already been opened so he read it. Since he was apparently stuck here caring for her, he might as well learn all he could. He hadn’t garnered much out of it other than she had run away from something. The letter came from an Aunt Viv, who spoke of wishing she’d return home. He assumed she came from Maine since that’s where the letter was postmarked.
He headed back down the hall, grabbed his pants from the dryer, and donned them. Time to check on his ward and change her bandage. When he entered the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. The sunlight streamed in and kissed her skin. Even with her hair a bloody mess and her face bruised; he could see she was beautiful. This time his male urges stirred.
“Shove it aside, Eli.” It had been months since he’d had a woman’s warm body beneath him.
He shook off his desire and walked to the bed. Opening the first-aid kit, he unwrapped another bandage then removed the one on her gash. It still looked wicked, and he almost wished he were a guardian so he could simply heal her and be on his way. Instead, all he could do was keep her asleep and let her body take care of itself.
Against his better judgment, he pulled back the covers to check her bruises. Purple and green marred her skin, but in the daylight her curves beckoned him. He folded the covers back over her and looked away. She was a temptation he didn’t need right now.
Unless.
Unless, of course, the Seven expected him to produce a daughter… Could that be their plan? He knew if he had sex with her, he could will a child upon her. All babies born from angel and human encounters were female and bore the mark of an angel’s mate. It was only when an angel mated with one of these offspring that they produced an eternal male child—a true angel.
He rubbed his chin. Why else would the Seven drop him here? The task would be easy enough. He’d have no problem gaining her interest. No woman refused an angel, and all he had to do was command her body to become fertile then accept his seed. The deed would be done, and he could go back to his duties.
Taking in a deep breath, he touched her forehead, and summoned her to wake.
----
S harp pain burned her entire body and throbbed behind her eyes. Ashley forced her lids open. The light blinded her and caused her to slam them shut, but a voice—a deep, sexy male voice—called her name, so she opened them again. Memories of a large hound with red eyes attacking her came flooding back. She’d never seen anything like it before and the vision in her head caused a shiver.
She blinked once, twice, and a male form came into view. Odd, he had no shirt and she wondered what kind of doctor went around with a bare chest. As her vision cleared, she realized she was in her own bedroom and not the local hospital. The man who sat on the edge of her bed stared at her with steel blue eyes.
“Time to wake up.” His voice held a soft yet firm command.
She licked her lips and tried to speak, but her parched throat wouldn’t allow words to form. He held out a glass of water.
“Let me help you sit up.” He placed his hand under her back and supported her as she struggled and winced through the pain. She allowed him to press the glass against her lips and took a long, soothing drink then nodded. He eased her back against the pillows and put the glass on the nightstand.
“What happened to the dog?” she managed to whisper.
“It’s dead.”
Pain shot across her temple so she reached up, touched her forehead, and came into contact with a bandage. She winced again.
“You got a bad gash. The fangs slipped between two ribs, and while not broken, you’re pretty bruised and have a couple of puncture wounds. Your thigh, however… The bite there went clear to the bone and walking is going to be difficult for a while, but other than that you seem okay.”
She stared at the half-dressed man and suddenly the fog lifted. She realized she looked into his eyes and saw nothing. No death.
He headed back down the hall, grabbed his pants from the dryer, and donned them. Time to check on his ward and change her bandage. When he entered the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. The sunlight streamed in and kissed her skin. Even with her hair a bloody mess and her face bruised; he could see she was beautiful. This time his male urges stirred.
“Shove it aside, Eli.” It had been months since he’d had a woman’s warm body beneath him.
He shook off his desire and walked to the bed. Opening the first-aid kit, he unwrapped another bandage then removed the one on her gash. It still looked wicked, and he almost wished he were a guardian so he could simply heal her and be on his way. Instead, all he could do was keep her asleep and let her body take care of itself.
Against his better judgment, he pulled back the covers to check her bruises. Purple and green marred her skin, but in the daylight her curves beckoned him. He folded the covers back over her and looked away. She was a temptation he didn’t need right now.
Unless.
Unless, of course, the Seven expected him to produce a daughter… Could that be their plan? He knew if he had sex with her, he could will a child upon her. All babies born from angel and human encounters were female and bore the mark of an angel’s mate. It was only when an angel mated with one of these offspring that they produced an eternal male child—a true angel.
He rubbed his chin. Why else would the Seven drop him here? The task would be easy enough. He’d have no problem gaining her interest. No woman refused an angel, and all he had to do was command her body to become fertile then accept his seed. The deed would be done, and he could go back to his duties.
Taking in a deep breath, he touched her forehead, and summoned her to wake.
----
S harp pain burned her entire body and throbbed behind her eyes. Ashley forced her lids open. The light blinded her and caused her to slam them shut, but a voice—a deep, sexy male voice—called her name, so she opened them again. Memories of a large hound with red eyes attacking her came flooding back. She’d never seen anything like it before and the vision in her head caused a shiver.
She blinked once, twice, and a male form came into view. Odd, he had no shirt and she wondered what kind of doctor went around with a bare chest. As her vision cleared, she realized she was in her own bedroom and not the local hospital. The man who sat on the edge of her bed stared at her with steel blue eyes.
“Time to wake up.” His voice held a soft yet firm command.
She licked her lips and tried to speak, but her parched throat wouldn’t allow words to form. He held out a glass of water.
“Let me help you sit up.” He placed his hand under her back and supported her as she struggled and winced through the pain. She allowed him to press the glass against her lips and took a long, soothing drink then nodded. He eased her back against the pillows and put the glass on the nightstand.
“What happened to the dog?” she managed to whisper.
“It’s dead.”
Pain shot across her temple so she reached up, touched her forehead, and came into contact with a bandage. She winced again.
“You got a bad gash. The fangs slipped between two ribs, and while not broken, you’re pretty bruised and have a couple of puncture wounds. Your thigh, however… The bite there went clear to the bone and walking is going to be difficult for a while, but other than that you seem okay.”
She stared at the half-dressed man and suddenly the fog lifted. She realized she looked into his eyes and saw nothing. No death.
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