Alexander’s body flinched, and Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat until he spokeagain.
“Don’t joke.Hurts.”
Despite her very poor joke—barely even a joke—he’d tried to laugh. He always laughed at her feeble attempts at humor. If he had the presence of mind to do so now, he’d beokay.
Elizabeth stroked his arm. “You’re a fool, youknow.”
He opened his eyes again and managed to raise a brow. “Excuseme?”
“Running after me. After a man with a gun. You could have gotten yourself killed, and then what would I do? I love you, dammit.” She hadn’t meant to say the words. Not here when he could barely keep his eyes open, but she couldn’t take them back now. Nor did she wantto.
He tugged on her hand with tears in his eyes. “Comehere.”
“I’ll hurt you.” She eyed the amount of space left alongside hisbody.
“Don’t care.” He grimaced as he tried to urge her closer. “Need you against me. Come. Here.Now.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not with a tube in your chest. But…” Dragging the chair closer, she lowered the side rail of the bed, then rested her cheek against his shoulder. “This will have to do fornow.”
“Don’t expect me to ever give you up,” he whispered. “Especially not to a man with a gun. I will always come foryou.”
“Well then don’t get shot next time, allright?”
“Bloody inconvenient. I had plans for tonight that involved you.Naked.”
“At least I got to keep my plans,” Elizabeth murmured. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. “I love you. I wanted to tell you over dinner. I had it all planned out. I even had a little gift foryou.”
He smiled as he fell asleep again, and she laid her head against his upper arm. Under the antiseptic and the blood, a hint of his scent remained. Sandalwood, cloves, pure male strength. Alexander had come back to her, and now that she’d admitted her love for him, she let herself drift off, content knowing they’d survivedtogether.
