Chapter 15
Natalie
In a day already filled with shocking events—no one expects to get sideswiped, even when the roads are icy—nothing could have surprised me more than seeing Jensen Lakes appear in the emergency department.
He paused just inside the curtain and stared at me, his expression filled with raw emotion. No cocky smirk. No intense eye contact. He let out a long breath, and his shoulders dropped as if a wave of relief washed over him.
I opened my mouth to answer what I thought would be his first question—are you all right—but he didn’t say a word. With a look of determination, he came over to my bedside, cupped my face, and pressed his lips to mine.
I’d been wrong. Something could surprise me more than his appearance. His kiss.
The shock of his lips on mine was so astonishing that at first, I stiffened. But a heartbeat later, my eyes fluttered closed, my lips softened, and I melted.
His mouth was warm and inviting, working magic on mine while my mind went blank. He teased my lips apart, brushing them with his tongue. I opened for him, and he took the kiss deeper—still gentle, but with a passion that sucked the air from my lungs and made my entire body tremble.
He didn’t stop devouring me. It was as if he couldn’t get enough. As if I were oxygen and he needed me to live. Our tongues tangled, velvety soft. Deep to shallow, then deep again. Heat surged through me, and I gripped his arms, hanging on for dear life while he consumed me.
Eventually, he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. My head swam with euphoria, and my swollen lips tingled. We held there for a long moment, noses brushing, breathing together.
And I knew one thing with utter certainty—Jensen Lakes had just ruined me.
Never in my life had I been kissed like that. So passionately. So thoroughly. Every kiss I’d ever experienced had been nothing compared to what he’d just done to me.
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.
“Thank you,” I said and dabbed the corners of my eyes. “Sorry. Today has been a lot.”
He kissed me again. How did that feel so natural? It was as if suddenly there was nothing more normal in the world than Jensen kissing me.
I decided not to think too deeply about that. I had enough on my plate. For the moment, I’d simply enjoy it.
Enjoy him.
“Are you hooked up to anything?” He glanced around the bed and peeked beneath the blanket.
“No. I just have to wait for my discharge paperwork.”
He rolled his eyes. “I hate paperwork. Let’s be on our way.”
I laughed. “Jensen, I work here. I can’t walk out without being discharged.”
“Fine.” He stood. “Who do I need to talk to?”
“No, just wait.” I took his hand and tugged on it, nudging him to sit. “She’ll get to it as soon as she can.”
He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed again. “Are we in danger of being late for Annabel?”
I checked the clock on the wall. “No, she doesn’t get out of school for another hour.”
“And you’re sure you’re all right? No internal bleeding or anything?”
“I’m sure. If I were bleeding internally, I’d have a lot more pain, especially in my abdomen. Plus weakness, dizziness, rapid bruising or swelling at the impact site, cold clammy skin, and nausea and vomiting.”
“I suppose you do know what to look for.”
I nodded and glanced around the room. “I’ve actually never been a patient here.
It’s weird. I think this is the room where we treated the guy who’d nailed his hand to a two-by-four a few weeks ago.
He didn’t want to pull out the nail himself, so he sawed off the end of the board and brought it with him. ”
“You mean he came in with a nail through his hand, still attached to the wood?”
“Yep.”
“Well, good on him for thinking on his feet.”
“That’s what I thought. We were able to get it out and it didn’t do any permanent damage.”
The nurse came around the curtain and thankfully, she had my discharge paperwork. No one likes having to spend time in emergency, but I felt especially awkward, considering my coworkers were all outside picketing.
Once she left, Jensen stood. I was in a hospital gown and my clothes had been set aside, so I hesitated, clutching the blanket that covered me.
“I need to get dressed,” I said.
The corners of his lips turned up in a wicked grin. “Go ahead.”
“The first time you see me naked is not going to be here.”
His smile grew, and his tongue slid across his lower lip. “Is that an invitation to see you naked later?”
“I don’t know,” I said decisively. “I haven’t decided about you yet.”
“All right.” That smile was going to kill me. “What about dinner, then? Have I convinced you of that?”
He turned up the heat, his dark eyes smoldering with suggestion. But I wasn’t giving in that easily, no matter what his kiss had done to me.
“How about this? You can come to dinner at my house. With Nina and Annabel there.”
“I’d love to,” he answered without hesitation.
“And it will probably be pizza.”
“I love American pizza.”
“On paper plates.”
“If you’re trying to talk me out of it, you’re failing miserably. Can we also wear pajamas?”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time. I love a pajama pizza party.”
“Are you up for it tonight? Or should you rest?”
“I think I can rest while having pizza. Even with you there.”
“Brilliant. It’s a date.”
“All right. A date.” I looked him up and down. “Do you own pajamas?”
“No, I sleep naked.”
I laughed.
“Can I find them at the… what was it?” he asked. “Farm store?”
“Knowing them, they probably have some. But you could try a few other places.”
“Easy enough. I’ll be properly attired. And I’ll pick up the pizza.”
I smiled. “Thank you. Now turn around so I can change.”
He put his back to me, and to his credit, he didn’t peek—not even to tease me. Bending over hurt, and when he knelt to help me with my shoes, I almost swooned to the floor. He looked up at me with that sexy grin, making my cheeks flush and my spine tingle.
That man. I didn’t know what he was doing to me or what it all meant. But whatever was happening between us, wherever it was going to lead, I was powerless to stop it.