Blood Stained Collar BOOK 2 of The Collar Series #Wattys2017 ( BDSM )

CHAPTER 10

A knock at the door startled Melanie and when she didn't answer, the knocking persisted.

"Coming." She shouted as she scrambled off her bed and cursed loudly when she stepped on her phone which still lay on the floor where she had dropped it.

Her mouth dropped open when she came face to face with the largest bunch of white roses she had ever seen.

"Special delivery for Miss Mckinney." The voice behind the roses said.

"From who and what for?" Melanie asked as she looked for a card amongst the roses.

"May I come in? You have no idea how heavy six dozen roses are."

"Yes, sorry. You can put them on the kitchen counter."

Melanie's bedsit on the hospital premises was a far cry from her comfortable cottage back home in England. Her bedroom doubled as a lounge come dining room with a small kitchenette, just enough space to cook a simple meal.

"Who are these from?" Melanie asked as she poked around looking for a card.

"From me, of course." Reece smiled.

"Why?" Melanie asked with her hands on her hips.

"To apologise for being such a prick."

"Mhmm, I suppose I will have to accept your apology this time."

"Mel, I really am sorry. I know I seriously messed up your first day at the hospital and made you look incapable in front of Dr Anderson."

"That you definitely did, Reece. It's going to take more than roses to fix that."

"I am sorry. I honestly don't know what else I can do to make amends."

"I don't think there is anything anyone can do, especially as it now seems he has taken me under his wing to supervise and teach as an ER nurse."

"Damn! I'm really sorry."

"Please stop apologising. There is nothing you can do. I have to fix this myself and prove to Dr Anderson I am not a helpless female and I can stand on my own two feet."

"I'm sor..."

"Will you stop apologising. If you say sorry once more I'm chucking you out with your roses."

"Okay, okay. Geezz, Mel, I was just trying ..."

Melanie slammed her injured hand on the kitchen counter. "Damn!" She winced as the pain from her injury ran up her arm. "Enough, I get that you're sorry. Can we just drop it now please?"

Reece was quick to notice she was in pain and not sure how to approach her until he noticed a blood smear appearing on the outside of the bandage around her wrist.

"Mel, you're bleeding." He said pointing to her bandage.

"Shite! Shite! Shite! That's all I need. Dr Anderson will be thrilled if he finds out my stitches have popped."

"He doesn't have to know. Let me take a look."

Melanie tried to protest but Reece took her hand and started undoing the bandages.

"Well you haven't popped any stitches and it's just a small bleed seeping through the cut, so you will be okay."

"Thanks, Dr Denver." She smiled.

Reece winked back at her and she couldn't help noticing how long his eye lashes were and how they curled right back towards his eyebrows.

"I'll return the favour if ever you are a patient of mine." She winked back at him.

"Well I hope I'm never a patient of yours, but I would love to be your dinner date tonight."

"Thanks but I'm really not in the mood to go out. Too tired after my afternoon being scrutinized by Dr Anderson in the ER." Melanie couldn't help noticing the disappointed look on his face. His half-hearted attempt at a smile when he spoke made her feel awful, especially as he had brought her so many roses.

"I understand." He said as he stood up. "I'll just put the roses in water for you and then leave you in peace."

"Reece wait." Melanie stood up and caught his hand. "Why not order a pizza and we can eat in, if you don't mind sitting with grumpy little ol' me."

"You're not grumpy and I'd love to. Shall I order a bottle of wine too."

"Yes, why not. Red please."

"Coming right up Ma'am. Your wish is my command." Reece gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He pulled out his phone and dialled the takeaway restaurant in the area and ordered.

Melanie found a bucket while he ordered and together they placed the six dozen roses into water.

"I'm sorry I don't have a vase large enough for so many beautiful roses, but then I have never before been given so many all at one time." She smiled at Reece and was surprised when he gave her a big bear hug. Under normal circumstances she would have pushed him away, but tonight she really could do with a hug and his cheerful smile.

Reece answered the door when the Pizza arrived while Melanie changed out of her nurse's uniform and into tracksuit bottoms and a baggy t-shirt and slippers. When she came out of the bathroom Reece had found plates and poured the wine into two glass tumblers.

"Couldn't find wine glasses so hope these will do?" He handed her a glass.

"Cheers and thanks." She said as she clinked her glass against his.

"Cheers Mel and here's to a long and happy friendship."

She smiled. "Agreed."

They clinked glasses a second time and Melanie took a big gulp of her wine and immediately started coughing.

"Hey, are you alright?" Reece said patting her on the back.

After coughing and spluttering for a while she nodded. "Didn't expect it to be so dry."

"Sorry, I should have asked your preferences."

"It's fine, no harm done."

"So tell me about your awful afternoon with Dr Anderson while we eat." Reece said as he passed her a plate.

"I'd prefer to forget about it, but thanks all the same. Tell me about your day instead." Melanie took a bite of pizza and another mouthful of wine.

While Reece spoke she didn't realise how quickly they were getting through the bottle of wine and when he poured the last few drops into her glass she said, "Did we just finish the whole bottle?"

"I guess we did."

Melanie giggled, she was feeling a little tipsy and when Reece leant towards her and kissed her, she did not pull away.

After the quick kiss on the lips he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes and he was surprised to see she did not move away from him, so he kissed her again and this time she responded.

When their tongues touched she did not resist and lost herself in the moment.