With the Colonel’s Help: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

“I can walk, Otto.”

He grunted at me as he dipped into the passenger side of my car and slipped his arms underneath me. “Not gonna happen, darlin’.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I need you as close to me as I can get you, and I can’t think of any better way than having you in my arms.”

“Oh, I can think of ways for us to get closer,” I told him, letting the innuendo wind into my voice, going for light.

We were in dire need of it since this afternoon had been too much.

Too dark and strained and terrifying.

I might have tried to play it off, but I didn’t think there would be any way for either of us to shuck the horror that had taken us prisoner.

Those old chains that had tried to keep me down cinching tight around my wrists.

The worry and dread and reservations that Otto had carried slithering back from their confines, weaving their way back through his consciousness.

I saw it, so clear in the seething blue of his eyes. The way he watched me when he straightened with me in the stability of his powerful hold.

He thought he was to blame, but he also wasn’t cowering behind it.

To me, it felt as if a new fire had lit.

“And that is not going to happen, either. You are going to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

“What does the doctor know?” I let my arms dangle loosely around his neck as I sent a pout his way. “I think you are the only medicine I need.”

He sent me a look that told me he was on to my game. “You already know you have the seduction down pat, Raven. How about you do me a favor and don’t tempt me, yeah? Need to make sure you’re whole and healing before I ravish you.”

My pout deepened, though I settled my cheek against the surety of his chest, letting him hold me as he carried me up the interior steps of the garage to the door. He maneuvered me around easily, like I didn’t weigh anything, getting it open with hardly jostling me at all. He carried me directly to the couch and laid me across it.

“Don’t move,” he ordered.

“So bossy. The doctor said I needed to rest tonight, not that I’m bedridden.”

Otto climbed to his knees beside me, leaning in close. “Don’t care if you barely have a headache. I’m gonna take care of you. You haven’t met the meaning of bossy yet.”

A shiver rolled through me. “Why do I like the sound of that?”

Otto sighed, half in frustration and half in affection. “Always askin’ for trouble, aren’t you, Little Moonflower?” He gathered my hand and kissed across my knuckles as his expression turned somber. “Scared the fuck outta me, baby. Seeing you go down like that.”

I reached out with my free hand and trembled my fingertips over the sharp edges of his face. “I was scared, too. But I’m fine. I’m right here. Whole and healing. It was nothing.”

“It’s not nothing when someone was able to get that close to you. Close enough that they made you bleed. If I said I wasn’t going to let you out of my sight before, I’m going to be stuck to you like glue now.”noveldrama

“I like the sound of that, too.” There was no teasing to that. It was pure softness. My gratitude to him.

A strained second passed before he croaked, “Who is this bastard?”

He asked it against the back of my hand, pressing it to his forehead and squeezing his eyes closed as if he were praying for the answer to drop out of the sky.

“I don’t know…but we will find him.”

Otto slowly opened his eyes. Determination roiled in their depths. “We will. I’m going to toss every speck of dirt until I uncover who this asshole is.”

“I know you will.”

“Good.” Then he stood, a buttress of intimidation and fortitude.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To make you some soup.”

I didn’t know whether to giggle or roll my eyes. “I don’t have the flu, silly boy.”

Leaning down, he pressed a growl to the uninjured side of my head, though it rumbled with affection. “I’m going to take care of you and you’re going to like it.”

A patter fluttered in my pulse, and I grinned as he pulled away. “Fine, Burly Bear.”

He rounded the couch, and I could feel his heavy footsteps thudding across the floor as he headed for the kitchen, the man an earthquake to my senses.

“But if you really want to take care of me, then you’ll bring me a glass of wine,” I shouted, trying to keep from smiling when I did.

Already anticipating what was coming.

“You little vixen. What am I supposed to do with you?”

It wasn’t a question because I had a hunch that we both already knew.