“Soon.”
“My girl is here. I wanna go home with her.” He squeezes my hand, mouth curling in a crooked grin. “She’ll make me feel all better.”
My face flames.
The nurse chokes. “I see. Unfortunately, Mr. Hansen, it doesn’t depend on me. Your doctor has to clear you before you can—”
“Then tell him I’m leaving today.”
“Kaden!” I gape at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not staying here a day longer.” His grin grows. “I have plans for you.”
My turn to choke. “Plans?”
“Yeah, baby. Plans involving me, you and a lot of whipped cream. Maybe also leather shackles.”
The nurse scurries away, the door slamming behind her.
Kaden laughs softly. “Did you see her face?”
I’m still gaping. “You did that on purpose.”
“Yeah, I did.” He lifts my hand to his lips and I shiver, heat pooling between my legs. “But I was serious. That’s my plan. I think we have a birthday to celebrate.”
“We do?” My brain scrambles to keep up but it’s impossible. “Yours?”
He leans in, his eyes thin slivers. “Ours.”
Matt comes in with his girlfriend. He shoots Kaden a long look, dark brows heavy over his eyes, and slips an arm around Octavia. “Doc says you wanna go, and that he can’t keep you. If you can stand up and walk without falling on your face, you’re free to go home.”
He then glances at me, a question in his dark eyes, and I nod. “Don’t worry,” I say.
Yeah, I’ll help Kaden settle in. And then, since he’s all better already, I’ll tell him the truth and go, right?
God, I don’t want to have to do this.
I swallow back a sigh.
“I said I’m fine,” Kaden mutters, sitting up. “You can move along now.”
Matt turns his attention back to his brother, his eyes flashing. “Is that so?”
“Hell, yeah.” Kaden lifts his chin. “You can tell the doc that.”
“Okay fine, you stubborn ass. Let’s see you walk.”
A flash of panic goes through Kaden’s light eyes. “What, you’re gonna check if I can walk?”
Matt folds his thick arms over his chest. “Damn right I am. If you fall, you’re going right back into bed.”
“Goddammit,” Kaden hisses, and I feel equal parts amused by this childish back-and-forth and sorry for him. It can’t be easy to lose your independence like this all of a sudden.
Then again, it won’t be for much longer, so he could try and take it like a man.
I snicker, and Kaden shoots me a wounded look. “What?”
“Nothing.”