Page 67 of Sex, Lust & Lingerie

CHAPTER 39

Gloria

The loud wail of a siren blared in my eardrums while a sharp pain radiated up my right arm. I fluttered my eyelids, but I couldn’t get them to open.

“Gloria.”

The soft, velvety, virile voice was familiar. The sound of my name was like a prayer. Comforting, hopeful. I forced my eyes open, one at a time. Everything was dark and hazy. Slowly, my pupils focused, and I found myself seated on a bench, cradled in the arms of Jaime Zander. We were moving at lightning speed in some kind of vehicle, the blazing siren still sounding in my ears. Were we on some kind of extreme thrill ride?

Jaime’s silky tux jacket was draped on my shoulders. Still in my one-shoulder gown, it warmed me. Another sharp pain shot up my arm. I glanced down at my hand. It was swollen and wrapped up in some kind of splint. The bandaged finger that had once worn Jaime’s toi et moi ring peeked out. It looked puffy and ached. The siren continued to blast as we wove in and out of traffic. It finally dawned on me that I was in the back of an ambulance. Silently, I met Jaime’s gaze. Oh, those beautiful denim blues! His eyes held mine with adoration.

“Welcome back, angel.” He planted a light kiss on top of my head. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Fractured memories of the events that brought me here drifted in my head, creating a dizzying montage. Victor. The FBI taking him down. Vivien falling to pieces. Jaime’s passionate kiss. My award. And then the wretched image of a monster invaded my mind. Boris Borofsky! An inner alarm went off. I jerked violently.

“Oh my God. Where’s Kevin?”

“I’m over here.” My eyes jumped to the rear of the ambulance. Kevin was lying down strapped to a gurney, his head propped up on a pillow. With a gasp, I cupped my good hand to my mouth.

“Don’t worry, Glorious. I’m fine. The paramedics think I have just a mild concussion, but they want me to go to the hospital to get it checked out.”

I smiled with relief. The thought of losing Kevin after all we’d been through was too much to bear.

Kevin lifted his head. “I heard I missed all the action.”

Jaime nuzzled my neck. “You were something else, angel. A total tank girl.” He started to rebraid my disheveled hair.

“What are you doing, Mr. Zander?”

“What does it look like? I’m braiding your hair. I might as well get used to it since you won’t be able to with that cast you’ll be getting.”

I scrunched my nose. “My arm’s broken?”

“Most likely your wrist. A fracture. The next time you shoot someone and decide to faint afterward, please let me know so I can catch you.”

Wait! I shot someone?Another stab of pain ripped through my arm. “Where’s Boris?”

“He’s dead. You took him out.”

My heart should have done a happy dance. I had slain the monster—he was out of my life. Instead, a deluge of tears attacked me. I had no memory of shooting him. The fact that I couldn’t remember frightened me.

Jaime brushed away my tears. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure. My emotions were in a painful jumble.

“Kevin told me everything.”

“You know my secret?”

Gently, lowering the blanket that was also wrapped around me, he pulled down the shoulder strap of my gown and tenderly kissed the scar that grazed my heart. The scar the monster had left behind. “Yeah, it makes me love you more.”

Loveme more? I pondered his words as he wrapped his arm around me and dug his fingers into the breast pocket of his tux jacket.

“Angel, there’s something I want to give back to you.” His hand, fisted, re-emerged. Slowly, he unfolded his fingers. Glistening in the middle of his palm was the magnificent toi et moi ring.

My heart fluttered at the sight of the two brilliant diamonds—two hearts entwined in an eternal embrace. Battling tears, I gazed down at my swollen, bandaged finger. “I don’t think you’ll be able to get it on.”

A cocky smile played on his face. “It was never meant for that finger.”

---