Free Up in a Blaze by Alice Brown

her? Although the nurses had helped her take a sponge bath and cleaned up her hair as best they could, it was still a mess. One side of her face had bruising on it, her eye all dark and still swollen and tender. Her bottom lip was swollen and cut up. Geez, what a mess , she thought as she very carefully peeled off her shirt and pants.
    She hadn’t even bothered with a bra that morning when they left the hospital. She had just taken hers and shoved it inside her purse. Donte had gone somewhere and come back with a plain dark blue t-shirt and cotton drawstring pants, which she was forever grateful for. Hell, she currently didn’t even have any underwear on! The only ones she had were what she had arrived in, and she refused to put those back on.
    She took a moment to admire the room she was in. Everything was nice and neat. The bathroom itself was blue and white with matching towels hanging on the towel bar. Both the shower and tub were on the other side of the room, and since she wasn’t going to move any more than she had to, she decided she would admire that side of the bathroom from where she was, thank you very much.
    She slipped the soft t-shirt over her head and sniffed the material as she pulled it down. Mmm, it carried the clean scent of laundry detergent, but also just a hint of Donte. She looked down and grinned. The shirt was so large it almost went to her knees.
    She made quick work of washing her face and brushing her teeth, feeling like she’d just run a mile after those few accomplishments. She opened the door a crack and peeked out to find Donte standing by the dresser watching her.
    “Finished?” he asked.
    “Yes, but could you possibly pick up my pants off the floor?” she asked. She didn’t want him thinking she was a slob, because truthfully, she wasn’t. But trying to bend down to pick up her pants with broken ribs wasn’t going to end well.
    “Sure, just leave your clothes. I’ll pick them up and get them to the laundry after we get you settled.” He flashed her a smile as he walked over and offered her his arm for support.
    “Thanks for the toothbrush. I feel almost human again.”
    He walked her over to the bed and once again settled her, bringing the sheet and comforter up to cover her. She noticed his side of the bed hadn’t been turned down yet.
    “You’re welcome. I figured you would like to get cleaned up a bit. We’ll tackle a bath or shower tomorrow morning.” He was still leaning over her, giving her a warm smile with his hands braced on either side of her. “Do you need anything else?”
    Not for the first time Cassandra wondered what was up with this state. She had never met anyone in California with half the manners these Texas cowboys seemed to have. Must be something in the water down here. “Thank you, but I think I’m good.” She tried giving him a small smile of her own. “I think I just need sleep.”
    He turned off the lamp next to her side of the bed. “I’ll be right back, angel. I’m just going to make sure the house is locked up and turn off the lights, and then I’ll be in to join you.” He brushed a stray hair off her face. “You go ahead and sleep, cariño . You’re safe, I promise.” She watched as he lifted his hand to his lips, his very supple, kissable lips, and was mesmerized as she watched him kiss his index finger then move his hand back down and touch her forehead with that finger.
    “Sleep well, angel.”

Chapter Four

     
    Donte sat propped up on the bed, legs stretched out, not daring to move an inch. He had spent the night right there, working on his laptop, while he watched Cassie sleep. About an hour after he climbed in the night before, Cassie had moved in her sleep to cuddle next to him. Her head was pressed up against his hip, and he couldn’t help but smile at the angelic sight. She was curled on her side, with her hands beneath her head. The only thing he didn’t care for was that the side of her face that was showing was