CHAPTER 5
The sun was high, drifting west across the clear blue sky to settle for the day in a few short hours. Morgan let herself into her stranger, Guy’s, room where he appeared to be resting. Doc said to expect a lot of that, rest was good for him, truly the best medicine. She gently placed his neatly folded and clearly ironed, clothes on the chair to the left of his bed, by the window. She paused to study him while he slept. It was much easier to stare when he wasn’t staring back.
His body was relaxed and his face peaceful with the exception of his furrowed brow that suggested unease or concern. Perhaps a bad dream. His dark hair was combed back as if being styled and tidy and perfectly kept was just its natural way. Tracing his strong, chiseled jaw with her gaze, she noticed the stubble that had filled in over the past few days. It looked good on him.
She didn’t hate his previous clean-shaven style by any means. In fact, it was quite handsome and made her sweat a little. But, the light dusting of dark shadow provided a rugged look with an ounce of edge that didn’t make her sweat – it made her hum. Hum in places that she had put to bed years ago. Hello, libido.
Her curiosity took her eye further down from his broad shoulders to his narrow waist, where his strong hands rested. His position pulled the generic hospital gown in such a way that what couldn’t be seen was easily imagined. Especially as her view managed to wander further down where the thin sheet covering him had a certain rise to it that made her lick her lips as her powers of invention were deeply inspired. Good Lord, it was getting warm in here.
“Like what you see?” A deep husky voice startled her from her near dirty thoughts, causing her to jump and return her wide-eyed attention to the Caribbean blue eyes watching her. His head was tilted, and his raised brow matched the amusement of the smirk he was wearing.
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was…” Heat flooded her blushing cheeks, making it harder to find her words. Fully aware of the hole she was quickly digging for herself.
She grabbed the pile of clothes she had brought with her and finished her thought. “I uh, was just thinking. I have your clothes, but noticed you…” She paused again when her gaze aimed for his day or two scruff but landed on his sexy mouth.
“Uh huh?” His smirk was a full grin and a chuckle escaped as he slowly sat up. His eyes bore into her so deep she could feel him everywhere.
She swayed from foot to foot, trying to relieve the embarrassing tingle he was creating. Why her nearly extinct sexual desires came out of hibernation at this moment and with this man was more than she could negotiate in the moment. She would work that out later. For now, her goal was to wrangle her hormones and stop making an ass of herself.
She was pulled from her miserable sense of embarrassment when a sharp sigh followed by a hissing groan broke free from her handsome stranger. He grabbed his right ribs with his left hand while trying to balance on his right hand in a half sitting position.
Morgan quickly moved to his bed side and placed an extra pillow, from the chair, behind him before propping her hand there to help hold him up. Using the button control on the bed’s railing, she raised the head of the bed before carefully leaning him back against the pillows. His pain was evident by the subtle groans, but also the sweat beading across his forehead. His eyes were closed while he took slow calming breaths, trying to collect himself.
“There we go. Are you okay? Should I grab Doc Charles?” Her concern was for his physical pain; her heart break was for what he must be going through emotionally. The pain he wore in his expression was more than damaged ribs and a bum leg, or even a bump on the head. The ribs were just a sharp reminder of where he was and why. Clearly an unwelcome reminder.
“No, no… I’m okay. I guess it’s a sign I’m healing.” He offered.
“Healing? How’s that? I’d say it’s more a sign you still have some healing to do.” She fussed while dabbing his forehead with a tissue.
“Trust me, it’s healing. I was feeling so good, I forgot about those ribs until I moved – progress.” The playful wink he tossed her warmed her heart.
“Progress,” she agreed with an amused chuckle. “What I was going to say before your ribs so rudely interrupted is that I have your clothes, but hadn’t thought about…” She waved at his face, fanning her hands around, “This.”
He raised his right hand and held it to his left cheek, sliding it down to his chin where he stroked the layer of scruff.
“You hadn’t thought of my…face?” he finished with a confused tone that matched his expression.
Waving her hands again, flustered, she reasoned, “Shaving, I hadn’t thought about…shaving. That’s what I was – staring at. I need to stop at the drug store for some toiletries on the way home, that’s all.”
“Toiletries?” His mischievous grin made an encore appearance; his amusement in her excuse became obvious. “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t my face that you were staring at, but I appreciate the thought all the same, Officer Jameson.”
“Morgie – err, Morgan.” Hard to rile Morgan Jameson was trying on shades of red again, embarrassed not only by her inability to keep her cool around her mystery man, but also because she had been caught. Caught staring at something far more personal than, his face. “You can call me Morgan, Guy.”
“Morgan Guy?”
“No, Morgan – just Morgan. You’re…Guy.”
“Guy? That’s my name? You found out who I am?”
It wasn’t lost on Morgan that his tone was more disappointed than anxious at the idea of finding out who he was. She believed him when he said he hadn’t a clue who he was, call it cop’s intuition. But, she also believed that for some reason, he subconsciously didn’t want to remember. There may not be a mystery as to what happened to him – accidents happen – the question was why was he okay with it, even if he didn’t realize he was?
“No, sorry. We still don’t have anything on your identity yet. I can assure you, we have all of our resources on it – we will figure it out.” Morgan laid a sympathetic hand on his, reassuring him that he was a priority, and to comfort him. She didn’t mean to rile his hopes or concerns, whichever he might have been feeling.
She quickly pulled her hand when his expression softened and his smile warmed at her touch. He must’ve felt it too. What, she wasn’t sure, but she saw in his eyes the very emotion that coursed through her. He was a stranger even to himself. She would chalk that up to gratitude on his part, and compassion on hers.
“Guy – it’s what Gran calls you.”
“Gran?”
“Sorry – Granny Lou – Louise Shaw.” Morgan fumbled her way around her words, trying to get herself together. It wasn’t like her to be so frazzled and out of sorts. “She thought hey you
and that guy
might be impolite. So, Guy it was, err…is.” She chuckled, hoping he would see it that way too.
“Guy…” he paused, staring off into nothing as if tossing it around or trying it on for a good fit. “Makes sense, I guess. It’s a bit of an unusual situation and it beats the hell out of John Doe
, I’m not exactly dead. It’s a good name – nice to meet you Morgan, Guy.” He extended his hand to shake hers and tossed her a million-dollar, panty melting smile with a wink to seal the deal. She had to reel in that deep belly twinge and remind herself that he was just a grateful stranger, and not confuse kindness with dirty desires.
She smiled a sweet smile while returning the handshake. Get it together, Jameson
. “Nice to meet you, Guy.”