Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
She wasn’t touching that. He had to be so loopy from his wound that he didn’t have a clue what he was saying. She’d had many encounters with Wilder. Most of them weren’t that good. He rarely spoke, and when he looked at her, deep inside, fireworks went off—but for her, not him.
The house was in sight now. “We’re going to lay you down in the front bedroom. I’ll get my medical supplies, and you’ll need to remove your clothes.” She tried to sound matter-of-fact. “If it’s too difficult, I can cut them off you.”
Wilder’s fingers still firm around the nape of her neck. “Best not to put those images in my head when I can’t do anything about it.”
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You’re really injured, Wilder. I’m a nurse.”
“Believe me, I know you’re a nurse. Every mission I take, I spend an inordinate amount of time weaving fantasies around you in your cute little scrubs.”
“You’re definitely delirious.” She shoved open the door to her house, waving Misha inside.
“Damn it, Harlow. You didn’t lock the door. You know better than that.” For a moment, his fingers dug into her neck as if he might strangle her. “It’s a good thing I’ll be staying with you. You know with the crap going on with your family there have been death threats made.”
“Against my father.”
“Against you. Your father, your mother, and you. Even if there hadn’t been threats made, you lock your doors and don’t go running in the middle of the night.” He sounded exasperated. “That’s just a safety rule for all women, but someone with your looks and…” He trailed off, shaking his head as she aided him through the house to the nearest bedroom.
Harlow would have given him her room had it been the closest, but thankfully, she had a perfectly good guest room clean and ready near the front of the house. He nearly fell onto the bed. It wasn’t just the way his legs gave out but the suppressed groan that galvanized her into action. She raced to the hall closet where she kept her medical supplies, detouring to send Rainier an SOS and give him the details she had, which were practically none. She told him if he had Wilder’s type blood to bring it and come prepared to operate.
She was back in the bedroom and tugging off Wilder’s boots and then cutting away his shirt. It alarmed her that he didn’t protest or make some kind of sexual innuendo. The sense of urgency in her grew at an alarming rate. She was furious with herself. She’d been feeling sorry for herself and then caught up in her very unprofessional sexual attraction while Wilder was most likely bleeding internally. She hadn’t even asked him if he’d been shot or stabbed in hand-to-hand combat. What kind of nurse was she? Besotted. Silly. Foolish. Selfish.
“Stop what you’re thinking. I like you just the way you are.”
She cut his shirt off. It was soaked with blood. Soaked. How had she not seen that? Smelled it? She knew what blood smelled like. She pulled regular shifts in the emergency room. Her heart began to pound at the sight of his mangled body. He didn’t just have one wound; he had several. To her horror, there definitely was a gunshot wound. The others appeared to have been done by a knife.
“Your eyes are closed. Don’t even tell me you’re reading my expression.” She wanted to keep him talking, keep him alive until Rainier arrived. She never panicked. That was what made her such a good surgical nurse. She never lost her nerve or her focus.
A faint smile softened the edges of his mouth. “I know you. You’re going to blame yourself the way you always do. Why were you crying, babe? I need to know.”
His body seemed to be all muscle, yet right then he had multiple holes in it. Too many, all on his left side, front to back. She didn’t see how he could possibly survive such wounds.
“Getting a line into you so your veins don’t collapse.” She began to set one up immediately, grateful she always had a full medical bag for emergencies.
“Tell me why you were crying.”
“You’re so annoying.” She poured exasperation into her voice when she wanted to weep.
That brief smile was barely there, but she saw his reaction. He was hanging in there with her. She sent up a prayer to the universe that Rainier would hurry.
“I believe we established that as fact.”
“My mother called for the millionth time, demanding that she and the senator come here to hide, regroup and turn this conspiracy theory to their advantage. She refuses to take responsibility even though she’s known that he’s guilty all along.”
“You certain?” His eyes remained closed, and his voice was a low murmur. She had to lean into him to catch his words.