“You have to keep a close eye on her,” Alec warned him. “I don’t like the way she checked out earlier.”
Neither did West. And Alec didn’t need to tell him that. He already knew. “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
Alec nodded. “If it was Mia in that bed, I’d do the same.”
Because Alec loved Mia. Just like West loved Flick. Damn, he did love her. Funny how that idea didn’t cause the panic he thought it might. He’d pulled back from her these last few days, after that kiss, partly because he’d nearly hurt her. But, mostly, because of how that kiss had made him feel. The other time he’d kissed her, he’d been too angry to process anything he’d felt. But, this time, this time all he’d felt was Flick. His hunger for her. His need for her. A need that went well past physical desire.
It had shocked him. Because he’d never felt anything like that before. Not even for Lana. And that thought had made him feel guilty. So he’d stepped back from Flick in order to get his head straight about what the fuck he felt for her.
Stupid move. He should have been with her. If he had, he’d likely have never let her go to the stables. The shooter might have still shot one of them, but she would have been safe.
“Call us if you need anything,” Alec told him.
West nodded. “Take care of Mia.”
“Always.”
She woke up disorientated. There was a beeping noise, and she was lying on a hard bed. The sheets were scratchy. And the pillow was lumpy.
“I’ll be sure to tell the hospital they need to upgrade their star rating,” an amused voice told her.
She looked over to see West sitting in a chair by her bed. It was kind of weird. He’d moved out of her room, hadn’t he?
Then she took a good look at his face. She saw the stress lines around his mouth and eyes. Saw the way he held himself, so he was a coiled snake, ready to strike. She looked around. This wasn’t her room at the Malone house.
“The hospital,” she rasped. Her mouth felt dry.
West stood and grabbed the glass of water on her side table. He held the straw that sat in it up to her mouth. She took a few gulps of water, then drew back.
“Beau?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
He sat on the bed carefully, facing her. His thigh brushed against hers, and she tried to ignore the tingle that ran across her skin. She needed to go numb again. Go back to where nothing penetrated the shell she’d erected around herself. But she failed as he leaned forward, getting in her space.
He cupped the side of her head with his hand. “No, you don’t.”
She frowned. “No, I don’t, what?”
“You don’t get to zone out on me again. You’re going to stay with me. You’re going to listen to what I have to say.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She forced her gaze away from his.
“Swear to God, if you weren’t in a hospital bed with a badly injured shoulder, dehydrated, and severely exhausted, I’d turn you over my lap right now and spank the hell out of your ass.”
That shocking statement brought her attention back to him. “What?”
“Fuck.” Regret filled his face. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t frighten me.”
He studied her. “I didn’t, did I?”
“I told you before, I get that a spanking given by someone who cares about you because you did something to put yourself in danger isn’t abuse. It’s not the same as what I suffered at Spencer’s hand.”
She took in a deep breath. “Although, that doesn’t really explain what you just said. For one, I’m not someone you care about and I didn’t put myself in danger.”
“Not put yourself in danger? So, when Beau was shot, and someone was shooting at you, you got yourself to safety? Or did you drag Beau into the stables, making a target of yourself.”
“You expected me to just leave your brother there?” She stared at him in confusion and disbelief.