“Here comes Prince Charming,” a masculine voice I know well and hate, says.
I scowl at Dr. Rosen. He’s an asshole and a complete pervert when it comes to the patients. He’s always stealing extra-long glances at the women. Since I met Ella, I suppose I’m not much better, but this is completely different. I’m not going to let Ella go and I’ve never done such a thing before. Never.
“What do you need, Rosen?” I genuinely don’t like the man, and he knows it.
A smirk on his face only makes me want to bash his head in. “Nothing. The hot DV patient was looking for her Prince Charming and clearly told me it wasn’t me.” Now his words set my teeth on edge. I’m going to kill this fucker.
I shake my head and get in his face. Practically foaming at the mouth, I give him one warning. “Don’t talk about her like that again. It’s the only warning you’re getting.” Walking away before I knock his ass out, I go into her room.
Ella’s wrapping her fucked-up robe around her body.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I roar. She jumps, startled, and falls back onto the bed. “As cute as that robe is, you’re not leaving in that.”
She narrows her eyes, glaring at me as if she hates me. “You asshole. You called the police. It’s all your fault. Now I don’t have a home to go to. Do you think they’re going to let me in again after the cops showed up?”
I laugh off her anger because she’s mistaken if she thinks I’d ever let her go back there. “Well, I had no intention of letting you go back there. Do you think I’d let you go back to the people who abused you?”
“Where am I supposed to go? Everything I own is there.” Tears fall from her light caramel eyes, causing a twinge in my chest.
“You’re coming home with me. We can find you some clothes until we can get your things with a police officer present. There’s no way you should go there alone.”
Ella throws her hands up in the air with a huff. “I have a job. All my clothes for work are there,” she explains.
“Where at?” I ask only for the sake of asking because I have no intention of letting her go back to work especially while she’s injured.
She blushes, and from the hint of fry grease, I’m guessing a fast-food restaurant or something like that. I’m not even judging, but if that’s the case, she’s not going back.
“It’s a burger…”
“You’re not working there anymore.” She wants to argue with me, but I put my finger to her lips and then I continue. “Sorry. Now, if you’re due to be discharged, I’ll have them bring you the papers, but until then, sit your pretty ass down before you pass out.” I don’t like being harsh with her, but the thought of my princess forced to work hard doesn’t sit right with me when she can live like a princess.
She huffs, but she sits her ass down. Hating myself for being rude to her, I walk up to her bedside and do something that I’ve been wanting to do since I held her in my arms. Moving between her parted legs, I cup her face. The warmth that fills me outweighs all the unethical reasons I should be backing away. Instead, I find myself leaning down to taste her lips. She gasps, but slowly returns the gentle kiss. Pulling away before I find myself in serious trouble, I brush her cheek and say, “I’ll be right back.”
I leave her to get her paperwork together so I can get her out of here as soon as possible. The nurse at the station says, “It’s going to take another five minutes. The doctor must sign off on it, but can you give her the copies of the police report? I nod and take them.
Turning on my heel, I nearly collide into Nurse Merriweather. She hands me a pair of small scrubs for Ella. “Here you go, Prince Charming. Be careful. You have no idea who she is, and we don’t have anything on her.”
“I will.” Frankly, at this point, it wouldn’t matter if she’d been an armed bank robber; my heart had a mind of its own, and for the first time, it had proven it. I’d forgotten everything but Ella including the trouble I could get myself in at the hospital for my behavior.
When I go back inside her room, she’s nervously sitting on the bed with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped gently around her legs.
“Here you go. We can’t go until you get your discharge papers but get changed first. I’ll turn around.” Not that I want to look away, but she deserves some privacy for now. I hand over the scrubs and then face the door with the papers in my hand.
“What’s that then? Is that the police report?” she asks as she dresses.
“Yes.” I forgot what I was holding until I read it, and I’m floored and irrationally pissed. I spin around, not giving a fuck that she’s only half dressed. "You’re not pressing charges?”
“No. I’m not. It’s not worth it to me,” she sighs, sitting on the bed to slide the bottoms on.
“Not worth it?” I try to control the crazy anger in her defense because she looks so bone tired. “Fine. Let’s go, so you can rest.”
Nurse Merriweather returns to give her the documents she needs to follow up with. I help her out of the bed and walk her to the front of the hospital.
“Where are you taking me?” she questions, cocking her brow up at me. I’m guessing she forgot which is completely understandable after all the chaos she’s endured today.
“I told you I’m taking you home with me, and then you’re going to get the sleep you need. I’m a doctor here, and everyone has seen you leave with me. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Strangely, I’m not worried. Simply confused.”
I assist her into my car, grateful that I didn’t bring my SUV with me because it would be hard for her to get in comfortably. I lean in and buckle her seatbelt so that she doesn’t hurt her arm at all.
“Thank you.”
I hurry around the front of the car as I feel the first drops of rain come down. It’s the middle of spring, so even though it’s warm, the rain turns the air chilly.
Chapter 3
Ella
I’m crazy for agreeing to go home with him, but what are my other options? I considered my choices earlier when they told me the police were contacted. There are none. A shelter won’t save me from perverts, and going back to my father’s house wouldn’t be safe because they’d finish what they started.
“It’s going to be okay, Ella. I promise,” he says as if reading my thoughts.
“How do you know that?” I need some semblance of peace because all I want to do is cry. I have medical insurance from work, but without a job soon, I’ll be without that as well, so I hope that my arm heals without issue or I’m thoroughly fucked.
“Because I’m going to do everything to make it a reality.” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, giving it the gentlest of kisses before setting it down again.
“Why?”
“Because you are the only woman to distract me from my work.” I think about the kiss in the temporary room I was in. That was incredible, soft, but the intent was clear.
“Wow, that’s sweet,” I sigh, thinking about kissing him again. The part of my brain that says run as fast as possible seems to be malfunctioning. He’s too charming for his own good and mine. He wants me but for how long?