Final Hours Read Online Free PDF Page B

the
end of the hall. “I’m Carrie, by the way. Thank you for bringing Kane home—he’s
one of our best.”
    Before Elizabeth could recover enough to reply, Carrie opened
the door and pulled her inside. Kane sat on the edge of the bed, thankfully
covered this time in a white version of the scrubs Carrie wore. A bulge on his
right shoulder told Elizabeth his wound had been tended. Now all she had to do
was talk him into bed.
    “Beth—”
    Carrie pointed at Kane and talked over his protests. “You,
in bed. She’ll stay, as long as you have your head on that pillow. Understand?”
    “Yes, ma’am.” He winked at Elizabeth before he eased himself
down to the bed. A gasp escaped him when his right shoulder touched the bed,
and he sounded out of breath as he spoke again. “Satisfactory?”
    Carrie crossed her arms. “For now.” She pushed off the
doorway. “There’s a chair in the corner, Elizabeth. I’ll find something more
comfortable and have it brought in.”
    “Thank you.”
    The door closed behind her, and they were alone. No imminent
danger, no distractions. Elizabeth covered her nerves by pulling the padded chair
over to the side of the bed. She sat, carefully adjusted the sleeves of her borrowed
sweater, smoothed her hands over her jeans. Anything to avoid the clear grey
eye she knew watched her every move.
    “Beth.”
    “Yes?”
    “I’ll not bite.”
    Her head snapped up. “I didn’t think—”
    “I was hoping you were.” He flashed her a smile. “If I
weren’t so full of medication, I’d have a taste.”
    Her eyes widened. “You—would?” Part of her really wanted him
to try. And that startled her almost as much as the thought of him—tasting her.
    “Unfortunately, I have far too much pumping through me to do
more than grin and drool.”
    Laughter burst out of her. Once again, he smoothed over her
nerves. “Get some sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
    His smile looked a little lopsided, his eyes glassy. “Hold
my hand, pretty girl?”
    Elizabeth couldn’t resist him, not like this. She scooted
the chair closer, took his right hand, and twined their fingers together. With
a contented sigh, Kane closed his eyes. It took less than five minutes for him
to fall asleep, the pain on his face finally easing.
    “Oh, Kane.” She studied his face, memorized it, drew it in
her mind. “How am I ever going to forget you?”

Three
     
    When Kane opened his eyes, Elizabeth was the
first thing he saw.
    Curled up in one of the office armchairs, she bent over a small
spiral notebook, the pencil flying across its surface. Lamplight gilded the
blonde hair that cloaked her shoulders, caressed the curve of her cheek. She
sat with her feet tucked under her, and the tight jeans she wore cupped every
lean, shapely inch of her legs.
    God help him—she was beautiful, courageous, delicate.
Completely untouchable.
    He shoved down the need to reach out, to feel her soft skin
under his fingers again, to draw in the sweet, subtle lavender scenting that
skin—
    He cut off the thought, and any attached to it. She had to
go back to the safety of her own time, forget anything about Guy. About him.
    But he remembered the way those graceful fingers cradled his
cheek, touched his scars, as if they didn’t matter to her.
    Most women of his acquaintance liked to pretend his scars
didn’t exist, or distastefully accepted that they came with the package. Those
same women were only after him for the money he inherited from his guardian,
along with the title he tried to forget he had. Elizabeth had been a refreshing
change, since she knew nothing beyond what she learned from him.
    He did not want her knowing the truth, did not want to see
the gleam of ambition fill those dark blue eyes. If her life in the system had
been anything like his, she would want an easy second half to her life. She
would have deserved it, earned it. Though it was an impossible dream, Kane
wanted to be the one to give it to her.
    But