Chapter 3
Arianna
Much to my disappointment, I couldn’t be discharged from the hospital immediately.
The nurses wanted to run more tests and keep me in for observation a while longer.
So we spent the next twenty-four hours, eating, watching TV, and snuggling in the hospital bed.
We had a few raised brows from the nurses, but I didn’t mind.
The doctor came fairly early the next morning and examined me.
No permanent damage and nothing broken. I have pain meds to take, and strict instructions to call should there be anything I’m worried about.
They’ve taken blood for testing just to see if there’s anything specific that caused me to black out, but the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that it’s a mixture of stress, and the lack of food intake over the last week.
The results will take a week or so to come back, so in the meantime I’m to rest and take it easy.
Currently I’m settled on Denham’s couch, covered in a soft woolen throw and being waited on hand and foot.
My head doesn’t feel too bad at all, just a little fuzzy, and my ribs only hurt if I move too quickly or laugh hard.
I’m still wearing Denham’s tee and shorts, and as much as I love to wear his clothes, mainly because they smell of him, I really feel the need to get washed and dressed.
I can still hear him talking on the phone outside and I push the blanket off and sit up slowly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Denham steps in from the balcony and comes directly to me.
He’s stripped off his tee after being outside in the afternoon sun, and is just wearing a pair of very casual, loose fitting cargo pants.
Other than gym wear, I’ve never seen him look quite so relaxed, but I’m not complaining in the slightest. He looks delicious.
“I was just …”
“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?” Denham asks with a concerned look on his face.
“You just asked me, like, ten minutes ago,” I laugh.
“I know, but I want you to be comfortable.”
“I am comfortable, will you please stop fussing and come and sit with me?” I say. “That’s all I want. Your warm body next to mine would make me feel so much better …”
“Now, that I can do,” he answers with a satisfied smile on his face.
I scoot over and he slides onto the couch next to me.
He lies on his back and I rest on my uninjured side and curl into the crook of his arm.
My favorite place to be. He traces patterns on my shoulder with his fingertips, and I have forgotten why I was even moving in the first place.
“You should call your mom ...”
“I know, she’ll be worried,” I say with a touch of sadness. She’ll also be reminiscent, I’m sure that me being in the hospital will bring back bad memories for her, regardless if it was different this time.
“I’ve kept her in the loop so she knows you’re okay, I think she’d just like to hear it from you though.”
“Yes, I’ll call her later this afternoon. How did you get ahold of her?”
“I got her number from your phone,” he states unashamedly.
“You went through my phone?” I ask jokingly.
“Yep, all four of your contacts. You should really put a passcode on it so strange men can’t access all your secret information.”
“You’re funny, Mr. King, you know that?” I say propping myself with an elbow on his chest so I can look at his handsome face.
“Yes, I do,” he answers confidently with a sexy smirk that shows off his dimple.
“Lottie is coming to see you after she’s finished work. Mid-afternoon,” he says, changing the subject.
“What time is it now?”
“Just past noon.”
“Yikes, then I need to get changed into something more presentable for visitors.” I lazily trace circles on his chest with my fingertips, wondering how I ever got so lucky to feel so safe, so content.
“Yes, you do. My mom is coming around in an hour.” He mumbles before nuzzling into my hair.
“What?” I squeak. His … mom?
His chest rattles with his deep laugh and I smack him playfully on his stomach.
“What do you mean, your mom is coming? Why is she coming? I can’t meet her looking like this …
oh god, she’s gonna hate me, she’s gonna think I’m a troublemaker.
I am trouble. I told you from the beginning, you just didn’t listen to me.
” I huff and push myself up to try to climb off the couch.
I manage to get one leg over him but his wide body is blocking me and his hand clamps onto my thigh, stopping me from going any further.
“Lie back down, Arianna,” he says calmly, his voice laced with amusement.
“No!” I laugh. “Seriously, I can’t meet your mom looking like this… like I haven’t made an effort.”
He smirks and runs his hand up my leg, along my stomach and between my breasts.
His fingers ignite my now sensitive skin.
He wraps his fingers around the back of my neck softly and pulls me down toward him with a little gentle pressure.
I don’t resist, and I smile when our lips meet.
My ribs grumble at the odd angle I’m holding myself at, but I don’t care. Every one of his kisses is worth it.
He pulls away to speak and I slide back into his side where I was so comfortable before.
“Have you finished with your little tantrum?” he chuckles.
I blow out a sulky breath but I don’t really mean it. “I really wanted to meet your mom in better circumstances, can we reschedule? Please.” I look up at him hopefully.
“Nope, we can’t reschedule. I have some things I need to see to, and I won’t have you left on your own. She’s coming to look after you for an hour … two hours, max.”
“I don’t need looking after, honestly, I’m fine,” I whisper.
“But you’re not fine, you’re recovering and until we find out what caused you to blackout, I don’t want to risk leaving you alone.
I know I promised you that I wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to but I don’t have a choice here, Ari.
Please don’t make it hard for me,” he says sincerely.
I can’t help but look into those beautiful eyes.
Even after such a little amount of sleep and all the worry he’s had over the last few days, his eyes still hold that twinkle.
“I know that you’re anxious about meeting her. But, really, there’s no need to be. She knows all about you. She’s excited to meet you.”
“Really?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes, really. Of course she would rather have met you under different circumstances but we’re making the best we can with the hand we’ve been dealt.”
“Okay,” I say quietly and reluctantly. His logic makes it hard for me to argue and I really don’t want to make his day any more difficult than I have already. Surely he wouldn’t throw me to the wolves if his mom was a real dragon, would he?
“Good girl.” He smiles at me then kisses my nose. Ugh. How am I ever going to say no to him. “You want me to go and get you a change of clothes?” he asks kindly.
“What I would really love is a shower. Would you take me back to my room to get freshened up?” I ask, knowing he will be glued to my side anyway and won’t let me cross the hallway on my own.
I don’t blame him actually, I’m a little nervous about being on my own after not knowing why I fell or blacked out, so for today I’d actually feel better about having him next to me.
“Of course, you want to go now?” he asks, pushing himself up on his elbow and looking so deeply into my eyes it feels like he finds parts of me that have been buried for a long time.
“Just ten more minutes here,” I say smiling softly before nuzzling into his chest. He always smells so …
I don’t know, just sexy, familiar, comforting.
It would be easy to fall asleep resting here like this.
The steady rise and fall of his chest and the rhythmic beat of his heart right next to my ear is calming. I could stay here all day.
I trace my index finger down the middle of his chest, and let the rest of my fingertips fall across the ripple of his stomach.
I move my hand in figure eights, feeling the taut muscle and letting myself explore the sensation of his warmth and the unspoken trust between us.
I want to feel every part of him. Every emotion that he brings out in me.
Not only do I want to feel it, I want to embrace it.
“That’s real good, Stunner, but I’m begging you not to dip your finger any lower on my waistband. You’ve only been out of the hospital for just a few hours so …”
“So what?” I say, teasing him by running my finger a little lower.
He grabs my hand with the speed of a ninja and with a smirk on his face says, “So, don’t make this difficult for me. I’m beginning to think that ‘Trouble’ is actually a better name for you …”
I say nothing. I just pout and try my best to make a sad face, when all I want to do is smile a full megawatt smile aimed totally at him.
“No sulking. Now, come on. Let’s get you showered, and that should keep you out of mischief for a while.”
He brings my captured hand up to his mouth, and kisses my knuckles before helping me stand, holding me steady for a second while I gain my balance.
Denham lets me link my arm in his and we go to my apartment.
I can’t help but look up and steal little glances at him, noticing the lines in the corners of his eyes.
He looks tired after all the worry of the last couple of days, and he’s also unshaven, which I really like.
It gives his already chiseled, handsome face an edge and I love how he can pull off so many looks so effortlessly.
We enter the apartment, and it feels weird. My feet feel heavy and I’m reluctant to push further, coming to a standstill just inside the doorway.
“You okay?” Denham asks, his voice filled with concern.
“Yes, I’m … just trying to remember. I … I remember coming back into this room but I don’t remember anything else. I should remember, shouldn’t I?”