He’s moved to lean against the side of the cubicle, checking the magazine and chamber with a practiced ease that I know I’ll never have. I reach behind me to tug at the shirt that’s sticking to my skin. When I bring my hand back, my fingers are sticky too…stained scarlet. I shoot a startled look at him.
“Dario!” I reach for his arm. He’s already loading up again, clearly intending to keep going. I step forward, peel his shirt up and see how the blood has soaked through the dark fabric; his chest is wet with it. Stitches have torn, blood streaming. Probably from each time I’ve bumped back against him. And yet he never flinched. “For fuck’s sakes!” I snap at him. He blinks in surprise. Nobody talks to him this way. Except me. “You’re going back to bed. Right fucking now!”
“It’s nothing,” he tries to brush it off. But I shake my head vigorously.
“Dario, I just got you back,” I say, softening my tone. “Don’t make me lock you up the way…” I trail off.
He smiles gently and brushes his lips over mine. “The way I did to you?” I say nothing. “You know I meant what I said…back there on vacation?” I stare at him silently. “I don’t own you, Nikki Love. You’re free to go whenever you please. If you choose to. But I want you to stay…” he says softly, unloading the weapon as if on autopilot.
I swallow hard but shake my head firmly. “I’m not going anywhere. Now, stop changing the subject.” His shoulders are sagging a little. Dammit, how did I not notice? I’m pretty certain he hasn’t even topped up on his pain medication today.
“I insists,” I say firmly. “Besides, it’s time for your meds…and another dose of TLC.”
His lips curve into a beautiful smile. “TLC, huh? Now that I can be down for.”
Chapter 4
Dario Caraldi
Idon’t resist as she guides me back to my room – our room – and peels the blood-soaked shirt from my body. I stand motionless as she fusses around, gathering swabs and cleaning materials to dab at the stitches, her brow furrowed as she examines them.
“I guess my days as a swimsuit model are fucked, huh?” I joke, hating how much this is worrying her.
"You’re perfect,” she says, staring up at me fiercely.
“So, what’s the prognosis?” I try to keep my tone light as she readies another dressing and tapes it over my chest, then moves deftly to bandage it all together. I feel like a goddamn Christmas gift.
“You’ll live,” she says. “But I really wish you’d take it easy, Dario. You’ve come through so much.”
I give another shrug. That little stunt with the gunfight was probably up there with some of my worst moments, but nothing I haven’t survived before.
“Promise me, Dario!” She’s so serious, I can’t brush it off.
“I promise, beautiful,” I say softly, raising a hand to cup her cheek.
She’s reaching to the tray beside her for a small vial and a syringe. She’s about to draw fluid from the bottle when I drop my hand to snare her wrist.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Fentanyl,” she says. “For the pain. As a nurse, I—”
“Not a fuck!” I say sharply. I’ve seen what that shit can do. People lose their minds. She stares at me.
“But you’ve ripped those stitches open. It has to hurt like…”
“It hurts when you’re not near,” I say, tugging her up against my chest. Her hands flutter before landing on my shoulders. Too damn cautiously. I pull her roughly closer and drop my head, capturing her lips.
I feel her breath rush out as I plunder her mouth.
Now, this is more like it.
When I raise my head, she’s staring up at me.
“Dario…”
“I need to make love to you,” I husk out, backing up to where I know the bed is behind us. I draw her with me, and she moves without argument. When the bed bumps against the back of my thighs, I sit down, my face level with that sweet place between her thighs. A man could die in this spot and never regret it.
She reaches for my shoulder, her nails grazing lightly, and I remember a time she once did that…left her mark on my flesh. She’ll do that again before I’m done with her now. I won’t be satisfied until she’s writhing in ecstasy, not caring about whether she hurts me. A little pain never hurt anyone anyhow. And I like her special brand of hurt.
