Page 14

Chapter

Fourteen

GINGER

C lick.

The door to my hospital room opens, and a handsome blond man carrying a bouquet of white daisies stands there, unmoving.

“Oh, thank you.” Flowers have poured in all day from family, friends, and the families of my first graders. I motion for him to put them with the others.

But he doesn’t move.

What is he waiting for?

I glance at him more closely, noting his height and broad chest and shoulders, which remind me of my burly mountain man. He wears olive drab khakis, black combat boots, and a tight-fitting black T-shirt. But I pull my eyes away quickly, refusing to let them linger, loyal to my wrongly imprisoned rescuer.

The deliveryman hesitates awkwardly, and I say, “Daisies are my favorite. Who are they from?”

He shrugs, our eyes locking. I would know those impossibly blue orbs anywhere and that wicked tongue that darts out to wet his full bottom lip. My breath catches in my throat, and my hands cover my mouth as my heart stops in my chest, hovering and spasming.

“Well? Are you ready to punch me yet?” The grumpy mountain man grumbles, sauntering towards me as my eyes blur with tears.

“But who are you?” My voice trembles as he sits on the edge of my bed, drawing so close to me I’m certain he’s about to kiss me. But he doesn’t. Palming his cheeks, I search the Ranger’s face, hungrily devouring his newfound appearance.

“Your very devoted lover,” he says hesitantly.

My cheeks burn, radiating bashful joy. I smile from ear to ear, unsure of what to do.

Disappointment flickers in his eyes. “You don’t recognize me.”

“It’s a big change.”

“Is that why you’re not kissing me, Ginger?” he asks morosely, his brows furrowing. “In the cave, you stroked and kissed the shit out of my grubby, bearded face?—”

I silence his raw-voiced complaint with my lips, covering the distance between us and sliding my tongue passionately into his mouth. He closes his eyes, exhaling and chuckling deep in his throat. “That’s more like it.”

“And this and this…” I whisper, trailing my lips over his face. “I don’t know what to do without your beard. I liked running my fingers through it and holding onto it.” The last phrase heats my face, the words transporting me back to the cave. By the flush of his face, his mind dances over the same memories.

“So, I’m ugly without it?” he rasps, frowning.

“No, you’re gorgeous. Too gorgeous for me.”

“Never,” he growls, grabbing my chin and squeezing my cheeks as he leans into my mouth. His seeking, sensual tongue slips and slides over mine, covering me in delicious shivers of want from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.

Between kisses, he confesses, “It’s okay. I still don’t recognize myself.” Setting the daisies on the side table, he stands, heading toward the chair on the other side of my bed.

“If you think you’re sitting there, you have another thing coming, Wild Man.”

He stops, raising his brows quizzically.

“Come lie in bed with me. I need to feel your arms around me.”

Roscoe eyes the space next to me with a lopsided grin. “We can’t both fit on there.”

“Please,” I beg. “Let down the railing, and I’ll scoot as far over as I can.”

“Ever the bossy Aries,” he chuckles as I shoot him a fiery glance. “But I don’t want to fuck up whatever they have going on.” He motions towards the nest of wires connecting me to machines.

“If you lie here, it should be fine,” I answer, patting the empty spot to my left.

He smiles broadly, shaking his head. “Whatever you need, Sweetness.”

“I need you, Roscoe.”

His forehead scrunches. “God, I was hoping you’d say that.” His eyes redden, emotion written on his face. I hold out my arms, frantic for his touch.

Letting down the railing, he climbs up beside me, more perching on the bed’s edge than lying in it. He wraps his big, tanned arm around me with a pained groan, nuzzling my neck and kissing my cheek.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just hit where I got grazed. No biggie.”

“You mean, where you were shot? Are you okay?”

He nods, kissing my cheek. “It’s a skin wound, just a little tender.”

“If it hurts to lie like this?—”

“I’m good. Having you in my arms is the best painkiller on the planet, Sweetness.” He chases me further onto the bed, leveraging himself with a leg tangled over mine.

Tenderly, he tastes and teases the shell of my ear, whispering in raw tones, “Now, I finally feel like I’m home.”

“Baby, I’ve missed you so much.”

“And I’ve missed you,” he whispers, kissing my cheek and stroking my tresses. “I’ve been losing my mind without you.”

“So much happened after the fever. I don’t remember most of it.”

“I know,” he croons, kissing my forehead. “By the time I got you here, you were seeing and talking to people who didn’t exist. Your breathing and coughing got so rough, and your forehead burned my hand when I touched you.” He lets out a ragged sigh, squeezing me desperately.

“Mom said I was out for like two days. Bacterial pneumonia caused sepsis.”

“Oh, God,” he exclaims, squeezing me tightly. “I came so close to losing you.”

“You saved me, Roscoe.” I reach back, stroking his freshly shaven cheek and marveling at its softness. “But we’re all good now.”

“We’re all good,” he repeats. “Ginger, if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything.”

My heart overflows at his unexpected and hopeful words. This is what I need to hear from him. That he’s willing to take a chance on me and our feelings. That he’s ready to recommit to life and a future.

Turning, I shower his face in kisses, smiling through tears. “As long as we’re together, nothing can break us.”

“Agreed.” Roscoe threads his fingers through mine, nodding against my hair. “I’ve had a lot of time to think in jail … about ways to become the man you deserve … like getting help for my depression and PTSD.”

“You already are the man I deserve,” I whisper. “But I’ll support you in every way that you need.”

“And there’s a trip I want to take with you to Arlington National Cemetery to show you where the rest of my squad is.” His voice strains over the last part, and I bring his hand to my mouth, kissing his fingertips as tears streak my face.

“I would be honored to make that trip with you, Roscoe.”

“I want to do right by you, Ginger. And I don’t want you to ever doubt my commitment to you … to us.”

“To life.”

He nods.

Silence fills the air, so many unspoken things between us. “I’m sorry,” I finally manage, breaking into an uncontrollable sob.

“What are you sorry for, Ginger? You’ve got no reason to apologize,” he shushes. Whispering comforting words against the shell of my ear, he makes my brain and spine shimmer with relaxation. This man’s presence, his physical touch, and his deep, steady voice are the antidotes to my anxiety.

“They falsely accused you of so much. The moment I woke up and understood what was going on, I called Dad for legal representation. But I can’t make amends for how the media has ruined your reputation or the five days you spent in jail or the charges you still face.”

“None of this is your fault. We’ll get through it together, making the most of our time on this planet and making as many babies as I can talk you into.”

I giggle, downright shocked by his words. “So, you want kids?”

“God, I want like ten of them with you,” he chuckles, covering my cheek in feather-light kisses.

“Ten? Wow!”

“You do want kids, right?”

“Yes, but maybe more like three or four.”

“I can work with that. Whatever makes you happy, Sweetness.”

We lie together for a long time, listening to the beeps of my monitors and relearning each other through sensually innocent touch, the strictures of the hospital room inflaming our need.

“God, when I get out of here,” Roscoe groans, licking my ear and nipping the lobe.

“I need you so much, baby,” I agree, but my voice goes hollow at the end, so much still weighing on me.

“What’s wrong, Sweetness?”

“Something unpleasant you may already know about. Hospital officials said I consented to a sexual assault forensic exam when I was admitted to the hospital. They wanted to use it against you as evidence… But I never consented to it. I don’t even remember being checked into the hospital.”

He growls, anger rising. “Attending staff separated us almost immediately, alerting local law enforcement to take me into custody. I was powerless to stop them. The nurses kept saying you could sign your own paperwork, even though I stated my concerns. Fuck! Did they hurt you, Ginger?”

“I don’t really remember it. But I hate how they tried to use it to frame you.”

“The lone wolf, ex-military assailant. It’s a cliche at this point. I suppose the DA thought he had an open and shut case.”

“Maybe, but I’ll never forgive myself for how rescuing me has hurt you.”

“Rescuing you has saved my life, Sweetness. It’s given me purpose, meaning, love beyond my wildest dreams, and a future I can’t wait to explore with you.”

“Good, because I can’t imagine living without you.” I bite my bottom lip to stifle a sob.

Roscoe nuzzles my neck, kissing and teasing my décolletage with his wicked, warm tongue until he turns my sobbing into giggling. Ready to lighten the mood, I say, “I’ve been meaning to ask you this. Why do you call me ‘sweetness?’”

His fingertips, still entwined with mine, rise enough to graze over my hospital gown, teasing my nipples hard. I sigh heavily, the throb between my legs insistent.

He answers, “Because you’re the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to me in this lifetime and the thousand before that. But there are some other nicknames I want to run by you, too.”

I arch an eyebrow.

Roscoe whispers in raw tones, “Like husband and wife?”

I nod, squeezing my eyes shut to hold back tears. “I thought you’d be mad at me for all I put you through. I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore … or that the cave wasn’t as magical for you as it was for me.”

“Shh,” he whispers, stroking my forearm and sending sizzling sparks up and down my arms. “The cave is only the beginning for us, Ginger, because I can’t live without you, either.” He lets go of my hand, fishing something out of his pants pocket, which he holds up for me to examine. A stunningly clear, large, princess-cut diamond solitaire on a shiny gold band embedded with tiny diamonds.

I gasp as he slides it on my ring finger. “Did I do okay for a feral, off-grid mountain man?”

“Yes!” I exclaim. “It’s perfect. Beautiful.”

“No, the only perfect, beautiful thing in this world is you.”

“Oh,” a voice exclaims from the doorway to my hospital room, drawing our attention. My mother excuses, “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

Roscoe stiffens, jumping fluidly to his feet to greet her. “This is my mom, Florence,” I introduce. “Mama, this is Roscoe Vaughn, the man who saved my life and the man I’m going to marry.” I hold up my hand, the big diamond sparkling in the hospital room’s fluorescent lights.

My mother’s jaw hits the floor.

“Mrs. Harper, nice to meet you,” Roscoe greets, offering his hand.

She takes it tentatively, scrutinizing his face. “You look nothing like the pictures plastered online.”

“And I’ve done nothing like what they allege,” he adds with a firm nod.

“Well, then, I’m sorry for thinking the worst about you.”

“No need to apologize, ma’am.”

She shakes her head, covering the hand she still shakes with her other. “No, I have to. Because from what Ginger’s told me…” Her voice quavers. “I owe you a hug and a big thank you for saving my baby girl.” She wraps her arms unhesitatingly around him, and he leans down, gently patting her back.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat, Mrs. Harper,” he says as she lets go of him, and he straightens. “I’ve fallen in love with your daughter, and I plan on marrying her … with your and Mr. Harper’s blessings.”

She frowns. “You have mine. But that old codger? He wouldn’t know what makes for a good marriage if it bit him in the ass.”

Roscoe stifles a surprised laugh as I shake my head.

Mama shoots me a look that says I have plenty of explaining to do. To Roscoe, she says, “Thank you for saving my daughter. I’m going to leave you two alone because you have lots of catching up to do, and I haven’t slept well in nearly a week.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mama,” I call after her. She nods as Roscoe hugs her goodbye before leaving.

Crawling back onto the bed to spoon me, Roscoe asks, “Now where were we?”

“Husband and wife.”

“And how about Mommy and Daddy?”

“You really do want babies,” I giggle.

He nods, grinning the widest I’ve seen since meeting him.

“And lover, always lover,” I add, snuggling back into him.

His hands drop to my waist, squeezing my hips and pressing my ass hard against his cock, which instantly starts growing. “I’d give my left arm to show you what this Scorpio lover can do. When are they discharging you?”

“Hopefully, tomorrow.”

“Good, because I’ve got a hotel suite next door with a private jacuzzi and lots of champagne that feels downright lonely without you.”

“That sounds heavenly.”

Roscoe frowns. “Although I hate that your dad’s paying for it...”

“Don’t. My dad’s swimming in so much dough, he doesn’t care.”

The Ranger growls, “That’s not how I work, Ginger. I plan on paying him back every cent for my legal fees, lodging, the barber. All of it.”

“No, baby. Everything Dad touches turns to gold.”

Roscoe mumbles, “He and I have that in common.”

“How so?”

He sighs, rubbing his hand over his chin. “I got into Bitcoin and other cryptos early … way back when I was a grunt. It’s not something I dwell on. Wealth and all that. But it matters now, with a woman and future family to care for.”

“You are full of surprises,” I smile, stroking his cheek.

“Well, don’t you want to know how much I’m worth?”

I shrug. “Thousands?”

He chuckles. “Higher.”

“Hundreds of thousands?”

“Higher.”

I blink hard, shooting him a glance over my shoulder. “Millions?”

“Higher.”

“Hundreds of millions?”

“Something like that. I’m not much of a numbers guy.”

“But wait. If you have money, then why did you settle on a public defender and not post bail right away?”

“It took time to liquidate funds from my crypto wallets, something limited access to phone calls and the internet didn’t help.”

“Wait, you don’t get a certain number of phone calls daily?” I ask, my curiosity piqued. I know nothing about the ins and outs of incarceration.

“I used all my phone calls to contact this damn hospital for word on your condition. They wouldn’t tell me shit, which had me going out of my mind.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” I ask quietly, so surrounded by love I feel like I’m in a dream. A fairytale I recently read to my first-graders pops into my head, making me laugh with its relevancy.

“What is it, Sweetness?”

“You know that story, The Princess and the Frog?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re the frog.” I turn in his arms, showering his face in kisses.

He chuckles. “I’m not a fan of the frog reference. But the kisses, I’ll take.”

I giggle, kissing him some more.

Resignedly, he observes, “I guess comparisons to fairytales come with falling for a school teacher…”

“Absolutely.”

Naughtily pressing his firm rod into my ass, he says grumpily, “I’ll deal with it. This frog—or more accurately, horny toad—wants a whole hell of a lot more than kisses from his princess, though.”

“Mmm, like what?” I ask breathily.

“The princess needs to start out on her throne…”

I arch my brow.

“My face. And then I want to see you ride my cock hard while your gorgeous tits bounce, and I chase them with my mouth.”

“Yes,” I whisper, pressing my lips to his ear. “You’re all I want. All I need, Roscoe.”

“Always.” He feathers my face in kisses. “I love you, Ginger Harper.”

My voice catches in my throat as I stroke his cheek, staring into his cerulean eyes. “And I love you, Roscoe Vaughn, forever .”