Mistakenly Mated by Sonnet O'Dell Page B

just eaten a persimmon and her face still had no color to it.
    Caleb got in and turned on the vehicle. He pulled out, heading away from people who still crowded around trying to find out what had happened.
    Caleb thought about that too. That car was not just an impatient person. No cars were on that road when they started their conversation and someone who wanted to just pass would have honked their horn or yelled at them to move.
    The driver deliberately tried to mow them down. They swerved a little to the left so Caleb was sure they aimed to mow Kerry down. He would have just been collateral. If he’d not shoved her, she might have been hit broad side, thrown up in the air, and killed. She was already coming off one injury, to get so injured when she hadn’t healed yet could put her into a critical condition. He made a snap decision and took a different road.
    Kerry’s breathing became slow and even. Blood returned to her cheeks in small doses and her eyes fluttered open. She had her pain under control for now but Caleb needed to see under her bandages, find out how much damage had been done, and re dress it. Kerry looked around her as they turned on to Pine Ridge Road.
    “Where are we going?” she asked in a breathy voice.
    “To my place.”
    She rolled her head towards him. “Why?”
    “Honestly? Because your daddy won’t be there at any point.”
    Kerry gave him a weak little smile.
    He turned onto a drive and hit a little button on the fob attached to his keys. High metal gates slowly slid open to allow the car through.
    The drive ended just up a small bank from the gate in a circle with a beautiful fountain made of natural stones and water flowing over them. Bushes lined the edge of the drive and up to the door where the scents of honeysuckle filled Kerry’s nose.
    Caleb carried her from the car to the house as carefully as he could, pushing the door open with his shoulder. Soft New Orleans jazz played from a speaker as they entered the house. Caleb carried her into his living room and lay her down on a pristine, white couch which looked new. He pulled a throw from the back of the couch down and covered her with it.
    Caleb fumbled with a control panel on the wall to turn the music off before returning to her.
    “It was nice. I liked it,” she said, smiling at him.
    He stroked her hair off her face and looked at her side. The blood had soaked the entire side of the shirt.“Try to get this off. I’ll get my first aid kit.”
    Kerry nodded, watching him disappear through a door leading to a stainless steel kitchen.
    She pulled at the T-shirt, getting it up over her good side and then peeling it down on the side wet with her blood. She cried out as it stung to pull the fabric from the wound.
    Caleb came back with a large, clunky green box that read First Aid Kit in bright white letters on it. He bent down at her side and examined her skin through the blood. He opened the kit, pulling out a pack of antibacterial wipes and started cleaning her up.
    Caleb saw it had opened up again but it already started to heal over again. Kerry had to have caught it hard on the gravel as she fell. Once he had all the blood mopped up, he squirted some antiseptic cream onto his finger. As gently as he could, he rubbed it along the wound, making sure it made a seal of protection around her torn flesh. When she cried out at the sting, he gently blew on her skin to ease it. Kerry watched him with great attention as he covered it over with a new piece of gauze, tapping it into place.
    “There now, can you sit up?”
    Kerry carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position, bringing her breasts level with Caleb’s eyes. He examined the pretty pink bra she wore that was now dappled along one side with blood. Kerry winced a little and had to stop herself from rubbing her hand flat over her side to sooth it.
    Caleb watched her halt her gesture. Then he packed bits back into the box. “Do you want some Tylenol? I have some in the