“Not the greatest, but not terrible either.”
“Let’s have a look.” He finishes putting on his nitrile gloves and removes the napkins from my head, then without any hesitation, begins maneuvering my hair so he can see where the blood is coming from. “You got yourself good. It’s a decent sized gash—I’m going to need to put a couple of stitches into it to make sure it heals properly.”
“St-stiches?” Tears spring to my eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Probably four, but maybe five. Have you ever had stitches before?”
A hot tear rolls down my cheek as terror seizes me. “No.”
“It’s a fast fix. I’ll give you a local anesthetic, then stitch you back together, and you’ll be back out enjoying the barbecue within the next thirty minutes or less.”
“Okay.” I sniffle, praying to God that my nose doesn’t rain snot like it tends to do when I cry. I’ve had enough embarrassing moments in front of my gorgeous boss, like, I don’t know, the blood dripping from my head right now. The last thing I need is snot, too.
“Not a problem. I have a few forms I need you to fill out since I’m not your primary care physician—technically I should be sending you to the ER for this but as long as you consent to care, it's fine.”
“If Declan trusts you, so do I.” We make eye contact from across the room and he nods once, giving me all the encouragement I need to let Doctor Waggoner help me.
When he’s ready to begin the procedure, he carries a tray to my bedside and sets it down on his rolling table.
Unease grips me as I look over the various instruments he plans to use—a syringe with my injection ready to go, a literal needle and thread to sew me back together. Gauze. A bandage.
Suddenly, the air is being sucked from the room.
“Right, Ms. Shea. Are you ready?”
Slick, hot tears stream down my cheeks and I shake my head, which only intensifies the pain in my head.
“I’ll start with an examination to evaluate for a concussion, then we’ll work our way up to the stitches, sound good?”
“Okay. Th-thanks.” I sniffle again, and the doctor hands me a tissue. It’s soft against my skin as I dab beneath my eyes, then my nose. I’m able to calm myself down, and when I give him a tight, forced smile, he takes that as his cue to begin.
After Doctor Waggoner thoroughly examines my eyes with a series of tests and checks my reflexes, I know it’s time for the stitches.
I start to panic again. My fingernails dig into the thin paper that lines the exam table, and I squeeze my eyes for a moment, hoping it helps.
Within seconds, Declan’s by my side, and he takes my hand in his, trying to bring me comfort. “It’s okay, Hailey, breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
He takes a deep inhale, demonstrating what he wants me to do, then exhales. Repeating the inhale, he locks eyes with me, and nods, encouraging me to do the same.
I inhale, then exhale at the same moment he does.
“That’s my girl,” he praises. “Do it again.”
His words cause my heart to pulsate, my toes curling as a warmth spreads through my body, pooling low in my stomach. But it also settles on my cheeks, heating them with both embarrassment and desire.
Modeling another inhale, I follow Declan’s lead again, using his breathing techniques to calm myself.
“You’re doing so good for me, Hailey. Breathe one more time for me.”
Holy shit.
My panties immediately dampen with his praise, my skin growing redder under his gaze.
Oh, I’m breathing all right.Just not in the calm, zen way he wants me to. No, I’m practicallypantingfor him. His praise sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I suddenly feel overwhelmed with desire.
Clearly, it’s not gone unnoticed either.
Declan chuckles. “Good to know you like pretty words, sweetheart. Now, give me one more deep exhale.”
