I did. I needed her. The gap between us meant that I couldn’t say that out loud. I’d painted myself into a corner. I was the grumpy guy, the cynical one. I couldn’t suddenly start on the flowery talk. I had nothing to offer her from my hospital bed anyway.
“I need whiskey,” I said. “You haven’t brought me that.”
I grinned at her so she’d know it was a joke but I really was hankering for a drink. It was the longest I’d been without one in many years.
“I think it’s doing you good,” she replied. “Your skin looks a better color and your eyes are brighter. They have some wheatgrass juice downstairs. Maybe you should try that. Anyway, what do the doctors say?”
“Wheatgrass juice? Are you crazy? Anyway, I’m out of here tomorrow. I have to wear a splint on my arm for the next few weeks and have a ton of medical appointments but, other than that, it’s wait and see.”
She nodded. “I’ll come and pick you up.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I want to.”
“Then you’re back to work. I don’t want you wasting your holiday leave on me. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m in no hurry to go back there. It’s not like I’m being all dutiful and self-sacrificing being here, you know. Compared to that place, hanging out with you in this comfy hospital room is a breeze.”
“Yep, but I’ll be fine once I leave.”
She turned to me with a wicked grin. “Are you sure you’ll be able to shower with your hand in a splint? I might need to help you with that.”
Holy shit, that look on her face and the implication of her words shot an arrow straight through me. I thought I’d have to call the nurse to deal with my rapid heartbeat. It definitely stirred up something and, even if the nerves weren’t working in my hand, they sure as hell were elsewhere.
She laughed. “You should see your face.”
Hell, was I fifteen years old again? I’d never seen this sexy, flirty side of her before and it was damn hot. My quiet, shy Gina coming out with something like that stirred up images that I couldn’t shake. I wanted to turn that thought around in my mind and explore it from every angle. I’d thought of her as something pure and breakable but she definitely had another side.
The most beautiful sight I’d ever seen was her face above me as she rode my cock. The sweat glistening on her skin, her hair stuck to her face. Her eyes narrowed with pleasure. It was true what I’d said to her. I never imagined she’d be like this, so wild, so hungry for my cock. I’d had no idea what had happened to that shy girl but I wasn’t about to complain.
I was falling. She had me entranced and the hold she’d taken over me wasn’t ever going to leave me.
Before I could explore it any further, Drew walked in the room. Total cock block. I hadn’t wanted any visitors other than Gina but word had gotten out at the bar and I’d had Carlie in to see me yesterday, now Drew. He had a huge bunch of flowers in his arms too.
“The guys at the bar chipped in for these,” he said.
“Flowers? Flowers? What the hell would I want with flowers? Do those people even know me? I’m in hospital, not dead.” I tried to sit up in bed but it was hard to leverage myself with only one hand and even harder to fully express your anger and indignation laying down. I found the remote and made the bed rise up.
Drew set the flowers down on the table beside my bed.
“I think you’ll like these flowers, Jackson. These are your favorite kind of flowers. Ho ho.” He even winked in the creepiest manner. I had no idea what he was talking about. He’d obviously grown deranged in the few days I’d not been around.
He pushed aside the foliage at the bottom of the arrangement, revealing miniature bottles of whiskey.
“Because these are whiskey flowers...”
“You legend!” I grabbed one of the bottles. Drew took it from me and twisted the top off.
“I take back every bad thing I’ve said about you.”
“Drew! What are you thinking? Jackson’s recovering from surgery. That’s the last thing he needs. You’ll kill him with that stuff.”
I managed to have a decent slug before she grabbed the bottle off me.
“Hell, woman, if that stuff was going to kill me, it’d have done it way before now.” But her fussing made me happy. No one had ever fussed over me like before. I’d have killed anyone else who’d done it but, when it was her, it was different. With her, it was always different.
“So, do you like your flowers, Jackson?”