Page 46 of The Unbecoming

“Owen,” I say, but he doesn’t move. He’s breathing, so I know he’s alive.

Wouldn’t that be terrible if he just fucking died in the corner of my room after I get out of the psych ward? That would be my luck.

“Owen,” I say, gently touching his arm. I shriek when he startles awake and grabs my arm. He immediately releases me, but then grabs my hands. I can’t help but laugh as he gathers his bearings. “Scared the hell out of me, man!”

“I’m sorry,” he mutters with a sleepy smile. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah. Why are you here?” I ask.

“Because I didn’t want you to be alone,” he says. “So I stayed.”

“Oh,” I say. “Well… Do you want some coffee?”

“That would be good. Thank you,” he says as he stands and stretches. “How’s your leg?”

“It hurts,” I admit.

“Sit and let me look at it,” he says. I step back and sit on the bed, and he moves over to sit next to me. He gently peels the bandage back to reveal a very swollen and angry-looking wound. He gently places his hand over it, and it feels nice. “It’s not hot. It’s pretty red, though. I’ll get some antibiotics called in for you. If it swells much more, the glue might not hold, so it needs to stay covered.”

He grabs another bandage from his duffle and gently places it over the glued wound. “I’m sorry I was a skank last night.”

“What would that make me?”

“Desperate,” I say, laughing when he frowns at me. “Don’t look at me like that!”

“Don’t make me respond to that, Nora,” he remarks. “When is your interview?”

“You tell me,” I laugh.

“Get dressed, and you can go up there. I have to go to my office anyhow.”

“Ah. You are about to babysit me again tonight, aren’t you?” I ask.

“I am,” he says with a soft smile.

“Sleep in the bed this time at least,” I say. “You kinda looked dead over there.”

“I don’t know if sleeping in the same bed with you is a good idea,” he says.

“Why? Because you’re desperate?” I ask.

“I’ve already crossed one boundary. Don’t make me cross another,” he warns.

“I do have daddy issues,” I say.

“Nora,” he warns.

“Spank me, and I might call you Daddy,” I tease. He pulls me across his lap and smacks my ass hard three times, making me gasp. My skin burns, but holy fucking shit, that was hot.

“Stop degrading yourself,” he says firmly.

“I’d ask you to let me go, but your legs will give out eventually,” I say, yelping when he smacks my ass harder. This time I grip onto the blanket, and a groan follows.

“I’m hooked on you in a very unhealthy way, Nora. Keep pushing me, and I won’t be able to stop what happens,” he says, gently rubbing my ass.

“You can’t reject me one day and then spank me the next,” I say.

“I’m not rejecting you, Nora,” he says, pulling me up to look at him. “I don’t want to hinder your healing.”