“Angel, my beautiful angel.” My voice came out raspy. Confusion set in and I searched the space.
How did I get here? Why was she at my bedside? Why was I in bed?
It was obvious from the white walls down to the scratchy starched sheets that I was in a hospital room. I tried to adjust my shoulders to relieve the heavy ache that weighed me down but fiery pokers lanced even the tiniest movement.
She scampered over to a side table and returned with a pink cup. With a straw held between her fingers she brought the plastic to my lips and I drank eagerly. My throat was drier than the bales of hay I feed my horses.
After I drank my fill, I watched as she fiddled with her jacket, straightening wrinkles that didn’t exist. Her teeth bit down on the pink of her bottom lip, and I felt my heart thud against my chest.
“What happened?” I remembered very little. My left wrist had something tugging and pulling at the skin. I moved my right hand over to feel it and realized there was an IV. I did a mental check of my body, starting at my toes. They moved easy enough. My legs seemed heavier, and every last twinge or slight movement of my upper body hurt. The pain was bad, but tolerable. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t move. My left shoulder seemed to be the worst. Kind of like a burned out hollow oak tree. It was still there but not in any working order.
With caution, I moved the right one. It functioned without problem, though still heavier than normal. Must be pumping drugs through that IV. When I tried to move the left shoulder again it was as if all the nerves in my body went on alert and rushed to that area to scream in unison. My teeth clenched, holding back the groan dying to get out.
“Mr. Jensen,” she started. “You were in an accident. The crane broke and …”
“I remember that much, Darlin’. What I don’t remember is how I ended up here with a busted wing.”
Her eyes ran over my chest. When I caught her staring she looked away, face turning a soft pink. I rather liked the color on her pretty skin. “Um, well, you jumped in front of me. One of the metal pipes pierced your shoulder. You’ve been in surgery the past few hours.” Her eyes came back to mine. “I can’t believe you would do that for a … ”
“An angel in white?” I gave her my best smile, considering the circumstances. Her lips twitched at the corners.
“I was going to say a perfect stranger.” Her gaze searched mine, a frown marring her elegant features. She was struggling with something, but hell if I knew what. My woman decoder was broken on account of whatever shit was in the IV.
I shrugged on instinct and the pain zipped through my shoulder. My head fell back and I gritted my teeth, trying to not cry out. Wouldn’t want the dame to think I was a pussy.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” she gasped, as her soft fingers felt all over my face and chest to assess the damage.
The woman’s hands seemed to hold magic because when they flitted over my skin I didn’t feel any pain, only a deep sense of content. Her scent drifted over me. Smelled like sweet apple pie on a perfect Sunday morning back home. It soothed me, going a long way to ease the full body ache.
Once I’d recovered my composure I looked her over good and hard. She was all woman dressed in a man’s suit. For the life of me I couldn’t figure why the hell she would hide that perfect body in something so masculine.
I took a deep breath, sucking in all her goodness. “God, you smell nice.”
She leaned back and grinned. “Yes, well. Thank you.”
Just when I was going to ask her name, a pointy little fella in a suit matching hers entered. They must have had a two-for-one sale on the suits. I looked the man over from head to toe. Couldn’t be her husband. This man was a pipsqueak. She was taller by half a foot. She didn’t wear a ring, and I’m certain a woman like her dated men that looked like Ken dolls, not like Ken’s baby brother who hadn’t hit puberty yet.
“Aspen, Legal is here.” His voice was low, almost a whisper.
“Aspen? Like the place?” I grabbed her hand and she looked back at me. God, those eyes. I could drown in ‘em.
“Yes, like the place. Aspen Reynolds. It’s good to meet you, Mr. Jensen.” Man, she was pretty.
A tall woman in green scrubs entered. She held a clipboard. “Mr. Jensen. How are you?” My angel, who now had a name, backed up against the wall and out of the way. The pointy one whispered something in her ear. I was having trouble paying attention, my eyelids heavy again.
“Oh, I’ve been better.”
“What’s your pain level from 1 to 10?” she asked and scribbled down information on her clipboard while reading the machines next to my bed.
“‘Bout a six or seven.”
She nodded. “That’s really good. The doctor will be in shortly to discuss your surgery.”
As she exited, a man entered. He introduced himself as Dr. Nicholls and went over the specifics of my surgery. He said I was very lucky. Had the pipe entered at a different location, I’d be lying on a bed in the morgue right now, not in recovery. Based on my prognosis, he saw me being able to leave in a couple days.
When he finished, my gaze caught the gorgeous woman standing in the corner. She opened her mouth to speak, but I drifted off, not hearing what she’d said.
I awoke only when the nurse adjusted my bandage, checked my blood pressure, and asked me if I wanted to eat. I was starved, but too tired.
“Where’s the woman … Aspen?”
She smiled. “I forced her out, practically kicking and screaming, after visiting hours. She stayed the entire day, though. Fussed over you, demanded things from the Dean of Medicine, who by the way, hopped to it. She must care a lot about you.”
“I can’t imagine why. She just met me today.” I grinned, and her lips twisted into a knowing smile but she chose not to comment.
“Get some rest, Mr. Jensen. I’m certain your friend will be back first thing in the morning.”
My mind went blank and I fell asleep once more.
***
I smelled her before I saw her; a light vanilla scent in the air filled the space surrounding me as I came to. She held my hand with hers, pale and little compared to mine. Her phone was in her right hand and she scrolled through messages.
She hadn’t noticed I was awake, so I studied her. Golden hair, shiny and bright against her fair skin, and she sported another dark suit.
Her head turned and her gaze caught mine. A lovely smile broke across her face. “Mr. Jensen, you’re awake. How do you feel?” She removed her hand. It was strange how I missed it moments after she pulled it away.
“Better than yesterday.” I grabbed for the bed controls and the mechanism whirred to life, lifting my upper body to a reclined seated position. Again, I did a mental check, starting with my toes, up my legs and upper body. Everything seemed better than yesterday. Aside from the throbbing space and dull ache surrounding my left shoulder, I was happy to be feeling more like myself. The cobwebs of anesthesia from the surgery were all but gone.
The door opened and Aspen’s little friend strolled in alongside a different nurse, this time in blue scrubs. The nurse made quick work of checking my vitals, pain level, adjusted some nobs, pressed buttons, and then she was gone.
“Aspen, Legal is expecting to hear back from you today.” The small fella spoke so low I could barely catch what he said.
She nodded at him then turned to look at me. Her professional demeanor I was used to seeing each morning was back. Shoulders stiff, back ramrod straight, teetering on insanely high heels. I missed the soft-spoken angel who held my hand. “Mr. Jensen,” she started.
“Darlin’, you can call me Hank. So what’s with this legal mumbo jumbo?” I gestured to her little friend.
“Mr. Jensen, my name is Oliver and I’m Ms. Reynolds assistant at AIR Bright Enterprises.” Her assistant. Not her boyfriend or husband. The relief I felt surprised me. “Our attorneys are here to ensure you’re on the mend and discuss the legal ramifications of yesterday’s accident and your injury. The accident happened on company property and the crane had worn hinges.”
I nodded, following along.
”Your company is not at fault and neither is the company we rented the crane from. It truly has been deemed a random accident. But since it happened on company property and you were injured, it’s our responsibility to ensure your needs are met.”
“I’m not following. Accidents happen. A lot in my line of work. Construction is a dirty and sometimes dangerous job. Yesterday, well, looks like it was both. Tell your fancy lawyers I’m good. I’ll be outta here and back on the job in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
“Mr. Jensen … ” Aspen put her hand on my forearm. Her touch was electric, the little hairs on my forearm stood at attention just to be near her. “We’re going to take care of you. My company will pay all hospital expenses and ensure you’re cared for through the healing process.”
I was about to set her straight but she spoke fast.
“I am prepared to pay for your pain and suffering. If you want to contact your lawyers, we’ll make sure you are comfortable financially.” She licked her lips, and I was more interested in sucking on that lip than listening to any more of her bullshit. This girl needed to be taught a few things about good manners.
“Darlin’, let’s get a couple things straight. I don’t need any lawyers and my medical bills will be covered by my insurance. I’ve been taking care of myself for thirty-four years, don’t plan on stopping now. You can call your liars — er, lawyers — off. I’m not suing anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Her being so worried about her legal team made me wonder if that’s the real reason she was here. Maybe she just wanted to be sure I didn’t sue.
She took a deep breath. “Mr. Jensen … ”
“Hank.”
She sighed and blew a puff of air over the layer of hair falling in her face. Even the little things she did stole my breath.
“Hank, you are entitled to financial assistance through this process. You saved my life. I’ll do anything to make sure you get well.”
The pure need to help shone deep within her eyes as she stared me down. They were a color you couldn’t find in a box of crayons. Those clear blue and gray eyes made me believe that I would submit to anything she asked and do whatever she wanted just so that I could continue to look at them. Didn’t matter why she was here, just that she was. I planned on taking advantage of it.
“Okay, then I know what I want.” I was tired from the surgery and needed to rest, but I’d spent weeks watching this woman in her body-hugging clothes and fuck-me shoes. I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to be this close to her again.
“Everyone has a price,” her lips turned into a hard line and her shoulders sagged.
My demand came without hesitation. “I want a date with you.”
“A date? You want a date?” Her shock was just as pretty as her smile. Made me wonder what her face would look like screaming my name in pleasure.
“Okay, two dates.” I gave her my best sexy look. It was my patented “tell me how you’d like your eggs cooked after a night of knockin’ the boots” charm. It never failed.
“You can’t be serious. I’m a very wealthy woman and—”
“Aspen,” the pipsqueak piped in warning.
She held up a firm hand to cut him off. That was hot. She was a fireball when she wanted to be. I liked it. Too much if I was honest with myself. The ol’ dipstick stirred. I clasped my hands over my friend to prevent any public embarrassment.
“Look, Darlin’, I don’t give two shits about your change purse. Now, are you going to give me what I want or not?”
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Fine. We’ll go out. When you’ve recovered. Where are you staying?”
“I share a place with a few of my guys over in the Bronx.” Two horrified expressions, one beautiful, one pinched, stared back at me. “What?”
“You’re not staying there.” she said with a harsh tone. “Oliver … ”
“I’m on it!” He flipped his phone to his ear and started barking out orders. Reminded me of an ankle-biter that you just couldn’t shake.
“I need Mr. Jensen’s belongings packed up and moved to … hold that thought. Aspen, to where? The Four Seasons?”
She shook her head. “My place.”
“Aspen?”
“Do what I say, Ollie.” Her tone was that of a woman in charge. One that was used to that position. Downright comfortable in it. It was sexy as hell. Though once I got a hold of her in a more private setting, I’d like nothing more than to show her how good I was at taking charge.
My loud laugh stopped the staring match that occurred between the prince and the princess. “Not for nothin’, but I go where I want to go. I sleep where I want to sleep. You have no right to demand anything.” The entire conversation was ridiculous. People with too much money seemed to think they owned the world and everyone in it.
My angel’s eyes turned harsh. “Look, Hank, you want to get well, right? I want to get you well. The best way for me to ensure that you’re going to heal and not sue me for damages is to have you close by.” Her intent was confirmed. Everything was always about money. “The project was going to run for another eight weeks, right?”
I nodded.
“So, you’ll stay at my place for the next eight weeks. I will have a nurse at your beck and call, a physical therapist scheduled to suit your medical needs, and in the interim,” she took a deep breath, “I’ll have peace of mind knowing that I’ve done everything I could. You saved my life. I need to pay back that debt. If you won’t accept my money, please accept my offer to help.” Okay, maybe she did care about more than her wallet.
The woman drove a hard bargain and was a damn good negotiator.
“Alright, Angel.” A beautiful blush covered her cheeks and crept down her neck. I wondered where else she blushes. I was going to have a damn good time finding out. Before long, this woman was going to be wrapped around my little finger. I’d prefer her wrapped around my dick but that could take a little time. She was wound tighter than a drum. Always in control.
I wanted to see my pretty angel lose it. “I’ll agree to stay with you until I feel well enough to move about and go back to the job site.”
Her smile was brighter than a shiny new penny and it made me happy to have put it there. “Good. Thank you, Hank. You won’t regret it.”