Page 87 of Hook Up

“No nightmares tonight. I’ll be right by your side.”

After washing away the physical and emotional remnants of the last week, we settle in the guest room, our exhaustion evident as we collapse on the bed.

Ryder pulls me tight to his side, his arms wrapped around me like a vise, his lips pressed against my hair.

For the first time since the accident stole his vision, he sleeps without incident. Every time the nightmares threaten, I curl closer to him, whispering words of love until he quiets.

Then, when he’s settled, I allow myself the same luxury, my eyes drifting closed as the blackness takes hold.

It’s dark outside when I blink my eyes open, pressing a kiss to Ryder’s chest as I glance at the bedside clock.

It’s after eight. No wonder my stomach is rumbling.

With a sigh, I run a hand over my abdomen, wondering how to tell Ryder the news. Wonderingwhento tell him the news.

Ryder stirs next to me, gliding his hand along my spine. “You’re really here.”

Snuggling against him, I tease his lips with my tongue, unable to keep the smile from my face. Despite everything, at least I’m back in his arms again.

I need to celebrate that fact.

My husband strokes his hands along my arms, his face unreadable.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” The nurse in me worries about his condition. After all, the man has a head injury and anything is possible, even weeks after the crash.

“Will you answer me honestly? Not tell me what I want to hear?”

“Don’t I always? I am the one who dumped a bucket of ice over you a few hours ago. Trust me, I always speak the truth.”

Ryder chuckles, tightening his grip. “Please don’t do that again.”

“No promises. What’s on your mind?” Part of me wonders if he might ask about the pregnancy, although there’s no way he could know. Until this afternoon, we barely spoke.

“Are you sure you’re not staying out of pity?” There’s no anger in his voice, just a hint of resignation regarding his current limitations.

So, to counteract that emotion, I toss sarcasm into the mix. Propping my chin on his chest, I skew up my mouth in a pout. “Are you sure you’re not still in love with Mandi?”

A harsh laugh breaks from Ryder’s mouth. “If you ask that question one more time—”

“Ditto.”

The energy changes then, the last of the walls we erected crumbling away. “I’ve only ever loved one woman. There’s you, Gigi, and then there’s everybody else.”

“You and those incredible one-liners, they get me every time. How in the world did little old me win Ryder Gray’s heart?”

“You’re seriously lucky?”

I snort out a laugh, giving his chest a light slap. “There’s the egomaniac I know and love. I knew he was in there somewhere.”

“Now, if I can only get my sight back…”

We need to stay positive. As a nurse practitioner, I know faith is half the battle. “What’s the first thing you’ll do when you regain your sight?”

“Stare at you.”

“Be serious.”

“Okay, fine. Stare at you while I’m balls deep inside you.”

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