Chapter Thirty-Four
Jesse
Sunday set the tempo for the following days: I’d help Sebastian clean up, and make breakfast before he settled in to read, game, or play with Robin, while I worked on my art.
Janine brought lunch daily, Sebastian napped through the afternoon, and we spent the evenings with takeout dinners and movies on the couch.
Sometimes we played chess, but even in his current condition, I only managed to beat him one time out of ten.
After another week, I drove Sebastian to the hospital for his wellness check.
I waited on pins and needles. It had been almost three weeks since the accident.
He walked without the cane now and didn’t complain about soreness in his ribs or shoulder, but the accident had been serious.
I’d almost made myself sick with worry when Sebastian emerged from the office, grinning from ear to ear, without his sling.
“Where— Wow! Is this a miracle or what?”
He chuckled. “They removed the bandage and sutures. I can shower now. I have to be careful with the arm, but I can go without the sling for a few hours a day. I can drive starting next week, when I’ll go to physiotherapy.
I can go back to work next month.” He reached for me and pulled me close.
“Best of all, I can resume normal activities, as long as I take it easy.”
“Do you mean...”
He winked. “I do. I don’t need you to play nurse anymore, but I can think of a couple of other games to play.”
My face burned as I remembered the slutty nurse outfit waiting in the bottom drawer. “We’ll see.”
I drove us home, excited to surprise Sebastian and see what Naughty Nurse Jess could do for her patient. When we got to the apartment, I took my time going up the stairs with him. It was mid-afternoon and we weren’t expecting visitors tonight.
I unlocked the door and secured it once we were inside. I even threw the safety chain. This was one time I didn’t want Janine walking in.
After settling Sebastian on the recliner with a glass of iced tea, I went into the bedroom, dug up my slutty nurse outfit, and put it on. God, I looked stupid, but my muddled brain convinced me it was kind of sexy.
I’d drawn the line at wearing high heels. Dressed in the tiny white nurse uniform that left half of my ass bare and covered only a third of my boobs, I padded into the living room. I’d added white stockings, a garter belt, and a thong so tiny it got lost inside my cracks with every step.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to play nurse anymore?” I batted my eyelashes. “You’d better like this thing, ‘cause it’s frigging uncomfortable. And don’t you dare laugh.”
His jaw almost touched his chest. I could literally see his chocolate-colored eyes heat up and melt as they roamed over my body. My skin warmed where his gaze lingered. I’d missed this so much—him looking at me, his eyes filled with need and desire.
“Holy shit.” His voice was a low growl. “I had a dream about you like this in the hospital.”
I moved toward him. “Was it me, or one of those sexy nurses hovering over you?”
His eyes met mine. “It was always you, Jesse. Always you.”
“It better be.”
I lowered myself to my knees and started to remove his clothes, playfully teasing him.
His erection strained his shorts. No amount of fabric could hide that fabulous monument of manhood.
I caressed him gently, kissing his chest, mindful of the bruises, not completely faded, leaving behind yellow patches.
“I need a shower first,” he whispered.
“Later.”
When he was down to his boxers, he drew me close and kissed me, his tongue hot and demanding, sliding into my mouth possessively. I melted into his arms, straddling him carefully. He cupped my ass, pressing me against his hardness. We both gasped when his fingers found me wet and ready.
I moaned against his lips. “I’ve missed this so much.”
“Show me how much.”
He stroked my center with his thumb, while his middle finger slipped inside me, swallowed by damp, dizzying desire.
I wanted to tell him to stop so we could savor this moment, but my body took over.
I rocked against his hand, urging him to use another finger, to quicken his circling movements, while I gasped and held his mouth trapped against mine.
I was so ready that within minutes I shattered under his caresses.
The orgasm left me panting and shivering against him, my forehead pressed against his.
“Oh, God.”
“Nope,” he said smugly. “It’s just me. And I haven’t even started.”
I opened my eyes to see his cocky grin. His eyelids were heavy, his eyes glazed with desire.
“Well.” I licked my lips. “I have a head start on you, but I think you can catch up. You said you wanted a shower, right?”
“Yes, please. I’ve been dying for one, although your sponge baths weren’t bad.”
“Thank you, kind sir. Can I ditch this outfit now?”
“You haven’t finished your nursing duties.”
I smiled demurely. “As you wish.”
I kept the outfit on while I helped him shower. Instead of being frustrating and awkward, it was fun and sexy as hell. By the time we were both ready to collapse in bed, he was clean, and my slutty nurse outfit was soaking wet.
“Now, can I take this off?”
His gaze slid over my body. “Not yet.”
I grinned. “Okay. That means I’m still in charge, Mr. Wright.”
I melted between his legs, bending my head to take him into my mouth. He groaned, burying his fingers in my wet hair. I licked and teased until he was on the brink.
His voice was raspy, his eyes unfocused. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to come.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” I climbed up and straddled him. “I want you inside me. Now.”
I lowered myself slowly over him, my head falling back as I closed my eyes and took him in, inch after delicious inch.
Waves of need washed over me again. The pressure built with renewed desire.
He cupped my breast as I bent over him and rode him, my gaze drilling into his, until a mind-blowing release rocked our bodies, sending us into a deep, primitive place of our own.
We remained locked together for several minutes, neither ready to let go. Beyond the physical release, there was an acute need for intimacy and bonding, for recovering the time we’d lost, and for the closeness that would complete our emotional healing.
Eventually, I lowered myself next to him, ditched what was left of the nurse outfit, and guided my head onto his good shoulder.
“I love you,” I whispered, tracing the tattoo on his pectoral with the tip of my finger.
“I love you too.” He kissed my forehead, then my eyelids, the tip of my nose, and finally my lips.
“I thought I was never going to see you again. I don’t remember things clearly right after the accident, but I remember thinking I was never going to see you again.
That terrified me more than the thought of dying. ”
I buried my face in his shoulder. “I know. I’ve never been so scared in my life. Not even when my dad died.”
“I’m sorry, Jess. I know I said I’d stop apologizing, and I will, but I have to say this one more time. I’m sorry I put you through this. I swear, from now on, I will take better care of myself, and I will do everything it takes to get completely well again.”
“I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”
“Thank you.” He sat up.
I did too. “What do you need? The bathroom?”
We’d expended a great deal of energy, considering he’d just gotten a clean bill of health. Had we overdone it?
“No. I need my gym bag, the one I had at the hospital. Where is it?”
I frowned. Why on earth would he need that?
“I put it in the hall closet. I’ll get it for you.” I dragged an oversized T-shirt over my head and went in search of his gym bag.
“I don’t know what you need from this,” I said, returning to the bedroom. “Janine removed the dirty laundry the day you came home.”
Sebastian put on a pair of boxers and looked pleased with himself.
He chuckled. “In all the times I pictured myself doing this, I never saw us looking like Tarzan and Jane, but in this moment, it makes perfect sense.”
He took the bag from me and started rummaging through it, more by feel than by sight.
“Doing what?” I watched him, puzzled.
With a triumphant sigh, he withdrew his hand. My heart jolted when I saw he was holding a small, black velvet jewelry box.
He still sat on the bed. I stared down at him. When he opened the box, I saw the shimmer of white gold and sparkling diamonds.
He gazed up at me. “I can’t get down on one knee yet, and maybe I should wait until I can, but I don’t want to. I’ve waited long enough.” He held up the ring box as though offering it to a deity. “Jessica Ariadne Nielsen, will you marry me?”
I pressed my hand to my mouth and lowered myself to the floor in front of him, so we were eye to eye.
Confusion and rapture filled me. I stared at the ring.
It was a wide band of white gold, with three diamonds encased in the metal.
A ring for a working woman, beautiful without being delicate, the stones protected by the gold so they wouldn’t easily be damaged.
It was a reflection of me—sturdy, practical, durable.
“Where did you get this?” I stared into his eyes. “You were in the hospital, and then you were here.”
He smiled. “I bought it several weeks ago, before the accident. I had Janine pick it up and hide it in the bag, knowing you wouldn’t look inside once she removed the gym clothes.”
“Weeks ago?” My eyes grew wide. “You were serious the night of the accident? Because of the drugs and the pain, I didn’t think you remembered asking me to marry you.”
He scoffed. “Jess, I might’ve been drugged up, but I knew exactly what I was saying. I wouldn’t say anything I didn’t mean, even under the influence.”
“And Janine has known all this time? Oh, my God.” I shoved a hand through my hair. Now her comment that day about my fitting in with the artistic Wrights made sense.
“Well, she did help me pick it out.”
“Really? And… How did you know my middle name? Did my dad tell you?”
He grinned. “Nope. Jan saw it the night of the accident, when you filled in the blood donor forms. Thought it was interesting enough to mention.”
“My dad was a big fan of Greek mythology,” I muttered. “Coincidentally, Ariadne married Dionysus, who was basically the god of partying and loose living.”
“I’m sure there’ll be jokes about that later.” His tone was casual in an overly-exaggerated way. “But at the moment, would you like to try on the ring and maybe answer my question?”
I snapped out of my stupor. I took the box, gazing into his handsome face. Despite his humorous tone, his expression was anxious. Did he genuinely have no idea what my answer would be? Here he was, brave enough to risk his pride and having his heart broken for a second time, and I was lollygagging.
I swallowed and grinned. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” I hoped he could see the joy and wonder in my eyes. “I never thought I’d want this whole marriage thing, but... with you, I do. I do.”
I leaned over and kissed him. We had the rest of our lives to look forward to together.
When we drew apart, I took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto my finger. It was a perfect fit.
“How did you know my ring size? I don’t even know it myself.”
He smiled smugly. “I measured your finger while you were asleep. Do you like the ring? It’s not fancy, but I thought it would be suitable for—”
I put my finger up to his mouth to stop him. “I love it. It’s perfect. I couldn’t have designed anything better. You’ve thought of everything. You know me so well.”
I reached out to take his hand and kissed his fingers. “Thank you.”
He lifted my hand to his lips, the ring sparkling on my finger as he kissed it. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Jesse.”
My eyes met his, my world now colored in a rainbow of love and emotion. Words became unnecessary between us.
“You’re going to be an awesome husband,” I whispered.
“And you’ll be an awesome wife. You’re already an awesome cat mom.”
“What about human kids? We’ve never talked about it. Do you want those?”
He cocked an eyebrow and pulled me onto his lap, proving his leg was back to normal. “Not right this minute. Do you?”
I snuggled into him. “Definitely not this minute.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Where will we live?”
He chuckled. “Wherever you want to, Mrs. Wright. I did say you were going to make all the important decisions, and I meant it.”
I laughed and leaned my head against his uninjured shoulder. “Look at us. This is so absurd, so ridiculous, so outlandish that…”
“It might just work. I know plenty of people who have fancy weddings, perfect engagements, and they don’t make it in the long run. We’re doing things unconventionally, but…”
“We’re not conventional people,” I pointed out.
I stared into his brown eyes. Never in my life had I been so excited, so thrilled, so terrified, and so convinced that I was doing just the Wright thing. The future looked bright, and I couldn’t wait to see what was waiting for us.