My chest was a faded black with grayish-yellow bruises, and I had numerous scrapes and cuts, mostly down my right side. I still didn’t speak. I listened. Listened and watched. I had a feeling all of my rebellious outbreaks were coming to an end. I feared him. I was afraid of where I would be taken, and what the hell I would be walking in to.
“I didn’t think this day was ever going to get here,” he said while admitting to a fact that told me his intentions with me. They weren’t good. Even I knew that. His hand grazed my leg and he dropped to one knee. The lace of a garment tickled my ankles. I didn’t move. A Thong? He had to look up and order me with his eyes before my foot lifted for him. He dragged white, lacy panties up my legs and over the bulky brace, stopping just below my knees. Paxton took both of my hands and drew me to a standing position.
His lips kissed my stomach as he stood, arranging the sexy panties around my hips. He pressed his hand against my bare ass and pulled my naked body into his chest. The force of his tongue proved to be enough of an order.
“Oh, my. Sorry,” my favorite nurse, Julie said from the door.
Paxton laughed and pulled his lips from mine. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I’ve missed her,” he admitted with a soft smile. His hand pulled on my thong and the thin lace settled between my ass cheeks. One tug and he let me go, continuing with the dress. No bra. Just the dress.
Julie talked to us about my discharge instructions, explaining my meds to Paxton while he helped me into my sun dress.
Paxton shook the nurse’s hand and thanked her for everything. He took my things and left to retrieve the car, and I debated on saying something again. Beg for mercy…and hope she would listen.
“You’re a lucky woman, Gabriella. I know it’s hard for you to see that right now, but you are. You’re going to be okay. Thank your lucky stars you’re alive and you have such a nice-looking man to take care of you. That’s more than a lot of women I’ve seen come and go here. We just sent one to a Jane Doe to a nursing home a week ago in worse condition than you. Not one person claimed the poor soul. She didn’t have a husband that loved her like you do. Things will work out. I’m a very good judge of character. You hooked yourself a good one,” she assumed with a nod and a wink.
Good judge of character, my ass.
All I could do was sigh and thank her. Attempting again to tell them I didn’t want to go wouldn’t help. I had already tried that. Several times. Julie wheeled me out the double doors to Paxton, who drove up in style. I arched a brow when I saw the car he rolled up in.
Jesus. Was I rich?
“What do you think?” He smiled with an open hand toward the pearl-white SUV. A Lexus. Wow. I was rich. Or somebody was. Paxton, I presumed.
“It’s nice. Is this our car?”
“It’s yours. To replace the one you crashed. Do you like it?”
How could I not love it? “Yes, I do.”
Julie locked my wheelchair and whispered in my ear. “See there. You’re the first. Not many men pick their wives up in brand new Lexus’s. You take care, you hear?”
“Yes, thank you for everything, Julie. I appreciate all your help.”
“Just doing my job. You folks take care.”
Paxton helped me ease into the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt with a kiss. A familiar kiss. I’d been kissed so many times by him that I was getting used to it. It didn’t bother me at all, and that strange, awkward feeling I’d had before was gone. It didn’t feel like it was our first kiss anymore. I didn’t know if that meant I was starting to recollect something, or he just did it so much.
The first half hour of our drive was spent in silence, neither of us speaking a word. Paxton stared straight ahead, one hand on the wheel, one resting on the gray leather console between us. I loved the soft leather, and honestly, I couldn’t have picked out a nicer car. At least one of us knew my taste. I’m the one who broke the ice and finally spoke, only because of the pain. I couldn’t sit like that for much longer.
“Jesus, how much longer, Pax?”
His eyes darted so quickly in my direction, I thought I heard the crack of his neck. “Don’t you ever call me that again. Do you understand me, Gabriella? I’m Paxton to you. Unless I tell you otherwise, I am Paxton.”
“Chill out, dude. I’m asking out of pain. Not disrespect.”
The car behind us blew a lengthy horn when Paxton cut him off.
The abrupt movement caused pain to shoot up my leg when he jerked the car to the side of the road.
“I am not Pax. I am not dude. I am Paxton to you. Do you understand that? I don’t want to have to rehash this again. Tell me you understand. Say ‘yes, Paxton, I understand,’” Paxton ordered in an angry yet subtle tone. One that assured me that he meant business.
For a split second, I thought he might hit me. After the wreck, my body couldn’t take another beating. Not now. I submissively responded, my gaze moving to my lap. “Yes, Paxton. I understand.”
“That’s my girl. Now lay your seat back and rest. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”
“We do? Where are we?”