Torch (Take It Off #1)(7)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Isn’t that the date rape drug?” I asked, confused. Then a whole other kind of alarm swamped me. Oh my God, was I raped? Immediately, I started to pay attention to certain parts of me… like the parts between my legs. Did it feel different? Did I feel different? Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I had no clue how I ended up tied to that chair in my living room… What else did I not remember?

Holt shot up from his seated position and paced over to the window. Both hands were fisted at his sides.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. How did you ask a doctor if someone raped you?

The doctor cleared his throat. “As far as I could tell, you were not raped, Miss Parks.”

I expelled a breath, relief making me weak. “I don’t understand,” I murmured.

“The drug is fairly common, easy to get ahold of. It can render the victim unconscious and can also strip away memories—Miss Parks, did you knowingly ingest GHB?”

“No!” I demanded. That was absolutely ridiculous.

The doctor nodded. “I thought as much, but I had to ask. Did you go out to, say, a bar the night before the fire?”

I laughed. “No. I don’t go to bars. I didn’t go anywhere when I got home from work.”

“Where do you work? Is it likely that someone could have slipped it into your drink in your office?”

“I work in a library. I’m a librarian. So no, it’s very unlikely.”

“I see. Well, I had to inform the police of the toxicology screen. They will likely have questions. The drug is out of your system and there seems to be no ill effects from ingesting it. I can have your release papers ready this evening. Who will you be staying with?”

Why did they all keep asking me this? “I’ll be staying by myself.”

The doctor seemed to balk at that. “Perhaps a few more days here,” he began.

“That isn’t necessary. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m afraid I cannot in good conscience let you leave here alone.”

“She won’t be alone,” came his voice by the window.

Both the doctor and I looked his way as Holt turned, spearing me with those light eyes. “She can stay with me.”

“Absolutely not,” I protested, my skin flushing at just the thought.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. You need someone to help you,” the doctor lectured.

I didn’t need help. Not from anyone. I was very good at taking care of myself. I told them both that. What a bunch of Neanderthals.

“I’m afraid if you want to leave this evening, it will have to be on the condition that you not be alone. Otherwise, you can stay here and I will discharge you at the beginning of the week.”

Shit. I really didn’t want to be here any longer than I had to. Plus, I had to call the insurance company, go back to work, and start looking for another place to live.

“How do you know you aren’t releasing me to some crazy person?” I asked the doctor.

He chuckled. “Miss Parks, I have known Mr. Arkain here for several years. He has an impeccable reputation in the community.”

I glanced at Mr. Impeccable. “So you take girls home from the hospital often, then?” Something that felt suspiciously like jealousy slithered up my spine.

A slow grin spread over his features. “Nope. You’re my first.”

The doctor seemed to think this was a done deal and excused himself, promising to return later with my release papers.

Holt strolled over to my bedside, standing over me, staring down.

“I don’t like it when people loom over me,” I snapped.

“I’m not looming.”

“I’m not going home with you.”

He smiled.

If my hands weren’t burned, I would punch him.

He leaned down close, his breath fanning out over my cheek. “Don’t worry, Katie. I don’t bite. Unless you want me to.”

Before I could react, he was pulling open the door and glancing over his shoulder. “I’ll be back tonight to get you.”

I had two realizations once he was gone:

One, I hadn’t thought about the pain at all when he talked to me.

And, two, I actually kind of wanted to go home with him.

4

The nurses were gossiping about me. Or maybe it was Holt they were in a little frenzy over. Either way, I became the main attraction for several bored nurses. They kept coming into my room, making a fuss over me, and saying how lucky I was that Holt was watching out for me.

It was like I was a stray kitten that someone found on the side of the road that somehow ended up in a wonderful home.

I didn’t really want all the attention, but I did use it to my advantage (like you wouldn’t), and one of the nurses washed my face and hair, going as far as finding a blow dryer and drying it into a long, straight style. It took her forever because my hair was so thick and long, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I think she kind of liked it. She said it got her out of emptying bedpans.

By the time my hair was done, I was tired, the pain meds were wearing off again, and I just wanted to go to sleep to escape reality for a little while. As I lay there in the quiet of my room, my mind kept wandering to Holt.

Part of me didn’t think he would come back. The other part of me kept looking at the door, waiting for him. For a girl who learned early in life not to depend on anyone, I sure was acting like I was thinking about depending on him.

I didn’t know what possessed him to announce that he was taking me home. He had to know I wasn’t going anywhere with him. Still, I was going to let the doctors think I was because it was my fastest way out of here.

I’m just part of his job, I reminded myself. The only reason he’s been coming here is because he’s a firefighter—a man who cares about the wellbeing of others.

I fell asleep for what could have been hours or minutes and was awakened by the soft weight of something settling on the end of the bed.

It was a bag. A shopping bag with the mall’s logo on the side. I yawned and sat up a little straighter, eyeing the bag.

“I thought you might want something to wear that didn’t smell like smoke and had a little more… coverage.”

I remembered the boxers I was wearing when he pulled me out of the house and blushed. I divided my glance between the bag and the man who brought it. He must never shave. Either that or he was secretly a werewolf who grew facial hair at the speed of light. “You brought me clothes?”

“It’s just a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t know what size you wear, so I had to guess.”