Tempt Me - By Shiloh Walker Page 0,38

he could have lost her. And he’d just found her ...

Rocki went white. Then she closed her eyes. “Come in.” Without turning to look at the doctor, she blurted out, “I’m about to have a panic attack, even thinking about surgery...can you do something about that? Please?”

Hours later, gritty-eyed with fatigue, Cole sat in the chair next to Rocki, watching as she slowly came out of the drugged haze. He had to admit, he hadn’t exactly expected this sort of thing to happen—here he was sitting with a woman he’d dated exactly twice. She’d need somebody with her for twenty-four hours after surgery, and he had every intention of it being him...although he hadn’t been sure how to approach that.

She’d solved the dilemma by giving him a sidelong look while he was filling out the paperwork for her. “Is it going to be, like, really awkward if I ask you to just put yourself down as the contact for now? You’re here, and I don’t think you plan on going anywhere...”

She’d been right.

She’d come through the surgery fine, and the doctor had given Cole the standard spiel...with a mistake Cole hadn’t bothered to correct. “Your wife will need to follow up with us in a couple of weeks. The nurse will go over all of that when she wakes up, but make sure she calls us if there’s any trouble.”

She’s not my wife. Cole could have corrected him easily enough. But he hadn’t seen the point. She wasn’t his wife, but she already meant something. He suspected she could come to mean everything...and he was just fine with that.

“Okay...any questions, Ms. Monroe?”

Rocki smiled tiredly. “No.” She just wanted to go home, to her bed, and sleep. For a week.

“Well, then. If you can just bring the car up...” The nurse looked at Cole, her brows arched.

“Sure thing.” He bent over and pressed his lips to Rocki’s head. As he slipped out of the room, she closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the chair. Sleep was calling her name once more, but she wasn’t going to sleep any more, not until she was at home. In her bed.

Out in the hall, there was a harsh, loud bang. Startled, she jumped. Her right hand smacked against the bedside table. Pain streaked through her. “Oh, shit,” she whispered.

“Oh, dear...” The nurse rushed over to her side. “Are you okay?”

Rocki nodded, swallowing the tears. “Sorry. I’m just a little jumpy.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw the look on the nurse’s face. Knowledge. “I understand. Would you...well, you might want to consider speaking with somebody about what happened. After you’ve rested a bit, of course.”

Rocki grimaced. She’d done that bit before. Although this time, she hadn’t cowered. Hadn’t hidden. Staring at her broken hand, she said, “Yes. After I’ve rested.”

She didn’t know if she’d do it or not. It was a problem that would have to wait until another day. She wasn’t dealing with anything more complicated today than how to tell Cole where she lived...without drooling. That was problematic enough.

So pale and exhausted. The look on her face only made him that much more furious. Cole had used the few minutes it had taken to drive his car up to call Clayton, although there was little he could be told yet. Except she had broken Dwayne Carpenter’s nose and given him a concussion when she drove that bottle into his head.

Not enough, though...still not enough.

He stroked a hand down her hair as he opened the door for her. The nurse smiled at him. “She’s going to want to sleep a lot today...that’s probably not a bad thing. Make sure she takes the pain medicine.”

“I will.” He nodded as he held a hand out for Rocki, letting her steady herself as she stood up. She swayed a little and he waited as she rested her head on his shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Stupid drugs make me loopy.” She eased away and slid into the car, pausing there and heaving out a breath.

“I think you’re entitled to a little loopiness, baby.” He caught her uninjured left hand in his and glanced at the nurse. “We’re good here.”

She smiled at him and turned away, pushing the wheelchair toward the hospital. He focused once more on Rocki, waiting for her to swing her legs into the car.

“Cole.”

He tensed at the sound of that voice. Shit. He’d been ignoring the phone calls all night. Turning around, he met Mara’s icy blue eyes. “Hello,