Kathy Love - Demon Cant Help It

It was the least he could do, given the pain he'd just caused her. Even as he told himself that, he knew that wasn't his motivation.

Whether he wanted to accept it or not, Josephine Burke had been on his radar from the moment he met her, and she wasn't about to leave it. He'd do what he had to do to make sure she was okay.

"So what do they recommend for you to do?" Ren asked, his gaze interestingly enough going from Jo to Maksim and back to Jo.

Apparently all her friends were trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them.

"They said one night here, just for observation. Then if all goes well, I'm going to be sent home. But they want me on bed rest for a few days," Jo said.

"A week," Maksim corrected.

Jo rolled her eyes, but she did concede. "A week."

"You will stay with us," Erika said.

Jo started to shake her head, but Maksim interrupted. "No. She'll stay with me."

All eyes in the room turned to him.

Jo opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger over her lips.

"No arguing. You are staying with me."

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

He turned and gave the others in the room a hard look, silently warning them not to challenge her decision.

Ren narrowed his eyes, suspicion clear on his face. Vittorio looked mildly annoyed. Erika looked wary and Maggie worried. But none of them said a word.

"Okay, folks," said a nurse from the doorway. "We need to let Ms. Burke get some rest."

Her friends said their good-byes, telling her they would check on her tomorrow. Only Maksim lingered behind, and again because the nurse assumed he was the father of her child and thus her significant other, she left, allowing him to stay.

"Are you sure?" she asked, not needing to explain what she was asking any more than that.

He nodded. "I want you with me."

She nodded again, although she looked unsure.

He couldn't help himself, and leaned down to kiss her. Her lips clung to his, sweetly vulnerable, yet hungry for him.

Maksim rested his forehead against hers, his chest swelling and filling with such strong, confusing emotions.

"I'm going to take care of you," he vowed, knowing he'd finally found someone he had to put before himself.

And that knowledge scared him.

Even as Maksim opened the door to the cab to help her inside, Jo wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. Maksim had arrived first thing that morning, staying with her while they waited for the doctor to arrive, and give her the okay to check out.

She'd slept very little, her mind abuzz with everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She'd been very lucky. She knew that. She also knew that little life growing inside her had become so very, very precious, and she felt sickened that it had taken something so horrific to make her understand that.

She kept telling herself that maybe that was why she was seeing images of her sister. Somehow it was her subconscious trying to reach out to her, to make her realize what she needed to do now. Jo always felt she'd failed Kara. That if she'd said something to someone, maybe she would have survived.

She couldn't save Kara, but she could protect her baby. Her sister's image was just a reminder that she couldn't fail another person in her care.

She winced as she settled onto the vinyl seat of the car.

"Are you okay?" Maksim asked.

She nodded. Her right shoulder was painfully stiff, her back and legs bruised, and she would be sore for several days, but she would be okay.

Maksim studied her for a moment, then closed the door to go around to the other side of the car.

He slid in beside her, giving the driver her address. She leaned her head back against the hot vinyl of the backseat. Just leaving the hospital had her exhausted. She would need a little extra rest.

"I have to call Cherise," she said, realizing no one had contacted the woman. It was Saturday, so things would be okay. This would the one and only time the lack of programming at the center was a relief to Jo.

"I can call her," Maksim said.

"Thank you," Jo said wearily, the lack of sleep from last night and her injuries exhausting her.

She felt Maksim's arm loop around her, gently pulling her against his side. She didn't resist, curling against him.

In the brief ride, she must have fallen asleep, because when she came to, Maksim was carefully lifting her out of the cab.

"Oh," she said a little confused and surprised, peering up at him like a sleepy child. "I can walk."

"I know." He smiled, and continued to carry her. He set her down and waited while she rummaged through her purse for her keys. Then when it was clear between the pain in her shoulder and her grogginess that the lock was going to get the better of her, Maksim gently took them from her and opened the door. He scooped her up again, and she marveled at how gentle he could be.

"I really can walk," she told him again.

"I feel better holding you."

Jo thought to ask him why that was so, but her sleepy, muddled brain couldn't seem to manage the words. Instead she rested her head against his shoulder, allowing herself to revel in his strength.

He must have contended with both her and her keys, because the next thing she was aware of was Maksim placing her in her bed.

She groaned slightly as he released her.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, concern furrowing his perfect brow. "The doctor said you can have some Tylenol for the pain."

She shook her head. "Just sore, nothing that won't go away eventually."

"Okay. Well, please let me know if I can get you anything."

"What are you going to do?" She imagined he'd be pretty bored in her place.

"You have lots of books. I'll read or something."

Jo smiled, letting her eyes close. "I don't see you as a big reader."

"Why not?" There was umbrage in his tone.

Her smile widened, even though she didn't bother to open her eyes. Her lids were simply too heavy. "You seem like someone who's too active. Someone who couldn't sit still long enough to read."

"Mmm," was his response and Jo couldn't decide if the noise was agreement or just acknowledgment.

She heard his steps on the hardwood floor, then a blanket covered her. She sighed. The warmth felt wonderful.

"Can you read here?" she asked him, peeping one eye open. He stood by the bed, the strangest look on his handsome features. Something so like adoration, it stole her breath away.

"Please stay in here with me," she said softly. She reached out to catch his hand.

He nodded.

He eased onto the bed beside her, keeping his movements slow and stable, trying not to jar her. Once he was settled with the pillow propped behind his head, he took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of hers. The steady motion was nice and calming.

"I like that," she said, sighing. Her eyes drifted closed again.

Maksim watched her, the constant state of concern still not leaving him. Even though her color looked much better today and the doctor had told him she would be fine, he couldn't seem to relax.

"Are you going to read?" she asked suddenly, her words slow and sleepy. "There are some books on the nightstand."

"Okay," he said, not moving. Not releasing her hand.

She was quiet, except for her breathing, which was low and even, and he was sure she'd drifted off when she said, "What are we doing?"

He was surprised, thinking she was far too tired to be analyzing their relationship, but he should have known Jo's brain wouldn't shut off until sleep truly claimed her. And even then he was willing to bet she had dreams still analyzing everything. Very symbolically, of course.

"I'm not really sure," he answered honestly.