Dark Kiss (The Two sides of me Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter 10

“Not Alone” by Red

He seemed satisfied with the striking of a deal, or more like bullying me into getting his way.  Who am I kidding; I’m
so
secretly excited to work for him that my insides are doing a happy dance. He turns back to his laptop. “Well, if you refuse to come up here with me I’ll just have to go back to work.” Pouting he begins running his fingers over the keys and shuffling papers around again. I relax and uncross my arms, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Digging through my purse for my iPad and my phone, I peek out of the corner of my eye and catch him doing the same, that zing of electricity passes between us but I try my best to ignore it, yea right…Evan Lawson is not someone who is easily ignored. I begin to busy myself with Internet shopping- that should fill some time and God knows I love to buy shoes. Tapping my fingernail on my front tooth I scroll through the dozens of shoe web sites, purchasing a few pairs along the way and checking my text messages. My sister has left a message asking me to come visit the kids, mom is asking where I’ve been hiding lately, which is typical of her- if I don’t call every day I’m
hiding.
I quickly send appropriate responses and check through seven messages from Lilly demanding to know details on what’s going on, those I ignore… for now. Evan works silently for an hour or so before looking up.

“I need some water,” he states, matter-of-factly, as if it should appear out of thin air for His Highness.

“Mmm, you do, do you? Maybe you should get up and get it yourself,” I sass. I can’t help it; he really needs to learn some manners. Who raised this man anyway, a remote band of Indians hiding in the mountains in Peru?

“I’m keeping tabs on that mouth of yours nurse Mia,” he chuckles and rolls his eyes. “Really, well I’m keeping tabs on your lack of manners Mr. Lawson,” I return, and fidget in my chair, wondering what he means to do about my smart mouth. I kinda can’t wait to see. He huffs in reply, “Would you
please
get me some water Mia?” he asks, pausing after each word dramatically and drawing out the
please
with exaggeration.

“I’d be happy to.” Hopping up, I walk down the hall to the galley and get him fresh ice water returning thankfully without an encounter with any of my coworkers. It must be busy today. Moving to his side I pour him a glass and pop a fresh straw in, leaving the tip of the wrapper on the end. He raises his eyebrow at me in an unspoken question.

“So you know it’s clean, I haven’t touched it where your mouth goes.” Shaking his head, he smiles ever so slightly. I see where I have walked right into that one. “Don’t say it.”

“I won’t say it, I won’t say anything about where I want to put my mouth, the dirty things I would do to
your
mouth, or the fact that I don’t mind you touching anything that goes into
my
mouth.”
Oh my god, did he just say that?
I feel a panic attack coming on; does everyone react this way when they get turned on? But before the crimson blush makes it to my face he’s asking me to help him adjust his pillows. I’m not sure I should go close to him after that last comment.

“
Could you please adjust this pillow behind my back?” he asks, continuing to make a production of being polite. Good manners are the last thing on my mind right now!  Leaning over as he sits up slightly, I adjust his pillow and he snakes his arms around my waist, suddenly pulling me off balance and onto his chest.

“Oh!” The shock and surprise of his stealth attack catch me off guard. His eyes are on me, all over me, dark and piercing and for just a beat before his lips are suddenly consuming my mouth with urgency, the world as I know it ceases to exist. I can hear nothing but the rush of my blood and my heartbeat; I momentarily stiffen in his arms. Evan eases the intensity of the kiss, sensing my strange reaction and moving his lips softly over mine now, gently encouraging me to allow his tongue to sweep into my mouth. Gliding his hands up to my waist and brushing over my straining nipples through the softness of my sweater, he  places them on either side of my face, guiding me through wave after wave of electric currents. It’s as if my mouth has a direct connection to my core and I liquefy against him. Moving my arms of no will of my own around his waist and up his bare back, which is exposed from the hospital gown he has on, I thread my hands into his hair from the base of his neck, and then run my fingers up and grip hard. He deepens the kiss with a growl and I allow it, yearn for it, and encourage it, as a small whimper escapes my throat. For the first time since my attack, hell, the first time ever, I’m enjoying intimacy with a man, and not just any man- the man of my dreams if I could have them, the man of every woman’s dreams. Nipping my mouth with his teeth gently and feathering his lips against mine, he pulls away. Oh please God, don’t stop this, my eyes remain closed, basking in the experience of our first real kiss,
my
first real kiss. He has his forehead pressed against mine; I can feel his warm breath against my face the smell of his eucalyptus body wash I have used to bath him with hanging in the air between us. I finally open my eyes to see the heat in his- oh those emerald green eyes, they slay me. It’s at this moment I realize I would do
anything
he asked of me, I’m a helpless fly caught in his web…”I….I’d better get up, um, what if someone walks in, I work here you know,” I stammer.

“Not any more, you work for me now.” A smooth, smug smile spreads over his face. “Nothing’s written in stone yet, I could lose my job….wait…you did that on purpose didn’t you?”

“Yes I did. You’re so innocent, sweet Mia, I love that. But I didn’t do it to get you fired. How many times do I need to explain this to you? I
always
get what I want. And I want you.”

A warm blush creeps up my neck and I squirm on the bed, tearing my eyes from his penetrating gaze. “Well, if you’re my employer I really shouldn’t be fraternizing in this bed with you, it could be considered sexual harassment,” I sass back playfully, trying like hell to lighten the intense mood between us and regaining some of my temporarily lost sanity.

“It’s not harassment if both of us are willing.”

“I don’t know how I feel about being paid to kiss you, isn’t that considered some sort of prostitution?” I continue with my playfulness.

“I’m not paying you to kiss me, I’m paying you to be my nurse, kissing is just one of many added benefits.”
Hmmm benefits, huh?
I wonder what other kinds of
benefits
are going to come with this job?

“Well until I sign the paperwork I’m sitting over there,” I say, moving quickly before he realizes what I’m doing and attempts to hold me in the bed, my legs are like jelly. It’s a good thing the chair is close, or I wouldn’t have made it. Our kiss had quite an effect on my entire body; an ache still resides between my legs, unfulfilled.

“So, what’s for lunch?” he blurts out, changing the subject. Lunch, who fucking cares about lunch? I have a slide show of erotic scenes running through my mind, including me riding Evan in his hospital bed, oh my God!  I quickly follow his lead and cool those thoughts with lunch options.

“I don’t know, whatever your wife Isaac brings you I suppose.”

He throws his head back and roars with laughter, “My
wife
huh? He would love that.” This is the first time I’ve heard him laugh, and its heartwarming to know he has the capacity to do so. I love the tiny crow’s feet that form at the corner of his eyes, and his whiter-than-white teeth that show when he laughs.

“I think the only feeling Isaac has around you is fear,” I snort.

“Well nurse Mia, most people don’t enjoy being around me. People are necessities used to get a job done and they are sent on their way when I’m finished with them,” he says sharply. What a 360.

“So I’m a necessity, just here to get the job done, and then you’ll be rid of me?” I ask, genuinely wanting an answer because I’m not about to let the first man to melt my panties off use me up and throw me away. His face changes from stern to confused, tilting his head to the side he narrows his eyes and wrinkles his brow.

“I don’t know what you are Mia, I intend to find out though. You summoned me from the brink of death with your promises to care for me, you only have yourself to blame.” With one hand holding my elbow and the other tapping my front tooth, I consider this answer. Summoned from the brink of death, really, I just spoke to him; I had no idea how big an influence I had been in his return to consciousness. Apprehensively I ask him, “What do you mean brought you from the brink of death?”

He busies himself with closing his laptop and arranging the papers that are scattered on the bed. “Nothing…I need to call Isaac and get us some decent food.” Ok…. he’s shut down, what’s that about? I’m letting this go for now- this morning will make a serious entry in my diary and I don’t want to ruin it with an argument or by pushing him too far, when he’s ready he’ll talk. “What are you in the mood for?” he asks, handing me his things as if I’m his personal assistant.

“Um…surprise me. What do you want me to do with all this?”

“There’s a bag over there, just put it all inside.” He points across the room and dials the phone, I’m assuming to call Isaac. After he finishes a brief lunch order and an update on Dominus with Isaac, he sets down his phone and again pats the bed next to him for me to sit.

“Oh no, I know what happens with I get too close to you. I’m not losing my job before any contracts are signed.” I hold up my hands to reinforce my reasoning and move to my chair.

“Move the chair closer to the bed,” he orders, and I do as I’m told with no sass this time. He moves the head of the hospital bed down with his controls and reaches over to tug my thick braid, and then wiggles his fingers in a gesture to take his hand. Looking up at him, I see that his eyebrows are raised expectantly and I slowly put my hand in his. “I won’t bite you nurse Mia,” he says sarcastically and then adds, “Unless of course you want me to.”

Oh my… he really needs to
not
talk like that! I’m appalled at my urge to give in to the magnetic force and climb in bed with him to see about this biting, not to mention where is all this coming from; the mere thought of sharing a bed with a man has caused bile to rise to my throat for ten years. I’ve literally not had one passionate thought since being attacked. My therapist has worked so hard to get me past this, to no avail, and in eight days Evan has me considering things I’ve never even thought of.

Blushing bright red, I look at my lap and I know my palm is sweating, which is not the response I want to be having while holding this sexy man’s hand-  which is a sweet gesture on his part that I have a strong feeling he doesn’t usually extend.

Time for a topic change again. “You really should rest, I think you’ve been awake since 6 a.m. and it’s not good for you to overexert so soon.” I’m trying so hard to slip back into my nurse role, but my suggestion sounds pathetic in comparison to my usual authority. He surprises me yet again by agreeing, “Ok, you’re right, I am tired. Wake me when Isaac arrives with our lunch.” He’s back to ordering me around, but I let it go again because when it gets down to it he really does need to sleep, and I so love to watch him do it.

Chapter 11

“Madness” by Muse

Watching Evan sleep, I attempt to remove my hand from his but instantly his grip tightens and I give up and scoot my chair quietly closer so that my arm isn’t overextended. Opening up one of my hundreds of romance eBooks on my iPad, I settle in to wait for Isaac. Ten min later Evan begins to stir in his sleep. I’ve never witnessed him dreaming, as he’s been in a coma every other time I’ve watched him sleep. Small jerking movements begin in his arms and he mumbles something. I’m uncomfortable with this, feeling like I’m listening to something private, but he has a death grip on my hand now so I can’t get away. Mumbling soon turns into actual talking and he’s upset, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. “No, no, no..don’t touch her. It was me, it was me!” he’s shouting now, and I shake him and shrink back to protect myself- he’s a massive man and I’ve seen him in action when he’s upset. If he comes out of this dream swinging, I’m not going to be caught in his path. Startled, his eyes snap open and he stares at the ceiling for a moment, then looking down at our hands clasping together, he seems instantly aware that he has been talking in his sleep, this must be a common occurrence. “What did I say?” he barks at me, and I jump in my seat, not expecting his anger to be focused on me.

“Uhh nothing I could decipher,” I lie. Shit, what does he usually say in his sleep, and why is he so worried about it?

“I know I said something, I was dreaming and I’m told I’m quite the sleep talker. Plus, you’re a shitty liar, so what did I say?”  he demands. Unable to lie to him twice, I admit what I heard.  “Something about not touching someone, and it was you.” Paling, he turns away from me, releasing my hand to push it through his hair, and a deep sigh escapes him.

“Are you ok?” I ask.

“Fine, just a dream. Where the hell is Isaac?”

“You’ve only been sleeping about 30 min.”

“Mmm, I need to get out of here, who is the Dr. in charge of my care?”

Wow, he’s so grumpy after this crappy nap. “Dr. Krane, but Evan you can’t go home, it hasn’t even been 24 hours since you’ve regained consciousness, you were in a serious accident.”

“I don’t care, I’m leaving.” Ok, this isn’t good; I need to come up with something to keep him here, and quick.

“You can’t go home until I can come with you, and nothing has been settled with my job here. If you want me to work for you I
need
to know I can come back here when you’re on your feet again.” There, that ought to detour him for a little while. I know he really wants me to be his private nurse and I pray for his sake, and maybe my own, that he accepts this excuse and stays a bit longer to continue healing.

“Work for me, doing what?” His usually sparkling green eyes are glazed over. He can’t remember, shit we just talked about this and he’s forgotten already. And then, realization that he may have some sort of brain damage hits me like a brick.

“Evan, do you know where you are?” I ask him gently and watch him as he assesses his surroundings, confusion clouding his face I continue to question him. “Evan, do you know what day it is?”

Still nothing, just that blank expression on his face as he stares at me. A knock at the door has us both switching our attention there where Isaac pokes his head in. “Sir, I have lunch for you and Mia, is it ok to come in?”

“Of course, it’s about time. Set it up right here between us on that table,” he says, as if he weren’t on planet Mars just seconds ago. Giving a little shake of my head, I try to figure out what’s going on… Seeing Isaac must have somehow triggered his mind, bringing him back to the here and now. Maybe seeing me didn’t make a difference because he hasn’t known me for long, who knows. But I do know that I need to talk to Dr. Krane, and now.

“I’ll be right back, I have to use the bathroom.” Surely he can’t object to that, and I’m right- he nods as if he is allowing me to leave. Whatever, as long as I can get out of the room for a minute, so I again let him have the impression he is in control.

Outside the room I scan the hall for Monica, his day nurse…where the hell has she been all day anyway? No one has come into his room all morning. I don’t know what I’m complaining about, it’s a good thing she didn’t walk in earlier when I was practically being mauled in Evans hospital bed! After a quick walk around our small unit, I find her coming out of another patient room. “Hey Monica. Evan in room eight is having some problems and I really think Dr. Krane needs to come see him.”

Eyes wide, Monica replies, “Oh is he, ok. Does he need anything? I figured if you were in there he would be ok, I’m so sorry Mia.” She’s apologetic.

“No, no, that’s ok. It’s just that he’s having trouble with his memory, and he had a sudden onset of confusion and wasn’t oriented to place or time. He’s threatening to leave the hospital. Dr. Krane needs to come and see him., I sound more urgent than I intended to, it’s important but certainly not an emergency.

“Oh ok, I’ll call him right away.” And she’s off to the phone. I return to Evan’s bedside and he’s arranging our lunch on his hospital over-the-bed table. Whatever it is, it smells absolutely delicious. More food from Dominus I’m sure; I hate to cook, so I could really get used to this. After what seems like a pretty intricate display of organization, he looks up at me, smiles and beckons me closer. “Let’s eat.”

“Evan, do you know who I am?”

He’s looking at me like
I’m
nuts. “Yeeesss Mia, what’s wrong with you- you look distraught.” He thinks
I’m
losing it, not him.

“Evan I think you’re having some blackouts, just a minute ago you didn’t know who I was or where you were,” I explain, and he waves his hand in the air to dismiss my concern. “I’m fine, let’s eat and then I want to talk to the Dr. I’m getting out of here today.”

This wasn’t good, coming from the man who says he
always
gets what he wants. Isaac stands idly by gauging the situation, and from what I’ve seen of the relationship between the two what he says next is not typical. “Evan, sir, I think you should listen to Ms. Galloway, if she believes you should stay maybe you should.” Evan turns to glare at poor Isaac and a very long silence falls over the room. Finally, and I was surprised after Evans reaction to Isaac speaking up, he agrees to see Dr. Krane, but says that then he is leaving, no matter what.

“I can get the same care at home as I can here, and with Mia I’ll be fine. If I need a test I’ll come and do it outpatient.” He appears to believe that he’s compromising, but we all know this is a master manipulator at work.

“What about my contract with the hospital?” I question.

“I called my lawyer this morning, everything should be finalized by this evening, you can sign the paperwork and come home with me.” Somehow I feel like I’m being sold, the way he speaks of the transaction that’s changing my life seems so businesslike. I’m taken aback by his ability to make this happen so smoothly and effortlessly.

“Uh, ok, but what if Dr. Krane doesn’t think it’s a good idea for you to be discharged yet?” I’m grasping at straws here; he’s going home and I’m going with him. In the short time I’ve known him, I’ve learned that he’s completely undeniable.

“They can’t hold me prisoner, nurse Mia, I can go home and I’m going to, period.” And that’s that. Dr. Krane comes, recommending he stay another 48 hours at minimum to have a scan of his brain. Evan refuses, saying he’ll come back as an outpatient for any testing, and before I know it he has me packing his things and Isaac is on the phone arranging a private ambulance to transport Evan home. From what I can tell from the one side of the conversation I can hear, he’s also talking with staff at the house about having things ready for our arrival. Unknown to me, my life is about to change forever. Nothing could have prepared me for any of what was to come and really, it was better that way.