My Prince Charming - A Steele Fairy Tale

“I will.” Frankly, at this point, it wouldn’t matter if she’d been an armed bank robber; my heart had a mind of its own, and for the first time, it had proven it. I’d forgotten everything but Ella including the trouble I could get myself in at the hospital for my behavior.

When I go back inside her room, she’s nervously sitting on the bed with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped gently around her legs.

“Here you go. We can’t go until you get your discharge papers but get changed first. I’ll turn around.” Not that I want to look away, but she deserves some privacy for now. I hand over the scrubs and then face the door with the papers in my hand.

“What’s that then? Is that the police report?” she asks as she dresses.

“Yes.” I forgot what I was holding until I read it, and I’m floored and irrationally pissed. I spin around, not giving a fuck that she’s only half dressed. "You’re not pressing charges?”

“No. I’m not. It’s not worth it to me,” she sighs, sitting on the bed to slide the bottoms on.

“Not worth it?” I try to control the crazy anger in her defense because she looks so bone tired. “Fine. Let’s go, so you can rest.”

Nurse Merriweather returns to give her the documents she needs to follow up with. I help her out of the bed and walk her to the front of the hospital.

“Where are you taking me?” she questions, cocking her brow up at me. I’m guessing she forgot which is completely understandable after all the chaos she’s endured today.

“I told you I’m taking you home with me, and then you’re going to get the sleep you need. I’m a doctor here, and everyone has seen you leave with me. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Strangely, I’m not worried. Simply confused.”

I assist her into my car, grateful that I didn’t bring my SUV with me because it would be hard for her to get in comfortably. I lean in and buckle her seatbelt so that she doesn’t hurt her arm at all.

“Thank you.”

I hurry around the front of the car as I feel the first drops of rain come down. It’s the middle of spring, so even though it’s warm, the rain turns the air chilly.

Chapter 3

Ella

I’m crazy for agreeing to go home with him, but what are my other options? I considered my choices earlier when they told me the police were contacted. There are none. A shelter won’t save me from perverts, and going back to my father’s house wouldn’t be safe because they’d finish what they started.

“It’s going to be okay, Ella. I promise,” he says as if reading my thoughts.

“How do you know that?” I need some semblance of peace because all I want to do is cry. I have medical insurance from work, but without a job soon, I’ll be without that as well, so I hope that my arm heals without issue or I’m thoroughly fucked.

“Because I’m going to do everything to make it a reality.” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, giving it the gentlest of kisses before setting it down again.

“Why?”

“Because you are the only woman to distract me from my work.” I think about the kiss in the temporary room I was in. That was incredible, soft, but the intent was clear.

“Wow, that’s sweet,” I sigh, thinking about kissing him again. The part of my brain that says run as fast as possible seems to be malfunctioning. He’s too charming for his own good and mine. He wants me but for how long?

He laughs. “Well, I’m not sure the patients would agree with you, but hey, at least I’m not scheduled to work until tomorrow night.”

The deep, low chuckle catches me off guard with the soft sound perfectly soothing me. “And you’re hoping the excitement wears off by then?” I ask, trying to gauge his intentions. Suddenly the vehicle fills with silence. I must have hit the nail on the head.

Time passes as I listen to the wiper blades swipe the rain off the windshield. When we come to a red light, he finally responds, “No, but it will give me a little more time with you before I have to leave you.” I know he’s only talking about leaving for work, but somehow the pain that he’d leave for good strikes me. I shake it off because I’m just tired and hurt, so my mind is all over the place.

Silence takes over again. We’re close to the expressway when he asks, “Are you hungry?”

“No, thank you. I’m just sleepy.” I let out a long yawn as if I triggered my body with just mentioning my fatigue.

“Okay.” He smiles, and then we drive in silence for a few minutes or what seems like a few minutes. I must have fallen asleep because I wake up when he opens the passenger door. “We’re home, Princess.”