She rises, moving to my side and gripping my fingers tightly in her own.
“Dario…God…Oh my God!”
“Hello, Nikki Love,” I murmur. Fuck, my voice sounds like I spent the night gargling drain cleaner. She’s pressing kisses over my face, her breath warm on my skin. Damn…I don’t know how long it’s been since I touched her, but it has to have been too long. I want to be inside all that warmth.
“How are you feeling?” she murmurs, looking deep into my eyes.
“Terrible,” I murmur, sliding an arm around her waist. “I need intensive care.” Her eyes widen.
“I’ll get the nurse…Mateo…” She begins to rise, but I pull her back. I feel weak as a fucking kitten, but there’s enough strength left to have her sprawled out over my chest.
Ah crap! Hurts like a motherfucker.
But it’s worth every spike of pain jolting through my body. Particularly when I reach for her face and draw her mouth down to mine.
And there it is…heaven…
Her lips part, and I delve into the honeyed sweetness beyond. By the time I release her, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright.
“Now that’s better,” I say softly, stroking the back of my knuckles against her cheek. Her chest heaves, and I glance down to where I can see her nipples hardening against the clinging fabric of her t-shirt. I lick my lips. “Is that door locked?” I ask, glancing across the room. It’s a room I recognize…my own. I’m no longer in the hospital.Thank fuck.
“Dario Caraldi!” she gasps out, though her nipples have hardened further. “You’ve been unconscious for over a week. I’m calling the nurse in. Mateo needs to get the doctor here.”
I give a low growl deep in my throat. “I don’t need a doctor. I need you!”
She smiles gently. “And you have me, right here beside you,” she says. Beside me? Screw that! I want heronme. “But now, you need someone to check you over.” She’s already rising from the bed, reaching for a phone as she pulls the door open and looks down into the hallway beyond. Damn…that ass… I don’t know what they did to me, but it didn’t affect my natural urges. I want her.
When she turns back to face me, I hear the tail-end of her conversation with Mateo. He’ll be here in minutes. I wonder if that’s enough time to—
“Mr. Caraldi, it’s good to see you looking so much better,” an older woman says brightly as she bustles in behind Nikki. She’s wearing a crisply starched nurse’s uniform.
“Who are you?” I grumble.
“I’m Rita. I’ve been taking care of you since they moved you here.” She gives a bright smile, but I’m not warmed by it. I already have my own Sister Lovie. Why do I need this battleax too?
The nurse wheels a trolley over. It’s stacked with medical equipment, and before I can object, she’s strapping a blood pressure monitor around my arm. Why the fuck do we have all this shit here? I’m clearly in my own home. What’s with all this hospital crap?
“I don’t—” I begin, but my words are cut off by Mateo’s sudden arrival.
“Dario!” he says. “Glad to see you’ve decided to stop lying around like some lazy-assed invalid.”
I snort at him. I’m already swatting away the nurse’s intrusive hands, pushing myself up to sit. My head spins, and I see spots, but fuck that, I’m going to stand up.
Until my feet touch the ground, and I feel myself sagging.
“Dario!” Nikki gasps out. She’s grabbing at me before I hit the floor.
“Jesus,” I grunt out. “What the actual fuck?”
The nurse has her hands in the air, bleating about getting me back into bed. I ignore her. Nikki’s pressed up close again. Maybe it’s not so bad to be on the floor here with her. At least I’m not in one of those idiot hospital gowns.
When I slump back onto my mattress, Mateo is standing watching me, his arms folded over his chest. Smirking.
“What are you laughing at, motherfucker?” I mutter. Nikki has her arms around me again, so my words lack malice.
“Good to have you back, Dario,” he says. I give him a tight smile.
“What the hell happened?” I finally get around to asking. The last thing I remember was being knocked down by a steam train when those fuckers shot me.
