Simple Twist of Fate (Fated 3)

“I’m fine.” He tried to move again and gave up quick. “Hurts.”

“You broke two of your ribs and got a concussion. Of course you hurt.” She brought their linked hands to her mouth and kissed his, blinking rapidly as if trying to hold back tears. “They’re keeping you in the hospital overnight for observation. Now you’re the one with the head injury.” She dropped their hands but didn’t let go.

“We’re quite the pair.” He tried to smile but it hurt. Everything hurt.

Except where Morgan touched him.

“We are.” She glanced down at their connected hands, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles. “Are we still a pair though?”

His heart plummeted somewhere in the vicinity of his feet. “I don’t know. Are we?”

“Did you get my voicemail?” She wouldn’t look at him.

“The one where you said you were wondering how I’m doing? Yeah, I got it.” What a bullshit message it had been too. All casual, like nothing was wrong.

“No, not that one. That one’s awful.” At least she realized it. “I left you another one. Earlier this afternoon, around lunchtime.”

“I never got it.” He’d been too busy working, taking care of injured people, getting hit by a car. Some crazy with worry relative of one of the victims in the accident had plowed into him. He still couldn’t believe it. Now he

was laid up in a hospital bed, helpless and hurting and damn, it sucked.

“Then I guess I’ll have to tell you what I said.” She lifted her head and met his gaze, a tremulous smile curving her lips. “I made a mistake.”

Hope rose within him. “What about?”

“You. Us. I walked away because I got scared. I didn’t believe what we had could last. I mean nothing this good ever lasts, right?” She laughed nervously and he knew she wasn’t looking for an answer. She was talking to herself so he let her go on. “But I really think it could. I know there are no guarantees, but Jenna told me sometimes you need to take a risk. And I want to take a risk with you, Evan.”

He stared at her, at a complete loss for words. This was exactly what he’d wanted from the first moment he saw her. He could finally see it. The instant he’d touched her and those pretty brown eyes had met his, he’d known. She was the woman for him. The only woman he ever really wanted.

And he was a complete dumbass, unable to speak.

“Do you want to take a risk on me? With me? I’m kind of a pain in the ass and this won’t be the first time I panic, I’m sure. But you’re so patient and you make everything so easy I know you can calm me down. Smooth my ruffled feathers, you know?” She waited, hopeful he’d say something, he could see it written all over her pretty face but he remained silent. Too overcome with emotion, something that had never happened before.

The light dimmed from her eyes, and she started to withdraw. Shaking his head, he uttered the first words he could think of to keep her close. Keep her from retreating.

“Come here.” His voice was hoarse, and his throat felt tight. “Please.”

She leaned over him and brought her face to his. He cupped the back of her head, bit back the groan that wanted to escape, ignoring the pain splintering throughout his body. She was worth the pain, worth the bit of suffering he would endure.

He wasn’t about to let her go.

Their mouths met, clung. She parted her lips easily, damp and warm and welcoming and he dabbed at her tongue with his. Unbelievably his body reacted, his cock twitching beneath the covers and he withdrew from her, his breath coming rapidly, hers doing the same.

“You’re mighty powerful, woman. Giving me a hard on while I lay in a hospital bed.”

She smiled and gently withdrew from him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It hurts me more to know I could’ve lost you.”

She shook her head. “There’s no way that would’ve happened. I’m stubborn, but I would’ve seen the error of my ways eventually.”

“Thank God for Jenna,” he muttered.

“Thank God you weren’t hurt more seriously.” Her face was solemn, her eyes big. Fathomless as they drank him up. She studied him as if she wanted to memorize his every feature and he silently cursed his faulty physical condition.

The way she looked at him, all he wanted to do was grab her. Strip her naked and make love to her. Tell her how much she meant to him, how much she would always mean to him.

“Morgan…” His voice drifted, and he swallowed hard. He wanted to say the words but it was damn hard. This was an important moment. “Morgan, I’m in love with you.”