Page 10 of Blaze

“I’m supposed to be staying at the bed and breakfast on Main Street.Hopefully, they didn’t cancel my reservation when I didn’t show up last night.Is that far from here?”

Kinsley glances at Blaze, who’s pulling out his phone.“I’ll call them and cancel.”He turns toward the doctor.“She’ll be staying with me.I’ll make sure she follows all your instructions.”

I gasp.All the air leaves my lungs.He can’t be serious.“Blaze…”

He still has one hand on my head as he speaks into the phone.

I’m numb while I listen to him tell the bed and breakfast what happened to me and cancel my reservation entirely.Stunned doesn’t begin to describe how I’m feeling.

“Blaze…” I begin when he ends the call.“You don’t have to do this.I’ll be okay on my own.You’ve done so much for me already.You can’t just take me home with you.You don’t even know me.What if I’m an axe murderer?”

He chuckles.“I’ll hide the knives if you think you might be inclined to murder me in my sleep.And you’re right.I don’t know you well.I have a million questions, starting with why it would appear your worldly possessions are in your car and why you don’t want to place an insurance claim.Both of those things suggest you’re on the run and not wanting to be found.But right now, you need food and rest.I bet you’ll sleep twelve hours once I get you situated.Later, you can explain your predicament.”

At some point in his monologue, Kinsley left the exam room because I see that we’re alone now.

“Blaze…”

He cups my face and meets my gaze closely.“All I need to know at this moment is if you’re in any immediate danger.”

I shake my head.“No.”

He lifts a brow.“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“No.”

He holds my gaze a bit longer before giving me a slow grin.“Good.If you lie to me, you’ll end up over my knees for that spanking you seem so intrigued about.”

I gasp.He’s not serious, is he?

I think he is.

And now I’m even more intrigued.

Maybe I also hit my head when I fell.

Chapter5

Blaze

I’m not fond of my girl’s tiny car.I feel like I’m inside a toy, but that’s the only vehicle we have right now, so I’m driving her Corolla to the mansion.

Kinsley gave her some Tylenol, and she’s already looking a bit more lucid, but I’m equally certain she’s going to crash hard when I tuck her into bed.

Mybed.

When I arrived at the Wilde mansion, I quickly learned that there are dozens of rooms, and everyone claims a few when they arrive.The place truly is a monstrosity.It lives up to its name.

Ryder’s wife, Claire, has taken on the role of woman of the manor, so to speak.She gave me a tour of the second floor, made some suggestions, and set me up with not one but two rooms next to each other.When I asked her why the hell I would need more than one room, she simply laughed and patted my shoulder.

It didn’t take me long to realize what the second room is for.Everyonehas two.Some of my cousins have three if they need an office space.The spare is for the babies everyone is pregnant with.

A normal person—which apparently I am not—would have run from the mansion and never looked back.Who would believe such a ridiculous superstition?People don’t meet someone and marry them immediately, getting them pregnant five seconds after that.

Except that’s what happens at the Wilde estate.And I’ve secretly been waiting for my turn, perhaps not too patiently.Apparently, that’s today.

Vicky would probably have a heart attack if I filled her in on my thinking right now.I won’t.But she’s about to have a bit of a shock, and I do need to inform her about where we’re headed.

As I pull out of the parking lot, I grab her hand.“Did you arrive in Wilde yesterday before you went hiking?”