by Brower, Dawn
“Please,” she mocked, “you can’t go crazy when you’re already there.” Dani was doing her best to lighten his mood. “You’d have to be to put up with me every day.”
Matt smiled. “You do have a valid point.” His smile fell slightly. “Thank you, Dani. I didn’t realize how much I needed you here until you stopped in.”
Tears threatened to fall. Didn’t he understand she’d do anything for him? “It’s nothing. If you have doubts again, call me. I’ll set you straight.” Dani pushed the chair forward and leaned her head on his shoulder. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
The door opened and Ren stepped inside. “Are you ready to remove your bandages?”
Dani lifted her head; her gaze met Ren’s. Shit. He looked pissed. What had she done?
***
Damn it. Ren mentally cursed. Why did she have to appear so comfortable with Matthew Price? He clenched his fists at his side. He didn’t like the beast that was welling up inside of him. It wasn’t pretty, and it wanted to be unleashed. Ren curbed his instincts. He had a job to do. It didn’t have anything to do with pounding his chest, and claiming the woman he loved, as much as he wanted to. Dani almost appeared—afraid. What did she see when she looked at him? He took a deep breath and stepped fully into the room.
“I’m not sure how ready I am,” Matt replied. “But I suppose now’s as good a time as any.”
Ren wrenched his gaze from Dani’s and let it settle on Matt. She couldn’t be his sole focus. His patient required his attention too. “Lana will be here in a moment with the supplies we need and then we can get started.”
“I’m here now, Dr. Sousa.” Lana rushed into the room. “Sorry I’m behind.”
The petite red-head walked to the other side of Matt’s bed and set up on the tray. As far as nurses went, she was one of the best he’d ever worked with. It’s why he chose her whenever possible. She was efficient and practical. Not once had she tried to hit on him. Unfortunately, there were some single women in the hospital who’d tried once they realized he’d filed for divorce. Lana was different. She came to the hospital to work and nothing else.
“I’m ready whenever you are.” She turned to him.
“Do you need me to step out?” Dani asked.
“No, don’t go,” Matt begged.
Ren clenched his teeth. He hated how he felt seeing Dani with her friend. She’d been his best friend once. He’d wanted more than that then, and sure as hell did now. Jealousy wasn’t a good feeling to have sitting in the bottom of his gut. Now wasn’t the time to let it find a grip in him. Brushing past it, he joined Lana on the other side of Matt’s bed.
“Hand me the scissors so I can begin.”
Lana brought him the instrument and he started the slow process of removing the bandages around Matt’s eyes. He peeled all the layers away and dropped them onto the tray Lana held. After most of them were off, only two squares remained covering each eye. They’d have to replace the ones over the incision on his head to prevent infection, but the removal of his dressing was to test the viability of his vision.
“I’m going to remove the gauze covering your eyes,” Ren explained. “Keep your eyes closed. Don’t open them until I tell you to.”
The silence was eerie in the room. No one said a peep while he worked. Ren was thankful for it. He worked better when it was quiet, allowing him to concentrate. He removed the final two bandages and placed them on the tray. Now it was time to find out if the surgery worked.
“All right,” he began, “open your eyes slowly. Blink a few times before you try to focus.”
Matt did as he asked. They all waited on bated breath. After he blinked a few times, Matt shook his head. “It’s blurry.”
Ren smiled. That was actually good news. “Blurry is good. It means you see something.”
Matt frowned. “I can’t make out anything. How’s that a good thing?”
Dani placed her hand over Matt’s. “It means you’re recovering. If I understand correctly, your eyes still have a lot of healing to do.”
Ren appreciated her perceptiveness. As much as he hated seeing them together, Matt needed her support. It would be a long road to recovery. “She’s correct. It’s going to take a while for you to heal. Your vision might not become fully restored, but I’m hopeful. This is a good sign. Be happy.”
Matt smiled. “I’ll try. Does this mean I can get out of here?”
“Yes.” He grinned back. “Lana, can you start the process to have Mr. Price released tomorrow?”
Lana finished putting new bandages over Matt’s incision. “Yes, doctor.” She threw away the old bandages in the biohazard waste. “I’ll take care of it now.” The nurse spun on her heals and exited the room. The woman could almost be considered too efficient, taking all the extra items with her as she left.
“If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll leave you two to your visit.”
“I’m good,” Matt said. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, and I have the benefit of finally leaving this place soon.”
“Then I’ll go. Don’t be afraid to ask anything. I’m a phone call away.”
Ren turned to leave. He wanted to stay, but it wasn’t a good time to do it. He’d corner Dani later. Interrupting her time with Matt wasn’t the place to push himself on her.
“Ren, wait,” she called out.
He closed his eyes and steeled himself for her refusal. Whenever she saw him she either pushed him away or ran as far as possible. Neither one worked for him. “Yes?” he said, turning back to her.
“If you have a moment, I’d like to speak to you before you leave.”
This had the possibility of being either good or bad. Please let it be good. “I have a few moments before I have to see my next patient.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” Matt said. “I’m going to take a nap. Come back and bother me later.”
Dani smiled. “You can count on it.” She glanced at Ren. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Ren didn’t know what to make of her. She kept him on his toes. He stayed silent as they exited the room. Leaving it to her to tell him what she wanted to say. He grabbed her arm and led her toward his office. She bit her lip and allowed him to.
“We don’t need to go to your office. What I have to say won’t take long.”
He didn’t reply. Ren feared if he opened his mouth the jealousy would come spilling out. The privacy his office offered would give him more control. When they reached it, he pushed the door open and pulled her inside. The door shut with a soft click. Dani leaned back against it. Ren stalked forward placing his hands above her shoulders against the door. Their gazes locked.
She gulped. “Ren?”
The need to kiss her filled him. All he wanted was to feel her lips on his again. The beast inside him told him to take what he wanted. She belonged to him as much as he belonged to her. He leaned down and placed his lips on hers. A fire ignited as soon as his heat fueled hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him against her. It was all the permission he needed to deepen the kiss. He touched a part of heaven he’d been denied for too long. It was coming home and finding the piece of himself he’d been missing. Dani was everything.
He stepped back and glanced down at her. Her full pouty lips were even fuller and appeared stung from their kisses. The desire filling her eyes was almost too hard to resist, but somehow he managed it. Their breathing was haggard as they fought for control.
“You wanted to talk?” he said.
She flashed him a sultry smile, and breathlessly said, “I like what you had in mind better.”
Maybe he should listen to his gut instincts more often. He raised an eyebrow. “I did too.”
She lifted both hands and ran them across his chest. “If I had more time I’d see what other things you had in mind.”
He groaned. She had no idea. He’d had years of imagination to make up for. “What did you need?”
Ren braced himself for
something he didn’t want to hear. He hoped the kiss they shared would soften her toward him. If his luck held out it would, and what she said next would lead them in the direction he wanted.
Dani glanced up at him, and winked. “Text me the details on the fundraiser.” She tucked a piece of paper in his coat pocket. “I do believe it’ll be a night to remember.” Then she turned around and left him in his office.
What the hell had happened? Ren let happiness fill him for the first time since he’d found her again. It appeared like he might be finally getting through to her.
“Dani, I do believe you’re right. It’ll be one I certainly won’t forget.”
Plans had to me made. He intended for it not only to be a night to remember, but one that Dani wouldn’t be able to run away from. This was his chance to get through to her once and for all. One he didn’t intend to waste.
Chapter Nine
Matt was getting released from the hospital. She had to make plans to get him settled in at his home. There were so many things to arrange. Until he could function on his own, he needed someone with him around the clock. His vision was getting better, but it was nowhere near where it needed to be. He’d hate it, but he needed some live-in help. She was happy that the surgery appeared to work, and over time his vision should return. Blurry was better than total blackness any day.
Dani pushed open the door to her office building. Amy was sitting at the reception desk typing something on the computer. She glanced up at the sound of bells filling the room.
“You’re back,” she said. “Mr. Nettles called again. He wants to know if you’ve made any progress.”
Damn that man. He had absolutely no patience. It’d been less than twenty-four hours since she’d talked to him. Did he expect her to work miracles? She mentally snorted. No, it was worse than that. The blasted man was anticipating her failure and wanted to find out if she had already. Well, she had news for him. She didn’t fail and wasn’t about to start to prove him right in his own idiotic misconceptions.
“I’m not prepared to talk to Mr. Nettles yet. If he calls back again, take a message.” She’d deal with him after she had her spontaneous meeting with Sullivan Brady. After that, she’d make plans on how to proceed. “I have something in the works, but it’s going to take time to get started. I can’t have that arrogant man preventing me from gathering information.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again. Amy winced and then said what was on her mind. “I don’t like him. Every time he calls he’s so condescending.”
Dani rolled her eyes. She wished she could tell him to find a different firm to represent him. He was truly despicable. “I’m sorry he’s being difficult. Let me know if it’s too much to deal with.”
Amy nodded. “It’s frustrating, but overall he’s harmless.”
She hoped he stayed that way. Dani suspected if he didn’t get his way he’d become a problem rather fast. “Is Claire in?”
Claire often ran errands and filed paperwork with the court. She hoped the other woman was available. Her visit to Matt hadn’t come up when she spoke to her previously. Dani wanted to make sure she was all right and run a few things by her.
“She’s in her office.”
“Thank you. Hold all my calls for the rest of the day.”
Dani headed to Claire’s office. She was hunched over her desk reading a document. Her brows were bunched together in concentration. She didn’t appear to be bothered by anything in particular, but Dani knew looks could be deceiving. With a shake of her head she brushed her own worries away and raised her hand to knock on the door frame. When the sound reverberated through the room, Claire glanced up and met her gaze.
“I’m sorry. I was so absorbed in proofreading this motion. How long have you been standing there?”
“It’s only been a couple seconds.” Dani pointed to the motion. “Is there anything I need to take a look at?” Claire was thorough when she wrote a motion. But since she didn’t have a law degree, either Matt or she had to look over them before they could be filed.
“No.” She furrowed her brow. “I’m making sure I’ve covered everything and there are no errors.” Claire set the document down. “How’s Matt?”
Dani walked fully inside and sat in front of her desk. They had much to discuss, and she needed Claire on board with what she had planned. Matt would be pissed, but Dani believed she was doing the right thing.
“I have some news.” Dani smiled. “They took the bandages off his eyes today.”
Claire sat up straighter. Her face was devoid of all emotion. “And?”
“The bad news is he can’t see.” She held up her hand when Claire opened her mouth to interrupt. “Let me finish. He can’t see anything but a blur. But he can see.”
A relieved breath fell from Claire’s mouth. “Thank God.”
Dani could appreciate her concern. She’d been on pins and needles waiting for the bandages to come off. When Matt had announced everything was blurry, her heart had skipped a beat. He might not have thought so at first, but it had been a good sign.
“He does have a long road toward recovery. He’s going to need a lot of help to get to where he needs to be.”
Claire nodded. “What do you need from me?”
Dani took a deep breath. She figured Claire would want to help. But how much was she willing to do to help Matt recover? “I have an idea, and I’m not sure you’re going to want to do it or not.”
“The only way you’re going to know is if you ask.” Claire sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. “You’re aware of how I feel about Matt.”
“I am.” She studied her assistant. “I also know you went to see him and he was, for lack of a better word, an ass.”
Claire didn’t say a word. She stared at Dani for several minutes. She leaned forward and set her elbows on her desk. “I gave him allowances for having a bad couple of days. I decided to give him some room to breathe and think about what a dick he was. I assume he said something to you?”
Matt was lucky Claire understood what he was going through. Not everyone would be so forgiving if he bit their head off on a regular basis. “He was regretful. I take it you didn’t open a vein and bleed out your feelings for him?’
“No.” Claire’s lips tilted into a half-smile. “I deduced it wouldn’t be a good idea to dump my emotions on him when he already had so much to deal with. In time I will though. I can be patient a little while longer.”
“Good, now to my idea.” She leaned forward and stared into Claire’s eyes. “Matt’s going to need round the clock care for a while.”
She tilted her head and considered Dani’s words. “I can see how that would be necessary. He isn’t equipped to dealing with anything right now. He’d have to relearn where everything in his apartment is. Not to mention cooking, cleaning, and the day to day necessities.”
Her friend had one hell of an uphill battle to the end of recovery. She didn’t envy him that task. With her and Claire’s help, he could make it to the other side. Unfortunately, she could already see how difficult he was going to make it for them. It was their job to suck it up and make it as easy as possible for him. They would also be there to remind him when he was being a jerk. More importantly, they would be able to tell him they had faith in him and he could make it.
“I want to hire a nurse to come in and check on him each day, and a therapist to help him to acclimate to his new surroundings, but someone needs to stay after they leave,” Dani paused. “That’s where you come in.”
“Do you want me to research individuals to see who’s available and qualified to do what you need?”
“That would be a good start.” Dani frowned. “It’s last minute. I should have started looking into this sooner, but it didn’t occur to me until earlier today. We’re going to need someone to start almost immediately. Matt’s being released tomorrow afternoon.”
Claire sat back. Her mouth fell open with surprise. “So soon?”
; A part of Dani wanted to keep him in the hospital where he would get constant care, but he had to be going stir-crazy stuck in bed all day. For his own peace of mind, he had to go home. “He insisted, and I understand why.”
Claire nodded. “Matt doesn’t like being cooped up. He’s still going to go crazy in his own home. I don’t think he fully comprehends the ramifications of his injury. Does he know you’re arranging for care?”
Dani smiled. Claire understood Matt as well as she did. If she agreed to stay with him when Dani couldn’t, then it would all work out. They could take shifts making sure someone was with him. They wouldn’t have to hire a stranger to see to his needs. Though Matt might actually prefer that to them hovering. She’d have to play it by ear and see how it went.
“For at least the beginning, I don’t think we should have anyone staying overnight with him that doesn’t know him or what makes him tick,” she explained. “I haven’t discussed it with him, but I don’t think he should get much of a choice at first. He’s going to argue regardless.”
Claire tapped her fingers lightly on the desk. “You want me to stay with him, don’t you?”
Her assistant was perceptive. It’s one of the reasons she had been hired. “Not every night. I can take some too.”
Her laughter filled the room. “Matt’s going to be livid.”
No doubt she was right. He hated having to be taken care of. It was his job to take care of those around him. It was part of who he was. Now he had to sit back and allow them to take care of him. He’d have to suck it up and deal with it.
“At first,” Dani agreed. “After he gets done yelling at us.” She tilted her head. “And pouting. He’ll see reason.”
“You are right.” She grinned. “It’s going to be fun to watch him go through all those stages too.”
Dani shook her head. Claire had a perverse side she’d not noticed previously. Where had she been hiding it? It looked good on her, and she’d need it to deal with Matt. Her lips quirked up in amusement before she replied, “So you’re willing to help me?”
