Page 116 of Nothing to Fear

And everything fell into perspective. “No, you cannot. Caber and Tripp will help you.”

“Help what?” Caber muttered from somewhere.

“Help your brother shower.”

He snorted. “Yeah, not doing that.”

“I’m not strong enough to support him on my own.”

“I can stand on my own two feet,” Darroch said.

They ignored him. For good reason, one head rush or a bout of dizziness and he could crack his skull all over again.

“Isn’t that what the nurse is for?” Caber asked.

The nurse? As in the woman she’d met last night?

“She wouldn’t be much stronger than me.” And she didn’t want to take risks with his safety. Neither would his mom. “I’ll ask Alice, they might be able to find male nurses—”

“I don’t need help in the shower. I’ll be fine.”

But she wasn’t as optimistic. “Your mom will agree with me.”

“She’s got you there,” Caber said, waking to sit up, stretching his back, fingers interlinked over his head as he forced his palms toward the ceiling. “We’ll figure it out, Sav.”

“You promise?”

Caber snickered. “Yes, I promise.”

Slapping a hand to Darroch’s cheek, she brought his gaze to hers. “I have to go to work.”

“You don’t have to—”

“It’s my job.”

Yes, maybe he did own the business, and she’d concede the day would be hers if he made a call. Not just a call, all he’d have to do was nod at one of their people and it would be done, like a magical nose twitch, but that wasn’t the point.

“I’m laid up, baby.”

“I see that.”

Her heart jumped when he thrust a fist into the mattress to sit up against the headboard. Her open hands hung there, close, not touching him. Such a virile man shouldn’t feel fragile, and it wasn’t that she feared breaking him… or did she?

He caught each of her hands to press them against his torso. “You can’t leave me alone with these assholes.”

“Watch your language,” she murmured, glancing back to Buoy. “He’s so beautiful.”

“Okay, I’m over here.” The amusement in Darroch’s voice matched his smile. “When he gets older, you know we’ll tell him you were nuts about him.”

“I’ll always be nuts about him.” Would she be around to experience that jeering? “Don’t get up today, okay? The hospital didn’t want you to leave last night. The compromise is this, that you do what you’re told. Stay here. Safe. Please.” Amusement no longer lit his gaze. She leaned closer to brush her lips across his and whisper, “Would you do that for me, Gentleman?”

“I would do anything for you, Cherry, but—”

She kissed him. “No but. No risks. Please don’t ask me to see you in the hospital again.” If she got that call at work, she’d have a heart attack on the spot. “Stay in bed. Bathroom’s the only exception, and you have to use the one here. Only this one.”

Searching him, she bit her lower lip. He scooped a hand around the back of her head and forced their mouths together. Not like in the hospital, this kiss was so much more amorous, and with their audience—

Laying a hand to his chest, she pushed back, lowering her eyes.

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