beautiful. Do you have any family members we should call so that they don’t worry about you? The fire is all over the ten o’clock news.”
She shook her head and looked away from him. In doing so, it brought her face-to-face with Devin, and for a moment he could see the loneliness in her eyes as she admitted she had no one to call. Devin’s heart broke for her, and he wondered what had happened to make her so lonely. He wanted to bring a light to her eyes just to see if they sparkled when she laughed.
“Okay, then we will have to figure out what you will need when you leave here tomorrow, so that we can go shopping for you. I’m not exactly sure what the hospital did with the clothes you were wearing when you came in.” Devin could hear that his tone was bossy, but he couldn’t pull off nonchalance like Damon. He just felt too much right now.
“I don’t need anything., I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I’m sure you guys have done more than enough. You don’t have to help me. I will be fine from here. I’m actually a nurse here at this hospital in the emergency room, so I have friends here. Thank you both.” She seemed to be dismissing them both as she withdrew her tingling hand from Damon’s large one.
* * * *
Caroline pulled her hand away from the big man’s grasp, and even without his touch, she felt the sparks of heat on her skin. She looked up after a second and made eye contact again with Devin. Those eyes could surely see right through her!
“That’s not up to you, sugar. Damon and I are going to help you one way or another, so get used to the idea. Tomorrow you can come home to our house, and we will get you settled and back on your feet in no time.” Devin said it in such a demanding way that a shiver of excitement caused goose bumps on Caroline’s arms. She loved the authority in his voice, and it crossed her mind that he might be that kind of strong man in bed, too. She had always preferred a lover that was just on the dominating side, but she didn’t like to be pushed around too much. She was a grown woman and had been taking care of herself for the last thirty years. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was letting this strange man tell her what to do and where to go, no matter how delicious he and his brother were.
She started shaking her head at him. “What do you mean I’ll go home with you? I don’t even know you. Why do you think I would go home with you?” She was getting herself worked up with irritation, and the flush in her cheeks caused both men’s nostrils to flare. Her eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed with anger as Damon said one phrase: “Because you’re ours.”
Astonishing herself, Caroline started to laugh loudly. She was almost giddy with the hilarity of his statement. Why would this man that she had never met, possibly think that she would just agree to whatever demands he made of her? Why would she be attracted to that kind of a possessive statement? She shook off the brief flash of heat that she felt, because secretly she knew that she was attracted to it. Something inside of her knew that she couldn’t let him know that yet, or she would never get any control back. She had heard of arrogance, but Lord have mercy these men took the cake!
She could tell that these two overly large men didn’t find the situation nearly as humorous as she did, so she struggled to regain her composure before meeting Damon’s irritated gaze. Chin thrust defiantly in the air, she clearly said, “Not a chance, darlin’.”
Chapter 3
Caroline lay in her hospital bed contemplating the scene that had played here earlier. After Damon laid his claim, Caroline had jerked back from him laughing almost hysterically. Once her giggles passed, she had gotten pissed. Devin tried hard to calm her down and explain the situation, but all Caroline understood was that for some reason both of these men felt some sort of obligation to her and wanted her to just