My eyes sliver open.
The first things I see are the peonies. They’re everywhere – in vases, on tables, on windowsills. Every shade, every shape, every color imaginable. My favorite kind.
He remembered.
There are tubes in my arm, pumping god only knows what into my bloodstream. A gazillion machines are next to my bed, beeping regularly as they monitor my vitals. I’m wearing a horrid, light blue hospital gown, my mouth is drier than the Sahara, and every muscle in my damn body aches like I’ve been flattened by a steam roller.
But I’malive.
And there’s a gorgeous blond man in the chair next to my bed, slumped forward so his head and arms rest on the mattress, beside my thighs. I move my right hand — and wince, becauseouch, I wasn’t kidding when I saideverythinghurts — until my fingers stroke through his hair.
I feel him stir, feel him slowly come awake beneath my touch. All at once, he seems to realize what’s happening — his eyes spring open as he snaps back into full consciousness.
His head turns, his eyes find mine, and I feel my heart flip at the relief in his gaze.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Sunshine,” he breathes, sitting up. In the space between two heartbeats, he’s gathered me in his arms and crushed me against his chest. “You’re okay. You’re alive. You’re breathing. You’re speaking.”
“I’m fine, Chase.” My words are muffled against his shirt. “But you’re kind of crushing me.”
“Sorry.” His hold loosens, but he doesn’t let me go. I get the feeling, in that moment, hecan’tlet me go. “I thought…” He trails off, looking into my eyes. “I thought you were dead. And then they said, even if you woke up… You were without oxygen, and…” His forehead drops against mine, and he breathes me in. “I thought you were dead.”
“That makes two of us,” I say, my voice wry. “What happened? I don’t remember anything, after the car sank… I ran out of air, and… well, it’s just darkness, after that.”
His jaw clenches and he pulls back to look at me. “I got there just in time to see the SUV go over the railing. Brett’s man, Hawkins, came up. You didn’t.”
“The Hulk.”
“What?”
“Brett’s thug. I call him The Hulk. Sometimes, Bruce Banner, too.”
He looks at me like maybe my brain was damaged, after all. “Sunshine…”
“I was kidnapped, shot, punched, and drowned. I almost died! You aren’t allowed to tease me right now.” My cheeks heat. “Just tell me what happened.”
He watches the blush spread across my face like he’s witnessing a miracle firsthand. “Never thought I’d see that again,” he murmurs, rubbing one thumb across my bruised cheekbone, his touch gentle.
I lean into his hand, so he’s cupping my face.
“I jumped in after you, but the car was already submersed, sinking fast. It took me a long time to get to you, to cut the seatbelt, to pull you to the surface...”
“But you did.” My eyes fill. “You saved me.”
“If anything had happened to you…”
“It didn’t.” I reach up and place my hand over his. “I’m fine.”
I sit up straight as a thought suddenly occurs to me, panic rushing through my veins. “Chrissy!”
“Shh, sunshine, she’s all right. Actually, she’s right upstairs,” he assures me. “The police got her to the hospital in time. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl late last night. Mark’s with her now.”
“And Winnie?”
“He’s okay. Just a few bumps and bruises. Shelby’s watching him — she’s been going back and forth, between your room and Chrissy’s room.”
“Thank god they’re okay,” I breathe, settling back against my pillows. “What time is it?”