Chapter 18
Taylor
Both the X-ray and head CT come back clean. No spinal fractures, brain bleeds, or concerning edema.
“I don’t love that your vision is still blurry or that you have a bad headache, so you’re going to need to be monitored tonight and woken up every hour,” the doctor explains, her voice echoing around the sparse room as she enters.
I was moved to a private room because Knox threw an absolute hissy at the nurse when she tried to tell him he couldn’t be in the bay with me because he isn’t family. I guess Dr. Singh didn’t get the memo because she looks at Knox and asks, “Are you his father?”
I watch in horror as Knox’s face loses all color. Great, my nausea is back.
It’s a simple mistake, and an easy assumption to make considering I’m also here with my sister, and Knox is clearly older than me and her.
Plus, I’m well aware I look younger than my actual age…
but fuck. I was beginning to think we were headed in the right direction, but as this lovely lady highlights our age difference, I feel Knox slipping away from me.
What will finally be the breaking point for him to shut this down completely? I wonder.
I want to lay claim to him, let him know I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by others’ opinions, but that would absolutely be the wrong move right now, so I wait for him to give the answer he’s most comfortable with.
His jaw clenches as he answers with a curt, “No.”
She eyes him for a second, like she’s wondering how he’s back here with me if he isn’t family, but ultimately must decide it’s not worth her time and mercifully moves her attention back to me.
“Okay, well, who do you live with?” she asks me.
“I live alone,” I bite harshly, silently adding like the grown-ass man I am.
“Well, I can’t discharge you if you’re going home to an empty house, so I’ll work on your admission orders.”
“What? No!” I shout, startling everyone in the room. God, I don’t want to stay here so nurses can wake me up every hour and ask me annoying questions. I look at Livvy pleadingly. “Can’t you stay with me?”
She looks back at me with her apology written all over her face. “Sorry, Bird, I can’t be awake all night. I have a huge chemistry exam tomorrow morning.”
My head snaps back in frustration, but the movement hurts from the whiplash I sustained, and I grimace. “Ouch! Fuck.”
Suddenly, Phoenix comes into my field of vision as he addresses the doctor while wearing a shit-eating grin I don’t quite understand. “He can stay with this gentleman right here. There’s plenty of room.”
“What?” Knox demands.
Phoenix just smiles wider. “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it, Knoxy? Consider us even. Hope you feel better soon, Taylor,” he adds, slipping his sunglasses back on before disappearing from the room.
Knox’s nostrils flare, and I know he’s pissed at being put on the spot. His eyes close, and he pinches the bridge of his nose like this whole situation is giving him a migraine. But finally, he says, “Fine. He can stay with me.”
An hour later, I’m released into Knox’s care. We’ve dropped Livvy back off at the marina so she can get her car, and then we’re headed to Knox’s house.
If I felt better, I’d be giddy knowing I’m about to be back in his space. But my meds must be wearing off because my head feels like Javier is taking a hammer to it.
I’m rubbing my temples when Knox’s voice booms through the cab of his truck.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, barely masking his concern.
“Is it really necessary to yell?” I ask, each syllable making my head throb a little more.
“What’s wrong?” he asks again in a whisper.
“I can’t get the jackhammer to stop inside my skull. Pretty sure that’s an outdoor activity.”
It could be my imagination, but I swear he steps on the gas a little harder.
When we get to his house, I try to unbuckle, but honestly, the sudden movements almost make me throw up on the floorboard.
“Stay there. I’ll help you inside,” Knox says before climbing out of the truck.
Never mind the fact that I really do need the help right now, I wouldn’t in a million years refuse a chance to touch Knox Bennett.
As he opens my door and helps me out of the truck, my limbs feel heavy, the world is still slightly tilted, and the sunlight is fucking brutal. Is it always this bright outside? How do humans stand it?
I slip because I’m sluggish and his truck is so high, but before I can correct myself, I’m weightless.
Without even cracking an eye open, I feel Knox’s hard chest against my right arm. This fucker is cradling me for the second time today. God, I wish I felt good enough to enjoy this.
The faster I get inside, where it’s hopefully cold and dark, the better.
“Come on, let’s get you settled,” Knox says as he manhandles me.
I hear the garage door open, and then we’re in the shade. Thank God. A second later, a blast of cold air hits me, and I sigh in relief.
“What’s wrong?” Knox asks again.
“Nothing,” I whisper. “Cold air feels nice. Medicine?” I ask, knowing the doctor gave me muscle relaxers as well as something for my headache.
“Yeah, baby, I’ve got your medicine.”
Hold the fucking phone.
He realizes he called me baby at the same time I do. He tenses, but I don’t call him on it…mostly because everything is really starting to hurt.
Knox lays me down somewhere…a bed? The couch? I don’t know, but I fight the urge to curl into a pathetic ball. A sharp pain zings through my skull, and I must moan out loud because a second later, Knox is at my side.
“Here. I’ve got some water and your meds,” he says, sliding his arm around my back, helping me sit up just enough so I can swallow without choking.
I knock them back and almost choke anyway when he says, “Good boy.” There is no sexual undercurrent in his words, but that doesn’t stop me from whimpering. Thankfully, he thinks it’s because of the pain I’m in.
“It’ll be better soon. Just try to relax,” he says, continuing to coach me through this with his deep voice.
“My neck and shoulders hurt so bad,” I whine. Stiffness from the whiplash is already affecting my ability to relax, and any movement in my neck makes me see stars—and not in the good way.
“Can you find a comfortable position if you sit all the way up?” Knox asks, moving behind the couch he’d laid me on.
I attempt to do as he says, and I’m about to tell him no way until I feel his giant hands land on my shoulders and start kneading gently.
He’s applying enough pressure for me to feel it, but not so much that it causes me to tense under his touch, and before I know it, the pressure in my head is lessening.
Whether it’s because of his hands or the meds, I can’t be sure, but I don’t even care at this point.
The last coherent thought I have is, I hope I don’t drool when I pass out.
Right before my face smashes against the water, something pulls me back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to not go under, but I don’t know what stopped me, and I fight it.
“Taylor.”
My name is almost enough to bring awareness to me, but not quite, and I try to lash out again. But this time, my arms are pinned to my sides.
“Taylor!”
My name comes again, and my brain fights through the fog.
Opening my eyes, I’m face-to-face with Knox.
I startle, the events of the last six hours not catching up fast enough for this reality to make sense.
“What the hell?”
“Hey, you’re fine. You’re safe. I just needed to wake you up again.”
Slowly, it all starts coming back.
The concussion. I’m at Knox’s house. On his couc—
This isn’t a couch. And I’m no longer in my swimsuit.
Oh hell.
“Knox, what happened to my swim trunks?”
It’s not even dark outside yet, so I can see the color rising in his cheeks as he answers.
“They were damp, and I didn’t want to put you to bed in them.” Suddenly, his eyes bug out of his head. “Oh, Jesus, Taylor, I swear I didn’t touch anything or look—”
I clamp my hand over his mouth to get him to shut up.
“Knox, I honestly don’t care if you see or touch my dick.
I’d just prefer to be awake for it and that it be standing proudly at attention and not drooping in a medicated stupor when you do so.
” A pained expression crosses his face. Not knowing the reason behind it kills me. “Oh, God. What’s that look for?”
Knox shifts uncomfortably before clearing his throat.
“It must not have gotten the memo about medicated drooping.” I don’t realize I’m smiling until Knox says, “I’m hoping that smile means you’re feeling better?”
I take a quick inventory of my current status and am pleased to find that “My head doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it did, so that must be a good sign,” I finish out loud.
“I’m sorry I had to wake you, but doctor’s orders and all,” he says shyly, standing next to the bed.
“Thank you for letting me stay with you. I really didn’t want to spend the night at the hospital.”
“It’s fine.”
He’s not looking at me, and I hate it.
Looking down, I realize I’m in a shirt that swallows me and shorts that do the same.
Tugging on the shirt, I thank him for the loaners, wishing we could skip this awkwardness.
I push up on my elbows, wanting to be closer to him, to not waste this precious time, but my equilibrium is still off, and the room starts spinning again.
“Dammit,” I groan, flopping back onto the pillow. I squeeze my eyes shut because I hate this feeling. Then the mattress dips beneath Knox’s weight.
“Talk to me, Taylor. What’s wrong?”
The concern in his voice guts me.
“I’m fine. I just can’t sit up without the fucking room spinning.”
“I can’t give you any more meds yet, but maybe I can help get you back to sleep,” he says in that voice that threatens to undo me.
“What’d you have in mind?” I ask playfully.
“Really? You’ve got a concussion and can’t sit up on your own, but you want to flirt right now?”
I can’t help my smile. “What can I say? When I see what I want, I won’t be deterred.”
“Shut up.” The words lose all their bite when he laughs as he says them. I’m in love with the sound. “You’re supposed to be sleeping…and healing,” he reminds me.
“I’m not so tired anymore,” I tell him, looking up at his handsome face.
He gives me a cocky grin that has me dangerously close to coming in his sheets, but before I can respond with something smart, he drives his fingers into my hair and starts massaging my scalp.
“Ohmygoooooood. Fuck, yeeeees,” I groan, my back bowing slightly off the bed in an effort to get closer to him. I’m entirely unable to hold my reaction back.
“Taylor,” Knox warns.
“Don’t Taylor me when you’re giving me a scalpgasm,” I chastise, my eyelids closing because they were already heavy from his touch.
I don’t know how long he stays because I’m out again within the next five minutes, despite the protestations from my dick.