“We had sex while I was ovulating.”
“How do you know that?”
“Trust me. I know. Are you saying I could be pregnant?”
“Shit.” The doctor jerked away and walked to the cabinet. “I hope not. I doubt the antibiotic I gave you would harm the fetus at this early stage but I wouldn’t have given it to you if there was a possibility.” She jerked open a cabinet and removed a packaged kit. She turned. “Open your mouth and let me take a swab. We’ll find out right now. This is why there are rules and Tiger didn’t follow them. I’m a doctor first and I just gave you medication I wouldn’t have if I’d known all the facts.”
“What?”
“Just let me do this test. I can tell right away if you’re pregnant. New Species are different from us and you would test positive for higher hormones within twenty-four hours of getting pregnant. I know you haven’t had intercourse with him since his accident.”
Zandy was in shock as the doctor jerked open more cabinets after dipping the sample in a clear vial with liquid. The doctor bent, watching the end of the cotton. A good minute passed before the woman straightened.
“It’s negative,” Dr. Allison informed her, showing her the vial. “It would have turned red if it were positive. It’s clear.”
“Are you sure?” Zandy’s heart was still beating rapidly.
“I’m sure.” She sighed. “Either Tiger really trusts his nose to tell him when it’s safe to have intercourse with you or he tried to get you pregnant. I strongly suggest you have a talk with him. I’ll report this to my supervisor and she’ll inform Justice North. Trisha will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Please don’t,” Zandy said quickly. She was still floored by what she’d learned. “I don’t want him to get into trouble.”
“This is serious. Do you know what would happen if anyone found out New Species can have children?”
“I have a pretty good idea. I just spent time with insane fanatics who hate them.”
They stared at each other. “Fine. I won’t say anything. Invoke doctor-patient confidentiality. That way my butt is covered. You need to talk to him about this though.”
“Trust me. I will.” She just had no idea what to say though.
Chapter Twenty
The door opened and the male nurse returned. “They just X-rayed Tiger’s leg and it’s as we thought. He damaged the leg.” He stared at Zandy. “Tiger refused to rest until he knows you are fine. He snarled at me to bring you to him.”
Dr. Allison shot Zandy a warning look. “That sounds like a man who doesn’t want to break it off. You’re free to go. Put ice on the bruising if it continues to hurt.”
“Thank you, Dr. Allison.” Zandy slid off the exam table and shook the woman’s hand. “I mean that.” She was grateful the woman was going to keep her secret about what Tiger had done and that he hadn’t told her what could result from them having sex. “I hope your patient recovers.”
“Me too. I’ve kind of become obsessed with him.”
Zandy didn’t miss the sadness in the other woman’s stare as she followed the New Species nurse out of the room and down the hall. He stopped in front of a closed door.
“He’s in there. The break in his leg will be painful until it heals.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath.
Her heart pounded and she wasn’t sure she wanted to face Tiger. What if he wanted to stop seeing her? The thought of that prospect made her chest hurt. The only way she was going to find out would be to talk to him. Her hand rose and she knocked.
“Come in,” Tiger called out.
The room looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room, much nicer than the exam room she’d just left. Tiger was sprawled out on a queen-sized bed with his leg elevated on pillows. Ice bags had been placed over his lower leg. He’d stripped off his shirt, revealing his muscular, tan chest and flat belly. His hair was down and his exotic gaze met hers.
“Zandy.”
The way he softly growled her name made her ni**les harden. He had a way of affecting her. “Hi, Tiger. How are you?” She closed the door behind her and stepped farther into the room.
“Come here.” He patted the bed next to him.
She didn’t hesitate to step to the side of the bed and carefully climb on it. She sat facing him but kept a few feet of space between them. Her gaze left his to glance at his leg before looking.
“How is your leg feeling?”
Broad shoulders shrugged. “It aches and I’m stuck in bed for two days until it heals again. The break wasn’t as bad as the original injury.” He studied her eyes. “Stay with me here.”
Emotions warred inside her. Part of her was happy he wanted to be with her while another part of her worried that he’d toss her out again if he took more of the medication Dr. Allison had told her about. Everyone would know she was sharing a room with him if she stayed too. Their relationship was already acknowledged, no longer a secret.
“Will they allow it? They warned me you could become unstable on the drugs.”
“There are officers down the hallway in case I grow aggressive but I won’t hurt you. You already stated clearly that you were willing to risk harm to be with me when you refused to leave my bedside at the hospital. This is a more controlled environment.”
“How do you know that?”
“Trust me. I know. Are you saying I could be pregnant?”
“Shit.” The doctor jerked away and walked to the cabinet. “I hope not. I doubt the antibiotic I gave you would harm the fetus at this early stage but I wouldn’t have given it to you if there was a possibility.” She jerked open a cabinet and removed a packaged kit. She turned. “Open your mouth and let me take a swab. We’ll find out right now. This is why there are rules and Tiger didn’t follow them. I’m a doctor first and I just gave you medication I wouldn’t have if I’d known all the facts.”
“What?”
“Just let me do this test. I can tell right away if you’re pregnant. New Species are different from us and you would test positive for higher hormones within twenty-four hours of getting pregnant. I know you haven’t had intercourse with him since his accident.”
Zandy was in shock as the doctor jerked open more cabinets after dipping the sample in a clear vial with liquid. The doctor bent, watching the end of the cotton. A good minute passed before the woman straightened.
“It’s negative,” Dr. Allison informed her, showing her the vial. “It would have turned red if it were positive. It’s clear.”
“Are you sure?” Zandy’s heart was still beating rapidly.
“I’m sure.” She sighed. “Either Tiger really trusts his nose to tell him when it’s safe to have intercourse with you or he tried to get you pregnant. I strongly suggest you have a talk with him. I’ll report this to my supervisor and she’ll inform Justice North. Trisha will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Please don’t,” Zandy said quickly. She was still floored by what she’d learned. “I don’t want him to get into trouble.”
“This is serious. Do you know what would happen if anyone found out New Species can have children?”
“I have a pretty good idea. I just spent time with insane fanatics who hate them.”
They stared at each other. “Fine. I won’t say anything. Invoke doctor-patient confidentiality. That way my butt is covered. You need to talk to him about this though.”
“Trust me. I will.” She just had no idea what to say though.
Chapter Twenty
The door opened and the male nurse returned. “They just X-rayed Tiger’s leg and it’s as we thought. He damaged the leg.” He stared at Zandy. “Tiger refused to rest until he knows you are fine. He snarled at me to bring you to him.”
Dr. Allison shot Zandy a warning look. “That sounds like a man who doesn’t want to break it off. You’re free to go. Put ice on the bruising if it continues to hurt.”
“Thank you, Dr. Allison.” Zandy slid off the exam table and shook the woman’s hand. “I mean that.” She was grateful the woman was going to keep her secret about what Tiger had done and that he hadn’t told her what could result from them having sex. “I hope your patient recovers.”
“Me too. I’ve kind of become obsessed with him.”
Zandy didn’t miss the sadness in the other woman’s stare as she followed the New Species nurse out of the room and down the hall. He stopped in front of a closed door.
“He’s in there. The break in his leg will be painful until it heals.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath.
Her heart pounded and she wasn’t sure she wanted to face Tiger. What if he wanted to stop seeing her? The thought of that prospect made her chest hurt. The only way she was going to find out would be to talk to him. Her hand rose and she knocked.
“Come in,” Tiger called out.
The room looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room, much nicer than the exam room she’d just left. Tiger was sprawled out on a queen-sized bed with his leg elevated on pillows. Ice bags had been placed over his lower leg. He’d stripped off his shirt, revealing his muscular, tan chest and flat belly. His hair was down and his exotic gaze met hers.
“Zandy.”
The way he softly growled her name made her ni**les harden. He had a way of affecting her. “Hi, Tiger. How are you?” She closed the door behind her and stepped farther into the room.
“Come here.” He patted the bed next to him.
She didn’t hesitate to step to the side of the bed and carefully climb on it. She sat facing him but kept a few feet of space between them. Her gaze left his to glance at his leg before looking.
“How is your leg feeling?”
Broad shoulders shrugged. “It aches and I’m stuck in bed for two days until it heals again. The break wasn’t as bad as the original injury.” He studied her eyes. “Stay with me here.”
Emotions warred inside her. Part of her was happy he wanted to be with her while another part of her worried that he’d toss her out again if he took more of the medication Dr. Allison had told her about. Everyone would know she was sharing a room with him if she stayed too. Their relationship was already acknowledged, no longer a secret.
“Will they allow it? They warned me you could become unstable on the drugs.”
“There are officers down the hallway in case I grow aggressive but I won’t hurt you. You already stated clearly that you were willing to risk harm to be with me when you refused to leave my bedside at the hospital. This is a more controlled environment.”
