“I heard you stopped breathing?” the doctor says. His tone is jovial, but his eyes are sharp and focused. Trying to keep it light for her sake.
“Apparently,” Diana says. “I don’t exactly remember. I was unconscious at the time.”
I laugh in spite of myself, and so does the doctor. Then he looks at me. “You revived her?”
“Yeah.” I give him a brief rundown of what happened and what I witnessed of Diana in the water. While I’m talking, he’s doing some basic checks like her lungs and shining a light in her eyes. Diana winces when he feels the bump on her scalp, and he examines her limbs and ribs.
“How do you feel?” the doctor asks Diana.
“Mostly just tired. I always thought dying would be more painful.”
He chuckles. “Well, you definitely have a concussion, but your pupils are normal and responsive and you’re holding a conversation just fine. I think you got lucky.”
“If luck’s name is Leo, then yeah. Sure.” Her eyes flick to mine.
The doctor smiles at me before looking back at Diana. “I wish I could do more, but you’re in good shape. General painkillers should be fine for the bruising and maybe a headache. Lots of rest until you feel back to normal. If anything seems strange or you notice any cognitive effects, come back right away.”
“Okay,” she says softly.
He smiles. “Glad it was this kind of visit. Rest well and I’ll get a nurse over here to start the discharge.”
I blow out a breath as he disappears behind the curtain. “Fastest emergency room visit ever.”
“I’m glad,” she says.
“Me too.”
Now that the doctor’s come and went, she seems more alert. Like she woke up once I left to take that call. She doesn’t stop stealing glances at me even when she thinks that I’m not looking, and every time she does, her cheeks tinge pink with a blush. If she’s thinking about me in a way that makes her blush, I’ll take it. Hopefully the thoughts are good ones.
The discharge is easy, and since she was pronounced healthy, there’s nothing that I have to do. Her admittance and discharge records will be enough to prove that we did our due diligence. I hate that I have to think that way, but it’s true.
Diana puts up a fight when they force her into a wheelchair to exit the hospital, but it’s policy for everyone. I hide my laugh as I watch the nurse wheel her ahead of me. This woman is a force of nature. She almost died and she still wants to do everything herself.
When the valet pulls up with my truck, I let her get in herself, even though my hands are itching to touch her again. But I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.
Every time I repeat to myself that it’s a bad idea, it seems less and less true. And now it’s basically the only thing that I can think about.
The ride back to the lodge seems faster. Probably because I’m not overwhelmed with worry about whether she’s okay. Diana is still stealing glances at me, but she doesn’t say much on the drive back.
I take her all the way to the guest cabin, and this time when I get out of the truck, I make it to her door before she opens it. There’s a smile on her face, but suspicion and worry too. “You’re not going to carry me inside, are you?”
“No,” I say, as I help her down from the truck. Standing in front of her even closer than I did this morning, it’s clear just how much taller than her I am. She has to tilt her face up to meet my eyes, and I purposely don’t step out of her way.
This is a bad idea. It’s such a bad idea.
“Thank you for saving my life,” she whispers.
I can’t help myself. Closing the remaining inches between us, I kiss her. Even though I shouldn’t. Even though it’s still broad daylight and anyone can see us. I don’t fucking care.
Diana’s mouth opens under mine, and it feels like she blooms under my touch. Her arms wind up around my neck, and our tongues dance together like they were always meant to do that. It’s the best kiss I’ve ever had.
I let my hands slide down her body, exploring the curves that I was barely able to feel while carrying her. The soft curve of her back and ass, the feeling of her chest pressing against mine. I’m harder than a rock, and practically dizzy with the sensation.
No one has ever done this to me. The chemistry feels like it could explode, and I need to back away or we’re going to do some things that are very inappropriate for someone who’s recovering from a near-death experience.
But at the same time, her lips are addictive. They’re soft, and she’s kissing me back just as hard. If this kiss were a battle, I wouldn’t be able to tell who’s winning. My thoughts are running wild, imagining what would happen if I pushed her back onto the seat of the truck and explored her more.