Page 10 of Saved By the Surly Medic

"I asked for her recommendation, and this is what she told me to get."

"Thank you, Jonah. This is amazing."

Brooke's expressive gray eyes stare up at me, and I feel something shift in my lower belly. This incredible woman has never had anyone be sweet with her. I can feel it. That's why the simplest gesture means so much to her.

It blows my mind, makes me sad and sends rage simmering through me all at once. The entire world should be sweet to this incredible girl.

Once she's mine, I'll make sure that happens.

The decision has been made.

6

BROOKE

I've always been pretty shy around guys, but Jonah is different. I'm fluttery when he's around, but it's only partly nerves.

The way he looks at me, studies me so meticulously… It's as if he's suddenly dedicating his entire life to figuring me out.

And I love it.

Having his complete attention on me makes me feel like I'm lighting up from within. It's also drawing my focus to areas of my body I hadn't really thought about sharing with anyone else until I found someone really special.

Like Jonah.

He obviously has some sort of shell around him, but whenever he touches me, the shell cracks a little, and I see something different in his eyes.

I'm so touched that he sent his friend Clark over to bring me ice cream and make sure I was using an ice pack. And the new sketchbooks, and the Staedtler pencils?

I'm positive that it's his way of letting me know that he really likes me and doesn't just think of me as some random weird girl he yanked out of the river.

Jonah busies himself in the kitchen, making yet another wonderful one-handed dinner of hummus wraps this time. We eat together on the couch, watching another movie – a sci-fi mystery, his pick, with a cheesy plot but unbelievable special effects.

About halfway through, he casually stretches his thick arm around my shoulders, then glances over to make sure I'm okay with it. My right side snuggles directly against him, and I wonder how much of a green light he's going to need to go any further.

When I'm getting ready for bed, he encourages me to take another painkiller both to keep the swelling down and to make sure that I don't wake up uncomfortable in the night.

"Tomorrow we can start you with heating pads," he says. "Then it should start improving more quickly."

"I'm okay, really."

His eyebrow lifts. "I've been watching the way you move. Your entire side is stiff."

The remark raises a tiny prickle in the back of my shoulders. I slip into the guest room bed, patting the edge for him to sit down. He hesitates, then sits as far away as he can. "What do you mean, studying my movements? Why?"

Jonah actually looks uncomfortable, staring down at his hands. "Just keeping an eye on you. If you get worse, or aren't progressing as fast as I'd like, we need to get you to the hospital."

Reaching out, I take his hand and squeeze it. "I appreciate that you're taking such wonderful care of me, but it's really not that bad."

"It's the very least I can do after hurting you."

I bop him on the nose. "Excuse me? You didn't hurt me. You saved me."

He takes my hand again. "This is kind of a weird situation, Brooke. You're pretty much stuck out here with me. And I don't want you to think…I mean, I'm not the kind of guy who…"

The poor guy. I need to find a way to let these physical feelings out. "You said that you believe in natural remedies, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

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