CHAPTER ONE
Lee sat on the hospital chair, gently holding the hand of the man who lay so still on the bed beside her. As she spoke soothingly to him his eyes remained closed as the many pieces of equipment around his bed had blinked and beeped in a manner which both fascinated and frightened her.
Jim Donovan was a good friend of Lee’s, and news of his accident had shocked her, particularly when she had found that he lay in a comma, lucky to be alive after his car had swerved off the road and hit a tree. The nurse she had spoken to had been comforting, telling her that his injuries were not life threatening, but adding that it was too early to tell what damage might have been done to his brain until he came out of the comma, quickly adding as she had seen how the young woman’s eyes had opened in shock that initial indications where positive, smiling as she told her they would just have to be patient.
That had been two days ago and she had each day after work made the hour journey to the hospital, to just sit there talking to him, holding his hand and telling him in as upbeat a voice as she could manage, about their friends, hoping that somehow he would hear her, nobody really knowing when or even if he would ever come out of it. As she had sat there on the second day, her chin resting on the hand which held his, Lee had shivered, suddenly feeling the prickly sensation of being watched, and looking up, she had been surprised to see the man standing at the door.
Tall, incredibly handsome and exuding a raw masculine power she had held her breath as their eyes had met, the sight of him sending an instant bolt of lightning through her tired body, which was both unexpected and instant, her stomach flipping in a most disconcerting manner , making her quickly drop her gaze shocked and confused by her own reactions. He too had stopped a look of surprise in his, almost black eyes also, as he had watched her, those inscrutable eyes flicking over Lee, before flashing her one of the most dazzling smiles she had ever seen.
“Hello, I am sorry I did not realise Jim had a visitor” he said gently his voice tinged with an accent which ran down her spin so pleasantly like warm trickling water
Lee had slowly placed Jim’s hand back down onto the white starched hospital sheet, half standing
“No…please” she said as the man had turned to leave
“I really have to go anyway…. I’m sure he would like the company” she said looking softly back down on him, before bending down and kissing her friend’s forehead
“Wake up soon Jim” she murmured before moving towards the door
As the large man had moved aside allowing her to pass, she had thanked him with a small shy smile, enjoying the smell of his aftershave which enveloped her, its intoxicating aroma so pleasurable, as she had fought to stop her eyes closing with that pleasure, aware of how she had shivered softly as an awareness of him had once more shot through her. As she stepped out of the room he had followed her, his deep voice questioning
“I am sorry, are you Jim’s girlfriend”
Lee had turned around in surprise her large soft hazel eyes looking back politely at him,
“No….just a friend, we work together….I just try to look in on him that’s all” she said gently
The man had once again smiled at her
“Well that is very kind of you…I’m sure that he would appreciate it”
Lee, suddenly felt strangely awkward and flustered at his words, for no real reason smiling back, her eyes dropping away from him
“It was nice to meet you” she said “I’ll pop back tomorrow and see him”
The man before her had watched Lee silently for a moment with a sensual expression in those dark eyes before giving her a boyish grin, his voice full of warmth and an all too easy charm
“I’m sure he would like that, perhaps if you are here at the same time tomorrow I could take you for a coffee” he had said softly, his almost hypnotic gaze holding hers as she had once more raised her eyes to look at him, her expression polite but firm
“That’s very kind of you” she said gently “But, I really don’t have the time”
The man had raised a quizzical eyebrow but was stopped from continuing as a nurse had moved over to talk with him. However, as she had turned to leave his eyes had continued to watch her, her whole body tingling feeling his look still on her.
Leaving the hospital Lee had scolded herself. “Grow up Lee, he’s only a fantastically gorgeous man” she had said to herself, chuckling gently before running to catch the bus which was approaching her stop.
At home Lee had thrown off her shoes sinking down into the couch exhausted. After spending 8 hours at the PR office she worked, organising for a charitable event which seemed to be growing bigger and bigger problems as each day passed, she had visited Jim and then taken in her neighbours shopping for her. Her neighbour Mrs Green who was in her 70’s had nobody else and Lee always made sure that the woman had food and somebody to talk to, spending time with her most days, knowing how very important she had become in her life.