Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Her mouth dropped open. “I don’t understand any of this.”
He sighed, then reached for a tissue and gently wiped her face.
“Everything I said, I meant. You are mine and I am yours. And that I’m going to take care of you.” He carefully removed the oxygen tube and held a tissue against her nose. “Now blow.”
Sometimes she just didn’t get him. When she cried, he grew all awkward. He nearly panicked. Then he managed to calmly and patiently deal with cleaning up her snotty nose.
That was just weird.
“Blow,” he said firmly.
And the boss was back. She blew, then groaned as it sent pain through her chest.
“You need to rest.” He put the oxygen tubes back in her nose. Gross. Then he threw away the tissue.
She was not feeling at her most attractive right now.
“I’m okay,” she said hoarsely.
He gave her a look. “No, you’re not. But you will be. I’ll see to it. I’m going to see to everything from now on, Maeve. You’re not going to worry about a thing. Understand me?”
“Not really.”
“You need sleep. You’re exhausted. Everything else can wait until you’ve gotten some rest. Go to sleep, girl. I’m watching over you. I won’t let anyone harm you.”
Her body seemed to have a mind of its own, because despite the fact she had a zillion more questions, she found herself drifting off.
Several times in the night, she woke up. Plagued by nightmares or coughing. And he was there. Watching her in the near-dark. A guardian, protecting her from all evil.
And for the first time in a long while, she felt completely safe.
26
Can’t breathe.
The pressure burned in her lungs.
Breathe, Maeve. Breathe.
“Maeve? Maeve, wake up!”
Maeve woke up with a gasp, taking deep, soothing breaths. Where was she? What was going on?
She opened her eyes, looking right up into Gray’s worried face.
“There you are,” he said. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Had she had a nightmare? She wasn’t sure.
“This bed sucks,” she muttered.
“Hospital beds usually do.”
Gray settled back in his chair beside her bed. But he was still staring at her worriedly. His eyes had dark smudges under them, but he’d changed out of his hospital scrubs and put on some clothes. Where had he gotten them from?
Memories rushed back from the night. Of him comforting her every time she’d woken up scared, afraid.
He wasn’t that good at physical comfort. But when he whispered to her that she was safe, then she knew she was.
“Here, drink some water.”
She didn’t want to, but considering how dry her mouth was it was probably a good idea.
“Did you sleep at all?” she asked.
“Nope.”
“Grumpy bear,” she whispered. “You have to sleep.”
“Grumpy bear? Uh, no, you’re not calling me that. And I’m not sleeping. If I go to sleep, some other bastard might hurt you. Or you might disappear.”
“You’d be upset?”
Anger flooded his face. “Upset? No, I wouldn’t be upset.”
Oh. That’s not what she thought he would say.
“I’d be fucking furious. I was fucking wild with fear when I realized you’d left. Fear that something happened. Fury that you didn’t tell me what was going on. But do you know who I was most angry with, girl?”
“I think you’re going to tell me.”
“With myself. Because I didn’t realize soon enough what you meant to me. Because I was still deluding myself that you were something casual. I kept telling myself that something more wasn’t possible. Not with the life I lead. And by the time I figured it the fuck out, you were gone and I couldn’t get in touch with you. You should have been tucked up safely in my bed, unable to leave the house without me fucking knowing. Not heading across the country alone, then nearly fucking dying.”
Nerves danced inside her. Not because she was scared of him. Nope.
Because when she read between the lines of what he was saying, what he was really telling her was that he cared.
About her.
Suddenly, it all became too much. What he was saying. What had happened to her. She didn’t know why it hit her so hard right then, but she couldn’t hold the emotions back.
Tears raced down her cheeks again. “Someone tried to kill me, didn’t they? They tried to drown me?”
For some reason, it was hitting her harder this morning.
She’d nearly died.
“Oh, baby.” The anger disappeared, devastation and something else filling his face. Determination? “Fuck.”
“I just don’t understand. Why would someone do that to me?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“I’m . . . I’m scared, Gray.”
His eyes widened. “Fuck. Don’t, Maeve. Don’t be scared. I won’t allow anyone to harm you. I swear.”
But she knew he couldn’t make a promise like that.
“I can’t do this . . . I don’t know what to do . . . I thought if I came here that they wouldn’t follow. But they did, and they hurt Abe. It’s my fault that Abe was hurt.”