Chapter 20 #4
Elliot’s father being so warm, so loving, so accepting of me even though I was sure he could see that I was utterly wrong for him, was grating.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem to expect any kind of response, giving my shoulder one more squeeze before going to Elliot’s bedside and saying something about tending to the boat or fishing. I didn’t quite catch it.
I stared out the window of the hospital, boasting a view of the parking lot.
His heavy footfalls told me he’d left, and I was alone in the room with Elliot.
The man I was most comfortable with and greedy for the attention of.
The man I was almost responsible for killing.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out what I could do to get away from him but not out of the hospital.
I wanted to be close, in case Jasper decided to try some shit.
Highly unlikely but I had come face-to-face with the prospect of losing Elliot and it was terrifying.
‘That’s cute.” Elliot’s thick, smoky rasp drew my attention to where I’d been avoiding. The bed. Him in it. I took a deep breath, put on my indifferent mask then faced him.
“What’s cute?”
“You defending Hannah’s honor.” I had to force my hands to rest against my pants, my fingers itching to trace the delicious lips forming his grin.
“I think your brother was closer to the mark calling me a dragon.” I forced snark into my tone. “I consider being called cute an insult.”
“Tough shit.” Elliot was still grinning. “Because you’re cute as fuck. Now get your ass over here and give me a kiss.”
I arched a brow. “Is that an order?”
His eyes flared, managing to look incredibly sexy despite being in a hospital bed. “Yes, it is. You gonna be a good girl?”
Cue pussy quiver.
I pursed my lips, taking measured steps to his bedside even though I knew I should’ve been distancing myself from him.
The second I was within reaching distance, he snatched me by the hips and pulled me down so my lips crashed against his.
I’d been planning on a chaste, closed-mouthed kiss, considering he was injured.
I needed to be gentle with him. I’d been ruthlessly reminded of his mortality, taunted with it by Jasper.
Elliot wasn’t gentle. His kiss was hungry, claiming. All sense of gentleness—not something that came natural to me in the first place—washed away as I met his energy with a thirst of my own.
I poured all of my anxiety, my relief, and my need for him into the kiss.
A clearing of a throat and a cough sounded. I didn’t detach immediately, nor did Elliot. He took his time before he released my lips and both of us turned our heads to a nurse standing in the door, tilting her head, fighting a smile.
“I’ve got to check some vitals, though I’m guessing his heart rate isn’t gonna be accurate now,” she said warmly.
I swallowed a smile of my own, realizing that at some point, I’d been hauled by Elliot entirely onto the bed, my body was plastered against his. There was a beeping coming from one of the machines I’d unwittingly unhooked.
Elliot’s hand was on my ass. He gave it a quick pat before he released me so I could climb off him.
The nurse winked at me as she approached, fiddling with the machine.
Cheeks hot, I forced my gaze onto my phone, remembering my goals. Get Elliot the best care possible, get him out of here, extract myself from this relationship, and ruin Jasper Hayes and the organization he worked for.
The day passed quickly with a steady stream of visitors. People on the fire crew, from the restaurant—including the little blonde waitress who glared at me when Elliot wasn’t looking. Apparently, when the town’s golden boy got hurt rescuing a kitten, the town showed up for him.
Kip arrived with arms laden with coffee and pastries.
As did Kane and even my fucking brother .
Clearly, Elliot had joined the badass crew without me noticing since he had an easy repartee with the men, even after my brother’s little scene after the shooting.
The visitors were a welcome buffer between Elliot and I, since every time I looked at him, my chest constricted, and the weight of my guilt almost sent me to my knees.
Eventually, though, people stopped coming, and we finished the food Beau had sent over from the restaurant—delivered by the evil blonde waitress.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d poisoned my roll.
Though I ate it because maybe I deserved to be poisoned, and also because I doubted she was brazen, smart or bloodthirsty enough to do something like that.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you in the morning.” I forced casualness into my voice as I gathered all of our food trash then disposed of it. I clutched my purse to my body with a death grip.
“The morning?” Elliot’s posture stiffened, and the skin around his eyes wrinkled. “You’re not going anywhere, Calliope.”
“It’s past visiting hours.” I tapped the sign on the wall which stated that exact thing.
“Since when does Calliope Derrick follow rules?”
He had a point there.
“The only rules you follow are the ones I give you.” His voice was thicker then. “And I’m telling you that you’re going to be sleeping in this bed with me.” He pointed to the bed. “I know it’s not what you’re used to and not the most comfortable, but I’m gonna be a little selfish here.”
“You’re not being selfish. It’s more enticing than the king-sized bed at the Four Seasons.”
His shoulders relaxed as did his expression.
“Then put down your purse, take off your clothes, and get in here.” He pulled back the sheet then scooted over.
I didn’t miss the careful way he moved his body, a spear of more pain and guilt shooting through me at that.
Icicles crept along my spine at the evidence of what I’d done to him.
For the millionth time that day, I mentally flagellated myself and added a new form of torture to the list of what I’d inflict on Jasper.
I masked that pain by focusing on the clunk of my purse falling against the seat, the thump of my shoes hitting the floor then shrugging off my sweater.
I crawled into the space he made, immediately warming at his contact, the tension in my shoulders loosening somewhat but not entirely. I inhaled, and instead of that sterile and assaulting hospital smell, I just smelled Elliot. Home.
He laid his lips against my head. “Best thing I’ve felt all day.”
“Better than the Oxy?” I teased.
“I refused the Oxy,” he reminded me. “And even if I hadn’t, you in my arms will always be better than any kind of man-made substance.”
I buried my head farther into the nook of his shoulder instead of replying. We didn’t speak, just listened to the sounds of people moving outside the closed door. The beep of monitors. Nothing was quiet in hospitals. But loudest was the roar of blame echoing through my head.
“This is my fault,” I whispered in the darkness.
His arms tightened around me. “Now, I do consider you to be the most powerful woman—powerful person— I know.” His voice was still thick and scratchy from smoke. “But even you aren’t in control of things like fire.” He kissed my head, comforting me. “Go to sleep, Calliope Derrick.”
That was it. My chance to come clean, to let him know what he’d let into his bed. Warn him that Jasper would continue to haunt us if I was stupid enough to continue our relationship.
The truth. I owed it to him. He deserved the knowledge of knowing what a viper I was, what type of man I’d let into my bed.
And he’d discard me for it. As he should. Maybe not because it made him think less of me, but because he shouldn’t want a man like Jasper anywhere near him.
But for the first time in my life, I was a coward. I didn’t say anything. I just nuzzled into his chest, forcing my breathing to calm as if I was obeying him. He stroked my hair for a while, but soon that stopped, his breathing and heart rate slowing, telling me he was asleep.
I stayed awake for hours after that, burying my shame down deep, convincing myself that I was doing it in Elliot’s best interests, not because I was a selfish bitch.
But I feared that wasn’t true.
I was a selfish bitch.
And maybe an evil one too.
Because I saw all of the people who showed up for Elliot today. Saw the shadows in his family’s eyes, yet I’d still crawled into bed with him.