Heartbreak Lover (Broken Hearts Academy #2) - C.R. Jane Page 0,48

while our breathing slowed.

The doctor arrived, and Jackson snapped up, moving to the corner of the small room.

“Ms. James, you got very lucky,” he began disapprovingly. “I’m sure you’ve been warned not to take drinks from strangers, you could have died.”

My cheeks flushed with shame, and I didn’t bother to correct him with what had really happened. The truth was much more awful than that.

Jackson’s fists were clenched and his jaw ticked, but he didn’t say anything, controlling himself for once…something I was grateful for.

The doctor turned his attention to Jackson, taking a step back when he saw the ferocity written all over Jackson’s face. “Watch for dizziness, blurred vision, a worsening headache, and vomiting. She’ll be tired for the next few days as the drugs work their way out of her. I recommend waking her every few hours just to make sure she isn’t having a latent reaction. If it seems like it’s hard for her to wake up, call us immediately. If you want to go out and get your car up by the front, I’ll send the nurse in with discharge instructions.”

Jackson nodded, and the doctor left without a backward glance. The staff here really needed to work on their bedside manner.

Jackson grabbed my clothes and handed them to me. “Here, let me help you.”

For some reason, the thought of him helping me get redressed out of my hospital gown had a flush spreading all over my chest. The guy had seen lots of my naked parts, but I felt somehow that it was more intimate for him to dress me than it had been for him to undress me.

“I’m not an invalid. I can dress myself. And I know what he said about you watching me, but I probably should get back to my room tonight. I’m sure Lane can come check on me once or twice.” The words came out half-heartedly. It was like I was saying them just to see what his reaction would be.

Jackson studied me as if he was prepared to wrestle me down in order to win this battle.

“You know, we really need to break this habit of meeting up in hospital rooms,” he suddenly said slyly, breaking the slow tension that had been building in the room.

“Shut up and get me out of here,” I ordered.

He sidled up to me and grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping my head to find my eyes. The flare of his gaze was like a comet burning through a midnight sky. “You will be in my bed tonight, Everly. And there’s going to be a time, not too long in the future, when my bed becomes your bed…permanently.”

Holy… I nodded like he was a puppet master controlling my strings.

A laugh rumbled through his chest as he walked out of the room then with one last parting glance, leaving me with a stunned expression. I savored the rare sound of his laugh, a small smile on my face.

But as soon as he left the room, my smile dropped. Because that conversation with Caiden…it was churning in my gut. What Jackson was telling me was going to happen between us sounded a lot like forever, but Caiden’s words had sounded a lot like forever earlier as well.

And Caiden’s promises of forever had never meant good things for me.

16

My eye cracked open when a pounding from downstairs didn’t stop.

“I know you’re in there with her, Jackson Parker. You need to open this fucking door right fucking now,” Lane called out from outside.

An unfamiliar voice yelled something from outside.

“Fuck you too, lady,” Lane snarled at whichever of Jackson’s neighbors were complaining at the way too early wake-up call.

Jackson groaned next to me. He’d woken me throughout the night with a soft caress to my cheek each time, unfortunately no sexy times happening in any of the wakeups. I would try something, and he would just smile and kiss my forehead.

Which was probably a good thing, judging by the fact that I could feel the pulse of a headache building again even now.

Jackson sat up next to me, the sheet sliding down his torso. His skin was burnished gold in the early morning light, and I had the insane urge to lick between his perfect abs.

“Good morning, little angel.” His voice was sensual, warm, caramel smooth with a rough grate on the undertone from sleep.

If it was possible to melt, I did. My insides liquefied, and I leaned in towards him. It became infuriatingly easy to