Page 34 of Control

The scratching sound of the nurse’s cart in the hallway interrupted her state of calm, causing her to stir. Blue eyes peeked out behind her heavy eyelids, staring in front of her in a daze. Sitting up, she wrang out her neck’s stiffness from sleeping at such a terrible angle. Her eyes finally settled on me before widening with alarm. “You’re awake!”

“And you’re here.” That crash had been hell, but waking up to her beautiful face was worth every twinge of pain.

Her forehead creased with concern, showing the little grooves that would one day deepen as her age grew to match the wisdom she already possessed. She was beautiful now, and I’d bet anything she’d be even more so as she grew older. Her looks were the type that only got better with time.

“How do you feel?” she asked softly.

“More alive than I’ve ever felt in my life.” I traced her face with my eyes. The soft skin I was itching to touch. The golden locks that framed it. The supple lips that I was dying to kiss.

She swiped her tongue along her bottom lip as if anticipating my desires, staring at my mouth…waiting.

“Good morning!” a high-pitched voice broke our moment. An older woman waltzed to the other side of my bed and set about fussing over the monitors that I was hooked up to. Claire released my hand and sat back in her chair putting more space between us, much to my disappointment.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Mr. Sethi. How did you sleep?” the nurse asked, her voice much too chipper for the early morning hour.

“Just like spending the night in a five-star hotel.” I winked at her.

Yet another victim to my charm, she blushed, her cheeks reddening brighter than a cherry.

“Your vitals look good. How’s your pain?” She eyed me over the rim of her thick-framed glasses.

“What pain?” I smirked, making her chuckle. “When can I go home?” I was ready to get the hell out of here. Being tied down to a bed was torture—unless the blonde ballerina next to me was doing the tying, of course.

“You have some considerable bruising on your ribs, so you need to rest,” the nurse said as she inspected the tubing attached to my arm from across the bed.

“I’m fine,” I protested. I moved to slide a foot off the bed, but the crushing pain in my torso halted me.

The tiny force of nature in scrubs pushed me back onto the bed and fluffed the pillow around my neck for support. “None of that now. I’ll put in an order for more pain meds to dull some of that discomfort,” she said, typing something out on the bedside computer.

“I don’t want them.” Although drugs were my business, I didn’t take them. I didn’t like the feeling of being out of my wits. I needed to be clear-headed to be successful and sense danger coming.

Before the nurse could argue with me, Claire’s soft voice filled my ears. “Jai, please. Just take them,” she pled.

I stared at the distress in her eyes. She was worried about me. Guilt ate at me that I was the reason for her concern. I nodded, eager to erase her anguish. “Okay. I’ll take them,” I reassured Claire.

“Good boy,” the nurse chimed. “You can only go home today if you listen to her.” She smiled in approval at Claire. “I hope you’re hungry. Breakfast will be here soon.”

The nurse scurried out of the room, leaving us alone again. “I should text your family,” Claire said, standing up. “They’re worried sick about you.”

Before she could move away to get her phone, I grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to me. “It can wait.”

Our eyes locked and her head moved closer to mine, as if the gravitational force between us was too strong to resist.

She closed in the last few inches from me on her own, meeting my lips with hers. I sucked her bottom lip between mine, appreciating how its fullness felt in my mouth. I moved against her lips, showing my gratitude for her presence, slow and soft. I ran the tip of my tongue along hers, tasting her deliciousness.Cherries. Plump and juicy.

She stopped our embrace only to let out a large sigh. “I was so worried.”

Her admission disarmed me, and I cupped her delicate face in my thick hands. “You don’t need to worry about me, baby girl. I’m like a cat with nine lives. A large one. A large and ferocious one. That bites.”

She chuckled softly. A lock of her hair came loose in front of her face, billowing with every exhale. I fingered the strands, feeling their smoothness, before tucking them behind her ear.

The nurse returned and rather noisily set a tray of pancakes and coffee on a rolling table. Claire backed away, allowing her to slide it in front of me. “Enjoy,” she said before leaving us again.

“Mmm. That smells wonderful,” Claire moved in slightly, inhaling the steam from the tray.

I held my knife and fork and cut a piece of the stack. Holding it up to her, I motioned for her to eat.

She waved her hands in front of her chest. “No. That’s for you. You need your strength.”

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