The Price of Pride

Chapter 12

Reyhan sighs contentedly and sinks deeper into the best warmth she's felt in a while. She doesn't recall her pillow being this comfortable. Its arms wrap around her and her eyes snap open when she realizes that pillows don't normally have arms.

"Good morning, Sunshine."

She looks up into Emir's smiling eyes. It takes her a few seconds to process where she is. Still the hospital. But a new room. She remembers now how they all fell asleep together. But now, she finds herself alone in the bed with Emir.

"Ayla? Where's Ayla?"

The little girl had served as a much needed barrier between them last night. But she's nowhere in sight now.

"She's already had her check up this morning and got her medication. Everything is good with her, so the nurses took her to the play room for a bit," Emir explains. "She still has a couple of friends there from before. She was pretty happy to see them."

"Oh," Reyhan nods. She sits up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and turning her back on Emir. She's still trying to recover from waking up wrapped up in his arms and can't bear to look at him just yet. "Are my doctors coming here to see me?"

"No, we'll get you dressed and take you straight to your therapy. The doctor will check in with you there."

He climbs out the other side of the bed and stops to stretch, letting out a loud yawn while he's at it. Reyhan feels bad for him. He's been so busy working and staying at the hospital with her, and now Ayla. He can't have been getting much rest. This must be the first time he's slept in an actual bed in awhile. The sacrifices he's made for her are really starting to sink in. Just when she thinks her heart can't belong to him anymore, something like this plants him there even more firmly.

"Let's get you up and changed," he says when he comes to stand in front of her.

The panicked look in her eyes hurts a little, but he understands.

"You want me to get the nurse?" he asks, stroking her cheek with a finger until she looks up at him. She just nods. He kneels down so that he can look her straight in the eyes.

"Listen, I know this is new for both of us. We have to get used to each other. Take as long as you need, Reyhan. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

"I guess I'm just still surprised that you want this," she says quietly. "With me."

"I do," he assures her. "But only what you're willing to give me."

He gives her another smile before standing up and kissing her on the forehead. He takes her hand and kisses that too. Then he surprises her by turning her hand over, slowly and sensually kissing the inside of her wrist. And she briefly wonders why she suddenly can't breathe.

"But," he adds, his grin turning slightly wicked as he rubs the spot he just kissed. "One of these days I will be kissing and tasting every inch of this delectable skin. So get ready. I'll get to see how far this beautiful blush goes."

"Emir!" she squeaks out in shock when he sneaks one more kiss, this time on her neck.

After, she just shakes her head. She's oddly getting used to some of his outlandishly suggestive comments. And even all the kisses and touches. They make her feel ... desired. Yes. Desired is a good word. For too long he pushed her away and made her feel inadequate and unwanted.

"What?" He gives a fake innocent look that makes her laugh. "Okay, okay. I'm going."

He calls in the nurse and leaves to give them privacy.

"Well you're all red and smiling," the nurse teases her. "Your husband was in a good mood too. Looks like the new room is to your liking."

Reyhan just blushes even more. She's going to kill Emir. If he doesn't kill her first. She raises a hand to her racing heart, still pounding from when Emir was so near. One day he'll make it burst right out of her chest.