Where There’s Heat – By Aliza Mann #5
The nurse chuckled. “You’ve got that right. They’ll be here in a moment to take you to get that chest x-ray. Until then, could you make sure he stays put? I don’t want to have to send the old school nurses in here. They used to put patients in restraints,” she said.
For a moment, Charity wasn’t sure whether she was joking or not. “I will be sure to keep him here,” she promised.
“Cool. I think you can handle him,” she said before disappearing behind the curtain.
“Have you been acting up, Michael? These people are going through enough. They don’t need to deal with any shenanigans.” Charity surveyed his face now that she was up close. His eyes were wet with what looked like unshed tears, but he didn’t have any blood on him, at least at first glance.
“I just wanted a phone… I needed to call you,” he said, his voice smaller than normal.
“What happened?”
With a roll of his eyes, he focused on her once more. “I had been out there too long. I took in some smoke and the heat was unbearable in certain spots. This is all preliminary. But I wanted to call you because I needed to tell you something.”
“This can wait until you’re doing better…” She glanced over him one more time to be sure he wasn’t impaled or something worse.
“No, it can’t. I need to tell you, this whole time we’ve been sniping at one another. Speaking for me, I was honestly trying to impress you. And when it didn’t work, I would get a bit defensive. You are… Charity, you are the most beautiful and smartest woman I know.”
Without her realizing, her hand flew to her chest. “Michael, I?—”
“Please,” he said, shifting up in the bed.
“Let me finish. Today, we have suffered so many tragedies. For the first time in my life, instead of running toward the fire, I wanted to run toward you. It has always been so thrilling to save people and help them out in times of need. I have always loved my job. Today though, I realized you are someone who I want to be around. You were all I could think of. I’ve never truly been a relationship type of person.
You know, my job is dangerous. I always felt like it would be too much for any woman to have to deal with.
But today, when we were together, my world was coming together even as everything fell apart. ”
“I feel the same way, Michael,” Charity explained as she leaned closer to him and took a seat on the tiny bit of remaining space.
“I’ve always wanted to be the man for you. I just didn’t know how to say it. I guess at forty-three, men can still be immature. But you have made me want to be more mature and in a relationship with you… if you’ll have me.”
For Charity, who had never truly been an emotional woman, to swipe away tears from being so deeply moved by a man was a surprise.
She did want Michael. It felt amazing to admit such a thing and know that he wanted to be with her, too.
“I would like nothing more than to explore a relationship with you,” she acknowledged.
“You know what? You always speak like a politician,” he laughed.
“Okay, let me do better. I would love to link and see where this thing goes, as the kids say.” She winked at him, the smile so wide it burned at her cheeks.
“Yeah, they do say something like that. I’m pretty sure you’ve made me one of the happiest men in LA.”
“If I can do that with just a few words, imagine what this will do.”
Charity moved forward resting a hand on either side of Michael before hovered her lips nearly to his.
At first, her kiss was chaste, a test of his desire for her.
Slowly she felt his hand move around her waist, gently tugging her closer.
Closing her eyes, she kissed him again, this time lingering and dipping again and again.
Micheal raised from the pillow to deepen their connection, his mouth hungrily exploring her with a tug of her lip between his teeth before opening her mouth with his and indulging her with his sweetness.
He was a magnificent kisser, and they didn’t stop until his heart monitor rang out in the room.
Charity jumped back worried she was hurting him. “Oh my god, we’re about to set this place on fire.”
“I certainly hope not,” he said, laying his head back on the pillow, with more hunger and passion than she’d ever seen in him.
“Once you’re out of here, and everyone is safe, of course, we’ll test that theory. See if we can create a few sparks of our own.”
“I’d like that,” he said.
“And I should tell you, Michael. First off, I’m never calling you Mike.
I like Michael much better. Next, I am so sorry if I ever made you feel bad or that I didn’t value your input and expertise.
You are probably one of the smartest people I know.
If anything, I wanted you to know I had it going on, too. ”
“Noted. I accept your apology. As long as you accept mine. I never meant to speak down to you and mansplain… is that what you call it?”
“Yup.” Charity leaned back and crossed her leg, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.
“Well, I never meant to. I promise you, I will only ever respect you, as long as you are my girlfriend.” Michael laced his fingers through hers and pulled her hand to his mouth for a gentle kiss.
“Am I your girlfriend now? At this great age of mine, how about partner?”
“Partner it is, if that is what you want to be called.”
“I do, for now.”
“So be it. Now, before these nurses come back in here, you think I could have another kiss?”
Charity allowed herself to be gently pulled closer to him.
“I can’t think of anything I would rather do, Chief Henry.
” The sweet gentle kiss would have to hold her until he was better.
It would be enough, as long as they had one another to look forward to.
“Now, please… put the damned mask back on.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, then placed it back on his stubborn face.
Perhaps, Charity thought, with so much loss around them, finding the strength to be real with one another was some measure of good they could hang onto for a bit.
THE END