Page 27 of Bound To Me

“Why don’t we shower and go get brunch?”

I nodded, our fingertips grazing over my body. My defenses had crumbled, and though I knew I should be terrified, I wasn’t. I had never wanted anyone or anything more in my life, and I began to embrace it.

“I’d love that.”

Then

I woke up alone and groggy in the hospital, my arm bandaged and aching. A surge of horror gripped me as I realized my other arm was handcuffed to the side of the bed. The rapid beeping of my heart rate monitor intensified my panic, flooding my body with sheer fear.

“Hello? Hello? Can someone come in here, please?” I called out, tears already streaming down my face.

A nurse entered with a uniformed police officer, who stood by the door. The nurse approached my bedside, adjusting the IV bags.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice trembling as I looked at her.

“You were brought in because you hurt yourself, Jacqueline. You’re lucky your boyfriend was there to help. You cut yourself pretty deep,” she explained curtly.

I looked over at the officer. “But why am I cuffed to the bed? Am I being arrested for trying to kill myself?” I asked with confusion.

He shook his head. “Michael Barnes notified the police that you were also attempting to stab him.”

My mouth flew wide open in shock. “What? That’s insane. I would never hurt him!”

“Honey, keep your voice down,” the nurse scolded.

“But they have it all wrong! I didn’t try to hurt Michael. Where is he? I need to see him!” I tugged on the handcuffs with my sore arm, trying to break free.

“Calm down, Miss Olsen!”

“I will not fucking calm down! Let me out of here! I need to see Michael!” I sobbed, my panic escalating. My breathing quickened, and I could feel a panic attack looming.

“We have a code gray on our 5150 in room 407,” the nurse announced as I writhed in emotional agony.

“I need Michael!” I cried, my breaths coming in shallow gasps as I began to hyperventilate.

I felt a flurry of activity around me and a sharp prick in my cuffed arm. My eyes fluttered open just in time to see the police officer’s disdained scowl before the sedative took effect. As the world faded away, I drifted into a dreamless, terrified sleep.

Now

I couldn’t believe how easy it was to be naked around Elliott. His perfect, naked body sent a shock straight to my pussy whenever I looked at him, but he somehow made me feel as if I were just as desirable. He looked down at my body in the shower all lathered in soap and then looked up at me through his lashes, desire clear in his eyes. I playfully began to stroke him and it ended up being a thirty minute shower with me having to wash myself clean again.

I stood in a towel in the middle of his room as he got dressed. “I don’t have any clothes to wear.”

He pulled a shirt over his head as he smiled. “Just wear mine.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re 6’1” and like, a million gorgeous pounds of muscle. You think your pants are going to fit on my 5’4” pudgy body?”

He quickly raised his eyebrows. “Pudgy? That’s not exactly the word I’d use to describe your body.”

I put my hand to my hip. “Stocky? Soft?” I teased.

I knew I wasn’t rail thin and my confidence and self-esteem plummeted ever since Michael had called my body “soft.”

Elliott’s eyebrows twitched as he slowly approached me. He took my hand and held it as he gazed at me softly.

“I would use…beautiful, sexy, amazing, breathtaking, exquisite. Would you like me to go on?”

I bit my lip to refrain from crying. Would I ever get used to compliments again? My initial response was to roll my eyes and scoff, but his genuineness made me stop myself. He wassosweet andsocaring andsofucking gorgeous.

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