by Rhonda James
“That would most likely be from shock and the blood loss. I’m sure everything will be okay.” He replied, doing his best to reassure me. “Head wounds bleed a lot; that’s normal. Where are you now?”
“I’m just turning onto my street; I’ll see you in a few then?”
“Right behind you buddy,” he chuckled. I checked the rearview mirror, and there he was, turning onto my street, true to his word and always on time. We pulled into the drive, and I carefully lifted her out of the car and started for the house, Steve following closely behind, probing her head.
“This is bad, but not too worrisome. I’ll clean it up and put in a few staples,” he pulled out a funny looking contraption, holding it up for me to inspect. “Can you get me some clean towels, two soaked and two dry, and bring me that trash can.” I ran to the bathroom to gather the supplies and came back to find her lying on my dining room table with Steve at one end holding a syringe. He peered up at me from his position and answered my unspoken question. “Something to numb the area, I don’t want her to wake up screaming in pain. It’s going to be startling enough for her to come to and find herself in a stranger’s home. I’ve also given her a shot of antibiotics, and a painkiller; she’s going to have a nasty headache. You say you just met her?” I nodded.
I watched intently as he cleaned her head wound, admiring the way he worked so calmly, with such precision. Fifteen minutes later she was good as new, except for the few pieces of metal in her head, lying on a spare bed located in my guest wing. Steve finished washing his hands and found me standing in the doorway, watching her sleep.
“She’ll probably be out for another hour or two. I should warn you that when she wakes up she might not remember you. It’s not uncommon for patients with head trauma to appear confused, or not remember events that happened a few days prior to the incident. Here are the prescriptions. I think you should bring her to the hospital for a head scan tomorrow morning. I want to be sure there isn’t any internal damage.” I took the slip of paper from his outstretched hand and looked down at it.
“Thanks, Steve,” I ran a hand over my mouth and sighed. “She’s going to be okay?”
“I think she’s going to be fine, but I want to be sure.” He furrowed his brow before continuing. “Is there anything you want to share with me? The way you’re staring at her leads me to believe that something is going on here.”
“I don’t know, I can’t put it into words, but there is something about her…” My mind drifted for a moment, thinking about her smile. “It’s like when you come across the perfect gift for someone you care about, and you know you just have to buy it, that’s how it was when I met her today. There’s just something about her that makes me want to know her better, to take care of her. I don’t even know her last name.”
“Oh, I do, it’s Caldwell, when I slipped her shorts down to give her a shot her phone fell out of the pocket,” he said, handing me the phone.
“Yeah, she told me her first name at the beach. Brooke Caldwell.” I said her full name out loud, it sounded great rolling off my tongue as well. I said it a few more times, making Steve laugh on his way out the door.
“You’ve got it bad already my friend, and she most likely has no clue who you even are. Good luck, and make sure you get her to the hospital within a day or two for that scan.”
“You got it buddy, thanks for everything.” With that, he was out the door, and we were all alone.
I gathered a few items and set up a workstation in the corner of the guest room. I knew she would be waking up soon and, if what Steve had said was true, she might be scared to death that the attacker had kidnaped her or something. I hoped she would remember talking with me before the incident, maybe there would be some small chance that she had felt about me the same way I had felt about her after our short meeting. I couldn’t shake this feeling; I’ve never had a woman get to me quite the way that Brooke did. I stared at her carefully, taking in all of her delicate features. Her hands were small, yet they looked strong, most likely from years of working in the kitchen. She wasn’t very tall, maybe five foot five, and looked quite fit. There was a vulnerability in her eyes that made me sad; it stirred something within me that made me want to look after her and protect her, the way my father cares for my mother. I wanted to know all about her. Did she have someone that already loved her? Did she love them? Was she leaving Michigan to escape something or someone in her life? Was she happy there? And finally, how could I convince her to stay here with me for a few days, just so we could have a chance to know one another better? And if she did agree to stay, would I be able to let her go when she decided it was time to go home?
CHAPTER FOUR
Brooke~
I opened my eyes to find two more staring back at me. I screamed and clawed at him, afraid he was going to finish what he had started. I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them again, he was still there, but had moved back a bit, just out of my reach, and making gentle shushing sounds, trying to calm me down. I tried pulling myself up on my elbows, but the pain in my head made me woozy.
“There was a man here before…” my voice came out sounding small and weak.
“Brooke, you’re safe, no one is here but us. My name is Sebastian; we met at the beach earlier today. Do you remember?”
I studied his face, he did look familiar. I recalled sitting on a bench with him. “Yes, I remember you, it’s a bit fuzzy, but I do remember the pier. We talked about the weather, I think,” I rubbed my temples, “my head hurts.”
“You have a bump on the back of your head, there was a large gash, but my doctor cleaned it up and put in a few staples. He gave you a shot of antibiotics and something for the pain. I have a prescription for you to fill for some pills, more antibiotics.” His voice was deep and soothing, and something about it drew me in, wanting to hear more of what he had to say. “Do you remember anything about what happened?”
I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut. “A man…two of them, they surprised me on the path. They said a few things, and then everything went black. Wait! When you found me did I have my purse?”
“No, there wasn’t anything around you,” he replied softly. “You were most likely mugged.” He fished around in his pocket before pulling out my phone and handing it to me. “My doctor found this when he, um, when he adjusted your shorts to give you an injection. He said that it fell out.”
“Thank you,” I replied, reaching for the phone.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you; I can’t help feeling like it was somehow my fault. I should never have left you alone, I knew you were in a strange city, and I should have kept an eye on you, helped you out you know.” He smiled warmly, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his sapphire eyes sparkled.
“Don’t be silly, it wasn’t your responsibility to look after me, I’m a grown woman. I should have been paying more attention. If I hadn’t been texting, I probably wouldn’t have been caught off-guard.” I felt around the back of my head and winced when my hand met the staples.
“Are you okay?” He came closer to the bed, obviously concerned. For someone that didn’t know me, he was being awfully kind, and going out of his way to care for me.
“Yes, it’s just sensitive. Thank you for taking care of me, it’s very kind of you. You don’t even know me, and you’re kinder than most of the people I spend time with.”
“Well, you’re probably spending time with the wrong people. Besides, I couldn’t leave you there, you were blocking the path,” he chuckled softly, trying to get me to laugh, and it worked. “I was scared; I didn’t know what would happen. There was a lot of blood,” his face scrunched, and his tongue played behind his cheek for a moment before continuing. “I’m glad you’re going to be okay. Oh yeah, my doctor wants you to stop by the hospital for a head scan; he wants to make sure that you don’t have any internal bleeding in your head. I know it sounds scary, but he said it was just a precautionary scan. I can take you tomorrow if you like.”
&nbs
p; I sat up slowly, leaning back against the headboard, suddenly aware of the seriousness of my situation. “I don’t have anything. They took my wallet, credit cards, cash, driver’s license. My plane ticket was even in there.” I dropped my head into my hands, shaking it slowly.
“Hey, I don’t want you to worry about any of that.”
“How can I not worry? Everything I had was in my purse. Do you have any idea the kind of hassle it will be to replace everything?” I closed my eyes, feeling the tears begin to well up in the corners, and I covered my face, not wanting to cry in front of him. “I don’t even know where I am.”
“Hey,” he sat next to me, tentatively placing an arm around my shoulder, pulling me to him. “Everything is going to work out. You’re at my home in Santa Monica; you can call your friends and let them know what happened. We can call your credit card company and your bank. I’ll leave so you can have some privacy. The plane ticket is not a problem; we can have it replaced.” He ran a hand down my hair, speaking to me in a soft, soothing voice. I couldn’t help it, the tears began to fall freely down my cheeks as I sniffed uncontrollably. I’ve never had someone care for me like this. I barely know this man, and I am in his home, lying in his bed. He’s had his doctor come take care of me, and now he’s offering to buy me plane ticket home.
After Sebastian left the room, I hung my head in my hands, overwhelmed by the realization of everything that had taken place in such a short span of time. I had a great interview, but was still feeling nervous about waiting to hear back from the owner. The trip to the beach had seemed like a harmless choice at the time. I had been sitting on a bench, minding my own business, when he came along, taking up all the space with his charming good looks and big personality. We chatted about random topics, and I recalled feeling a sense of comfort around him, kind of like I did lying there in his bed. He told me that his name was Sebastian; he had dark hair that was unruly and stuck up in various directions, making him look deliciously sexy, and those eyes… His eyes were like two sapphires that twinkled brightly when the light hit them just right. I had seen eyes like those before, in my dreams, and on the cover of an album by my favorite band, Paradox. Then it hit me, what I had discovered on the beach, my rescuer was none other than Sebastian Miles, and right now I was in his home, lying in his bed. Immediately, the butterflies returned, reminding me that I was both frightened and excited. How on earth had this happened to someone like me?
The calls to my bank and credit card company took a bit longer than I expected. Eventually, I was able to determine that my cards had been shut down, and replacements would be overnighted to a local branch here in L.A. Next, I contacted the hotel to let them know what happened and that I would be able to come by to check out in the morning. They informed me that since I had not checked in with them earlier in the afternoon they had given my room away, and my belongings were being held in the front office. I inquired about reserving a room for tonight, but they were completely booked. Apparently, a convention was taking place, and they were sponsoring the event. She also told me that it would be next to impossible to get a room anywhere else at this late notice. Great.
Once my calls were made, I needed to get up and moving around. I had to use the bathroom, and my stomach kept rumbling while I was on the phone. I was in a pretty bad situation here. I had no way to pay for anything, and I was at the mercy of a handsome stranger who had offered to help me out. I typed out two quick texts to Donnie and Jade, giving them a brief account of what had happened, and assured them that I was okay and at a man named Sebastian’s house. I indicated that I would call them before I went to sleep. I didn’t want to tell them exactly which Sebastian I was currently shacked up with, wanting to preserve the magic of the moment a bit longer. I finished up in the bathroom, and wandered down the hall into the adjoining den. It was clearly a man cave, set up with multiple televisions lining the surrounding walls. A pool table and a bar were situated in one corner, but the pride of the room had to be the television that took up nearly one entire wall. On the far side of the room the wall was lined with rows of gold and platinum discs, I moved closer to get a better look and couldn’t believe my eyes. These framed pieces weren’t just gold and platinum discs; they were gold and platinum albums that belonged to my favorite band. And how was it that on the day I had the interview of a lifetime, I ended up being rescued by the one man that all women seemed to want to get their hands on? I left the man cave and continued on through the house until I came to the kitchen. I headed to the sink and opened a nearby cabinet, searching for a glass.
“I have bottled water in the fridge.” His voice startled me, and I jumped reflexively, turning to find him standing in the doorway behind me. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you, if you prefer a glass they are in the cabinet to your right,” he tilted his head, indicating the cabinet in question. “Are you hungry? You must be; it’s probably been hours since you’ve had a meal. I can order anything you like,” he offered, opening up a drawer filled with carry out menus. I peered over his shoulder as he pulled a few out. “Take your pick, I’ll eat whatever you choose.”
“Um, I don’t have a way to pay for it, and I’m not really all that hungry.” It was at that exact moment my stomach decided to betray me by growling loudly.
“Not hungry huh?” he arched a brow at me. “You know, I will gladly pay for your dinner, and anything else you might need. It’s the least I can do, considering you made a point to visit my city and were robbed and viciously attacked.”
I crossed my arms tight against my chest, feeling protective at the mention of the mugging. “Alright, but I’m paying you back for everything.” He just shook his head and muttered quietly to himself, something about difficult women. “What was that?” I smirked.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he chuckled, pointing to the menus, “name your poison.”
“Chinese sounds good, I’m not picky,” I shrugged.
He grabbed a menu from the pile and a broad smile crossed his gorgeous face. “Then we’ll order from Ling’s, they have the best Hunan chicken on the planet,” he said, reaching for his phone.
“Sounds wonderful, I like mine spicy, and don’t forget the eggrolls, I love those,” I called after him, as I grabbed a bottle of water.
An hour later we were both stuffed and sitting across from one another on opposite sofas. He was right, the chicken had been amazing, and I had eaten far too much of it. He had ordered way too much food, including enough eggrolls to last a week. Now that I had been fed, I felt like I needed another nap. My head throbbed, and I still had on the same clothes I had been wearing since after my interview. I felt tired and dirty, and I wanted nothing more than a bath and a bed, but first, I needed my luggage, which was still sitting at the hotel.
“Um, Sebastian,” I stalled, hesitant to ask him for another favor. “I hate to ask this of you, but my luggage is at the Westin Boulevard, and I need to pick it up. I would kill for a shower and a change of clothes right now.”
“Ah man, I totally forgot about all of that, of course we can get it, no problem. If you want a shower, go right ahead and hop in. I’ll send a driver over to pick up your luggage, and it will be here waiting when you get out. Until then, you could slip on one of my shirts.”
“Wow, that is so kind of you.” I tried picturing myself in one of his shirts, and the thought made me giddy, it would swallow me whole. “Are you this nice to everyone, or do you just feel sorry for me because I’m so needy?” I laughed heartily, Sebastian joined me in my laughter as he played along.
“Yeah, I just hang around waiting for strange women to come along and let me chat them up.” He stopped laughing and looked at me seriously. “I’m not being nice to you because I feel sorry for you. I’m nice because you seem sweet, and I want to help you. If I’m making you uncomfortable just let me know, I’ll arrange for you to go to a hotel.”
I licked my lips nervously, not certain about staying, but not wanting to leave either. “Do you wan
t me to go to a hotel?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off him.
He stood at just over six foot two, with dark hair cut short on the sides and longer on top, and it fell over his eyes when he dipped his head. He wore faded jeans that hung low on his hips and stretched across his thighs. A tight fitting T-shirt showed off the bottom of a large tattoo on his left bicep that I couldn’t quite make out, but curiosity had me wanting to explore it further. He ran a hand through his hair and a flash of silver hit me as I noticed the array of large rings on his left hand. I stole a quick glance at his other hand and noticed the word FREE tattooed just below the knuckles. My eyes trailed up his wrist, where a thin piece of black woven leather stood out against his evenly tanned skin. Next, I took in his piercings; there were five. On his left ear were two small silver hoops and a diamond stud. The viper bites held my attention, and when he caught me staring, he pulled them absently between his teeth. Lord, have mercy. This man was even more gorgeous up close and personal. I licked my lips again, swallowing the knot forming in my throat, aware of the tingling sensation spreading throughout my body. I found myself hoping like hell that he didn’t want me to leave.
“No, I’d like for you to stay. You can have the whole east wing to yourself. I won’t even bother you, if that’s what you prefer. You can stay here and get your rest, and then I’ll take you to get that scan tomorrow.”
“Yes, I would like that. I would like all of the above. Thank you.” He lifted my hand, raising it to his full lips, and I felt a shiver as the metal brushed lightly across the sensitive flesh. “I better go take that shower. Oh, do you think I can get my hair wet? I want to clean up this dried blood. I can’t believe I sat here all afternoon talking to you with that in my hair.”
