Whenever he was around her, he simply wanted to touch her, to see if her ivory skin was as soft as it looked. Nothing would ever come of his fantasies, but that didn’t seem to stop them. She was a combination of sassy and sensual. At maybe five foot two, she was petite and curvy with a bottom lip that always seemed to be pouty. He’d had way too many thoughts over the last eight months about what it would be like to take that lip between his teeth, to stroke his tongue between her lips…
Hell, he needed to focus. Tegan wasn’t for him. “I’ll take you, Tegan. Let me do it. Please.” Because he didn’t want to leave her side. He wasn’t sure what that was about either, but when he’d seen her fly back after that explosion, out of his line of vision when she tumbled behind that car, he’d lost years of his life as he raced to her. Right now he was feeling protective. Probably irrationally so. But he needed to make sure she was okay.
“Only because you said please,” she murmured, a smile ghosting her face.
God, he loved her smile.
“I’ve written her a prescription for a strong nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. But Tylenol or Advil will work, too. If she wants the prescription, you’ll need to pick it up before taking her home. Make sure she takes it.” The doctor glanced over at Tegan. “You can’t take anything with codeine or any sort of opiate in it. I don’t know that it’s necessary given the mildness of your concussion, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone wake you up every few hours tonight. We want to make sure you’re not too sluggish.”
Before she could respond, Aaron cut in. “I’ll take care of her.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see she wanted to protest, but instead crossed her arms over her chest and settled back against the bed. She’d protested putting on the hospital gown, but had done it anyway. Now it gaped at her neckline, showing off all sorts of smooth, kissable skin. He felt like a bastard for even noticing.
“Good. I—”
A sharp knock sounded on the door, then it opened. Detective Carlito Duarte—a man Aaron had called in as a favor—stepped into the room, his expression grim. “You need more time?” he asked the doctor after a nod at Aaron.
“We’re done here.” He turned back to Tegan, his expression softening. “I’m going to write that prescription but if you need anything, buzz the nurses. You were very lucky.”
She nodded and for the first time since everything had happened, tears filled her eyes. “I will, and thanks.”
As the doctor left, Carlito stepped farther into the room. “How’re you feeling, Miss O’Kelly?”
“Good as can be expected. And just call me Tegan.”
“Okay…I need to ask you some questions,” he said, looking at Aaron now, his intent clear. He wanted Aaron to clear out.
Aaron took another step closer to her bed so that he was right next to her head. He wasn’t going anywhere unless Tegan asked him to. “I’m not leaving—I was a witness, too.”
“Can he stay, please?” Tegan’s quiet voice pulled both their attention to her.
Carlito nodded, though his expression was annoyed. Aaron didn’t care. He wasn’t leaving Tegan.
Aaron was a little surprised she’d asked, but thankful. He figured she’d need some support and he wanted to be it. He knew what it was like to be laid up in a hospital room, alone with no one there when he woke up. Not even remotely the same circumstances, but he simply couldn’t leave her now. As far as he knew she didn’t have any family here. Or any family at all, really. He’d asked his brother, who was friendly with her, and Callan had seemed to think she was alone.
Aaron had already called work to let them know he wouldn’t be in today and he’d asked his brother to pick Dillon up from school so there was nothing dragging him away from her bedside.
“He can stay as long as you want him here.” Carlito’s voice dropped to a softer, speaking-to-a-victim tone, and for that Aaron was grateful.
When he pulled up a chair on Tegan’s other side, Aaron did the same with a rolling stool and sat next to her. He had the most irrational urge to take her hand in his, but resisted.
“As you can imagine, I’ve got some questions for you. I’ve already spoken to some of the eyewitnesses, but I need to confirm that your vehicle was the one that exploded.” Carlito rattled off a license plate number and held out a digital camera. The screen showed a picture of her mottled, ruined car, pieces of it strewn across the street and sidewalk.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she nodded. “Yeah, that’s it. It exploded when I pressed my key fob to unlock it. I’d come outside to give Aaron part of his order he forgot, and on my way back to the shop I decided to grab my sweater since a jacket would be too heavy. And…I’m rambling. Yes, that’s my car.”
“You’re not rambling. I want as many details as you can remember. Is it normal for you to go to your car during the day?”