Page 140 of Delicious Surrender
Brynne opened her eyes, but the sunlight was like pins and needles in her eyes. “Too bright. Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital in Inverness. You’ve been here for a week.”
Her eyes focused on him, and she started sobbing. The machines beeped faster in her ears. “I thought I had lost you.” She couldn’t catch her breath. “I thought you were dead, and it was my fault. I’m sorry, I was so stupid.”
“Shhh, love, I am fine. The bullet grazed my shoulder and missed everything vital, thanks to your quick thinking. I just can’t carry you to my bed for a while.”
A doctor walked in with a nurse in tow. “You gave us quite a scare, young lady.” The doctor cleared his throat. “No lifting or carrying until both of you are fully healed.”
They checked her vitals, but she waved them off, impatient for answers. When they were gone, she tried to sit up and groaned in pain.
“Bree, please, you need to rest—no sudden movements. You bruised your ribs when you hit the water.”
“That explains why I can’t breathe without it hurting like a mother. Whatever. Did they get Dimitri? Is he dead? I heard gunshots.”
“I shot him in the leg and the sniper got him in the shoulder as you went over the side. What in the bloody hell were you thinking?”
“I…I didn’t want to be his pet. I lied to you. Is he dead?”
“Sadly no. He’s locked him up in a maximum-security hospital. His pilot gave himself up when he saw the rifle trained on him.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You need to rest now.”
“No. How long have I been out of it? We have to talk.”
“We have all the time in the world. I’m not going anywhere.”
She swallowed and winced. “I need to say some things. First, can I have some water?”
He grabbed the cup and fed the straw into her mouth. The cool water soothed her throat. She needed a minute to collect her scrambled thoughts. How would she explain what went through her mind on that yacht?
He squeezed the straw closed. “Not too much at once.”
“Do you remember the last time you rationed my water?”
“I remember it vividly. You called me an ogre.” He smiled, and her heart melted.
“You had me at a distinct disadvantage, strapped down to that spanking bench with my ass on display.”
“You loved every minute of it.”
She snorted. “Ow, don’t make me laugh. This is serious.”
“I’m sorry. Please continue.”
She wanted to sit up but settled for clutching his hand in hers. “I was nervous that night, but I felt safe, too. Because you were there. When he locked me in that cage, I thought I wouldnever see you again. And I realized something.”
Gage’s face paled, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
“Magnus Gage MacCallum MacLeod, I know you don’t feel the same as me, but that’s okay. I want to be with you—not because you’re paying me, not for book research, but because of you.”
He just stared at her as she babbled on.
“If you agree to keep me around, I’ll be the most obedient submissive you’ve ever known. I’ll even learn to cook.”
“Brynne, sweetheart. I need to tell you something, too. Do you remember that day in my office when I interviewed you?”
She nodded, drinking in the sight of him. Disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and a week’s worth of beard growth… He was the most handsome man in the world.
“That day, I knew I was in trouble. A week later, when you told me you wanted to take me to bed, I fell a little more under your spell.” He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I didn’t want to believe in your innocence. I thought I could keep you at a distance and protect myself from any real feelings. Can you forgive me for being such a fool?”