Bound to Him

as long as Nolan Miles is here. Mia

.

guish, trapped within the throes of a tormenting drea

ac

room-the unmistakable sound of por

her eyes shooting open with a start. She sa

lf, then remembered: she had been

ro

vibrant man, now confined to a b

returning from a remote work assignment

zen river. Rescue had come too lat

Henry had a notoriously difficult temperament, and it was no surprise that

rang out from the bedroom down the hal

rimmed glasses and flick on the nightlight. Without dela

arely on the massive bed. His dark, penetrating eyes were

ed pair of deep indigo silk pajamas. The fabric hung loosely on his powerful frame,

tered clay mug-likely the culprit behi

s were as c

orget your job? Do you know how many

happen again," Mia said quie

tly, every few hours, demanding assistance. Three hours of rest had

ater?" she asked, her

in a hard line before reply

htly. She knew

etaker, Mr. Carter had insisted on Steward Maso

f lately-Mia had seen him coughing relentlessly earl

's been unwell today. He looked feverish. I can brin

myself? I'm not some decrepit fool using a chamber

" she offered ge

do you plan to do t

back the blanket without hesitation, and, with a

with surprising ease, lowering him into his wheelcha

ze, utter

er than he'd ever been. Still, his physique was

A woman who, by all outward appearanc

assment, surprise, and something he couldn't quite name. H

re outdated and heavy on her delicate face, and her figure barely noticeabl

ride

ike that? What even are you? Some kind of... bodybuilder in dis

eechless by the sheer a

ting a reaction. But she remained

ken only by the faint creak of the wheelch

nge expression-part wounded e

andled with such ease by someone so unassuming-and

returned to her neutral

did more dama

aped raw, his voice dropping as he mutt

ietly, her fa

inning. If she was going to survive here, she'd have to le

se haunted by the s

eelchair beside the toilet and

p," Henry

tirely. However, the injury to his spine made it nearly impossible for him to bea

and then suddenly shoved h

e side cabinet. The impact was jarring, and for

tively reached for the back of her head. Fortuna

ore than a week, she thought with a bitter s

s solid, and she was saving every cent for college.

ool and calculating. It was as if he were daring her to

en flinch. Instead, she got up ste

p again-this time more assertively-and

opened his mouth to lash out

ealt with a number of patients like you. Some have h

ry, yes, but you're expected

ntrol how you treat people. And shoving someone while in your c

ing. Just even enough to make h

keep holding it in, you might end up with a nasty urologic compli

Her smile wasn't mocking-it was patie

re oversized black-rimmed glasses that covered nearly half o

e was something quietly magnetic about her. A centered c

r limits, he ordered sharply, "