Jade leaned her head back against the headrest of Lance’s SUV. Grant and Jillian made the trip to the hospital and dropped his vehicle off after checking on her. She rolled her head toward him, the movement causing her to wince.

He noticed and reached over, squeezing her thigh while avoiding her sling and wrist. “I’m so sorry. I know every time you move it hurts like hell.”

Deciding not to move again, she kept her eyes on his profile. Sighing, she asked, “Do you think Jillian is upset with me?”

“No way, Jade. She and the others just want to help, but I know you didn’t want to stay with her. Or Katelyn when she called. Or Tori. Or Belle—”

Grinning, she said, “I’ve got good friends, but by the time Belle called, I was exhausted. I’ll call them back when I feel a little better.”

Squeezing her leg again, he turned onto the road leading into Baytown. “Is there anything I need to get from your place before we head to mine?”

She blinked in confusion. “I really just want to lay down, Lance.”

“Okay, then we can head to my place first and, if need be, I can get someone to grab things from your apartment.”

“Why are we going to your place?”

He looked sharply over at her, saying, “Because I’m taking you home with me and I’m taking care of you.”

“That’s sweet, but I just want to go to my home,” she persisted. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I’ll be fine.”

Frowning, Lance glanced over, understanding filling him as he observed her closed eyes. He knew the pain meds she had been given in the hospital made it harder for her to concentrate and think things through. She would never make it up the three flights of stairs and, while the idea of carrying her in his arms held appeal, he refused to make things more difficult for her in the long run.

Continuing to his house, he parked as close as he could to the front door. He hesitated before getting out, just as her sleepy eyes blinked open. “Look, Jade, I don’t want to upset you, but you’re not supposed to put weight on your foot so I had to bring you here. There’s no way you could handle your stairs.”

Expecting her to be stubborn, her lips curved into a slightly lopsided smile. “M’kay.”

Moving to her side of the vehicle, he scooped her into his arms, holding her good side next to his body. At the door, he managed to get it unlocked and then moved them inside, kicking the door shut with his boot.

By the time they made it to Lance’s living room, Jade recognized that he was right—going to her apartment would have been a huge mistake. She would never be able to traverse the stairs by herself, even with her foot in a boot. As he set her gently down on the sofa, a tear slid down her cheek.

“Are you in pain,” he asked, squatting at her feet. “What can I get for you?”

“I’m just tired,” she said, trying not to cry, but the day’s events overwhelmed her and the tears began to flow.

“Tell me what you need and I’ll get it,” he promised, his voice anguished as he gently wiped her tears.

“I just wanted to be in my own bed and now I’m making things hard for you.”

Sighing, he pushed her hair back from her face and said, “Don’t you understand? By allowing me to take care of you, I get the peace of mind knowing you are safe.”

Swallowing audibly, she offered a short nod. “You’re right, and I’m being silly. I’m fine, really, I am. And thank you so much for everything you did for me today. I really appreciate it.”

Cocking his head, Lance stared at her, listening to her apparent dismissal of him. “I’m not sure what you think is happening here, Jade, but I’m not leaving your side.”

Blinking again, she said, “But—

“No buts,” he interrupted. “I’m going to get some food in you, get you in bed, and give you the meds to make you rest easy tonight.”

As she opened her mouth to speak he jumped in again. “Think about it, honey. Doesn’t it make sense?”

Jade had to admit it did, and nodded. “If you’re sure…I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

Standing, he scooped her up once more and this time stalked into his bedroom, sitting her on the edge of the bed. Kissing the top of her head, he smiled, “No obligation. Jade, I get to have you right by my side. This is no hardship, babe. This is me, joining the living again. I’m just glad you want me here. Now, let’s get you settled.”

He stood back, observing the contraptions she had on. Sling. Wrist brace. Foot brace.

“What?” she asked as his gaze moved over her.

“Trying to figure out what to do first,” he confessed, then seeming to make up his mind, he leaned over and unfastened the sling, deftly sliding it off. Eyeing her blouse, he said, “I think we can get that over the wrist brace,” and bent to unbutton the tiny buttons down the front.

She felt the heat of blush rush to her face but knew there was no other way to get out of her clothes, other than to call one of the girls over and she hated to do that. Keeping her eyes locked on his chest, she felt the cool air of her blouse being pulled off her injured arm and then quickly dropped to the floor.

Lance felt her embarrassment and determined to keep his eyes off her bra as he turned toward his dresser, but the sight of her bruises caused him to gasp.

Jerking her gaze up, Jade could tell he was looking at the bruises. “Does it look bad?” She knew the answer to her question by the look on his face. Standing, she hobbled over to the mirror, clutching his arm. Her eyes landed on a dark, black stripe from her neck extending between her breasts. Sighing heavily, she allowed him to help her back to bed. “I need something to wear,” she replied, her voice numb.

Deciding a t-shirt would hurt her trying to get her injured arm through the sleeve, Lance moved to his closet, choosing a soft, flannel shirt instead. The button front made it a good choice since it did not have to pull over her head. Turning around, he stopped in his tracks.

Jade was attempting to unsnap her bra with her good hand, but looked up, her eyes filling with tears again. “This sucks but, I can’t do it.”

Walking around to the other side of the bed, he crawled behind her and unsnapped her bra, saying, “Sweetheart, I can’t see anything, so don’t be embarrassed. Just slide it off your arms and then reach your good arm back and I’ll get this top on you.”

She followed his instructions and found the soft, cotton material soothing against her skin. As he rounded her front again, she clutched the material together at first, but then decided that her modesty no longer mattered. Lowering her arm, she watched as he buttoned the shirt, his touch comforting.

“Let’s do the pants,” he said, bending to take the boot off her foot. Helping her to stand, and then unbuttoning and unzipping her pants, he slid them down her legs. Efficiently, he replaced them with a pair of cut-off sweats. Large, but they covered her enough to keep her warm. “We’ve got to get the boot back on, but I’m afraid it will hurt,” he confessed.

“Honestly, I’m not feeling much of anything.”

Nodding, he managed to brace her foot once more. Fluffing the pillows, he pulled the covers down and, once she was lying in bed with her back against the pillowed headboard, he kissed her forehead, careful of her facial lacerations.

“Gonna get your pills,” he said, before leaving the room.

Lifting her eyes to the ceiling, she fought a tired grin. Wow, I’m in Lance’s house, in his bedroom, and he’s just stripped me. And this is so not how I would’ve liked that to happen.

Once the pills were down, he headed back into the kitchen to make soup and sandwiches. Placing the food on a tray, he went back into the bedroom, seeing her eyes peering up sleepily at him.

“Let’s get food down you before you fall asleep, babe.”

With encouragement, Jade ate everything he brought before sliding down under the covers. With her wrist propped on a pillow near her head and her foot carefully tucked underneath the covers, she felt her body growing warm and beginning to drift.

“Lance,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Leaning over, he said, “Right here.”

“Please stay. Stay with me all night,” she begged in a sleepy voice. “Here with me. I don’t want to be alone.”

“I promise,” Lance replied, knowing nothing could make him leave her side.

Taking her tray back to the kitchen, he fixed a sandwich for himself, eating it quickly. After making sure the doors were locked, he moved through his room and into the bathroom. Hurrying through a shower, he was back out within a few minutes, drying off. Pulling on his boxers, he walked back into the bedroom, staring down at the banged-up beauty. Knowing someone ran her off the road, on purpose, made his blood boil, but he tamped down those emotions as she moved and moaned in pain.

Slipping under the covers, he curled his large body into hers, hoping to keep her steady through the night. As his eyes closed he could not help but think, She’s in my room, in my bed, but not how I would have liked it to happen.

* * *

Waking the next morning, Lance opened his eyes just in time to see Jade blinking awake also. He observed the confusion on her face as she tried to move before realizing his body was helping to keep her still.

“Hey,” he greeted. “Don’t move too fast. Give your body a chance to wake up and take stock of how you are.”

She rolled onto her back, keeping her wrist supported as she stretched her legs, wincing at the pain in her neck and chest. Breathing gingerly, she nodded as she said, “My wrist and ankle ache, but it’s the seatbelt bruise that makes it hard to breathe sometimes.”

He rolled out of the bed and padded around to her injured side, pulling the comforter down. Placing his hands under her neck and back, he assisted her to a seated position before brushing her hair back from her face. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” she smiled up at him. Taking a slow, deep breath, she lifted her arms to him and allowed him to pull her to a standing position. Blushing, she said, “First stop, bathroom.”

He nodded and steadied her with his hand at her back until she disappeared behind the door. Sliding on his jeans, he left off his shirt and moved into the kitchen, pulling out his frying pan to begin breakfast.

A moment later, Jade hobbled into the kitchen, the scent of bacon and eggs calling to her. The sight of Lance’s naked, muscular chest had her mouth watering for a taste of him more than for the food.

He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “I cooked the bacon in the microwave and just scrambled some eggs. Is that okay?”

“More than okay,” she said, eyeing the plate he placed on the table. She attempted to maneuver into the seat, but he stepped behind her, his long arm snatching the plate.

“Let’s get you settled where you won’t topple over.” Lance moved toward the living room and, once she was comfortable on the sofa, placed the plate on her lap and coffee on the end table within reach. “It’s good you’re right handed,” he commented, pleased to see her digging into her breakfast with gusto.

“I’m starving this morning,” she said, looking up. “Are you eating?”

Chuckling, he nodded and moved back to the kitchen to get his plate and coffee, before returning to join her on the sofa. After breakfast, he took the plates and rinsed them before leaving them in the sink. “Do you need a pain pill, sweetheart?”

“No,” she replied in haste, scrunching her nose. “I hate the way they make me feel. But I’ll take some Aleve in a little bit.”

As he settled into the deep cushions of the sofa, he twisted his body so that he was close and facing her. “Jade, we need to talk.”

Sighing, she nodded. “Maybe I do need a pain pill,” she joked, her voice tinged with sadness. “I know what you’re going to ask, but Lance, I have no idea why someone ran me off the road. Maybe it was just a teenager being stupid with a dare or something. Maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He thought about her stumbling onto the body on the beach, but could not connect the two at all. Maybe she’s right and it’s just dumb, bad luck. “You did not recognize him or the truck?”

“No, although I didn’t get a good look and he wore sunglasses.” Closing her eyes, Jade sighed heavily, causing pain in her chest. “Damn, I’ve got to stop breathing.”

“Oh, no. Don’t stop breathing,” he responded, leaning over, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Standing, he stared down at her. “I need to go into the station, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

She peered up at him. “I don’t know what to do. If you take me to my house, I’ll be stuck up all those steps. Jillian, Katelyn, and Belle are all working. Before I came to breakfast, I called my principal and told her that I would need the next two days off. That should give me time to heal so I can get back to work.”

Pulling out his phone, Lance dialed Mitch. “Hey, we need a favor. Can I bring Jade to your house to visit with Tori today? Everyone else is working and her third floor apartment is a nightmare ‘cause she can’t get up and down the stairs. My house is not close to anything—”

Pausing as he listened, he grinned. “Good. I’ll bring her in a little bit.” Disconnecting, he said, “Mitch said we didn’t need to convince him you needed to be somewhere safe. He said Tori would be angry if you went anywhere else.”

Laughing gently, while holding her hand against her chest, she nodded. “Maybe I can shower at Tori’s house…she can help if needed.”

His eyes darkened as he sucked in a quick breath. “I’d be glad to help you shower…but I guess Tori is a safer choice.”

“Safer?”

Pulling her to a stand, he wrapped his arms around her back and held her close. “Jade, I love taking care of you but, gotta admit, in the shower, it would be hard not to stare at your beautiful body. And right now, you need to heal.”

Leaning her head back, she smiled. “Okay. Heal first…and then?”

Bending to kiss her lips, Lance began slowly before he angled his head to take her mouth fully. Moving his lips over her soft flesh, he slid his tongue in…slowly at first in a gentle exploration. Her moan inflamed his senses and he began to take the kiss deeper. One hand glided up her back, cupping her head and her silky tresses flowed through his fingers like silk.

Jade, lost in the kiss, forgot about her injuries, and her fears, thinking only of the feel of his mouth on hers. Strong and soft. Steel and satin. His tongue searched her mouth, tangling with her tongue, and she felt the electricity zip straight to her core. Eyes closed, she barely noticed when he lifted his head, his warm breath wash against her face.

“Damn, babe. I’d rather stay here all day and do nothing but kiss you.”

“Why don’t you,” she breathed, opening her eyes to see his hazel ones piercing her.

“ ‘Cause I’d never be able to stop at just a kiss,” Lance confessed, pulling her head to his chest, afraid that if he continued to look into her eyes, she might see deeper into him than he was willing to let her at this moment. He knew he wanted her. Desired her. And more than just for sex or even friendship. He wanted her in a way he had not allowed himself to want in a very long time. Swallowing, he whispered to the top of her head, “We’ll get there. I’ll get there. You need to heal. I just need…some…time.”

Her cheek pressed against his heartbeat, she held tight, her arms wrapped around his waist. “I’ll give you all the time you want, Lance. All the time you need. Just know that I want you too.”

As those words filled his ears, he sighed in relief before pressing his lips against her silky hair.