pulled away and cautiously rested his forehead against hers. She met his gaze and the tears welling in her beautiful brown eyes nearly broke him. She broke down at that point. Tye held her, rocked her. Tried to ease a bit of the anguish she held inside.
But he failed at that, he knew it. Whatever it was that had Laine so scared was bigger than anything a hug and gentle rocking could take care of. She cried only a few minutes, just enough to let a little of it out, then drifted off again.
Two hours later, the sun began to rise as Tye stared out her hospital room window, listening to her strong, even breaths. She thought she was going to leave this morning, just take off to who-knew-where, but he knew better. After he got a glimpse of her fear, there was only one place he’d be comfortable with her going.
His ranch.
He’d told himself a dozen times over the last hour that the idea of bringing her there had nothing to do with him kissing her, and had even less to do with the way she kissed him back. He’d put up a good front, even in his own mind. But in his gut he knew he’d been lying to himself.
He wanted her. And not in just a I want to lay you down and take you in a hundred different ways want. No, this was an I’ll protect you, please God, let me protect you and keep you safe want.
Deep down he was conscious of his need to do that, even though he had very little time to process the desire. As he looked at her now, curled up underneath the stark white institutional sheets and blanket, a head-banging revelation shot straight through his heart.
If there was ever an award for cluelessness, he’d win it. Hands down, with no contest. He’d been an idiot. A certifiable, no-holds-barred fricking idiot. To not tell her how he felt in the first place… Goddamn it.
But the past was the past, and there was no going back to fix any mistakes. He had to look to the future now and do what was necessary in order to ease her fears and set things right, all the while doing everything in his power to force her to see him as something other than a just a colleague or friend. He needed her to see him as something more . He needed her to see him as the man who would place his life on the line for her. As the man who would protect her, care for her and be there for her.
As the man who would do anything— anything —in order for her to have everything she ever wanted or needed.
Chapter Four
Low, whispered voices drew Laine out of her blessed sleep coma. She stirred, gauging to see if the stampeding animals racing through her brain earlier had calmed themselves enough to let her draw in a breath and open her eyes. The pain was still there when she moved, though not quite as kill-me-now as it had been before. She fluttered her eyelashes and braced herself for a troop of cleat-wearing football players to reenact a bad version of Stomp! in her head as the light reached her pupils, but the dance routine thankfully never materialized.
The room was doused in shadow, but only because the drapes were drawn together over the single window to her right. She knew it had to be early morning, taking her clue from the lone ray of bright sunshine cutting through a crack at the edge of the curtains and slashing a line of fire across the foot of the bed. With the release of a held breath, she managed to raise herself high enough on her elbows to get a good look around, sending up yet another thank-you to the powers that be that her swollen eye had deflated enough she could see out of it now.
Tye stood next to the open door, chatting with a redheaded nurse and holding what looked to be a set of light-blue scrubs. The oomph she let out when she attempted to sit up further caught his attention, and he nearly ran to her side.
“Here, let me help you.”
He wrapped an arm around her back and lifted until he had her upright. Her head swam a little at the new position, and the deep-seated turmoil caused her stomach to roll, but she managed to
But he failed at that, he knew it. Whatever it was that had Laine so scared was bigger than anything a hug and gentle rocking could take care of. She cried only a few minutes, just enough to let a little of it out, then drifted off again.
Two hours later, the sun began to rise as Tye stared out her hospital room window, listening to her strong, even breaths. She thought she was going to leave this morning, just take off to who-knew-where, but he knew better. After he got a glimpse of her fear, there was only one place he’d be comfortable with her going.
His ranch.
He’d told himself a dozen times over the last hour that the idea of bringing her there had nothing to do with him kissing her, and had even less to do with the way she kissed him back. He’d put up a good front, even in his own mind. But in his gut he knew he’d been lying to himself.
He wanted her. And not in just a I want to lay you down and take you in a hundred different ways want. No, this was an I’ll protect you, please God, let me protect you and keep you safe want.
Deep down he was conscious of his need to do that, even though he had very little time to process the desire. As he looked at her now, curled up underneath the stark white institutional sheets and blanket, a head-banging revelation shot straight through his heart.
If there was ever an award for cluelessness, he’d win it. Hands down, with no contest. He’d been an idiot. A certifiable, no-holds-barred fricking idiot. To not tell her how he felt in the first place… Goddamn it.
But the past was the past, and there was no going back to fix any mistakes. He had to look to the future now and do what was necessary in order to ease her fears and set things right, all the while doing everything in his power to force her to see him as something other than a just a colleague or friend. He needed her to see him as something more . He needed her to see him as the man who would place his life on the line for her. As the man who would protect her, care for her and be there for her.
As the man who would do anything— anything —in order for her to have everything she ever wanted or needed.
Chapter Four
Low, whispered voices drew Laine out of her blessed sleep coma. She stirred, gauging to see if the stampeding animals racing through her brain earlier had calmed themselves enough to let her draw in a breath and open her eyes. The pain was still there when she moved, though not quite as kill-me-now as it had been before. She fluttered her eyelashes and braced herself for a troop of cleat-wearing football players to reenact a bad version of Stomp! in her head as the light reached her pupils, but the dance routine thankfully never materialized.
The room was doused in shadow, but only because the drapes were drawn together over the single window to her right. She knew it had to be early morning, taking her clue from the lone ray of bright sunshine cutting through a crack at the edge of the curtains and slashing a line of fire across the foot of the bed. With the release of a held breath, she managed to raise herself high enough on her elbows to get a good look around, sending up yet another thank-you to the powers that be that her swollen eye had deflated enough she could see out of it now.
Tye stood next to the open door, chatting with a redheaded nurse and holding what looked to be a set of light-blue scrubs. The oomph she let out when she attempted to sit up further caught his attention, and he nearly ran to her side.
“Here, let me help you.”
He wrapped an arm around her back and lifted until he had her upright. Her head swam a little at the new position, and the deep-seated turmoil caused her stomach to roll, but she managed to
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