"Nyla, you were trying to climb on the counter."
Her brow furrowed. "Look, I'm not good at being a prisoner. I just want to be able to do things for myself."
"And you will be able to. Just not yet. You just got out of the hospital."
"Because you shot me."
I threw my hands up. "Jesus. You shoot someone one time, and they never let you forget."
"For the love of Christ, of course I will never forget. You shot me."
I knew I shouldn't react, but my lip began twitching before I knew what was happening. She stomped her foot, but I couldn't help it. The laugh started as a low grumble, deep in the center of my chest. I hoped that maybe she wouldn't notice, but of course she did, and she went still and lifted a brow. Then she threw the pack of popcorn at me as she reached for another packet, and I ducked.
I charged at her quickly, because I knew that if she got going, other things were going to get thrown too. "Nyla Kincade, put the popcorn down."
She reached for the spatula next. Even as I scooped her up gently and put her over my shoulder, she whacked my arse with the spatula. "Put me down, you overgrown wanker. You're such an oaf."
"Well, oaf implies that I'm big, so I'll take it."
"Only you would figure out how to turn that into a compliment. Have I mentioned that I hate you?"
"More than once. Again, I'm sorry you feel that way. I care about you very much."
"Well, I do not care about you right now."
"Nyla, come on, behave yourself."
But instead of behaving herself, she whacked me harder. The sting surprised me enough that I stopped and went stock-still. I glanced down, and my cock was hard. Excellent. The more she struggled in my arms, rubbing against me, the more I was reminded that I couldn’t have her right now.
"Nyla, if you want to start those games, we can. It's not usually my thing, but I am more than happy to spank you. I think I owe you one anyway," I ground out.
The little tremor in her body told me that she didn't hate the idea, but she was injured, so we weren't doing any of that. At least not for another few days when the doctor said she could go without the sling.
"You wouldn't dare." Her voice was a shocked whisper.
"If I think it will get you off, I will absolutely go there." My brain offered up all the helpful images it could of Nyla with her arse up in the air, her beautiful bronze skin begging for my touch.
"You are such an impossible—"
I flipped her body up, bracing her on one arm so that I could ease her down onto the bed. "You were saying, my love?"
I let her body slide down over the ridges of mine and waited to see if she could find a single thing to say.
"I— I don't like this," she said on a breathless whisper.
I laughed. "I know. And I'm sorry that you're in this situation because of me. I really am. Hell, even I think I'm a wanker. But right now, I just really need you to cooperate with me. Please."
"I will not cooperate. I can't lay here in bed letting you just take care of me. I hate it."
"I know. You're not a woman who wants to be looked after. I get that. I also get that I fucked up. These things happen. I should have found another way to get you out of that situation at the Jameson estate.”
"I swear to God, East, when I recover, you are in so much trouble."
"I'll look forward to that. In the meantime, stay here and text me if you need something. You know what, fuck that. Hold on." I jogged back to the kitchen, grabbed her popcorn, stuck it in the microwave, and then went into the office and grabbed my laptop and my phone.
Despite her protests, I'd put her in my room to recuperate. I rarely worked in my bedroom. I liked to keep a nice separation so that on the nights when I couldn’t sleep, I wouldn't associate the bedroom with an office.
Once I settled my things on the desk by the window, I went back for the popcorn. I seasoned it just how she liked it. Very little butter, but a sprinkle of both salt and sugar. The sweet-salty combination was amazing. Then I brought the massive bowl back into the bedroom with several napkins. "For my lady."
She perked up as soon as the scent of popcorn hit her nostrils, and she inhaled deep. "Why are you doing all of this?"
"Because I broke you, so I’m going to mend you. And you matter to me. I don't know how long it's going to take for you to hear me when I say that, so I'm going to keep saying it. I'm sorry I had to shoot you. Now, eat your popcorn. Read your book. I'm going to work now."
"Can you just get me my work files or something?"
I laughed. "No way. Your boss, subsequently also your best friend, already warned you about that. I am not incurring her wrath, because not only do I have to get back into your good graces, I need to earn my way back into hers as well. I shot her most-prized employee. She's pissed with me. So right now, you sit there. Read something."
"But I don't know what else is going on with the case."
"And I guess you won't know until Amelia tells you, right?"
She grumbled something along the lines of, "You can stick your rationality up your arse."
And I chuckled as I turned around. I wasn't sure why, but the harder she fought, the more I wanted her, and the more I wanted to take care of her. She just had to get used to it because she was mine.
And I wasn't letting her go.
Chapter Two Nyla
One week of
