going on and tried not to smile. She’d never been very good at being bitchy. The medication was making her decidedly goofy, and she was obviously trying to keep him at arm’s length, a realization that brought another wave of guilt washing over him as he considered that she’d actually rather be in pain and helpless than to lower her defenses and just let him help. While his heart sank a bit, he decided to put on his I’m the boss face and tried to reason with the injured, overwrought female who was glaring at him and flying high at the moment.
“Shannon, I know perfectly well that you can indeed take care of yourself. I remember an occasion when some tribal elders butted heads with you over schooling arrangements for the girls, and from the way they ended up doing your bidding, I and everyone else was relatively certain that Shannon Reynolds was a force to be reckoned with and one smart lady who could take care of herself!”
He watched with some satisfaction as the memory he had thrown down lit up her expression, connecting them in this awkward moment to a shared experience from the past.
Feeling that he had most if not all of her attention now, he continued on. “You’re hurt and it’s my fault. I’ve got this. You just concentrate on following medical advice.”
With a tender sweetness in his delivery, he tried to comfort her by losing the I’m the boss face and saying, “Shannon, I know you’d like nothing better than to curl up in your own bed, in your own surroundings, and heal, but if you don’t shut that pretty little mouth of yours and just let me handle the details, I’ll drag your unwilling butt to my hotel suite and be done with it. I am not letting you out of my sight while you can’t take care of yourself, so get over it.”
“Oh, and by the way, you are still adorable when you pout, so not letting you have your own way, well…” he said with a slight grin that put his dimples on full display.
The past hung heavily in the air like the thick smoke of a nighttime bonfire. With every breath a pungent reminder of things from long ago that could not simply be blown away by force of will alone, Nick fought for survival
They needed some fresh air. They needed a chance to breathe again. He needed to give that opportunity to her, time to take some deep breaths. Clear the air and, hopefully, god willing, take advantage of this unbelievable second chance placed squarely in front of them. Hell, they hadn’t accidently bumped in to each other; they’d collided, literally, and the fallout of that metaphorical crash indicated more than just a benevolent universe pointing the way. No, they’d been hurled at each other for a reason. Only a fool would have missed the significance and the promise that fact revealed.
First he had to get her safely home and settled, and then he needed to think through a plan to win her back, because now that she had crossed his path, he was never letting her go again. He wasn’t going to be a fool twice. She was the only woman for him, and if not her then there’d be nobody. She made him feel alive, and since that particular sentiment had been seriously lacking in his life from the moment he had sent her away, there was absolutely no way he was walking away from that or letting her go without trying everything in his power to fix the mess he had wrought. Of that much he was certain.
With that settled firmly in his mind, he got her moved comfortably from the private exam room and buckled her into the luxurious SUV, making sure her well-being was assured before taking the driver’s seat and getting them underway.
* * *
Even in her fuzzy-around-the-edges condition, Shannon realized that several times Nick he had used the phrase that she was hurt and it was his fault. The thought that he was martyring himself because she was injured and this accident was some sort of metaphor for what he’d done to her the last time they’d talked ate at her and brought waves of confusion to the air around them.
On the one hand, Shannon wanted nothing more than to get away from him for her own good. His presence was stirring up the past and confusing her grasp on the present circumstances. The last thing she wanted was attention based on a guilty conscience from the past. He’d declared her unworthy of his interest eight years ago, and she highly doubted that, dressed as she was like a children’s book character and completely helpless, his previous belief was any less valid. And still, somehow he managed to cut right through all the red tape of caution that had surrounded her life these last eight years. If she wasn’t so preoccupied by her injuries, she’d ce
rtainly want to give that thought a bit more breathing room
As the scenery sped by, Shannon sat there, rolling over and over in her head what Nick had said about being adorable when she pouted. It took some time for the light to flash on above her fuzzy head once she realized what he’d said.
Had he been flirting with her? Why would he flirt with her? After all, hadn’t he been the one to declare that she’d been of no consequence in his life? Flirting in that light seemed a bit like overkill.
Thankful that her headache had backed off considerably, she was certain that she had a firm enough grasp on what was happening to know that he was indeed flirting with that comment, and that thought brought a rush of heated pleasure, climbing up from her toes to the top of her head. Even though she needed to appear immune to him, she was disconcerted once again to realize that her heart, which had been in hibernation for a long, long time, seemed to be sputtering back to life with his reappearance in her normally calm and controlled world.
The boy she knew was now a serious adult, a grown man in every way those words applied. Reluctant to look at his face for fear he’d be watching her, she cast a downward gaze on anything other than the pull of his presence as the car made its way into the canyons around Los Angeles.
Trying unsuccessfully to focus on the fact that she’d be home soon, she found herself instead staring mutely at his one hand where it rested against his thigh when they stopped for long moments at a stoplight. Two things entered her mind as she took in every detail of how that hand looked resting against the dark jeans.
The first was that she’d never quite noticed before how huge his hands were. Of course, the man was six foot four inches and looked like he’d been hewn from stone. Okay, maybe not stone, that was too ordinary a description for someone who exuded powerful sexuality from every pore. A much more apt description, she decided, was precious marble—something hand-rubbed to a gorgeous glow. She felt a trill of female appreciation dance along her nerves when she returned to the original thought that everything about him was huge, and not just his hands.
His manner was huge and naturally filled whatever space he occupied. The way he held himself, the way people seemed to immediately snap to attention and do his bidding with absolute acquiescence—it was all huge in her mind.
And the second thought she had was that never before had she ever felt as female as she did sitting there engulfed by his physical size and powerful presence. Good lord, she inwardly groaned, I’m in way over my head. She should be building walls against this man’s reappearance and intrusion into her life, not entertaining an ever-increasing erotic tableau of desires over which, in her present state, she apparently had no control.
CHAPTER FIVE
There was something about the way that she tried so hard to keep from looking at him that made Nick feel guilt-ridden as hell. She didn’t trust him, didn’t like that he was here with her, didn’t want to talk to him at all, and in fact, apparently didn’t even want to acknowledge that they were on the same planet by even so much as looking at him. Yet, the telltale pulse that he could see so clearly on her exposed neck was telling him a different story. That she was not immune to him was plain to see. That she was trying desperately to build a wall around herself was also very plain to see.
Returning his attention to the moving traffic, Nick realized he had a lot of work ahead and set his thoughts awhirl in what actions he should take next.
The late-afternoon shadows filtering through the trees made the drive into the canyon above Los Angeles exceptionally beautiful. Nick liked that she was living away from the congestion of the city, especially after all the thoughts he’d recently had about spending way too much time in urban sprawl. He was glad she was up in the canyons where life felt more natural and connected with the environment.
He was completely charmed by what he saw when, after following the navigation system’s directions, he pulled his large SUV into a driveway tucked behind a stand of trees that opened up to reveal an amazing, fully restored Craftsman-style house.
Glancing over at Shannon, he realized that he was seeing a part of her world that he had never been party to before. She was letting him into her personal life, not exactly because she wanted to, but rather because she’d been forced to by circumstances. Hey, he’d take it however he got it.
Nodding in appreciation, he turned toward Shannon. “Your home is lovely, Shannon. The Craftsman style suits you so well,” he said, reaching down and unhooking the seat belt while smiling warmly into her masked expression.
His reaction thrilled Shannon, and she was instantly delighted that he appreciated how unique and wonderful her little home was. After her successful Hollywood movie premiere debut, the staggering amount of money she’d been paid for her next few events allowed her to purchase what at the time had been a woefully run down Craftsman fixer-upper. She’d spent the next 16 months living in an extended construction zone as the entire house had been renovated and restored to her specific vision. She’d added a few touches here and there that were stylistically all hers. The kitchen in particular, although keeping its Craftsman style, was completely modern and kitted out with all the necessary equipment.
Nick came around the front of the vehicle and opened the door to assist her out. As she carefully swung her legs down, she looked at him with the smallest of smiles evident on her adorable little bowtie lips and acknowledged his compliment about her home with a very shy, “I love this house. Thank you for seeing how special it is, Nick.”
Wait a second. Did his heart just burst in his chest at the sight of her smile and the sound of her sweetly shy words? Taking a deep breath to ensure that he was indeed still alive and breathing, the elation that exploded inside Nick was enough to light up a million light bulbs.
In order to reach around Shannon to grab her bag and the discarded boot from the back seat, Nick had to stretch his entire torso across hers. Luckily he retrieved the two objects fairly quickly and placed them in her lap so he could put an arm underneath her butt and behind her shoulders as he effortlessly lifted her out of the car.
Kicking the door shut, he strode up the path to three large wooden steps leading up to the wide, open porch on the front of her home. Realizing as he approached the entrance to the house that he’d have to put her down to open the door and give her time to fetch the key, Nick was frustrated. Luckily for him, she had anticipated this and was fishing through her bag to find the house keys, which she located immediately, holding them up in front of him as they waved back and forth. “If you just swing open the screen door. I can reach the key into the doorknob,” she said.
So they were working as a team again, he thought as he did just as she instructed by yanking open the screen door and slightly leaning down so she had easy access to the doorknob from her secure place in his arms.
Unlocking the door, she gave a push and the beautiful Craftsman door with the stained-glass windows on top swung open and in he stepped to what, until this second, had been her private sanctuary.
With her clutched tightly in his arms, Nick made sure the front door was shut and locked before turning to take in the interior of her magnificent home. More than a bungalow, the high-ceilinged layout was beautifully restored with all the wood accents to be expected in a Craftsman home. Beautiful hardwood floors, wood-beamed ceilings, endless multi-paned windows, and a large stone fireplace dominated the open floor plan.
The décor incorporated soothing earth tones, natural colors, all muted and soft, just like the woman who lived there. Nick was enchanted and impressed all at once. Ever the problem-solving, practical-minded businessman, he was also relieved to see how open everything was because that would certainly make it easier for her to navigate while she was up on crutches.
Her arm firmly around his shoulder as he carried her through the living room, Shannon realized in horror that without thinking she’d been lightly running her fingers back and forth on his neck. Doing so had seemed so natural to her. She thought back to
her reaction when he called her little one. That he did so as if he’d been doing it every day for the last eight years. When she had stroked his skin it, too, seemed like she’d done just that only yesterday. It felt as though eight years of separation had simply melted away. The thought was staggeringly seductive to her long-starved senses. Shannon was momentarily overcome with the desire to lean into him and put her lips on his exposed neck. He was so close and smelled so good that she was pretty sure she was going to do something stupid in the next second.
Nick lowered her onto the oversize sofa and settled a small pillow beneath her injured foot to keep it slightly elevated. His brilliant hazel eyes gleamed with a raw hunger and a genuine concerned appraisal for her comfort. “What do you need, Shannon? What can I get for you to make you more comfortable? Would you like something to drink?” he asked in a husky undertone.
Even though she knew she shouldn’t be, Shannon was stirred by his continued attention. Finding it hard to relax, she was reassured by being in her own home again after a day that had strained her nerves and tested her resolve to be unmoved by this man’s sudden involvement in her life.
“I could really use a drink of water. If you don’t mind. The kitchen’s behind us.” She gestured with her head toward the wood and marble kitchen behind them to the left. “There are usually a couple of cold bottles of water in the fridge if you wouldn’t mind getting one for me.”
Glad for something to do besides standing there feeling like a dope, Nick sprinted off in the direction of the kitchen to grab them both something to drink. Seemed like a better option than falling to his knees so he could tell her how glad he was to see her again.
The kitchen was just as magnificent as the living room, with the distinctive beams running across the ceiling, highlighting the use wood all throughout the room from the glorious floors to the well-crafted cabinets and the interesting stove hood. A center island and all the countertops were covered in a beautiful, highly polished dark marble with gold flecks that reflected the lighting from the restored hanging lights, giving the entire kitchen a magical feel.
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