Imperfect Perfection

Chapter 13

Joshua had taken me straight to the sick room at the agency, rich socialites in tow. Another agent took the clients to their destination and he rushed to get me help. He took me home in the same loose gown given to me by the nurses.

Tired of waiting on Josh, I started unbuttoning the gown from the front. I scooted painfully up the bed and propped myself on the pillows so that I could see the wound. I had a bandage wrapped around my midrif so I saw nothing.

"Impatient as ever."

I turned to see Joshua enter with boxes of Chinese takeout. I smiled st him, happy to see the food he brought.

"I can't tell if you're smiling at me or the food."

"Definitely the food."

He laughed, pecking my lips as he set the tray down on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and traced a pattern on my exposed belly.

"I had dreamt of more romantic ways of getting you in your underwear for me."

I giggled, squirming a little from the slight tickle on my stomach. I pouted at him, hungry for food.

"Fooooood."

He chuckled at me, reaching for the tray. We ate quickly, both hungry as neither of us had eaten since the events of night before. Our conversation was pleasant and even silence was comfortable. After, Joshua helped me take off the gown, lifting me off the bed and sliding the clothes out from under me so I lay on the bed fully in my underwear.

He knelt at the side of the bed to remove my bandages, kissing my belly intermitently to distract me from the pain of removing the gauze. When all the wrappings were removed I looked down to see the damaged. I cringed at ugly hole in my abdomen, thankfully not too deep, but gorey and bloody all the same.

Joshua scooped me up and carried me to the bathroom, setting me down gently on the closed toilet. He turned on the pipes and filled a bowl with warm water. He walked back over to me with a bar of soap and a moist sponge. He cleaned my skin, interchanging between sponge and soap, until the water was sudsy. He changed the water and then handed me the sponge to wash my private area. Blushing, he walked out for a few minutes to give me my privacy.

He carried my back to the bed, although I could have walked while using him as a crutch. But he refused to let me exert myself.

He dressed my wound, taking care to prevent as much pain as possible for me. Through the few short, I could barely hold myself together as his fingertips roamed freely across my body. By the time he moved away I was almost hyperventilating. Joshua smirked knowingly and I narrowed my eyes, realising that he had done that purposefully to distract me.

"I'll get you some painkillers."

He retreated quickly, still grinning, knowing that I couldn't follow him.

A few minutes later I was wrapped in a warm blanket on Josh's bed. He lifted the blanket and hooked his arms around my waist lightly. I snuggled into his warm arms and he placed a small kiss behind my ear and whispered a goodnight.

..............................................................................................................................

The pain was back. I felt it searing straight through me where the bullet had passed. My skin was coated in a thin film of perspiration from the warmth covering me. I kicked off the blanket and realised that I was alone in the bed.

I sat up slightly groggily and my eyes swept the room. I didn't see him in the room so I moved to lay back down when a dim light caught my eyes. It came from the other side of the partition wall.

"Josh?"

A chair scraped on the ground and Joshua came into view. He sat on the edge of the bed and picked up my hand in his. He looked tired but smiled at me, trying to hide his exhaustion.

"Hi baby, did I wake you?"

I shook my head, remembering the reason I awoke and reached for the bottle. Josh caught my hand and grabbed the bottle himself, shaking out two pills.

"Why were you up?"

"Can't sleep."

"Something bothering you?"

He shook his head, not meeting my eyes. I grew worried and grabbed his hands in mine.

"I thought we were past this."

He sighed deeply, hesitant to continue. My heart reached out in love and concern for him.

"I guess I just feel a bit guilty."

"For what? Arousing me when you wrapped me up? I wasn't really mad babe."

He chuckled, shaking his head. He seemed to remember something and his smile fell again.

"You got shot. I feel like it was my fault."

"It's not. How could it ever be?"

"Well it was my job to take care of you."

"No it wasn't. Your job was to take care of the clients."

"You matter more than the clients."

"I shouldn't."

"Doesn't mean you don't."

My heart clenched again as I was reminded of how much I loved him.

"Oh Joshua. Getting injured is part of the job. It's only the first of many."

He groaned and screwed his eyes shut.

"God no, it kills me to see you like this."

I laughed and sat up slowly, leaning against his shoulder.

"Get used to it softie. I'll be here for a while."

He smiled, features relaxing. I raised myself up and tried to climb onto his lap. He quickly picked me up and placed me there himself, shaking his head.

A shock-wave of pain ran through me and I slumped against him. He straightened me immediately and held me upright so I wouldn't hurt myself further. I looked down at him and wrapped my legs around his waist to make us more comfortable. He raised the bottom of my night gown to make sure no excess bleeding had occurred and his fingers traced the edges of my bandages.

After a short while he dropped his arms and made a move lay me down. I stopped him quickly.

"I'm not that sleepy anymore."

Instead of forcing me to rest, he snaked his arm around my neck and pulled me closer to him. I lived for this. I yearned to feel his lips on mine, his fingers through my hair, our breaths mingling.

He didn't even wait for me to respond before he parted his mouth and flicked his tongue across my lips. He begged for entrance and I obliged, eager to move my mouth with his. My lips opened and instantly he entered my mouth, his hands working their way down my body at the same time.

He lifted his head for air but almost instantly placed his lips on my neck and sucked harshly. The sudden pain jolted me but his tongue smoothed over it, cooling the skin. He trailed kisses up my jaw until he found my lips once more. I let out a groan against his lips as I felt him harden underneath me. Knowing that we would have to stop soon, I pressed against him harder ignoring the throbbing of my wound. He trailed his hands down past my bra to my thighs. As he passed my stomach his fingers grazed my bandage and I clenched involuntarily.

He pulled away immediately and before he looked down I caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were clouded with lust but the panic in them was clearly defined. I placed my lips on his to erase any fears but he seemed to have sobered up within seconds.

Joshua placed me onto the bed and lay down next to me. Careful not to touch my wound he slid his fingers through mine between us. With a sleepy smile on his lips, he blew me a kiss goodnight and his eyelids fluttered shut. I gazed at his lightly snoring face for a few minutes before I drifted off to sleep as well.

**Edited**