Heart : Animal Senses Series Book 1

Chapter 31

As her brain slowly registered consciousness, Rayne wondered if she was getting better at this outdoor stuff or maybe just used to the air mattress. She didn't recall it being this soft though...

Her eyes popped open, and she looked up, not having the slightest idea of where she was. She ached everywhere. Squeezing her eyes shut again, Rayne struggled through the fog for some answers, and then it all came back to her, the lake, the canoe, the storm, and—Devin. She jerked her body up onto her elbows and looked all around to see where she was.

It was a huge room that was not her tent or little cabin. A hospital was out of the question unless she'd become royal. Turning her stiff neck, she was startled to see Devin slumped in a chair, sleeping. She was in Devin's house.

Just seeing him forced her mind to fill in all the blanks. He'd found her, just when she'd almost given up on him even noticing she was missing. He'd brought her back in the very same canoe that had left her stranded and held onto her in the hot shower, clothes and all until her arms had feeling again and then he'd tended each of her scratches with some sort of silky ointment. Rayne looked down and noticed she was wrapped in a big fuzzy navy robe that she didn't remember anything about.

She started to climb out of the warm blankets but the slightest movement of her foot made her drop back against the pillow and try not to moan out loud. She'd forgotten about her foot too. Lifting the cover, she grit her teeth and bent her leg up so she could see her foot. A white bandage was wrapped around it covering the bottom. Sitting up carefully, Rayne assessed the rest of her body for further injury and pain, there wasn't anything more serious than a few muscle aches. She decided she was very lucky and continued to attempt getting out of bed.

The loud shrill of a phone startled Rayne and her foot hit the floor sending jarring pains all the way up her leg. Who in their right mind in this day of ringer choices would opt for that racket? Lifting the foot quickly she turned to see Devin had bolted from the chair and was reaching for the phone.

"Hello? Hang on." He tilted his head and looked at her as he held the phone against his chest. "Don't try to get up yet. I'll be right back."

He turned and strode from the room so quickly that she had to admire his coordination after a startling wake up. Rayne didn't pause on that thought very long. Why shouldn't she try to get up yet? Was there more wrong with her than she knew? Flipping the covers completely off, she pulled the robe up so to see her legs. Other than a few scratches and digs there didn't seem to be anything wrong with them. She peeked into the top of the robe and wasn't shocked by anything new there either. She flexed the foot that wasn't wrapped up and other than it being a little tender, it seemed fine. Maybe he was just one of those paranoid people.

Swinging her legs off the bed again she slowly lowered them towards the floor. It wasn't pleasant, and burned more than she wanted to admit, but still didn't see why she shouldn't be able to get up and move around. The alternative to getting up and moving was to stay in a strange man's bed in a house she wasn't welcome in, and that didn't seem like something she wanted to do today. Rayne managed to get onto both feet and mostly upright when he came back into the room.

"No, just a little banged up, nothing serious."

She stopped and held onto the table beside the bed and looked at him. She may not know the first thing about the man, but the look he was sending her was very displeased and she concluded it was because she was doing what he'd said not to.

Now, he stood in the door way with one hand on his hip, his eyes moving over her slowly. "I'll call you later, thanks, Dad." He lowered the phone. "Well, you didn't land on your face as I suspected you might." As he moved towards her he tossed the phone on the bed. "I couldn't get you to eat or drink anything last night, so dehydration has been a concern..."

Rayne snorted. "I had more than my share of water, thank you."

"I can relate." He stopped in front of her and smirked. "The hot shower was for my benefit to return all the circulation to the right spots."

She hadn't thought of what he'd gone through to find her, he'd seemed so invincible. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as snarky and unappreciative."

Reaching, he held out his hand. "You weren't. I'd be downright miserable if I went through what you did." He flexed his hand. "Let me help and we'll go hunt down some coffee."

The magic words. Rayne reached a shaky hand out to his. "Coffee is just what the doctor ordered." She didn't realize it until she grasped his hand how weak she really was. The startling awakening had worn off and reality was setting in. She took a few limping steps towards him before he reached around her and hugged her waist.

"I can carry you."

There was such concern in his voice Rayne had to stop and look up at him. He looked as tired as she was suddenly feeling. "I'd like to at least try to get there on my own feet."

His expression went blank, but he nodded and stood there with his arm around her.

Rayne took a few more steps and bit her lip so she wouldn't hiss out loud. He made a sound that almost sounded like a growl, but she continued to move because if she stopped there wouldn't be starting again. The throbbing in her foot radiated up into her ankle and even though he was keeping most of her weight from hitting the floor it still brought tears to her eyes.

"Sorry," he said abruptly and then she was swung up into his arms. He shrugged his head to one side and started walking. "I'm a wimp, I can't deal with seeing anyone in pain."

She clung to his neck, her head felt dizzy from the fast movement. Somehow, she doubted he was a wimp of any kind, but was silently grateful as the pain in her foot lessened. "How bad is my foot?" Rayne looked in the direction they were going and tried not to notice the musky smell of him.

He grunted a noncommittal sort of noise. "Not bad. It's not deep, just inconveniently located. It should be fine in a few days."

She didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to stay here for a few days or could she manage back at her little cabin? She avoided having to answer for now, as he stepped into his kitchen and set her gently on a chair. He tenderly grasped the injured foot and pulled out another chair and rested it there.

"You should eat something too."

Rayne rubbed a hand over her face and then looked back at him. "Coffee first and foremost, please."

He gave her another one of those lopsided smirks causing her heart to slam against her ribs. "Strong and mean or diluted?"

She had no choice but to grin at that. "Strong and mean, please."

Devin nodded and turned to the counter. She watched him as he moved around and started the coffee maker. His movements were fluid and that told her he had survived without being damaged like she was. "Devin, thank you, for coming to find me."

Flicking the machine on, he turned and rested one hip against the counter. "No problem." He seemed very nonchalant about it.

"Rescue a lot of damsels in distress?"

His eye brows shot up for a second and then he shook his head. "No. You would be the first and if I'm lucky, the last." His grey eyes burned into hers for a moment with such emotion. "I didn't think I was going to find you." Pain moved through his eyes.

"Well you did and that's all that matters to me." She continued to look into his eyes and wasn't sure if she was just tired and groggy or he was, but the way he was looking at her was like a caress. Rayne sighed quietly. I really need that coffee, and soon.