Page 70 of Jackson
Gregory Tobias Lewis grinned. “In the flesh, man. Who is this lovely lady?” His gaze slid to Paula. She looked like shehad been there and back again in her rumpled clothes, red-rimmed eyes, and tear-streaked face. From his hungry gaze and predatory smile, it didn’t seem to bother the other man.
Paula’s eyebrow rose in obvious disdain. Jackson smirked. She’d sure earned her nickname in the PD!
“GT this is Detective Sergeant Paula Stone, my submis— er, fiancée.” Jackson hastened to make introductions. “Paula this is Dr. Gregory Tobias Lewis, GT to those who have known him a long time. Tobias to everyone else. We went to college together.”
Paula gave a professional smile and nodded once in greeting. “Good morning, are you the orthopedist?”
Tobias’s response was a thousand-megawatt smile that had Jackson gritting his teeth. He and GT had had the same taste in women in college, and by the looks of it, that hadn’t changed. GT narrowed his eyes as his gaze returned to Jackson. “She’s your sub? Are you in the lifestyle?”
What? In what universe had he woken up? First Paula had become his fiancée, and now his frenemy from college was into BDSM? “Are you?”
Tobias shrugged. “Had a collared sub for a while during med school. Been too busy since to have anyone serious.”
“Okay, guys, catch up later, will ya?” Paula sounded impatient, and as Jackson looked over to her, he caught the end of her eye roll.
“Watch it, Paula,” he admonished her.
Her mischievous smile, different from the one she’d given GT, went straight to his cock. At least that part of his body hadn’t been damaged, although it was seriously distracting right now.
“Yes, Sir, I’m sorry.” She wasn’t.
He’d bet his signed Middle Earth map on that.
“So, Tobias, are you the orthopedist or not?” Paula asked.
“Yes, Paula. Is it okay for me to call you Paula?”
Another regal nod from his Melda.
“I am, and I will be performing the surgery on your fiancé’s left femur.”
“The x-rays show a clean break, although there may be some muscle damage. We’ll do a CT scan later today, with surgery tomorrow. We’re squeezing you into my schedule around 11:00 am. Surgery will consist of putting a metal rod in the femur to hold the two pieces together while the bone heals. You’ll need physical therapy, but we should have you up and ready to chase the bad guys in eight to twelve weeks.”
It could be worse.
“Will he be under anesthesia, and is that safe with his concussion?” Paula asked.
“Yes, we’ll be using general anesthesia. Otherwise, we’d need five guys to hold him down.” He chuckled at his own joke before turning back to Jackson. “You’ll be in the hospital for another two to three days after, and we’ll get the PT started right away. We’ll have you out of bed as soon as you’re over the anesthesia.
“In case nobody told you, the little boy you saved was banged up some, but nothing that won’t heal up quickly at his age.”
Jackson closed his eyes and sighed with relief. “At least I broke my femur and God knows what else in a good cause.”
“Melinda Carver didn’t give you the rundown?” GT winked. “You came in with a concussion, a punctured lung from a broken rib, a broken nose, and a broken leg. You’re not the most damaged guy they brought in this month, but I think you’d make the top ten. We’ve had a couple of bad car wrecks lately.”
Sarcastic asshole.
Paula scowled. “Is this a joke to you?”
“Don’t mind him, Paula. Sarcasm is second nature to him; the guy just can’t help himself.” Jackson squeezed her hand, and she gave him that beautiful smile meant only for him. He needed to get that ring.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Paula was relieved when Dr. Lewis announced he had to continue his rounds and would see Jackson before surgery. The way the man looked at her and the tension between him and Jackson gnawed at her already frayed nerves.
“Melda.” His voice had regained its strength, and she directed her gaze from their clasped hands to his face. “I’m thrilled to see you here, but what brings you back? You were pretty definite when you left.”
How like him to immediately put her on the spot. She pulled her hand away to wring hers together as she tried to formulate an answer. She’d managed to say the words when he was unconscious, but could she say them again, now? “I’m back because I love you, Sir. My life isn’t as good without you. When I heard you were involved in the explosion, my first thought was of you and how I would survive if you died. So, I’m back. I was afraid I wouldn’t be welcome when you woke up, especially after I claimed I was your fiancée.”
