“Good enough.”
He accepted my cash, gave me change, a receipt, and an electronic key card. “Your room is on the second floor, end of the hall, that way. You can park at the end of the building, come in through the doors there.”
“Thank you. This is great.”
He beamed. “Let me know if I can do anything for you. I own the place, and I’m here all night.”
Pocketing everything, I returned to the darkness, the snow, and the bitter cold, wondering how any fool could live in this place through the winter. Still, we’d gotten lucky in many ways. I reminded myself to not curse what currently protected us.
“I have a room,” I said, my teeth chattering as I got into the Jeep.
“Cool. I need to lie down.”
“You got it, baby.”
I drove to the end of the building, parked, then went around to Jade’s side. Opening the door, I helped her out. She staggered, leaning hard against me, her head drooping on her neck. After setting the key card in my hand, I picked her up in my arms.
“I can walk,” she muttered.
“I can carry you.”
I carried her into the building, to the elevators, and up to our floor and room without encountering anyone. Grateful for that blessing as well, I gently laid her down on the nearestqueen-sized bed. Sitting beside her, I brushed her hair from her face.
“Are you up for a bath?” I asked quietly.
“No,” she whispered. “But I should, huh?”
“Yeah. But I’m gonna get our stuff from the Jeep. I’ll be right back.”
“Kay.”
Leaving her, I trotted down to the Jeep, grabbed the sack of supplies, clothes, her backpack, locked the Jeep, and trotted back. Jade had fallen asleep by the time I returned, lying curled on her side with her back to me. Easing my way to the bed beside her, I gently removed the bloody rag.
Black and dried blood came with it. I winced, my stomach churning, as I examined the deep wounds. The bastard had come close to breaking her neck.Fucker.Without touching her, I inspected the gashes while wondering just how I was to get them clean.
“My front, too,” Jade murmured.
“Can I see?”
Rolling onto her back, grimacing, Jade opened her jacket. Blood caked her torn shirt, the long lines where the dragon’s talons had raked her. Using my knife, I cut her shirt open, sliced her bra, and spread them. His talons had cut from her breastbone, over her breasts and down her belly.
“Like them?” she inquired, smiling.
“Yeah, they’re cute. Small, but I like small. Look, I know this’ll hurt. But I think a good soak in the tub will loosen the dried blood. If I dab at it, it’ll take all night and hurt you worse. What do you think?”
“I’m a dragon, I can take it.”
Wishing I knew more about doctor shit, I left her to run warm water in the tub. As it filled, steam filling the pristinebathroom, I got the medical supplies from the sack and rifled through them.
“Bandages, iodine, cotton, shit is this it?”
“Yeah.” Jade slowly sat up. “It should be enough.”
“Christ, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Neither did I. And you healed up.”
In the bathroom, I helped her undress, too worried about hurting her to get a hard on over her perfect body. Slim, her belly flat, her breasts perky, I knew making love to her was the answer to all my prayers. I helped her into the tub, then knelt beside it as she sat.
