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The past few weeks had been hell and the only thing that had gotten him through it was thinking about seeing Stephanie. And she was here. As pissed as he’d been at Seth, he was thinking now he should thank him. He wasn’t sure what made him think to call her, but whatever it was, he was glad he had.
Ace could feel that his thinking was a little hazy. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been here. They’d given him a shot of pain medicine when he’d arrived before they’d cleaned out his wound. Once the pain had dulled he’d grown so tired he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Then Stephanie had walked in and his entire existence shrank. She was all that mattered. Not pain. Not gunshot wounds and not his boss. Just her.
“You’re not fine,” Seth insisted. “Garrett said you need to be observed.”
“No he didn’t. He said that it would be a good idea.” Ace corrected Seth before asking, “Could you give us a minute?”
He hadn’t spoken to Stephanie since she’d fallen asleep in his arms the night before he’d left. As he stared at her now, all he wanted to do was pull her back into his arms and never let her go. Since he couldn’t do that, he at least wanted to touch her. Her hand. Her arm. He didn’t care, he just wanted to feel her soft skin and prove to himself that she was really here, in the flesh. Since they’d left things so unsettled between them, he wasn’t sure if she’d appreciate any PDA in front of an audience.
“Fine. I’ll be outside.”
Stephanie bit her lip and looked uncertain as she watched Seth go.
Ace took the opportunity to take her in. At first glance she looked like the same, stunning girl he’d left lying asleep in his bed. Her golden red hair was pulled up in a ponytail with soft wisps framing her heart shaped face. Her large, glossy chestnut eyes still held warmth and depth that he wanted to drown in. Her perfect rosy lips still called him like a lighthouse in the midst of a storm.
But the longer he studied her, the more he noticed little things that had changed. Her cheeks were sunken in. They’d hollowed since he left. There was a shadow of dark circles beneath her lower lashes and her complexion was a shade paler than the last time he’d seen her. She’d lost weight. She hadn’t been eating and taking care of herself.
When she looked back to the bed she wore a tentative smile on her gorgeous face.
“What’s wrong?” he barked.
He hadn’t meant for his question to come out so harsh. Her head jerked back slightly and her smile fell as she stammered, “You’re in the hospital…you were shot and—”
“No. Not me. With you.” He shifted, taking some of the pressure off of his chest and he intentionally kept his voice gentle as he spoke, “What’s wrong with you?”
“With me?” Her brow furrowed and she touched her chest. “What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong with me.”
Knowing that he wasn’t in any shape to engage in a battle of wills and that even if he was, this wasn’t the time or place to get into it, he dropped it. For now. But he was definitely going to be revisiting this subject. Once they were home and he’d slept, eaten, and gained some of his strength back, he’d be finding out exactly what had happened to cause her weight loss, her sleeplessness and her overall fatigue.
He may not be able to get to the bottom of that mystery and make things better right now, but there was something he could do.
“Come here.” His voice was rough with command, partly because of the pain that he was in, but mainly due to the primal and possessive instincts that only Stephanie incited in him.
He was happy to see the flush that rose up her cheeks as she crossed the small room in a few steps and stopped at his bedside. He loved the fact that he was the one that had put color back in her pale complexion.
Needing to touch her, his hand reached out to touch the blush that he was responsible for. His movement caused a searing pain to shoot through him but that was nothing compared to the payoff he got when his fingers brushed her velvety smooth skin. The second he made contact with her the light, warm, weightless feeling that he’d only experienced with her, spread through him.
Her hand clasped around his wrist as she leaned into his touch. He ran his thumb across her jawline as her breaths grew shorter. His eyes were heavy and he closed them as he let himself luxuriate in being able to reach out and touch her.
“You feel so good,” he rasped.
She let out a small sigh. “So do you.”
“Okay, Mr. Elliot.” The doctor that had treated him when he first arrived walked back into the room. Seth followed behind him.
When he did, Stephanie, whose back was to the doorway, took one step away from his bed so that she was just out of his reach. He lowered his hand slowly and rested it carefully on the side rail.
“Your blood work is back. It looks pretty good, considering. The infection is mild. I know you’re determined to be discharged, but I have to advise you to remain here where we can monitor you and you can continue receiving fluids and antibiotics intravenously. At least overnight.”
As much as Ace appreciated the doctor’s concern, he knew he’d feel better in his own bed, preferably with Stephanie in it. He was exhausted and hadn’t had a shower or a good night’s sleep in almost three weeks. If he stayed here, that would just prolong those things from happening.
“I’m going home.” Sitting up taller he started to remove his IV.
Stephanie moved back beside him and covered his hand with hers, halting his progress. “I’ll stay with you.”
When his eyes lifted and met hers, she continued. “I’ll stay with you tonight and then if Dr. Gresham releases you tomorrow, I’ll take you home.”
Hearing her say home was all he needed. She was all he needed and if she was going to be here tonight, so was he. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Seth stepped up to the bed.
“Okay.” His eyes started to close and he could hear voices as they discussed his condition, but they sounded far away.
He fought to stay awake so that once Seth and the doctor left he could talk to Stephanie, but his body had other ideas. He drifted off to sleep, finally being able to rest knowing that Stephanie was here, he’d made it home to her.
