Chapter 8 #2
For a moment she just stands there in silence, analyzing me without breaking eye contact. She doesn’t even flinch from the threat in my tone. Then she turns around and picks the clipboard back up. I expect her to leave me here and maybe send someone else to treat my wound.
But instead, she writes something down with a sharp click of her pen, sets the clipboard aside, and then steps back into my space.
“Take off your shirt,” she instructs with the authority of someone working at the hospital, but I notice how her fingers twitch against her side.
“Without having a drink first?” I challenge her, a slow smirk tugging at one side of my mouth despite the sting in my ribs.
“Very funny,” she says, rolling her eyes, but she steps closer.
Close enough that I can smell the faint familiar scent cutting through the sharp hospital antiseptic.
“If you don’t get proper treatment for that, it’s going to get a pretty nasty infection.
Now, it’s up to you whether you want to come back in a day or two with a high fever, begging for antibiotics, or get treated now and prevent it. ”
“It’s cute of you to assume I ever need to beg for anything,” I wink at her, biting back a groan as I take the shirt off and toss it onto the side table.
At first she tries not to look at my bare body, deliberately focusing on the tray of medical supplies.
But once she snaps on her latex gloves and steps between my knees to start treating my wound, the distance between us vanishes.
Every time she dabs the antiseptic, her fingers brush against my skin and I notice her eyes glancing at places they don’t need to go.
She’s tracing the ink starting at my ribs and continuing to my chest and arms.
It's fascinating how little fear she’s showing despite knowing damn well how dangerous I am and seeing the amount of scars I already carry.
Riley is a smart woman, she can easily piece together exactly what kind of trouble I was in tonight.
And still, her hands remain steady and she doesn’t even blink.
With her body so close to mine, I can feel the warmth radiating from her. It’s the same heat I felt earlier at Eden. My mind flashes back to the way she moved to the music, the defiant spark in her eyes, and how badly she wanted to be in control in that moment.
I want her.
I knew it from the moment I kicked her out of my office, but watching her hands work efficiently over my skin, feeling the sharp contrast of her cool fingers against my burning flesh, I’m sure of it.
And her cleavage revealing just enough to peak my curiosity isn’t helping.
My mind immediately goes to dark places.
I imagine the exact pressure of my fingers sliding across her chest, and how it would feel to wrap my mouth around her nipples, sucking her sweet and hard until she completely unravels for me. Making her lose her mind.
“Sleep with me.”
I never dance around a subject. If I want something, I go and get it. Wasting time does not exist in my vocabulary.
The cotton swab freezes against my skin and Riley’s eyes go wide. The look on her face is a mix of pure shock and sudden terror. She blinks, staring at me as if I’ve just spoken another language.
“Are you out of your mind?” Her eyes go wide, the look on her face full of terror. “Absolutely no.”
I’m not a man who takes ‘no’ easily, but I’m also not someone who would force a woman. I let out a slow breath, watching the frantic rise and fall of her chest. I don’t insist.
She works in silence after that, finishing up the stitches with quick and efficient movements.
When she’s done, she steps back, tearing off her gloves and throwing them in the bin.
She then scribbles something down on a piece of paper and hands it to me, her fingers brushing mine for a second too long.
“It’s not a prescription, clearly,” she forces a smile, making me realize she’s still nervous. “But these should help you recover faster. Make sure to take one in the morning every day for a week.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she responds. “I know it’s not my place to say this, but…” For a moment I wonder if she’s going to finish that thought. “Try to take care of yourself.”
“Are you worried about me?” I notice her blush at my question and she looks away.
“It’s my job to care about the people coming in here,” Riley points out.
“Right,” I nod, biting my lip to hide the smile. “Well, I appreciate it.”
She nervously scoffs, writing something down again. “You’re free to go.”
“I’ll see you at the Eden then.”
“See you,” Her eyes never meet mine as I’m leaving and a part of me wants to stick around just a little longer after seeing how nervous I can make her.
But I don’t. I have more pressing things to take care of than to stick around just to annoy the incredibly hot girl that I employ. The memory of her cleavage flashes in front of my eyes and I quickly push the image away.
As I’m walking outside, my phone rings.
“It’s all taken care of,” Elijah’s voice informs me. “Did you get the wound checked?”
“I’m walking out of the hospital right now,” The heavy door closes behind me. “It’s a minor scratch, as I already said.”
“Good,. He sounds relieved. “Make sure to eat something when you get home.”
“I will, mom,” I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me.
“It’s not funny, Zeke—”
“Gotta go!” I interrupt him the moment I see Riley walk outside. She’s wearing her normal clothes and I glance at the time, realizing that her shift is probably over.
I expect her to take the bus or call a cab, but instead she walks all the way to the other side of the parking lot and then crosses the main street.
For a moment I stop and consider whether or not to follow her.
A part of me is still hoping she will hop on the bus at the next station, but when she almost disappears into the dark alley, I let my instinct take over and walk after her.
If we need proof of how dangerous this neighborhood is, we have my stitches. And I’m a grown, adult man, skilled at combat, so if someone can so easily jump me, how easy of a target does that make Riley?
The thought of someone else putting their hands on her turns my blood to ice. She is my responsibility now. My asset. And nobody touches what is under the protection of Ezekiel Kavanagh.
Riley takes another turn down the alley and while I’m still keeping my distance and making sure she doesn’t notice me, I make the same turn. Even the street light in this area seems to be broken, with three out of five street lamps flickering while the other two don’t even work.
This place looks like hell.
She arrives at a building at the end of the street.
She lives here.
Just as I’m about to turn around and leave, assuming she’ll be okay now that she’s home, a figure appears and starts tugging at her arm. I lose it.