Page 58 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
I was never going to be the same.
“What happened to you?” he whispered, and the concern—maybe even fear—in his voice almost undid me. “Who did this?”
“Just some tourist. The road was icy, and he couldn’t stop.”
“What?” Still cupping my cheeks, he pulled back slightly, and his eyes roved over my face. “A car accident?”
I nodded. “I’m okay. Just banged up. They brought me in as a precaution.”
Smiling slightly, he shook his head and lowered his hands. “Bloody hell. I thought it was Julian.”
“What?”
“I tried to call, but you didn’t answer. And when I went to your house, not only were you not home, there were signs of struggle everywhere.”
“Signs of struggle? What are you talking about?”
“Christmas lights strewn about, and a dining chair was knocked over. Chaos everywhere.”
I laughed. “Jensen, I live with a single mother and an energetic six-year-old. That’s just what our house looks like.” Pausing, I drew my eyebrows in. “Wait, how did you see all that?”
He glanced away. “I broke in.”
“You what?”
Meeting my eyes, he touched my cheek. “I guess I lost my mind for a minute. I was worried about you.”
I gazed at him, not sure what to think.
He leaned in to kiss me again, and I reveled in the roughness of his stubble and the softness of his lips. Moving my hands around the back of his neck, I slid my fingers through his hair. He tilted his head and slanted his mouth to cover mine more fully, and a low groan rose in his throat.
I was in so much trouble.
He pulled away, and reluctantly, I let him go. Of course, I was not only in the emergency department but I was also in my workplace. Getting caught making out—even though I was there as a patient—was probably not in my best interest.
“Who’s the fucker who hit you?” he asked. “Do you need me to ruin him?”
“No. I’m sure he has enough problems.”
“What about you?” He brushed my hair back. “You said banged up. What’s wrong? Can you walk?”
“Yes, I can walk.” I bent my knees to demonstrate. “Nothing’s broken. Just bruising, and I’ll be sore for a while.”
“Are they holding you hostage, or are you free to go?”
“I haven’t been discharged yet. I’m sure the covering nurses are just behind, what with the strike and everything.” I paused, absently tracing my finger over the back of his hand. “I’m so glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get home.”
“Don’t worry, darling.”
A fresh wave of dismay washed over me, and I pressed my palm to my forehead. “My car is probably totaled. And I’m supposed to pick up Annabel from school. Nina’s at work, and I don’t know what happened to my phone. It must be in my car, but I don’t even know where that is.”
“It’s all right.” His voice was soft but firm with confidence. “I’m here now.”
“I know, but none of this is your problem.”
“I needed a partner.” He gave me a soft kiss. “That goes both ways. You don’t have to handle this alone.”
My lips parted, and I stared at him as tears stung my eyes. I did not want to cry in front of him, but it had been a hard day.
