Entangled with the Prince Read online

  Savannah stared, her mouth falling open. When she pulled herself together, she started to shake her head, then stopped when it hurt. When the pain subsided, she looked at the doctor, trying to hide her embarrassment. “I don’t have anyone here.”

  “No friends or a relative?” the doctor asked. The nurse moved behind Savannah, gently removing her shirt to clean the gash on her back.

  Savannah cringed slightly, but sighed with relief when something cold and soothing was pressed against her head. She glanced at the big guy watching from the doorway, then back to the doctor. “No. I’m here studying at Wheaton School of Design. My family lives in North Carolina.”

  “Nice school,” the doctor smiled. “But I can’t release you if there isn’t anyone who can stay with you tonight. I’ll keep you here for observation.”

  Overnight? In a hospital? Savannah couldn’t even imagine how much that would cost! “No! I can’t…!” she straightened, horrified by the possibility of spending a night in the hospital. “Please, I’m fine.”

  Gaelen, stepped forward, his hazel eyes determined. “She’ll come with me. My staff and I will watch her tonight. She’ll be perfectly safe. And we’ll call if she shows any additional symptoms.”

  The doctor looked from one to the other, then nodded, apparently convinced that Gaelen would be an adequate supervisor.

  Savannah kept her mouth shut while the nurse came in and gave her some medicine and ointment. She took the offered pain pills with water and thanked the nurse, then stood up. It took a moment for the dizziness to ease up as the nurse watched warily.

  “I have a doctor on standby. I’ll be very careful with her,” Gaelen promised.

  That seemed to satisfy the nurse and she nodded. “I’ll get the wheelchair then.”

  Savannah glared at the empty doorway. “Seriously? I’m not an invalid! I don’t need a wheelchair.”

  The soft chuckle brought her attention back to the man beside her. Not that her attention had ever really left him. She’d merely pushed him a little off-center of her focus for a moment.

  Savannah pressed her lips together. “You’re going to insist on me using that wheelchair, aren’t you?”

  He did that sexy, deep chuckle thing again. “Absolutely.”

  “I don’t need you to drive me home. I’m fully capable of getting …” she trailed off, as something occurred to her. “What time is it?”

  He glanced at his watch and, although Savannah had no idea what kind of timepiece it was, she could tell it was very expensive. So expensive that one could literally buy a house with the amount of money that the man had paid for his watch! Good grief, and she’d felt guilty about the extremely large tip he’d left her tonight.

  “It’s just after four in the morning.”

  Savannah sighed, closing her eyes. “I’ve been awake for almost twenty-four hours now.”

  “Why is that?” he asked curiously.

  “Because I worked a shift at the diner this morning, then went to my classes this afternoon, and took a shift at the bar tonight. Then I was beaten up by a jerk, followed up by some guy telling me that I had to go to the hospital.”

  He grinned at her. “Yeah, it’s been a long night, hasn’t it?”

  The nurse arrived before Savannah could respond. “Up you go,” the man announced and, without any warning, he lifted Savannah into his arms and set her gently down in the wheelchair the nurse had brought.

  “Lucky woman,” the nurse mumbled with sidelong glances at Gaelen.

  Savannah smiled weakly, and didn’t bother to point out that he was only here in the emergency room because some guy attacked her. She definitely didn’t feel very lucky at the moment. She felt filthy and gritty, her eyes burned with fatigue, her head still ached and they’d applied some weird, sticky stuff to the back of her head instead of stitches. Apparently, this sticky stuff was safer than stitches, faster to apply, and lasted just as long. As far as Savannah was concerned, it just felt gross, but perhaps the gel was better than a needle going in and out of her skin. Just thinking about that made her skin crawl.

  “You okay?” Gaelen asked.

  Feeling ridiculous, Savannah nodded. “I’m fine. Just…feeling gross. And exhausted.”

  “I bet,” he replied as he wheeled her out of the examination room. There were still a lot of people waiting to see a doctor so in that sense, Savannah was relieved that she’d somehow gotten to the front of the line. She wasn’t convinced that she needed to be here though.

  For a long moment, she debated getting into the limousine. But in the end, there were two reasons she acquiesced and got into the car. The first was that she didn’t want to spend her money on a taxi back to her apartment. That would be at least fifty dollars that she couldn’t really afford, even after this guy’s two hundred dollar tip. Having to miss two shifts and the tips from those shifts was going to hurt. Nor did she have much faith in that Benson…or Branson or whatever…guy covering her wages for those shifts. For too long, Savannah had been on her own and knew that life didn’t hand anyone a fair deal. It was up to her to create her own luck.

  But the main reason she got into the limousine was simply because she doubted Gaelen would allow her to call a taxi. So far, he’d been adamant about taking care of her. She didn’t think he’d let her just stand up and walk away.

  Boy, was she right!

  “I can…”

  “Hush,” he whispered in that same, harsh voice that somehow sounded very gentle. “You’ve been on your feet for too long. Let me take care of you.”

  With those words, he lifted her out of the wheelchair and deposited her in the limousine, following her a moment later. The driver quickly closed the door and, moments later, they were driving away.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, shifting awkwardly in the plush, leather seat. “I can walk, you know.”

  “I know. But it’s safer if you just let me take care of you. And besides, I don’t think anyone has taken care of you for a long time, have they?”

  Gaelen saw her swallow, and turn away, staring out into the darkness. She looked so vulnerable. And yet, she’d been tough, strong, and defiant in the face of danger earlier. He’d watched the scene unfold, had been seconds away from her when she’d exited the building, but he hadn’t been able to get to her in time. When he’d watched her turn the tables on the ass who had attacked her, he’d admired her strength and character. But now he wanted to take care of her, pamper her, and smooth the way so that she didn’t have to work so hard.

  He doubted she would allow him to spoil her as much as he’d like, but this…ensuring that she was safe tonight, he could do that. He’d insist on it.

  For a moment, he thought she was ignoring him. But when his eyes moved over her chest, he noticed her slow, steady breathing. She’d fallen asleep? That was a first! No woman had ever fallen asleep on him like that and he almost laughed at the irony. He’d finally found a woman that intrigued him on many levels, and she fell asleep! Damn, his brothers would laugh at him if they ever heard about this.

  Gaelen leaned his head back against the seat cushions. It had been a long, difficult night. And tomorrow, he had to face Santo. The bastard was going to be an impressive challenge, but Gaelen was ready for him. And if things didn’t work out at the negotiating table, Gaelen was fully prepared to bring up the idea of armed battle with their neighbor. He was sick of these ridiculous skirmishes that never helped anyone. Every time Izara thought that they’d come up with a strong military deterrent, Padar would counter with a weapon bigger and stronger. It had been a constant state of one-upmanship over the past two decades and it had to end.

  Chapter 2

  Savannah turned her head and…gasped at the sudden pain. The pain seemed to be coming from all sides at once and she tensed. When that only increased the pain, she forced her muscles to slowly relax. Eventually, the pain subsided and she was able to think.

  Soft mattress. Too soft.

  Warmth? Her apartment wasn’t th
is comfortable.

  It was fine, but this air felt…better? Could the air in some areas be better than the air in others?

  Stupid question, she admonished herself. Of course air could be better, or perhaps cleaner was the right word, in some places than others. Anyone who walked along the streets of any city in the world knew that the air along busy streets was filled with particulates that shouldn’t be breathed in, while the air in big parks was better, nicer, and free of the emission smells that permeated the air along streets.

  Okay, so this air smelled and felt better. Savannah didn’t want to open her eyes for fear that the pain might come back.

  So where was she? If she wasn’t ready to open her eyes, she needed her brain to work. Another issue, other than the dull, throbbing pain in her head, she felt…good? No, not good. That wasn’t right because something stung along her back and one shoulder. Good grief, had she been in a fight?

  As soon as the word popped into her head, she jackknifed up with a gasp, grabbing her head, which felt as if it were suddenly going to split open.

  “Hey,” a soft, roughly concerned voice broke through the pain. “Take it easy, Savannah. Here, take these. It will help your pain.” She felt a hand take hers, opening her hand and placing something in it. Then there was a cold glass of water in her other hand. A second later, a warm body seemed to surround her, a hard chest pressed against her back and Savannah was in so much pain, she leaned into that chest, unable to support herself.

  Blindly, she popped the pills into her mouth and washed them down with the cold water gratefully. The glass seemed to vanish and she eased deeper into the warmth of that chest, sighing with relief.

  Strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel…cherished. She hadn’t felt cherished in…never. Nope, she’d never felt cherished before. It felt wonderful.

  “Better?” that wonderfully deep voice asked.

  Savannah didn’t want to turn her head so instead she simply snuggled deeper into that chest, luxuriating in the feeling of those strong, amazing arms, which seemed to just know how to hold her. They weren’t too tight or too loose. She was in a Goldilocks hug and Savannah sighed with pleasure.

  He smelled good too! Good grief, the man smelled amazing! Without thinking about it, she pressed her nose closer to the heat of his neck, feeling as if she’d just entered heaven.

  Gaelen closed his eyes when Savannah snuggled into him. He could feel every curve on her delicious body and he had to stifle a groan. He didn’t want to startle her, but damn it, she felt amazing! For such a slender woman, she felt better than any woman he’d ever known. He just hoped that she didn’t notice his body’s reaction to her snuggling.

  “Did you sleep okay?”

  He could almost feel her trying to remember. “You mean, besides all the times that you woke me up to ask me my name and what year it was?”

  He chuckled, his arms tightening around her ever so slightly. “Yes. Besides all those times.”

  She snuggled again, her eyes still closed. “Yes. I slept better than I have in a long time, actually. Strange.”

  “Not so strange. The doctor gave you some pretty strong pain medicine before you left the emergency room. I should have woken you up a few hours ago to give you more.”

  She pulled back. “Hours ago?”

  He felt her stiffen and shook his head. “Don’t go there. It’s Saturday and…”

  She jumped out of his arms, wobbling when her feet hit the floor, but he’d anticipated that move and was ready, steadying her until she found her balance. “Relax, Savannah,” he ordered, but in a softer tone in deference to the pain in her head. “You’re going to have a headache for a while. The trick is to relax and let your body heal.”

  “I just…” she touched her head and he noticed the short nails and rough skin of her hands. He wanted to protect her and pamper her and he immediately wondered if he could send her to a spa for the day. But as soon as he thought it, he dismissed the idea. Sending her to a spa meant that he wouldn’t be near her. For some reason, he didn’t like that idea.

  “I was supposed to work this morning….”

  “I know, love. But I’ve already called your boss, remember? He said to take the weekend off.”

  Savannah groaned, closing her eyes again. Did she even realize she was clutching his hand? He doubted it. She was a bit too…

  Those big, brown eyes moved to their clasped hands and he sensed her breath catching in her throat. Then her gaze moved higher, up his arm, his shoulder, his chest, and finally to his face. “Did we…?”

  For a long moment, Gaelen had no idea what she meant. Then her unfinished question came to him and…he threw back his head, laughing at her stunned expression as well as the horror in her eyes. He probably shouldn’t find it so amusing, but she just looked…horrified. And damn, it felt really good to laugh.

  Pulling her closer, he gently wrapped his arms around her, being careful not to scare her or rub the scrapes along her back and shoulders. “No, love, we didn’t have sex. Believe me, when we have sex, you’re going to remember it afterward.” He kissed the top of her head, being extra careful to avoid the lump near the back where that…he stopped thinking about last night, or this morning, because every time he remembered the way that asshole had slammed her against the wall, Gaelen wanted to tear his arms out of the sockets and beat him to death with them. His rage was intense! Unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He loved women, had always been protective of them…hell, his sister might say that he was overly protective …but women were lovely and gentle and…Granted, this woman had knocked the bastard on his ass.

  That thought made him feel better and he inhaled slowly, brushing the rage away.

  “We’re not going to have sex!” she whispered adamantly.

  That got another smile from him. “You keep telling yourself that,” he said, then took her hand. “How is your head now?”

  She blinked, obviously thinking about the pain. His chest filled with…something odd…when she smiled up at him.

  “Much better!” she replied, obvious relief washing over her face. “That medicine really did the trick. Thank you.”

  He chuckled, feeling good. “You’re welcome, but the doctor prescribed the medication. I just had the prescription filled and knew, from experience, that you’d need them as soon as you woke up.”

  “Where am I?” Savannah asked, her voice a bit weak as she took in the luxurious room. The windows were huge and covered with a gauzy material that filtered the late spring sunshine. The furniture was better than anything she’d ever be able to afford, but her experienced eye could tell someone had done a great job of decorating this room; the black furniture, white bedding, and silver accents had clearly been chosen by an expert.

  “You’re in my hotel suite,” he explained.

  Savannah looked up at him, horrified. “I’ve spent the whole night in your bed?”

  He smiled and, for some silly reason, that look comforted her. Shouldn’t she be running, screaming, from the room? Good grief, shouldn’t she be terrified of this man? Yes, he’d been nothing but gentle and courteous. But…the guy was enormous! The big, broad muscles across his chest, shoulders and arms alone should be sending her brain loud warning bells!

  Instead, his strength and brawn comforted her. His presence wasn’t soothing, exactly. But she felt safe. Even in the presence of this obviously dangerous man, Savannah felt safe.

  “Not in my bed, exactly. Although, I stayed with you most of the night.”

  She turned to look at the bed. Sure enough, the other side was rumpled, although it appeared he had slept on top of the bedding while he’d tucked her under the thick, white comforter.

  “Oh,” was all she could say. The word seemed completely inadequate, but anything more simply wasn’t possible. Her eyes moved from the bed, back to him and she swallowed, feeling awkward and…oddly special.

  So silly!

  “Um…well, thank you very much. You’ve bee
n extremely kind and I don’t know how I can repay your generosity.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “It has been my pleasure, Savannah.” He took her hand in his and she knew that she should pull away, but even just that small touch felt wonderful. “Are you hungry?”

  Savannah thought about it and realized that she was famished! “Yes. I am. But you don’t need to…!”

  “Nonsense. I’ve already ordered some dinner.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Dinner?”

  His other hand covered their clasped ones. “Yes. It’s six o’clock in the evening.”

  “Six o’clock? How long did I sleep?”

  “About twelve hours. It was about five o’clock when we arrived, but it took you a while to settle down. You didn’t fall asleep until six, but…”

  Savannah’s hands fluttered pointlessly in the air. “Twelve hours? I haven’t slept that long since…” she took a breath, feeling a bit frantic. “Well, never!”

  He took her hand again, leading her out of the bedroom. “I figured. From what you told me last night, you’re pushing yourself really hard. Why is that?”

  They stepped out of the bedroom into a long hallway. “Um…I just…My classes are expensive. Not to mention, living in New York City is expensive. I have to work.”

  “Two jobs?” he teased.

  “Actually, three. I work for a temp agency as a babysitter on the weekends.”

  “A temp agency for babysitters?”

  She nodded absently, her eyes widening as she stepped into a beautiful, two story great room with massive windows that looked out over Manhattan. It was stunning! Oh, how she wished she could design rooms like this, she thought with a sigh of envy for whoever had been hired to decorate this space. There was more of the dark wood furniture and white sofas done in soft suede. And she absolutely loved the silver lighting, including the massive chandelier that hung from the vaulted ceiling. Good grief, that chandelier alone probably cost more than half a million dollars! Pulling her eyes away from that beautiful lighting, she sighed at the soft blue accents. Blue. Soothing. Ingenious! Blue to soothe the spirit after working in the hectic city. Yes, this was an environment that she’d love to return to after a crazy workday.