Page 14 of Rhys

“Joy?”

“Your nurse. She stopped by earlier when you were still out, and she just came by again a second ago. I rushed into the hallway to keep her out of the room, but she said she was worried about your vitals since, according to their system, you suddenly had none.”

Shit. I really must be in a haze.

Normally that was something Vanessa would’ve thought about ahead of time.

“Don’t worry. I told her they came loose when you got up to go to the bathroom, so you just left them off. I convinced her to give you a few minutes and then come back. She said to push the call button when you’re out of the bathroom, and she’d come back by.”

“You convinced her, huh?” She could practically see him turning on the charm. Just like he used to do with her back in the day.

Breaking eye contact, Rhys cleared his throat and opened the door. Glancing up and down the hallway, presumably to make sure her nurse was nowhere to be seen, he moved to the side and motioned for her to go.

It wasn’t until they stepped outside that either one even thought about the fact that she was walking in her bare feet.

Vanessa inhaled sharply and looked down. “Wow, that’s cold!”

Following her gaze, Rhys muttered a low curse. “Shit. I left the bag with your shoes in it back in the room. Wait here, I can—”

“It’s fine.” She stopped him with a hand to his arm. Ignoring the same electric shock as before, she shot him a pleading gaze and said, “Forget the shoes. I can buy another pair later. Let’s just get out of here before it’s too late.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but thankfully he didn’t. What hediddo was to bend at his waist and carefully scoop her up into his arms.

“Oh!” On reflex, Vanessa swung her good arm around the back of his neck. “What are you doing?”

Rhys didn’t respond, but rather continued walking across the parking lot with purpose.

Now that the shock of being picked up had worn off, it finally registered that, for the first time in over two years, she was back in the arms of the only man she’d ever truly loved.

Her breath stuttered inside her chest, and this time, it wasn’t from the cold. If anything, Rhys’s body was an inferno, just as it had been when they’d been a couple.

He’d always felt warm to the touch. Didn’t matter if they were sitting side-by-side on the couch or lying naked under the covers in her hotel room bed. Rhys’s body heat was always the perfect complement to her cold nature.

An unexpected memory chose that moment to strike. They were in Kabul and had just finished dinner when the skies opened up, and it started to rain. The sidewalks became flooded with the sudden downpour, and she’d been wearing these thin, strappy leather sandals.

Not wanting her to have to walk in sloshing rainwater all the way back to her hotel, Rhys had promptly picked her up and held her close, just as he was now. And he’dcontinuedcarrying her for the entire six blocks back to her hotel.

Without conscious thought, Vanessa closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. The feel of his strong arms and the steady cadence of his steps nearly calming her almost instantly.

He was warm, and she was cold. Just like before. If she let herself, she could almost imagine they were back there to that night. Back in a time when he still loved her.

“I said it was cold, not cut glass,” she mumbled against him, discreetly inhaling his raw male scent. “I appreciate the gesture, but you don’t have to carry me. I can walk barefoot.”

“I’m sure you can.” His deep voice rumbled against her cheek. “But at the rate you’re going tonight, you probablywouldfind a piece of cut glass, and then we’d be right back where we started. And no offense, sweetheart, but it’s been a hell of a night for the both of us. I, for one, could use some sleep.”

Right. Of course. This wasn’t some valiant act of chivalry because hecaredabout her. He simply didn’t want to waste any more time hanging around the hospital. Not that she could argue against that fact, seeing as how she was the one insisting that they leave.

Vanessa tried to ignore the disappointment when she spotted his car up ahead. That little moment of hers had only lasted a few short seconds, but man. It sure was nice pretending.

She relished in the feel of his surrounding warmth, taking from him what she could before they reached the awaiting vehicle, and he’d have to put her down. She used to joke about how they were fire and ice…

Little did she know how true those words would become.

3

Rhys parkedhis car in front of his garage door before reaching up and turning off the ignition. Swinging his gaze to his right, he started to say something to Vanessa but stopped when he saw that she was asleep.

He pressed his lips together, taking a minute to study her resting form. She looked much more at peace than she had earlier when he’d been sitting vigil by her bedside. And every bit as beautiful.

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