Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
The parking lot was full, not surprising considering LA County was one of the busiest hospitals in the metropolitan area plus it was late on a Thursday night, and that was when most emergency rooms became super busy.
The last thing Isaac wanted to do was text Marie and tell her he would pick her up at the ER entrance.
He wanted to be at the door waiting for her.
Watching the area to see if anyone was lurking in the shadows.
After returning home to change and then dropping Marie’s phone back to her, he’d spent the day going through camera footage in an attempt to see if he could locate the vehicles that had hemmed Marie’s driverless car in.
It had been a fruitless exercise, and it seemed as though they’d disappeared off the face of the earth.
Marie’s phone had been a dead end too. Cass hadn’t been able to find anything to suggest that someone was tracking it. Everything was pointing toward it being a case of opportunists wanting to rob someone and knowing that once trapped, the driverless cars couldn’t move.
Finally, he spied someone walking to their car and he slowly crawled behind them. Fortunately, they didn’t take their time and pulled out quickly, allowing him to get parked and to the front entrance five minutes before her shift was due to end.
I’m waiting at the ER entrance. Let me know when you’re leaving and I’ll come inside.
Isaac fired the text off and pocketed his phone, taking in the surrounding area.
It was well lit, making it difficult for someone to hide.
Even with the bright lights shining down, there was always the possibility that a perp could stand out in the open and then make a move when someone least expected it.
There weren’t too many people milling about, and the ones that were, were sucking on a cigarette or studying their phones.
The sound of a siren approaching had Isaac moving back to allow for the arriving ambulance to be able to do what they needed to do without him disrupting them.
In seconds, the back door was open, and a patient was wheeled out at the same time the main doors opened, and Marie walked out, bag on her shoulder, but she paused when she saw the patient.
Isaac stayed where he was, watching as she and the paramedics spoke, with a quick nod, she stepped to the side allowing them to go in.
He fully expected her to follow them, and was surprised when she didn’t but instead, began looking around.
He moved so that he wasn’t behind the column, and her face brightened with a smile when she saw him.
“Hey there,” she said when they met up.
“Hey yourself.” He took in the hair escaping from her bun. She wore a T-shirt that clung in all the right places and a pair of jeans. The scrubs she’d been wearing that morning were, no doubt, in the bulging bag.
How many did she take with her, or did the hospital supply them?
Not that any of that mattered, all that mattered was getting Marie home.
Dark circles ringed her eyes and fatigue screamed from every pore of her body.
He longed to pull her into a hug, but refrained, respecting that they were at her workplace and while there weren’t any staff lined up looking out the window, he didn’t want to make assumptions that she would be okay with him doing that.
“I want to ask if you’ve had a good day, but that just seems wrong considering what you do.
Instead, I’ll ask this, was it good to be back? ”
“It was a tiring day and some aspects were good, others not so much.”
A shadow passed through her eyes, and he wanted to push her to share with him what had gone wrong.
More than anything, Isaac wanted her to know that should she need him, he would be there for her.
Although, considering they’d only connected again a day ago and those circumstances weren’t what he’d call favorable, it would probably take her a little time to share with him the ins and outs of her day.
Not to mention doctor/patient confidentiality.
“You ready to go home?” He gave into the need to have her close and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
“More than ready.”
They walked to the car in silence, and Marie didn’t attempt to move away from him, as if she was grateful to have him to lean on.
“Do you want to stop and get something to eat?” he asked, cursing himself that he didn’t think to pick food up for her.
“Nah, I’m good. I managed to grab something at the cafeteria. All I want to do is go home, take a shower and then collapse in bed.”
“Fair enough. Do you have another shift tomorrow?”
“Yep, although it’s not as long as today. It’s a morning shift, so I have to be back at the hospital by six.”
Isaac pressed down on the accelerator, and the car picked up speed. If she had such an early start, he should get her home as quickly as possible so that she could get the maximum amount of sleep before she had to do it all over again. “What time do you need to leave in the morning?”
“You are not driving me again, Isaac. Don’t even think about offering.”
He glanced from the road to Marie, and she was glaring at him.
If they weren’t in the car and she was standing in front of him, he imagined she would have her hands on her hips, and maybe tapping her foot.
He chuckled at the image. “I’m not laughing at you,” he stated quickly when it looked like she was about to blast him.
“Then what are you laughing at, because I didn’t think I said anything amusing.”
If he told her what he pictured it would only make the situation worse, yet he couldn’t lie to her.
After lying for so much of his life, he found it abhorrent.
He didn’t want to be untruthful to Marie.
Nothing ever good came from that. “When I looked over, you were glaring at me. I just imagined if we weren’t in the car that you would have your hands on your hips to emphasize your point, along with tapping your foot. ” He finished in a flurry.
He chanced another look at her to see what her reaction was. A ghost of a smile played across her lips. “I probably would’ve done all that.”
Isaac laughed loudly at how accurately he’d pictured her. “I’m glad I didn’t offend you.”
Marie sighed. “No, and I’m sorry. I’m tired, so I’m a little short-tempered.”
They’d reached her apartment complex, and luck was with him, there was a parking spot directly out front. He deftly parked, and with the engine off, silence cocooned them.
Isaac reached over and took her hands in his, bringing them up so he could kiss her knuckles softly.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. You work a high-pressure job and it was your first day. There are a lot of stressors on top of what you normally have to deal with. You can be as short-tempered as you want with me. I can take it.”
Would she believe that he was telling her the truth? He could take her being a little short with him. There would be times when he’d be short with her. He wouldn’t harm her or say anything cruel. He would rather cut off his hand than do anything that would hurt Marie.
“I believe you. Will you walk me up?” She gave his hands a squeeze.
“Of course.” There was never any doubt that he’d let her walk to her apartment by herself. The fact she asked was huge in his mind. She was opening herself up to him a little, and he planned to take whatever she wanted to give him.
“I figured I’d get in first, because I know if I tried to go by myself you wouldn’t let me. And not in a controlling way, but in a ‘making sure I’m safe’ way.”
Her rambling was cute, and everything she said was the truth. “Pretty much. Come on, it’s late and you’ve got an early start tomorrow. Let’s get you home and safely tucked up.”
Letting go of her hands, he got out of the car and was around her side, opening the door in seconds.
Everything around him was quiet, and he didn’t sense there was anything out of the ordinary around them.
He relaxed a little, but he would remain on alert until he’d checked her apartment and everything was okay.
They didn’t say anything as they made their way up to her apartment. Marie stepped to the side after she unlocked the door, her invitation for him to enter first clear. “Are you sure?” he asked, because he didn’t want to just assume that she was okay with him checking her place.
“Yes. I’m okay with you clearing the place.
I may have only known you a short time, but I’m beginning to understand your need to ensure my safety, which includes going in before me.
But I’m not going to stand outside like a sitting duck waiting to be shot at.
I’m going to come in with you. I’ll just follow you carefully. ”
It wasn’t ideal, but arguing about it wouldn’t be conducive to either of them. “Sure. Stick close.” He held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation.
Together they walked in, Marie flicking the light on. Everything looked fine. Not a cushion out of place, and the boxes that still needed to be unpacked remained in the neat group against the wall.
It didn’t take them long to move through the other rooms until they found their way back to her living room.
Her tiredness was evident in the slump of her shoulders and the way she’d yawned five times in a matter of minutes.
Isaac knew he should go. Knew he should walk out the door and leave her alone, but he didn’t want the night to be over.
Which was totally selfish considering she’d worked a long, physically grueling shift, while he’d been sitting at his desk looking at camera footage.
A mind numbing, but necessary part of his job.
And he should tell her about what they’d discovered today.
It would mean he’d have to stay longer, but it would also mean that she’d be awake and she needed her sleep.
“I know you told me not to pick you up, but there’s stuff I need to tell you about the case.”
“The case? Is that what we’re calling it now?”
His lips quirked up. “It’s better than your attempted kidnapping; much more efficient to use one word.”
She chuckled, like he hoped she would. “That does make sense. I know I should ask you to tell me…”
“But you’re tired and all you want is a shower and your bed,” he finished for her.
“Yeah, that.”
“What I need to tell you can wait. I’ll pick you up and talk to you about it on the way to work, okay?
” He was confident that what he had to say wouldn’t affect her concentration for the rest of her working day.
He’d already advised her, and there were no issues with her phone when he’d dropped it off earlier.
“I’m too exhausted to argue,” Marie sighed. “If you want to get up at the ass crack of dawn to take me to work, that’s on you not me.”
He loved when she sassed him, he wanted her to do it more. “It is. And I do. I’ll let you go now.” Isaac leaned forward and gently closed his mouth over hers. Desire flared to life, but he squashed the flame. Now wasn’t the time, no matter how much he wanted it.
When they pulled apart, Marie’s fingers had scrunched his shirt and her body was pressed up against his. He wanted to keep her close, but stepped away before he gave into the temptation to stay. Of course, he would be staying in his car again, but she didn’t have to know that.
“I should let you go,” he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before stepping away.
Marie studied him for a few seconds. He withstood it, and didn’t look away. “You’re going to stay in your car again, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m guessing if I tell you that you’re being ridiculous and it’s unnecessary you’ll ignore me anyway?”
“Pretty much.”
Her chest rose and fell as she took a long deep breath, his eyes tracking the movement, noting the way her full breasts pressed against the tight T-shirt she was wearing. His cock stirred in his pants, and he silently cursed and willed his body to settle the hell down.
“Why don’t you stay here?”
Her invitation shocked him. “What?”
“You heard me. Stay here. I don’t like the idea of you spending the night in your car again. It’s not safe.”
She was worried about him! He hadn’t gone through what she had.
There were a lot of other things he’d suffered through and some of them were bad, but expected because of the situation he’d been in.
Her situation was entirely different. She hadn’t expected to have guns pulled on her and her ride blocked in.
God, he couldn’t stop thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t been there to stop it. He was missing something, of that he was sure, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Isaac? You okay?” Her hand touched his, and he returned his focus to her, aware that he hadn’t responded to her offer.
“Maybe I’m a little more tired than I thought I was.” He hadn’t realized until that moment that he was tired. That the thought of spending another night in his car didn’t appeal, but he would’ve done it for Marie.
“Then stay here and not your car,” she urged, and he couldn’t ignore her plea.
“Are you sure you want that?” He glanced at the sectional that took up most of the living room, it looked like it would fit his frame easily.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want it.” She grabbed his hand. “Come on, I’ll get you some blankets. I don’t have the guest room set up yet, but my couch is comfy.”
“Anything would be better than my car,” he quipped, which earned him another roll of her eyes.
“You have no one to blame but yourself for your discomfort. You’re the one who chose to stay there. I didn’t ask you to.”
He trapped her against the shelves of the linen closet. “And I would’ve done it again tonight.”
They were so close. Chest to chest. Thigh to thigh. All he had to do was lean in and he could kiss her. Possess her mouth, and maybe instead of the couch, he could join her in her bed.
Isaac immediately slammed the door on those thoughts.
He wasn’t going to take advantage of her or use the situation to get what he wanted.
Instead, he reached past her and picked up the emerald-green blanket that was on the shelf behind her.
“This ought to do me,” he murmured as he put some space between them.
Marie remained where she was for a few seconds before it looked like she gave herself a mental shake and closed the doors. “Right. Okay, then. Goodnight, Isaac.” She took a couple of steps then stopped, glancing over her shoulder.
He waited, expecting her to say something more, but all she did was lick her lips before continuing on her way and disappearing into her bedroom, leaving his body aching for her sweet touch.