Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
He didn’t wait for her agreement. She was lifted into his arms, held against his chest.
“Okay, baby?”
“Think I’m d-dreaming.”
He snorted. “If this is a dream, I’d hate to see your nightmares.”
They were pretty awful. Filled with fire-breathing koalas and man-eating mice.
“Fire-breathing koalas?” he asked.
“Can you read my mind? That’s a nice trick to have. Wish I could do that.”
“You were talking out loud,” he said dryly.
Well. Damn. That made much more sense.
He started walking to his truck. She wanted to grab hold of him, but her arms were trapped in the jacket. “Don’t drop me.”
“Never.”
Okay. She hadn’t expected him to be so vehement in his answer. But it helped ease the tension in her body.
Once he reached his truck, he shuffled her weight around so he could open the door. He set her down in the front passenger seat so she was sitting side-on with her legs hanging out. Then he crouched down. The inside light had come on when he opened the door, and she saw him running his gaze over her.
“I’m n-not injured. Not s-sure why I’m sh-shaking.”
“Shock.”
Shock? Okay, she guessed that made sense.
“Gonna call the ambulance,” he said, drawing his phone out of his pocket.
She shook her head. “No.” Her head pounded, her vision swimming.
“Isabelle,” he said warningly.
“I d-don’t need it. I t-think my c-car is fine to d-drive.”
His eyes widened. “You are not driving your car.”
She frowned at him. How come he was so big even when he was crouching down? It wasn’t fair. “I can’t leave it h-here.”
“It will be fine. I’ll move it farther off the road.”
But she needed it, didn’t she? Well, she guessed she could get someone to pick her up to get it tomorrow.
“N-need to lock it.”
“I’ll do that. Need anything out of it?” he asked.
“My phone and wallet. And k-keys.” She reached up to rub her head.
“Your head hurts still?” he asked.
“Um. Yeah. I a-already had a headache when I left w-work. It’s j-just worse now.”
“Hospital.” The word was barked out.
“No! No, please.” She reached out and grabbed his arm before she thinking better of it. She snatched her hand back. “S-sorry.” A sob escaped her. It was just all too much.
She couldn’t go to the hospital.
And she wanted Loki. And Razzie.
She just wanted someone to hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right. If Loki was here, he’d take over. He’d know just what to do.
People thought he was always wild because that’s what they mostly saw. But they didn’t see the real Loki, her Lachie. He was protective and caring.
Sort of bossy, too.
He sighed. “Baby, you can touch me.”
She could? But after their kiss last night . . . well, she’d gotten the impression that he didn’t want her near him. Touching him.
“I’m s-so confused.”
“I know.” He studied her again for a long moment. “Hospital or me.”
What the heck did that mean?
“W-what?” she asked.
“Either I take you to the hospital or I go home with you.”
“I’m n-not going t-to the h-hospital.”
There was no way. She hated hospitals. The only times she’d been near one in the last twenty years were if her friends needed her.
Never for herself.
Maybe if Loki was here she might manage it. But he wasn’t. He was off in the woods and she was by herself.
“Please. I can’t,” she begged.
Remy gently grasped hold of her chin, which caught her attention quickly. “Right. Listen. Stop worrying.”
“I can’t.”
“You can. You let me worry for you.”
Why would he want to do that?
Well, he probably wanted to get away from her. Perhaps that’s why he wanted to take her to the hospital, so he could hand over the responsibility for taking care of her.
Made sense.
She wouldn’t want to look after her either.
“O-okay.”
“Easier than I thought,” he muttered to himself. “Gonna get your stuff. I’ll lock your car and take you home. Got it?”
She sighed and nodded, wincing as her head throbbed. “Got it.”
He carefully turned her in the seat, then grabbed the seatbelt, pulling it over her.
“I don’t want the seatbelt.”
“Tough,” he replied.
“Your bedside manner could use some work.”
“Nothing wrong with my manners when I’m in bed, Princess,” he said with amusement in his voice. Her cheeks grew red as she caught on to what he was saying.
“It will hurt if you brake suddenly,” she told him. As the adrenaline wore off, she started feeling the aches and pains of her body. Particularly in her neck and chest.
What she wouldn’t give for a hot tub and ten hours sleep right now.
“Then I won’t stop suddenly.”
Remy stepped back and closed the door before heading off. Isa realized that he’d taken the flashlight away from her and was now using it to look through her car.
Then he came back holding her handbag.
“Did you find my phone?” she asked as soon as he got into the truck.
“Yep.”
“My wallet?”
“Yep. Along with a hundred other things.”