Page 109 of S.O.S. Billboard

She went to apologize, but before she could form the words, she felt an insistent tug back into oblivion…and went with it.

****

The next time O’Shea woke up, the lights, thankfully, were no longer drilling holes through her eyeballs, and there was actual daylight streaming in through the windows.

She gingerly turned her head, and saw Billboard crashed out in a very uncomfortable looking chair, his head tipped back, his mouth open, and his legs sprawled practically halfway across the room.

Even disheveled, he was still the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She itched for her phone to take a picture…

His lids popped open, and he was instantly on his feet and at her side.

How did anyone do that?

“O’Shea. How are you? Do you need anything?” His hands fluttered around her like he didn’t know quite where to put them.

She was able to lift one arm to settle him down, noting the IV that was taped to the back of her hand.Well, hell. Once again, allher tribulations came flooding back. It all seemed somewhat…surreal.

And what was it that Billboard had asked. Did she need something?

O’Shea focused her thoughts. “Water?” she strangled out.

“Absolutely,” Billboard said, and grabbed a cup with a straw in it that sat on a swing-out table on the opposite side of the bed. He held the straw to her lips, and she sucked, thankful. The cool water tasted so good.

“What…happened,” she rasped, once he’d taken the cup away. “After…” Her fingers went to her face which hurt like a bitch.

“You remember being beat up?” he asked with a distinct snarl to his tone.

“Uh, huh,” she responded, concentrating and thinking back. “Bastard kept punching and kicking me.” She stuck her tongue out to wet her lips. “But I…managed to get one hand loose, and…” O’Shea almost wanted to laugh, but she knew it would hurt too much. “…while I was giving him the wrong combination, I took a knife from his belt. I cut him on his side, surprising him because he dropped to the floor. While he was down, I…got myself loose the rest of the way, and…”

Words were coming with difficulty.

Maybe if she closed her eyes for a moment…

****

O’Shea popped her lids open and gazed around. It was dusk outside her windows, and…Billboard wasn’t there.

What had she expected? O’Shea wasn’t surprised. The man couldn’t be by her side 24/7 until she was up and on her feet again. He’d probably gone home to shower and change. She knew he hadn’t abandoned her.

She turned her head. The covered water cup that she remembered was still there, and her mouth was as dry as awooden spoon. She desperately needed a drink. Gingerly, she sent a hand out, reaching for it, and managed to get her fingers wrapped around it before—

“What are you doing?”

Crap.The door swung wide and Billboard stood there looking aghast, like she’d been up trying to dance the Cha-cha or something.

Her tentative hold on the life-giving liquid faltered, and the cup slipped to the bed, sending water droplets all over her sheet.

Billboard rushed to her side. “Dammit, O’Shea. I walk out for one second…”

He swiftly gathered up the wet, top sheet and rescued her cup, while also managing to put a hand back through his hair, making what little of it there was, stand on end.

O’Shea giggled.

“Oh. You think that’s funny?” he questioned, but his lips twitched upward.

“Maybe,” she said, taking every inch of him in. She must be feeling better, because she wanted nothing more than to wet her whistle on—instead of water—all his gorgeous ink. But getting him to laugh would be okay, too. She affected a pout the best way she could with a fat lip. “I think you scared me on purpose so I’d spill on the sheet and you’d get a look at me in this sexy little johnny.”

He snickered.

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