His Safe Keeping (The Safe Series) (23 page)

“Damn it, man!” She heard an angry voice swear. Wait, she knew that voice, didn’t she? Then she felt a hand, a big warm hand, cup her face and turned to see Kade standing by the bed, right at her side.

“Irish,” she breathed.

“Baby,” he whispered with lips against her forehead and then he kissed her there, before he kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Do you mind?” She heard from the same voice and she turned her head to the other side.

“Fuck yeah, I mind!” Krista heard Kade growl, and then her eyes landed on Dr. Miller standing at her other side.

“How you feeling, darlin’?” Dr. Miller asked. She turned her head to look back at Kade and then slowly back to the doctor, taking in what little there was to see. White walls, a solid door, and a curtain?

“Where am I?” Krista managed to ask.

“You’re in the fuckin’ hospital.” She heard Kade say as she turned her head in his direction.

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Dr. Miller hissed indignantly. Krista whipped her head back to Dr. Miller.

“It’s okay. He says the f-word all the time. He doesn’t mean anything by it.” She explained with a smile, then turned back to Kade when she heard him mumble something under his breath that she couldn’t catch. “Well, you do use that word a lot.” She informed him, still smiling. “Now, can one of you tell me why I’m in the hospital?” Krista looked back and forth from Kade to Dr. Miller.

“You fuckin’ passed out.” She heard Kade answer her, but before she could turn back to him, Dr. Miller spoke up.

“It seems that these rounds were more intense on your body than you led me to believe,” he chastised.

“Don’t try and blame this shit on her,” Kade growled at the doctor and when she turned back to look at him, he was standing and facing Dr. Miller, looking extremely pissed.

“I can’t very well predict how she’s going to react to these rounds if she isn’t completely honest about the side effects of each round,” Dr. Miller stated, staring at Kade and looking none too happy himself.

“She fuckin’ told you what happened after each one up until today, and I fuckin’ told you what she went through last week. If you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, then fuckin’ say it. She’s not your fuckin’ personal guinea pig!” Kade snarled.

“Stop!” Krista shouted as loud as she could and was struggling to sit up. “The both of you just stop.” She lowered her voice while looking from one to the other. “I am right here so stop arguing back and forth and tell me what happened.” She looked at Kade. “And don’t just say I f-en passed out.” She swung her gaze to Dr. Miller. “Tell me why I passed out!”

“Yeah,
Doc
, tell her why.” She heard Kade hiss and he said the word ‘doc’ like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Irish, please,” she asked softly, looking up at him, and he couldn’t resist that ‘please’ no matter how many times she said it. He sat on the edge of the bed by her hip, leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. With his lips still touching her he closed his eyes and finally remembered how to breathe.

“Baby,” he whispered back, then touched his forehead to hers before he pulled away, but didn’t get back up. He turned to look at the doctor with her, saying nothing more. Dr. Miller brought the chair that sat in the corner to the other side of her bed, sat down, and began to explain to Krista and Kade.

“From what I gathered from Mr. McKaden, your body couldn’t handle the stress from this last round of treatment. Between the amount of time Mr. McKaden said you vomited and the intensity of the pain you experienced, it became too much for your body to handle, which caused you to lose consciousness. I would like to run a few tests and keep you here overnight just to be sure.” Dr. Miller explained.

“To be sure?” Kade asked gruffly, but before anyone could answer, Kade continued hurling questions at the Doctor. “You don’t fuckin’ know yourself, do you? Do you even have a clue what the fuck you’re doing? What you fuckin’ putting her through?” Kade asked each question, getting louder and louder as he was leaning over Krista and getting closer and closer to Dr. Miller.

“Irish,” Krista spoke quietly but firmly. “Stop and look at me.” She waited patiently for him to turn to her. He was still leaning over her when he finally turned and locked eyes on her with that scary pissed look all over his face. It actually made her smile. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said to him, still being soft and firm, because she knew Kade could hear her and she watched as his face softened. She smiled a little bigger and leaned up to kiss him lightly. When she plopped back, his face had gone completely soft and her smile grew even more. “Sit back like you were and listen to me, please.” She turned back and addressed Dr. Miller who was looking jealous? She had to be reading his face wrong so she decided to not think about that right now. “Can you give us a minute, please?” she asked the doctor.

“Fine, I’ll go and set up what’s needed for the lab work,” Dr. Miller said briskly, but he still patted her arm and she heard Kade growl low in his throat.

“Thank you,” Krista told the doctor and then she turned to face Kade. “Did you just growl?” she asked him in a whisper. He didn’t answer, just grabbed her up and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.

“Fuck, baby.” He sighed shakily. “I didn’t know what had happened. I was so fuckin’ scared. Fuck, baby.” He forced out as he held her tighter and tighter.

“Irish.” She wheezed and his grip loosened but he still didn’t let her go or move away from her.

“Just need to hold you, just for a few more minutes,” he mumbled into her neck. She reached up and held his head to her, rubbing her hand down the back of his head. She turned her head just a bit to whisper in his ear.

“I love you.” She felt him tense for a beat and then he moved. He pulled back so he could look at her face.

“What?” he asked. She cupped his face in her hand and held him.

“My beautiful Irish, I love you. I love everything about you. The way you touch me, the way you hold me, the way you make me feel safe, the way you always want to protect me. How you can be so rough and gruff but also so gentle. I love your passion for me. I love everything that you are. The way you love me, you’re given me so much. Things I never allowed myself to dream about, even when I was little, before…before what happened. I never thought I would have someone who loved me just for me. Then on a very bad day, out of the blue…” She dropped her hand from his face as she leaned in and kissed his lips lightly. “My Irish was there.” She finished speaking and sat there smiling up at him.

“Baby,” he whispered, his voice full of emotion, and grabbed both of her hands in his. “I love you so fuckin’ much,” he said hoarsely and she couldn’t hold back and busted out laughing.

“What the hell is so funny?” Kade asked gruffly, still holding her hands. She looked down at their joined hands and watched as his thumbs rubbed gently back and forth. She looked back up into his stern face and laughed even harder.

“You, my Irish,” she breathed in between the laughter. “I love you for all the reasons I just said and for so many more.” Krista giggled and continued. “I love you so f-en much.” She had a big smile on her face and she watched as it registered on his face right before he busted out laughing. Then he tugged both of her hands, bringing her closer to him. He kissed her lightly, then when she tilted her head and parted her lips, he deepened the kiss. When they pulled back, they were both breathing hard. She sat up straighter. “You have got to stop badgering Dr. Miller. He doesn’t have all the answers, no one does. It’s an experiment and unfortunately or fortunately for me, however you want to look at it, I am his personal guinea pig. And, he is right. I should have been more forthcoming on how intense the side effects were.” She looked down at their still joined hands. “But I wasn’t, and I caused you unnecessary pain and worry.” Krista looked back up at him. “I’m so sorry, Irish. So very sorry I put you through that.” Krista had tears in her eyes. If he walked away from her now she couldn’t blame him. What she did was wrong, and in trying to spare him worrying about her, she’d tried to hide how bad it was, and that only caused more worry and helpless feelings on his part.

Here she was again, apologizing to him for what
he
went through, but fuck, who has ever apologized to her? For everything, every fuckin’ thing she’d been through? “Krista.” He sighed. How did he tell her? What could he say to make her understand that he would walk through hell for her and not think twice about it? He stood up, and scooted her over so he could lie down on the bed beside her. Her whole body was touching him from her feet and legs that were now tangled with his to her arms pressed to his chest and trapped between them, to her lips that were now brushing his.

“I love you, baby, no matter what you go through, no matter what you have to endure, be it your treatments or anything and everything that life brings. I want to be there for you. I want to hold you when I can, I want to help you when I can, and just fuckin’ be there even when there’s not a damn thing I can do. Krista, if I could take that pain and all the rest of the shit from you, I would, I swear to you, baby. I would give anything to go through that for you. So, don’t you ever tell me you’re sorry for what I went through. Fuck, Krista, it’s nothing compared to what you have to go through, what you’ve
gone
through since you were fuckin’ three years old.” He gave her a squeeze, and held her for a heartbeat, then looking into her eyes he whispered, “Now kiss me, baby, and make it all better.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“Look.” Krista spun around in Kade’s bedroom. “See, I’m fine. Better than fine. I feel great!” She stopped and looked at him standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the bath. His jaw was tight, his arms folded across his chest, and his feet planted wide.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Kade stated firmly. Krista walked over to where he stood and mimicked his stance.

“I think it’s a fine idea,” Krista stated and then leaned his way. “And, I’m going.” She informed him, then heard him growl low in his throat.

“Krista, you fuckin’ passed out yesterday.” He leaned down to her and got in her face. “In. My. Arms!” He finished, stressing each word clearly and firmly.

“Oh! No!” She shot back at him. “You are not using that against me, not after what we did last night and this morning. It doesn’t work like that. You know I’m fine. You were there and you heard Dr. Miller say that all my blood work came back better. A whole lot better than before I started this treatment and better than ever, going by the notes from all the other doctors. That is why he released me yesterday. There is nothing wrong with me and you are not going to treat me like there is!” She turned to finish getting ready and then turned back to Kade. “I’m going. You can take me and drop me off on your way to work or I’ll find another ride, but either way, I am going and I’m getting my car.” She turned back to reach for her shoes. She was grabbed around the waist and tossed on the bed and before she had time to utter a word, he was on top of her, his mouth slamming down on hers. When he raised his head and looked down on her, they were both breathing hard.

“We could stay home and repeat what we did last night and this morning,” he whispered to her. Her arms, she realized, were already around his neck, her hands moving in his hair. She thought a repeat of last night and this morning was sounding more and more interesting. That is, until he rolled them with her on top of him, and before he started the same argument again. “I don’t want you by yourself while I’m gone. You can stay here and go down to the stables and play with the horses. That way, Lank can keep an eye on you.”

Keeping an eye on me like I’m five and need a babysitter
, she thought, but didn’t say anything, yet. She just narrowed her eyes at him as she moved to sit up.

“Krista, I’m not going to argue about this. You can stay here with Rosa and my men will be in and out most of the day. They already know to watch out for you, and you can go down to the stables as much as you want.” Kade sat up on the bed.

“Well, that’s mighty sweet of you to allow me to walk around the house. And, wow! The yard also? I sure am one lucky girl,” Krista said sarcastically as she was getting up off the bed and once more reached for her shoes. “Irish, I love you, but you can’t wrap me in bubble wrap and sit me on a shelf.”

“Why?” Kade asked, frustrated.

“Irish! You are not as charming as you think you are.”

“How ‘bout if I tied you to the bed?” He gave her a sneaky, bad boy look.

“Irish!” Hmmm. She was a little shocked but intrigued too.

“Baby?” Kade tried again.

“Oh! No! Irish McKaden, don’t you ‘baby’ me in that soft tone and think I’m going to melt.” She stared him down.

“Is it working?” He grinned.

“That is not the point!” She huffed at him. Taking a deep breath, Krista turned to face him and saw him sitting on the side of the bed, his forearms bent and laid on his knees, head down, but his eyes were completely focused on her. She went to him and he sat up straighter, moving his arms so she could step in between his legs and he could wrap his arms around her middle. Krista moved her hands to his big shoulders and looked at him. “She’s my friend. Mrs. Worley was the first person I met when I moved here and she’s leaving in the morning. Her whole family, or just about her whole family, is already there. I’m not going to be alone. I know you’re worried about me and it’s just one of the many reasons that I love you, but Irish, I will be okay in a house full of people. I want to spend as much time with her today as I can. I’m going to miss her so much.” She leaned down and touched his lips with hers. “Please don’t be mad,” she whispered softly.

“Well, fuck,” she heard him mumble. “I’ll take you there.” She smiled at him. “I’ll pick you up. You stay there, and don’t go anywhere with anybody,” he said firmly.

“Okay,” she whispered to him as she leaned in and kissed him lightly again, and then felt his arms tighten as she was pulled down into his lap.

“Fuck, baby. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you,” he murmured into her neck. “I love you so fuckin’ much.”