It would’ve been smarter to have told him that there wasn’t a chance, that he should leave and not speak to me again. It would hurt like hell, but better to hurt now than have my heart destroyed when he inevitably reverted back to being an asshole.

And he would.

Because I couldn’t hope for anything else. It would only make things worse if I had my hopes up.

Still, I didn’t have it in me to send him away.

Which was how we ended up with a tentative agreement where he’d stay with me in the hospital, and after I was released, we’d see where things stood.

I had to admit, it was more than a little amusing to see this big, rugged man playing nursemaid. Well, not really nursemaid, since it wasn’t like I was bedridden. They just needed to keep an eye on my brain, and Jalen managed to convince the nurses and doctors that he could do that better by staying in the room with me than they could by waking me up every few hours to ask me my name.

He’d charmed them all, and I realized this was what he was like as a businessman. He might’ve been scary smart, but he also had to know how to interact with people to convince them to invest in his company or believe in what he was building. As I watched him smiling and talking to the doctors and nurses, I couldn’t help but admire the easy confidence he exuded.

Then, I thought about how he was with me. How he had been when we’d first met versus the way he was now. He’d had that same brash impudence, almost arrogance, when we met for the first time. Hell, we’d been in the middle of an argument when he’d kissed me, and he hadn’t seemed the slightest bit concerned that I might not want him. He’d always known exactly what he’d wanted and gone after it.

But now, he hesitated around me, calculating each touch, each word. He wasn’t timid, but he’d lost the self-assurance he’d once had regarding my feelings for him.

Attraction and emotions weren’t the problem though. I still wanted him. I still cared about him. Maybe more than cared, if I allowed myself to go there. Trust was the issue. I wasn’t holding a grudge about the things he’d said. I’d forgiven him for all that. But I didn’t trust him to not do it again.

Those were the things I kept telling myself as the hours past, and he worked to prove himself to me. Anything I wanted or needed, he got it, whether it was something to read or help with my pillows. It would’ve been annoying if I hadn’t been able to see how much it meant to him.

We were in the middle of a debate about the merits of rebooting television and movie series when I dozed off. A nurse woke me a couple hours later when she came in to check on me.

She smiled at me, and it took me a moment to realize she wasn’t just being friendly. Jalen had fallen asleep too, his head resting on his arm, both of which were on the edge of my bed. His other hand was next to mine, our fingers lightly entwined, and I instinctively knew that I’d been the one to reach for him.

“You have quite a young man there, Miss Quick.” She kept her voice low as she checked my vitals. “He really loves you.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” I murmured. I reached across my body to brush hair back from his forehead. Even with the scruff on his face, he looked younger in his sleep, and I couldn’t help remembering what he’d told me about his childhood.

“Everything’s looking good,” the nurse said, drawing my attention back to her. “Barring any changes, you should be cleared to be discharged in the morning. The doctor will have to double-check everything and sign off on it, but it should all be routine.”

“That’s good news,” I said with a distracted smile.

I was glad for the news, but I couldn’t deny the lump in my stomach when I thought about leaving. Jalen had been great with all this, but I’d suddenly realized that he’d proven before that he was great in these sorts of situations. He’d been wonderful when Adare had been in the hospital and even after she died. Great when he’d shown up in Indiana during my father’s trial. When he got to play the white knight, he excelled. It was the every day that seemed to throw him.

I supposed we’d see how things went later today when it was time for me to leave. With that thought on my mind, I tried to fall back asleep, knowing that nothing I did would make things more restful for me. I wouldn’t really get to do that until I was back in my own bed.

“I think you should come home with me,” Jalen announced as we waited for the doctor to sign off on my discharge paperwork.

“Why’s that?” I asked as I fidgeted with the hem of the shirt I was wearing.

Jalen had run out first thing this morning and bought clothes for me to wear home. Since he’d only gone to the dollar store one block over, he’d chosen for practicality rather than fashion, and they would’ve been great if I’d been able to put them on after a shower. Yet another reason why I couldn’t wait to get out of here.

“Even if the mugging was random, the thief has your driver’s license, which means he knows where you live.”

Shit. I hadn’t even thought about that. I canceled my credit cards yesterday – thankfully, I’d had my phone in my pants pocket rather than my purse when I’d been attacked – but I hadn’t thought about the information my driver’s license would give him.

“Then there’s your father,” Jalen continued. “We both know Clay wouldn’t want you being alone until your dad’s found.”

He had another good point.

Dammit.

“What Clay doesn’t know won’t hurt him?” I made it a question.

Jalen shook his head. “Sorry. On this one, Clay and I see eye-to-eye. My house has a top-grade security system. You’ll be safe with me.”

Physically, yes, I’d be safe. I wasn’t so sure about how my heart would come out of this. Still, the thought of going home now that I was aware of the danger that could be waiting, my options were limited.

“All right,” I agreed. “We’ll go to your house for now, and I’ll figure out where to go from there.”

He didn’t look thrilled at the mention of me finding somewhere else to stay, but he didn’t try to talk me into anything else. I knew he’d probably bring it up at another time, but that was a worry for later.

Less than ninety minutes later, we were pulling up to his house. It had started snowing at some point in time this morning, thick, wet flakes that stuck to everything, including the roads. If it kept up like this, I’d have the chance to see just how good the snow tires on my car worked. I hadn’t driven much in snow despite the fact that I’d lived up north most of my life. Obviously, I’d been too young in Indiana, and since I’d lived my teenage years in New York City, I hadn’t even gotten my license until I graduated.

“Careful,” Jalen said as he opened my door and held out a hand. “The garage is heated most of the time, but the heating system for it went on the fritz a couple days ago, and I’m waiting for someone to come out and fix it.”

I wondered if he knew how much it said about his character that he was willing to wait for a repairman rather than offering to pay for preferential treatment.

I took his hand, a little thrill of electricity going through me as our skin made contact. My joints were stiff, and the places where bruises had bloomed ached as I let him help me from the car. The thing about having a serrated kitchen knife dragged through your flesh, other pain is mild by comparison. Still, it didn’t stop me from grimacing as Jalen led me into the house.

“Are you hungry?” he asked as we paused in the kitchen.

I shook my head. “I’d really like a shower and clean clothes. How long do you think I should stay here?”

“Until Clay says you’re safe.”

I scowled at him. “The two of you ganging up on me isn’t fair.”

One corner of Jalen’s mouth tipped up in a partial smile. “Yes, well, protecting you is one thing we can agree on.”

“So I’m just supposed to wait who knows how long to clean up?”

“No,” he said, moving me forward again. “You’re supposed to accept my offer of the use of my home. I have a guest bedroom and bathroom where you can clean up and rest.”

“And my clothes? I don’t think you have any of those lying around.”

He ignored my sarcasm and answered my question seriously. “My clothes will work just fine. They’ll be big, but it’s not like you’ll be going much of anywhere. Clay’s supposed to check in tomorrow. I’ll ask him then if it’s safe for me to take you back to your place so you can get a few things.”

“Fine,” I said, too tired to argue.

It wasn’t as much a physical tired as it was an emotional one. I planned on taking as long as possible in the shower so I could finally have a break from Jalen. I appreciated everything he’d done for me, but without any time alone, I hadn’t been able to really think about all the things he’d said to me.

When I stepped under the spray, I sighed with relief. The heat felt good against my sore muscles, and the sound chased away the chaotic thoughts I hadn’t been able to banish. I stood there for what seemed like hours before I even started washing up, just letting my mind go blank. By the time I reached for the shampoo, I was ready to do some serious soul-searching about everything Jalen had said. He deserved an honest answer about whether or not we could get past this.

He was sitting on the guest room bed when I emerged from the bathroom, a billow of steam accompanying me. I’d changed into the clothes he’d given me, and they were far from revealing, but the fact that I hadn’t had a clean bra or underwear with me meant that beneath the soft cotton t-shirt and cuffed sweatpants, I was naked. I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping he couldn’t tell that my nipples were hard. It was from the temperature difference. Nothing else. Certainly not because of the heat I saw on his face.

“I was starting to get worried,” he said as he stood. “I thought you might’ve passed out in there and I’d have to rush you back to the hospital.”

“Just thinking,” I said. “And enjoying being clean again.”

“Thinking about what?” His tone was casual, but I saw the tension in his body.

“About how I feel,” I admitted. “About you, about all the things you said, about whether or not I could trust you again.”

He turned away from me, hiding whatever expression he couldn’t keep off his face. “Make it a clean break,” he said quietly. “That’s all I ask.”

“It will take a while to build that trust again,” I said, closing the distance between us. I put my hand on his back, and he stiffened. “But what you said made me face something I’ve been struggling with. You’re not just another guy, J. You’re not replaceable.” I took a deep breath and made my own confession. “I love you too.”