He stopped her as soon as they reached the light and turned her to face him. With his right hand, he smoothed her hair, leaned down to tug at the hem of her dress. Glanced around the quiet gardens.
“No one’s here. No one will know we were together. ”
His concern for her reputation made her stomach hurt. But she was more immediately concerned about his arm. She took the left wrist of his jacket but didn’t pull. “Take your arm out and let me see it, or you’re not leaving. ”
He tried to pull it from the sleeve, but pain ripped across his face.
“Jax?” Fear speared her belly. She lifted the left shoulder and pushed back that side of his jacket. Something dark stained his shirtsleeve. “Oh God. Are you bleeding?”
“It’s just a cut from the rocks yesterday—”
“Goddammit, Jax. If you can’t get out of this jacket, I’m going to take scissors to it. ” Panic bubbled up in her belly. “Let me see your arm. ”
When he tried and failed again, she moved behind him and grabbed the collar. “Roll your shoulders back. ”
As he did, he growled in pain from behind clenched teeth. The jacket slid down his arms. And his left shirtsleeve was covered in blood.
Jax lay back on the gurney in the ER, staring at the ceiling. God, he’d done this a lot. Only he’d never had anyone holding his hand or smoothing his hair back from his face before. Even his nanny hadn’t done that.
He’d tried to convince Lexi to stay at the wedding. Tried to get her to go home when there was an hour wait at the ER. They’d even gotten into an argument over it. Jax had given up when she’d threatened to stitch him up herself.
The nurse had already numbed the laceration, and without the pain, Jax was feeling pretty good by the time the metallic curtains slid back and Doctor Pete Hale walked in.
“Nice to see you again, Jax. ”
Lexi now knew Jax’s first name was Bentley. Knew his last name was Chamberlin. She’d reacted stronger to the fact that he didn’t have health insurance than to his name. She’d already decided that not only did he need health insurance, but all his employees needed health insurance, and how could he not have health insurance with a job this dangerous?
Just thinking about how she worried made him smile.
“Hey, Doc,” he said.
Pete held his hand out to Lexi. “Pete Hale. ”
“Lexi,” she said, shaking his hand.
He peered down at the cut. “Nicely done. And you missed the tattoo. Keeping us in business, I see. ”
“Just doing my part. ”
“Upgraded your chaperone too. ” Pete grinned at Lexi. “Now my nurses are all huffy. Nobody’s fighting over you tonight, bud. ”
Lexi laughed.
“Don’t flirt with my girl, Doc. I still have one good arm. ”
“That’s your job, Lexi,” Pete said. “Keep him from slugging me, and I’ll get this fixed up. ”
Jax turned his head and searched out Lexi’s gorgeous face. She smiled at him, combe
d her fingers through his hair. He knew for a fact in that moment, he never wanted to lose her.
“Why didn’t you get this looked at yesterday?” Pete asked. “You know better than that. ”
“Would have delayed my flight. I needed to get home to my new chaperone. ”
“Ah. ” Pete’s grin widened. “Enough said. ”
“Baby,” Jax told Lexi, “you don’t have to stay for this. ”