Page 5 of Hot Touch (Love To The Rescue #3)

THREE

NATHAN

I stretched my back and groaned. The chair next to her bed was fucking uncomfortable, but there was nowhere else I wanted to be but with her. Alejandra.

Call me Alex , she’d said with a soft smile and wide eyes once she’d been checked into her room. She’d been admitted for observation, to make sure everything was okay, something I insisted on with the nurses since it seemed Alex wanted to bolt out of there as quickly as possible.

And I’d needed to figure out a way to keep her close.

She stirred in bed, and I leaned closer. Her brows bunched, and she whined. Like something hurt.

“Alex, baby,” I said quietly, leaning close enough to touch her hand. “Baby, I need you to wake up.” I tried to stir her from the bad dream, but her eyes stayed closed.

The soft sounds filled with fear clawed at my chest. Suddenly, her hand, her soft, delicate-fingered hand, wrapped around mine. I moved to sit closer to her on the edge of her bed, and when her eyes opened, looking into those beautiful light brown eyes felt like a kick to the chest.

Just like it had when I pushed the door open to her bedroom and laid eyes on her for the very first time.

And just like that moment only hours earlier, we stared at one another.

But now in a safer environment with only the soft beeping of the machines she was hooked up to and the dimmed lighting of her room.

I couldn’t help but lean in closer and caress the side of her face.

Alex’s skin was silky smooth and cool to the touch.

Shocked and humbled she’d let me touch her, I licked my lips.

What else will you let daddy do to you, pretty girl? I wondered before clearing my throat.

“You were having a bad dream,” I shared, and she nodded, moving her face into my touch.

“It was hot. And smoky. And––“ Her mouth opened and shut, as if she couldn’t get herself to say the words. She didn’t need to. I knew exactly what she was talking about. I could only imagine how fucking frightening waking up to that damn fire must have been.

“You’re okay,” I promised. “You’re out and safe?—“

“But my place. My things?—“

“It can all be replaced,” I cut her off. She stared at me before licking her lips. “How do you feel?”

“Tired. Thirsty,” she shared with a soft sigh.

“Well, lucky for you, I can help with those two things.” I turned and reached for the cup of ice water the nurse had left for her. “Here. Sip slowly.”

She did, and I couldn’t help the way my body reacted to the sight of her pretty lips wrapping around the straw.

Jesus! I was a grown man, and the sight of her drinking made me feel like a dirty old man, thinking about what it would be like to have her lips wrapped around daddy’s cock.

Daddy? Where the fuck had that come from?

“Thank you,” she whispered so sweetly my arms ached to take her in my hold and squeeze her tightly. Somehow, I managed to hold back and simply jerk my chin in a stiff nod before setting the cup back on the standing tray next to her bed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be on your bed—“ I started to stand, but her hand found mine, and when our stares connected, I felt locked in place.

“Do you think…” She chewed on her lower lip.

“What?” I asked, my voice thick and rough in my own ears.

“Do you think you could do me a favor?” she asked so sweetly my cock jerked behind my uniform pants. Anything. The blind offer was on the tip of my tongue.

“What’s that, baby?” I rasped. Her eyes softened, almost curious. Probably about the term of endearment I’d called her since the moment I laid eyes on her and couldn’t seem to stop. But it just fit. Baby. My baby. My girl. My baby girl. Mine.

“Do you think… you could maybe…” I knew I was screwed because if she asked me to go rob a bank in that moment, I’d ask her which one and do it. I doubted there was anything I’d be capable of denying her.

“Anything, Alex,” I said and meant it. She licked her lips. The sight of it made the blood in my body, or what was left, shoot straight south. A pretty blush tinted her cheeks, almost like she knew exactly how I meant it.

“Could you cuddle with me?” She blurted out the words like she was afraid if she didn’t, she’d never have the guts to ask.

“Just for a minute,” she quickly backtracked.

“I know you probably have to go back to work, but… please?” The soft little please was unnecessary, but it was also the final nail in the coffin.

There was no turning back from this moment.

Maybe before, but the moment I got into her bed and pulled her into my side?

Before I knew what that felt like, I could have.

Who the hell am I trying to kid? Her body molded against mine, fitting me perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle coming back together.

No, there was no turning back. I swallowed hard trying to get ahold of my body enough to breathe.

“Are you okay?” she asked so damn innocently my balls throbbed. I felt her look up at me and nodded. “You sure? It’s okay if you’re not comfortable. The bed’s small, and I’m… This was probably a stupid idea. You can?—“

“That’s not it, honey,” I interrupted, not letting her think there was anything wrong with her. I found the balls to glance down at her.

Fucking hell, not only did she fit and feel good next to me, but she also looked so fucking beautiful. Even in a hospital gown that shouldn’t look fucking sexy as hell yet did. Shit, I had a feeling Alex could wear a potato sack, and I’d get a fucking hard-on in zero point five seconds.

“I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” I admitted.

“With you?” she asked, and I nodded. “I don’t think that’s possible.” She yawned. Her body slowly melted further against me. I was more than hyperaware of the way her perfectly curvy body and more than a handful tits pressed against me. “Is this something you do?” she asked almost sleepily.

“What?” My shoulders relaxed as her pretty head rested on it. What? I couldn’t let her not be comfortable. We sat that way for a while. Just listening to her breathe settled something inside of my chest. Something that felt too big and too beautiful to name just yet.

“Sit with the people you save,” she finally continued, her voice light and without judgment. “Actually…” She sighed, stifling another yawn. It was obvious my baby was tired. “I don’t want to know. I’m okay being delusional for just a little bit longer.” I swallowed hard.

I hadn’t been prepared for this.

To meet her. To meet my girl.

To fall head over ass in love.

But I was more than old enough and smart enough to know that when life hands you a gift, you cherish it like treasure.

“Alex.”

“Hmm,” she muttered, her breathing slowly evening out.

“I’ve never done this,” I confessed, playing with the tips of her hair and brushing my lips against her brow. “Only you, sweet girl.” She burrowed into my side, and when I glanced down, I couldn’t help but smile.

My girl was asleep.

Soundly and peacefully with a soft, slightly satisfied smile on her face.

And fuck me, it was a sight to behold. I kissed her temple one more time, letting my lips linger against her soft skin and breathing in her natural soft, delicate scent.

A touch of smoke lingered from the fire, but fuck me, she felt like home.

Home . Mine . With those thoughts running through my head, my eyes grew heavier and heavier.

To the point it was getting close to impossible to resist my own sleep from taking over.

Just as I was about to let go and let rest take over, the door opened, and a sound-like a squeak sounded.

“Can you tell me who the hell you are?” a stern, feminine, slightly raspy voice asked, waking me up. My attention moved to the door. The woman was tall and elegant, her long hair in a sleek high ponytail, dark slightly familiar eyes assessing me.

But she wasn’t like Alex.

She didn’t affect me like my baby had.

But then again, no other woman had in forty-three years of my life. Just thinking about the first moment I’d seen her by her window, moonlight streaming in, her pretty eyes locked on mine, I knew. I immediately knew who she was to me.

Mine.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that two of my best friends had recently fallen and fallen hard for their own women almost at first sight, I would have admitted myself to the fucking psych ward.

“Excuse me, did you hear me?” the tall woman repeated herself, cocking a hand on her hip.

“Nathan Benson. And you are?” I sat up a little straighter, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

“Liz. Alé’s older sister,” she shared, taking a step closer. Alex’s older sister. I could see some similarities in the eyes. “You the guy who got her out?”

“I did,” I confirmed quietly, not wanting my girl to wake up.

“I was just there tonight,” she said, almost to herself. “Before Jack and I went out…” Her dark eyes met mine. “That’s our youngest.”

“There’s three of you?” She nodded, but I could see something in her gaze. Something that looked like guilt. I waited her out.

“I told her that place was a safety hazard… I didn’t mean…” Her voice cracked, and my brows bunched. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

“If you think you somehow manifested the building catching fire, you didn’t. That’s not how fires work,” I said gently, hoping that somehow, it helped. Liz didn’t look at me. Her dark eyes were pinned on her sister. A knot grew in my throat.

I got it.

I had two younger brothers and a sister. If something happened to them, especially after messing around and saying stupid shit, it would eat at me, too.

Liz stood taller, her arms crossed over her chest. “What if—“ she started to say, but I had to cut her off.