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Shereeeeallyneeded to brush her teeth before something like this happened, but she wanted to get his attention – and she had it. He jolted like someone had electrocuted him and let out a soft moan as she tugged at his lip for a split second before backing away.
His eyes were perfectly round as he stared at her amazement, causing a curl of pleasure in her stomach realizing that she affected him. Man, this was nicer than she ever imagined and more intense than she had dreamed.
“I guess you’ll miss me while I’m gone…” she taunted softly – and saw him nod mutely as he swallowed. The man was at a complete loss for words, and it felt good.
“Who knew marriage could be fun after all?” she began – and picked up her purse. “I’ll be back soon,husband…” and left the room.
9
COLLINS
Max stared after Daphne… his brain in total meltdown. The hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on just bit his lower lip while he was lying down in a bed, almost nearly undressed except for the cheapest material known to man wrapped loosely around him.
The second she was out the door – the urge to chase her was overwhelming. He wanted to kiss her again, to feel her melt against him, and hadn’t stopped thinking of her since this morning when she’d been curled at his side. It was sheer genius to have her lay down on the hospital bed with him and had woken up a few times during the night to watch her sleep.
Smashing the nurses’ call button, he was halfway out of bed when they finally came to his room.
“I need those crutches,” he said bluntly, feeling more like himself than he had in days. “And someone to get me some toiletries so I can clean myself up and shave. I’m taking my wife for a stroll this evening.”
A few hours later, Max felt like a new man.
He’d taken a shower by himself, was wearing a clean hospital gown, and had even shaved. It was weird leaning against the sink to do so, but his balance was slightly off, and he kept wanting to put his foot down to catch himself, but it wasn’t there.
He’d always been athletic, and once he got the hang of the crutches, it was a breeze – not ideal by any means – but fairly easy. Part of him wished he could snap his fingers and have his limb back, but another part of him was just grateful he wasn’t hurting anymore and felt so much better. In fact, the difference in how he felt was shocking. He hadn’t realized just how bad he had been – and wondered what Ortega had thought when he first saw him.
‘Just do it, because you are either hauling me out of here in a casket - or out cold…’
Those fateful words Max had uttered had been eerily accurate – and that was no choice he should have ever put on his friend. If the roles were reversed, he would have bludgeoned Ortega upside the head, too. Chuckling, he touched his jaw and winced. It was still sore. The man had a right hook like a sledgehammer.
Standing there in the room, wanting to avoid being sedentary once more, he looked up as the hospital room door opened and met Daphne’s shocked eyes.
“You’re up?” she uttered bluntly – and her smile was radiant. Gosh, he nearly let go of his crutches to beat on his chest at that moment. “Look at you, Max! Congratulations.”
“Hi,” he said nervously, making his way towards her as she stood there in the doorway. “I’m glad you are back.”
“You are?”
“Yeah,” he said simply, loving the way she looked up to meet his eyes when he stood up straight before her. “I missed having someone to boss me around.”
And held her dark gaze as he smiled, hoping to soften his words and communicate that he was teasing her. Sure enough, she looked at him, and if her smile wasn’t already breathtaking before, it rivaled the sun.
“I might be a little bossy,” she whispered.
“I might like it,” he said softly, feeling his heart turn over in his chest. “I thought perhaps we could go for a walk after dinner tonight around the hospital. I hear the lime Jell-O in the cafeteria is to die for.”
“Or deadly,” she countered, her dark eyes dancing.
“Could be that,” he flirted back and was delighted to hear her laugh. “I suppose you want to come into my lair…”
“Lair, huh?”
“All the bad guys have one…”
“And are you a bad guy?”
“Do you like bad guys?” he asked softly, backing up to let her into the room. He was delighted at the flush on her cheeks as she looked away before meeting his eyes again.
“Once, long ago, I might have,” she admitted softly, setting down her purse. “But I find that as I get older, my tastes have changed.”
