“So, Faye, is it?” Vander asked as he stared at the gorgeous nurse. She nodded her head as she returned his gaze.

If he had known nurses looked like this at the local hospital, he would have visited more often. Everything about her, from her dark hair in a messy bun on top of her head, to her hospital scrubs that didn’t hide her deliciously curvy frame, turned him on. Just sitting in her presence made him forget about chasing after Gamair. Vander hadn’t realized he had a thing for nurses. Sexy nurses were moving to the top of his list right now.

He held back a grimace, trying not to show the pain that racked his body. The doctor had said he had one hundred and fifty bones broken. That had to be a new record for him. The dragon in him had forced him to awaken during his healing slumber, where he had found himself in that machine. He heard her speaking to someone in the room. Her voice called to his dragon.

It wanted her as much as a dragon wanted a horde full of gold and treasure.

And have her, we will.

“You’re going to do more damage,” she announced. “Let me call the doctor.” She turned to reach for a phone that rested on her portable computer cart.

“No.” He shook his head. He wouldn’t need a doctor. There was nothing the human doctor could do for him. He just needed to rest, and allow his body to heal. With this amount of damage, it would take a couple of days to heal. “Take this stuff off of me.” He pointed to all of the wires and tubing that flowed around him.

“I can’t. You’re in the hospital. Whatever you did or was done to you, could have killed you.”

He snorted at her little speech. He was a powerful dragon shifter—Vander, The Warrior. It would take more than falling twenty thousand feet to kill him. He began peeling the stickers from his chest, and held back a grimace as he moved his left arm. The damn thing must be broken. Sweat began to form on his forehead at his movements.

“If I take everything off you, will you promise not to die on me?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

Vander paused what he was doing and glanced over at her. He had known her for mere minutes, and he already loved her irritated look. The way her brows drew together and her eyes narrowed on him had his dragon huffing.

“Yes,” he promised. He wouldn’t be dying today. Dragon shifters lived for centuries. He was a dragon in his prime, and had many years left on this planet. Falling out the sky was not the way to kill a dragon. Not many knew how dragons could be killed; that was a secret kept close to their kind only.

“Fine. I’ll do it,” she muttered, coming to stand in front of him. “I swear, if you die, I will kill you myself!”

“I love your sass.” He threw her a wink.

She avoided his eyes as she quickly removed all the stickers from his chest. The alarms in the room began to sound as she peeled the last one off.

“Everything okay in there?” A voice came in over the speaker.

“Yes, I got it. Can you pause the alarms for room twenty-three, please?” Faye asked the voice, as she hit a button on the IV pump.

“Got it,” the voice answered.

He waited patiently as she continued working on freeing him. He took advantage of her closeness to study her features. Her eyes—green, with flecks of hazel—were beautiful. The small mole on the edge of her top lip had him wanting to lick it, and explore her mouth thoroughly with his tongue. He didn’t realize that he had been holding his breath as he looked his fill.

His dragon stood at attention as she moved away from him. It wanted her near him again.

“All done, Mister…wait, what is your name?”

“Vander,” he answered with another grimace. The pain was kicking in for real now. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out, trying to fight the draw to sleep. His body was now telling him he would need to rest. The healing slumber would draw him into a deep, undisturbed stasis, which would allow his body to heal on its own.

“Mr. Van—” she started, but he cut her off with a raised hand. He needed to hear her say his name. The animal in him rumbled deep in his chest.

“My surname is Kelmyar, but you can call me by my given name, Vander.” His eyes locked on hers, waiting to hear her it. Soon, he promised himself, she would be screaming his name. He couldn’t wait for that moment. But, for now, he needed to rest. He would need to be in top shape for when he had her.

“Vander, please, let me help you back into the bed,” she insisted, a worried look plastered on her face. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face and figured she was probably worried he would pass out or something. He nodded his head, knowing when to admit to defeat.

He released a hiss as she gently grabbed his legs to help swing them back into the bed, then pulled the blankets over him. He took a few deep breaths, trying to slow his racing heart.

“Get some rest,” she said, patting his hand gently. He grabbed her hand as she moved to turn away.

“There’s room for one more in here,” he offered with his winning smile. Women usually flocked to him when he offered ‘the smile.’ No woman could resist the Vander charm.

“You’re persistent, aren’t you?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes took him in, quickly sweeping the entire bed before meeting his. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open as the healing slumber was upon him.

“I see something that I want, I go after it,” he mumbled as his eyes drooped.

“Well, in this position, honey, you wouldn’t be able to handle me.”

He smiled as sleep overcame him. God, he loved her sass. Wait until he healed properly, she wouldn’t know what hit her. Vander, The Warrior, was going to go after his woman, but for now, he would sleep.