Page 177 of Nobody's Girl

“He’s not here right now, Alyssa. It’s only you and I, so can I still touch you and talk to you how I want to?” His deep green eyes twinkle at me.

Sure, he can do anything he wants. Kyle’s not here after all. I blink to clear the dreamy gaze I must surely have off my face. “I guess so.”

What have I done? Is this a type of cheating? Am I a damn cheater?

When his lips touch the hand he has in his, I almost faint. My head is so light it’s as if I could fly. “Thank you, Alyssa, my sweet princess,” he says, low and sexy.

Crap, crap, crap! I am a cheater because I am loving this way too much.

“Eden, you’re too much. Stop teasing me,” I say with a giggle, because he has to be messing with me.

Eden moves to sit on the bed in front of me. The remote sits on the chair, so no television right now, I guess. He picks up the spoon I’ve laid in the bowl. Dipping it in the oatmeal, he brings it to my lips.

“Less talking and more eating, please. You need to get your strength back,” he says as he places the spoon between my lips, which readily open for him.

Traitorous lips!

Who knew being fed oatmeal could cause a fire to grow in your lower regions? But it can.

Bite after bite, he feeds me, stopping to hold the cup of water with the straw in it for me to drink from in between bites. The bowl is empty before I know it. He dabs at my mouth with a paper napkin.

Leaning his head down, his lips touch my ear as his words flow warmly over it. “I’m not teasing you, Alyssa.” My damn tattletale machine beeps like crazy as my entire body blushes.

This is bad!

CHAPTER 12

EDEN

This is pure torture, having to wait in this small waiting room while the doctor and nurse hurt my poor mate. If we were married, I could’ve stayed while they took all the tubes out of her body.

Her eyes held fear as they explained how they must remove the horrible catheter. Then they sent me out like I’m nothing.

The squeak of the door to her room draws my attention. Yes, there they go, done bothering my sweet princess. I hurry to her with the bag of clothes her mother brought. Pushing the door open, I see her pale face.

“Are you okay?”

Her face is pale as she answers, “Not really, but everything had to come out of me and it was not pleasant in the least. I feel a bit sick to my stomach, but I’ll be fine.”

Rubbing her shoulder, I run my hand down her arm, stopping where the IV has left a bruise on her hand. I gently rub my thumb over it. “My poor Alyssa,” I say, as my eyes go to hers. “You’ll be better soon. This will all be behind us.”

Her plump red lips lift to one side. “Us?”

“You, I mean,” I say, finding the slip up amusing. I laugh, which makes her smile.

Maybe she likes my laugh as much as I like hers.

“What’s in the bag, Romeo?” she asks as she reaches for it.

I hand it over. “Your mother brought them early this morning. She found us both asleep and left them with the charge nurse. Its clothes for you to put on so we can go home.”

Her expression becomes riddled with confusion. “Mom came and didn’t wake me up! How crazy is that? I mean, I’m aware you don’t know my parents, but that’s insane. Why in the hell do they trust you so damn much?”

With a shrug of my shoulders, I say, “Couldn’t tell you. Now get dressed while I sign whatever it is they need me to, and come out when you’re ready. Then we can get on the road.”

Leaving her with the bag, I walk away, but turn back to her, gripping her chin in my hand. “The little black box is from me, though. You should put it on too. I’m dying to see how it looks on you.” Then I leave the room, slightly giddy with the knowledge thatshe must have thought I was about to kiss her, because she leaned in a bit with parted lips.

I lean against the wall next to her hospital room door. She’s taking a while. It must be hard for her to dress herself. I would go help her, but I doubt she’d let me. She might have let me kiss her before I left the room, though. That’s a step in the right direction.