Chapter 8

Well she had an aching head to go with the rest of her aching body and wanted to just crawl under the cushions of the chair they were sitting on. She couldn’t believe she’d said all that. She’d seen the horror in his eyes and actually fed on it, wanting to make him understand. Maybe even to shock him.

She sat up and turned her face away from him, studying the snow outside, anything to not look at him.

“Cam,” he said softly.

She couldn’t make herself turn around. She’d been a fool to tell him the whole story. The less people involved the better, she knew that. Hell, hadn’t she learned her lesson? He’d found her here in the middle of nowhere.

He took away her choice by firmly turning her head with a single finger. “Cam, I’m glad you told me and as soon as we get cell reception again I’m going to make some calls.”

She climbed off him and forced herself to stand up straight. “No. No way. I’ll handle this on my own, otherwise people could get hurt.”

He stood up right in front of her and clasped his hands over her forearms as much to steady her as to hold her still. “You can’t do it alone anymore, Sweet-“ he cut himself off again. “You can’t do it alone,” he said firmly. “I may not be the bodyguard type,” and he motioned to her hodge podge bandages, “Nor am I a doctor, but I have connections.”

“I can’t ask-”

He cut her off. “You’re not asking, I’m offering.”

Honestly puzzled she held onto him, starting to feel a little steadier. “Why?”

His eyes went dark, the blue changing yet again to mirror the stormy grey outside. “You need help and I can provide it, simple as that.”

“But why? I don’t mean anything to you.”

“C’mon there’s gotta be something between us. I’ve already seen you naked. We’ve slept together.”

She blushed and felt her mouth drop open. “Jon!’

He shrugged and laughed. “If you can’t call that intimate then what do you call it?”

“Circumstance? Crazy awful, bad timing? Temporary psychosis?”

“Fate,” he said with absolute certainty.

She shut up, the small spurt of hope was too much with all the rest that she’d been through. “You’re a really nice man-“

He cut her off with a laugh. “I’m not a nice man. You need someone to believe in and I need someone to believe in me. That’s all there is to it.”

She frowned, following him as he led her back up the stairs. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going upstairs to get some rest and I’m going to check your bandages.”

“I-“ she stopped at his sharp look. “Umm, we need to plan, to find a way to get out of here.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Cam. There’s ten inches or more of fresh snow out there. I don’t even think the plows have been taken out of storage yet. We’ll listen to the radio and figure out how long this freak storm is supposed to last and you need to get your strength back. The only way you’re going to do that is by sleeping.”

“I don’t have time to sleep. He’s out there and it won’t take him long to figure out where I am.”

“You’re talking to the guy that rarely gets more than five hours of sleep, but in this case I’m going to have to insist. You need to sleep. It’s the only way you’re body is going to recharge.”

He walked behind her as she navigated the stairs herself this time. She could feel his eyes on her back and, she turned around and caught his glance on her ass. He just grinned and she turned back around. She wasn’t sure how to take that. Lucas’ touch had been abhorrent, especially after the cutting. She’d closed herself off from feelings like that for months.

She made it to the landing and he veered off into the bathroom as she settled herself on the bed. Maybe she was feeling tired. God knew she hadn’t slept through the night in months.

Jon came back into the room with the first aid kit and a towel. “Let’s see what Dr. Jon can do for you.”

She smiled as he unloaded his supplies.

“Hey! A real, honest to God smile,” he said playfully.

She didn’t say anything, just curled her toes under the covers. “I can take care of the cuts, Jon. I swear,” she said conscious of the fact that her legs were in sore need of shaving.

“C’mon let me have my Florence Nightingale moment.”

She just snuffed out a laugh and leaned back into the pillows. His touch was gentle and she closed her eyes, unwilling to watch his hands on her body. The sense of revulsion she was expecting never came. She relaxed as he gently peeled away the thick gauze pads, hissed when the A & D ointment was applied and finally opened her eyes when he lifted her arm.

“Looks like the worst of it has heeled over, though you might have a few extra scars to add to your collection,” he said.

She blinked at him and laughed at the horrified look in his eyes. “It’s okay,” she laughed again. “It was funny.”

His hand covered hers. “It was uncalled for and I’m sorry. I can really stick my foot in it with my twisted sense of humor.”

Somehow she knew he didn’t apologize often for who he was, but she appreciated it. “It’s okay.”

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss at the crest of her cheek and her heart stuttered. He pulled away and pressed the last bit of tape into place and pulled the sheet and quilt up until her hands met his. She pulled it up the rest of the way and they didn’t say a word.

He rounded the bed and stoked the fire then settled himself in the chair beside the fire. She curled into the pillows, breathing in his scent as her eyes grew heavy. She flipped the covers back. “It’s okay, you can sleep here.”

He simply stared at her, not saying a word for the longest time then he stood and tucked a lock of hair that pulled from her rubber band behind her ear. “Are you sure?”

“I’m in no condition for you to take advantage of me and anyway…we need to get some sleep.”

“I can sleep anywhere,” he said.

“Then sleep with me,” she said softly. And maybe the dreams won’t come. Maybe I’ll sleep deeply and dreamlessly. “Please.”

He climbed in beside her and smoothed the sheets, tucked the blanket and didn’t move beneath the covers. A sudden tension grew between them until he swore and tugged her close, pressing her cheek against his chest. “Sleep, Sweetheart.”

And she did.