Dark Abyss by Kaitlyn O'Connor (classic novels for teens .txt) 📕

like crying, and then did because they moved her from the gurney to a bed and she threw up again. And then she couldn’t breathe at all for several moments because she’d stopped her head up and her lungs felt like they were in a vice. Panic at not being able to really catch her breath threatened to engulf her. She clutched at the bedding a little frantically, trying to focus on getting enough air.

“I’m going to give you something for the pain and to calm you. Try not to cry, sweety. Alright? I know you’re upset, but it’ll only make it harder to breathe. I don’t want you worrying about your men anymore either, doctor’s orders. They’re all alright.

I give you my word. We’re going to keep them here a couple of nights to make sure their wounds are healing like they should, but they’re in damned good shape all things considered.”

Her men? “Simon?”

“Yes, he’s going to be alright. And, before you ask, Ian and Caleb, too. Joshua’s in better shape than the others. Cuts and burns from having pieces of burning debris landing on him while he was trying to shield you, but nothing too serious. Like I said, they’re all just fine. Now you can concentrate on getting better so they can take you home.”

Anna was still trying to make sense of all that when the drug kicked in. She didn’t think it had kept her out long, though. She felt just as bad or maybe worse when someone woke her up. “You doing ok?”

She frowned. She’d been doing a hell of a lot better before she was woken up.

She informed the stranger of that and he chuckled. She fell asleep again as soon as he quit annoying her, but he was back again, it seemed, before she’d slept any time at all.

And so it went, on and on, until she felt like she was in hell where the demons stood over her, just waiting for her to doze off so they could wake her up again. She’d lost all track of time. Finally, though, she woke up at the sound of yet another intrusion and realized she didn’t feel nauseated. She even felt vaguely rested, or at least not exhausted to the point that she felt drugged and disoriented.

Her ribs still hurt. The moment she tried to drag in a deep breath to yawn it felt like she’d been stabbed.

“How are you feeling?”

Annoyance flickered through her a split second before recognition of his voice dawned. She opened her eyes to see if she was right and smiled faintly at Joshua’s worried face. “My hero,” she murmured, discovering her voice sounded rusty with disuse.

Joshua blushed to the roots of his fair hair. He looked so miserably uncomfortable she regretted the comment even though she’d intended it as appreciation. He looked so miserable, she lifted her arms to him impulsively, wanting to sooth him.

He hesitated fractionally and got up from the chair. Lowering the rail on the side of the bed, he leaned down over her and very carefully gathered her into his arms, burrowing his face against the side of her neck. “It wasn’t much of a rescue,” he muttered. “I’m not sure you would’ve been hurt worse if I hadn’t done anything at all.”

Anna searched her memories and discovered everything that had happened almost from the time Paul had taken her was a confusing jumble. She did remember the terror that there were explosives in the house, though mostly her fear that Simon would be killed and then Caleb and Ian when they’d rushed off to help him.

She stroked Joshua’s cheek soothingly, trying to think of some way to banish his guilt. It was misplaced to her thinking, but she could tell it was troubling him deeply and it made her ache for him. “You saved my life. You’ve got no reason to feel guilty that I got hurt anyway. Don’t you think I feel just as guilty that you got hurt trying to save me?”

He lifted his head enough to search her eyes. Apparently he saw what he needed to see in them. Some of the tension eased from him. He moved closer, nuzzling his nose against hers as if seeking forgiveness. Anna was more than willing to bestow it.

Although there was nothing to forgive him for in her mind, she could tell he needed it to forgive himself.

Cupping his hard cheek, she guided his lips to hers and brushed her lips lightly back and forth along his and then pressed her mouth to his more firmly. He plucked her lips gently, almost experimentally with his own, drawing warmth from her that was a combination of empathy, affection, and gratitude at first. The instant he settled his mouth more firmly over hers, though, the entire tenor of the kiss changed, and the warmth with it, to something else entirely.

The heated pleasure of desire spiraled through her as her focus shifted to the feel of his mouth on hers. His taste and scent were as beguiling as his touch, seductive, drawing forth an appetite for more.

Surprise flickered through her, for although she’d noticed from the first that Joshua was a very attractive man, she hadn’t sensed a mutual attraction. She’d thought of him more as a friend, thought he saw her that way.

It was a little disorienting to feel his desire and surprisingly exciting. There was nothing even vaguely platonic about the way he made her feel now, though.

“That’s enough of that!” someone said briskly from directly behind Joshua, making both of them jump guiltily and break apart.

Joshua met her gaze with a mixture of guilt, desire, apology, and amusement and then, as carefully as he’d embraced her