Page 31 of Lucian

“And I reminded him long ago it was he who found himself staring at a woman only once and deciding he wanted her, too, but worrying what his family would think of his high expectations. Well, I think Antony decided he really wanted Cecelia after she threatened to shoot his foot off if he didn’t get out of her bedroom. He took a wrong hallway and ended up there after he tried to find the bathroom, you see.”

Lucian laughed. That was the first time he heard this version of the story. According to Antony and Cecelia, they met by chance, which apparently wasn’t entirely untrue, and a fast-paced relationship, then engagement, and a marriage followed soon after. Although both admitted it was love at first sight, or very close to it.

Lucian wasn’t entirely sure he believed in that sort of thing.

“I haven’t decided anything about Jordyn.”

“But maybe your heart has, Lucian. Have you thought of that?”

“I don’t even know her,” Lucian said, feeling like it was the thousandth time he had.

“Well, you’ll have lots of time for that over the next while. She’s going to be tender and sore, so take a special effort to be careful with her while you learn. Lord knows you, like your brothers, are so damned impatient when it comes to having to wait for what you want.”

Paulie didn’t attempt to hide the suggestive undertone to his comment at all. For the first time in years, Lucian felt his cheeks heat up. The man made him blush, for Christ’s sake.

Lucian needed to change the subject, and fast. “When will she be awake?”

Paulie had, with Lucian’s help and observation, carefully cut the shorts from Jordyn’s body. They took note of all her injuries, cleaning and preparing them for wrappings. An IV had been inserted into her right hand, feeding her veins with a cocktail of antibiotics, fluids, and the occasional drip of morphine for pain. Paulie made the schedule for that particular narcotic very clear.

“If the morphine does its job, and it will, she’ll sleep for a few more hours. Come tomorrow night, I’ll take her off the morphine. She probably won’t need it, then. Just the over the counter pain meds will be enough. Try to make sure she sleeps as much as possible for the next week at least. And takes the antibiotics and pain medication on time. She needs the rest for her body to heal. Lots of fluids. These bandages will need replaced twice a day, and four times or more for the burn. Frankly, that injury would be better cared for in a hospital, but I understand why we can’t.”

Lucian shoved his hands in his pockets, watching as Paulie released Jordyn’s limp hand he had bee holding. “You’ll be around, yeah?”

“I’ll come once a day to check her IV, change the bags and fluids, and the tubes, if needed, until she’s okay without them. I’ll be around, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Lucian hoped so.

• • •

Jordyn’s body felt like it had gone through a hurricane. Just moving her arm was an effort, one she found to be not worth the job of doing it at all. Something tugged in her hand, a slight discomfort stinging her skin around the area, but it was nothing compared to the rest of her aches and pains.

A deep, almost melodic voice came from her side, soothing her. “You have to be careful, piccolina. If you pull out your IV, I won’t be able to get it back in myself and Paulie won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. You need the fluids.”

Jordyn shuddered with every breath. She recognized that voice, his accent, and the way she seemed to react to his words, as if something inside was fighting to reach for him.

Lucian.

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?” Lucian asked.

Jordyn opened her eyes, her vision adjusting to the darkness of the room with a slowness she wasn’t accustomed to. Her brain was a muddled mess of thoughts, and none were clear. Slowly, she shook her head, but regretted the action immediately. Sickness threatened to spill from her stomach.

Her whole body felt warm. The pain, while it was there, felt almost dulled. She was dizzy and tired.

“Sleep, sweetheart,” Lucian whispered. “It’s okay to sleep. You’re safe here.”

Somehow, Jordyn knew exactly that before he even said it. Even so, she fought the drowsiness slipping around the edges of her senses, threatening to take her under again. She had so many questions.

“But—”

Jordyn’s words cut off instantly. It hurt to even talk. The bed dipped to allow Lucian’s weight on her right side. He sat down gradually, cautious of his size moving her, as if he wasn’t the six foot, three inch tall man she knew him to be and instead, nothing more than a pillow.

“But nothing,” Lucian said firmly. “Let some of that swelling go down first, and then we’ll talk as much as you’d like. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to just talk to you, sweetheart?”

Jordyn didn’t start in surprise as she usually would when a man touched her without warning. The smooth, hot palm of Lucian’s curved along her jaw and neck, fitting there perfectly. He seemed to be mindful of the pressure he placed on her jaw. Something sweet curled in her middle, twisting up to her chest. She melted into that hold, swallowing words and feelings because she didn’t know what to say or what they meant.

The touch and her reaction to it, however, said a lot.

Lucian leaned down, giving Jordyn a much better view of his concerned features in the darkness. Worry creased his forehead, sadness turned his usually smirking mouth down into a frown, and those dark eyes of his searched hers unashamed. She wanted to wipe that look off his face.