*Isabella's POV*
The words hung in the air, shocking even me with their finality. Jacob's head snapped towards me, his eyes wide with disbelief. I saw Damien's shoulders tense, the slightest hint of irritation in the set of his jaw before he turned around, his expression carefully neutral.
"Relax," Damien said, his voice a low, controlled calm. "Nobody is quitting their job. I'll see what I can do."
"I can still work on reports here," I said quickly, trying to be helpful, "And if you need help with physical work and taking phone calls, you can take Cole, I guess." I couldn't help but add a little dig, a small taste of the office drama Jacob was now missing out on. "Either way, nobody from his team is going to like his face right now after banging his boss," I said to Damien, a smirk playing on my lips.
"What?" Jacob chimed in, looking genuinely interested. "I hate that I'm not caught up with office drama," he said, rolling his eyes, which made me giggle. It was so good to see a flash of the old Jacob.
"Well, Damien transferred Laura to your office, so you should know," I said to him.
"Doesn't ring a bell," Jacob said with a shrug.
"Mr. Cole Estrada," Damien mused, a strange look on his face. "That doesn't sound bad at all." He pulled his phone from his pocket as it started to buzz. "I'm going outside for a moment, gotta take this call," he said, stepping out of the room and leaving us alone.
The door clicked shut behind Damien, and the air in the room instantly shifted. It was like a pressure valve had been released. The tension was still there, humming under the surface, but now it was just the two of us, and it felt... different. More intimate.
"Sweetheart," Jacob said, his voice a low, conspiratorial whisper that sent a shiver down my spine. "Make sure the nurse doesn't come in."
My head snapped towards him, a frown creasing my brow. "What? Why?" I asked, my mind immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario. Was he in more pain? Was something wrong?
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face, despite the paleness and the exhaustion. It was the first time I'd seen that full-blown, mischievous smirk since the shooting, and it was like seeing the sun come out from behind a cloud. "You telling Damien you'd quit your job to stay with me," he said, his eyes twinkling. "It may have caused a certain... camping issue down below." He gave a slow, deliberate nod downwards, towards the thin hospital blanket covering his lap.
My eyes followed his gaze. And then I saw it. The distinct, undeniable outline of a fucking tent in his pants. A bubble of laughter and pure exasperation rose in my throat. "Camping?" I exclaimed, my voice a hushed shriek. "You mean that fucking tent in your pants?"
He just chuckled. The sound was so fucking good to hear. "Can't help it," he said, his voice laced with mock innocence. "You look after me, and my dick gets ideas."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop the smile from tugging at my lips. I walked closer to the bed, my hips swaying slightly. "You know I can jump in that bed with you and give you a hand..." I said, my voice dropping to a husky whisper as I bit my lower lip, letting the suggestion hang in the air between us. I saw his eyes darken, his breath hitch.
But then I sighed, the responsible part of my brain kicking in. "But it's way too soon," I said, my tone softening. "That surgery is still fresh. The last thing you need is me... agitating the injury."
"Damn, you're such a fucking tease," he said, rolling his eyes dramatically, but the smile never left his face.
"I learnt from the best," I shot back with a smirk of my own.
The door clicked open again, and Damien strode back into the room, his phone now tucked away in his pocket. The brief moment of playful intimacy I'd shared with Jacob evaporated, replaced by the familiar, heavy weight of Damien's presence.
"I'll be off to Raleigh soon," he announced, his tone all business, as if he were discussing a quarterly report, not leaving his injured brother and girlfriend. "But I'll fly back as soon as Jacob is discharged. Please call me when you know."
"What? No!" I said, shooting up from my chair. The idea of him leaving, of being here to deal with all this shit on my own, sent a fresh wave of panic through me. "I can handle it," I said, my voice firm, trying to convince myself as much as him.
"No way you're handling this alone," Damien retorted, his brow furrowed in that stubborn way I knew so well. He was already in full-on protective mode, and it was pissing me off as much as it turned me on.
"I have Elly," I said.
"Another small woman?" Damien countered, his voice dripping with a dismissive condescension that made my blood boil. He made it sound like Elly and I were two helpless children who couldn't possibly manage without a big, strong man around.
"Damien, for fucks sake," Jacob's voice cut in, laced with irritation. "I don't need assistance. I can walk," he said, rolling his eyes, a gesture that made my heart ache a little. He pushed himself up slightly in bed, wincing but determined. "Just go, Isabella and I will be just fine," he said, his gaze firm as he looked at his brother.
Damien was quiet for a moment, his eyes moving from Jacob's defiant face to mine. He was outnumbered, and he knew it. The fight seemed to go out of him, replaced by a weary resignation.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Baby, call me if you need anything," he said, his voice softening. He closed the distance between us in two strides and pulled me into a kiss. It was hard and possessive, a reminder, a marking. A promise that he'd be back.