High Stakes (The Kingdom Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

says when he breaks away.
    “Sounds good to me.”

MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT, I couldn’t be discharged from the hospital. The nurses wanted to run more tests and keep me in for observation a while longer. They also wanted to run more tests. So we spent the next twenty-four hours, eating, watching TV and snuggling in the hospital bed. We had a few raised brows from the nurses, but I didn’t mind. The doctor came fairly early the next morning and examined me. No permanent damage and nothing broken. I have pain meds to take, and strict instructions to call should there be anything I’m worried about. They’ve taken blood for testing just to see if there’s anything specific that caused me to black out, but the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that it’s a mixture of stress, and the lack of food I’ve eaten over the last week. The results will take a week or so to come back, so in the meantime I’m to rest and take it easy.
    Currently I’m settled on Denham’s couch, covered in a soft woolen throw and being waited on hand and foot. My head doesn’t feel too bad at all, just a little fuzzy, and my ribs only hurt if I move too quickly or laugh hard. I’m still wearing Denham’s tee and shorts, and as much as I love to wear his clothes, mainly because they smell of him, I really feel the need to get washed and dressed. I can still hear him talking on the phone outside and I push the blanket off and sit up slowly.
    “Where do you think you’re going?”
    Denham steps in from the balcony and comes directly to me. He’s stripped off his tee after being outside in the afternoon sun, and is just wearing a pair of very casual, loose fitting cargo pants. Other than gym wear, I’ve never seen him look quite so casual, but I’m not complaining in the slightest. He looks delicious.
    “I was just …”
    “Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?” Denham asks with a concerned look on his face.
    “You just asked me, like, ten minutes ago,” I laugh.
    “I know, but I want you to be comfortable.”
    “I am comfortable, will you please stop fussing and come and sit with me?” I say. “That’s all I want. Your warm body next to mine would make me feel so much better …”
    “Now that … I can do,” he answers with a satisfied smile on his face. I scoot over and he slides onto the couch next to me. He lies on his back and I rest on my uninjured side and curl into the crook of his arm. My favorite place to be. He traces patterns on my shoulder with his fingertips, and I have forgotten why I was even moving in the first place.
    “You should call your mom ...”
    “I know, she’ll be worried,” I say with a touch of sadness. She’ll also be reminiscent, I’m sure that me being in the hospital will bring back bad memories for her, regardless if it was different this time.
    “I’ve kept her in the loop so she knows you’re okay, I think she’d just like to hear it from you though.”
    “Yes, I’ll call her later this afternoon. How did you get ahold of her?”
    “I got her number from your phone,” he states unashamedly.
    “You went through my phone?” I ask jokingly.
    “Yep, all four of your contacts. You should really put a passcode on it so strange men can’t access all your secret information.”
    “You’re funny, Mr. King, you know that?” I say propping myself with an elbow on his chest so I can look at his handsome face.
    “Yes, I do,” he answers confidently with a sexy smirk that shows off his dimple.
    “Lottie is coming to see you after she’s finished work. Mid-afternoon,” he says, changing the subject.
    “What time is it now?”
    “Just past noon.”
    “I need to get changed into something more presentable for visitors then.”
    “Yes, you do. My mom is coming around in an hour.” He mumbles before nuzzling into my hair.
    “What?” I squeak.
    His chest rattles with his deep laugh and I smack him playfully on his stomach.
    “What do you mean, your mom is coming?