Chapter 38

Morning arrived with the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. Monique shifted beside me, letting out a sleepy hum as she stretched. Blinking awake, I turned to watch her rub her eyes, her hair slightly tousled.

“Morning,” she murmured, smiling lazily.

“Morning, beautiful,” I replied, my voice rough with sleep.

She snuggled against me, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “You were tossing and turning a lot last night.”

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed. “Yeah ... just thinking.”

She studied me for a moment but didn’t press. Instead, she playfully pulled the covers away, exposing my bare chest. “Come on, lazy man. Let’s get up.”

I groaned. “I liked it better under the covers with you.”

Monique laughed, slipping out of bed and stretching, her nightshirt riding up slightly. “Shower time,” she announced, tossing me a grin before heading toward the ensuite.

I took a moment to admire her before following, covering my cast as she started the water. We showered together, our hands moving over each other’s bodies with tenderness. The ever-present undercurrent of desire lingered between us, but this morning, our touch was more about comfort than urgency.

After drying off, Monique helped me dress, carefully pulling my shirt over my injured arm before adjusting it. She chose a light summer dress for herself, simple yet elegant, the kind that always made my gaze linger a little too long.

“Like what you see?” she teased, catching my eyes in the mirror.

“You already know I do,” I said, shaking my head with a smirk.

We made our way to the kitchen, where Monique prepared breakfast—a light spread of scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit. Sitting close at the table, we sipped our coffee, savoring the quiet intimacy of the morning.

“So,” Monique said, spearing a strawberry with her fork, “what’s on the agenda today?”

I took a sip of coffee before answering. “I have a checkup with my doctor this morning. It’s been a week since I was discharged, so he wants to see how I’m healing.”

Monique nodded. “Good. I’ll go with you.”

I chuckled. “I figured you would.”

After finishing breakfast, we cleaned up together and headed out for the doctor’s appointment.

The small clinic wasn’t far from home. Sitting beside me in the waiting area, Monique flipped through a magazine while I checked in.

Dr. Laurent greeted me with a firm handshake before ushering me into the examination room. He was an older man with a kind face and sharp eyes that missed nothing.

“You’re looking better,” he observed as I sat on the table. “How’s the pain?”

I shrugged. “Manageable. Still sore, but it’s improving.”

He checked my reflexes, ran a few tests to ensure there were no lingering concussion symptoms, then examined the bruises that were beginning to fade into lighter shades.

“You’re healing as expected,” he said approvingly. “No signs of lingering concussion issues. Just keep taking it easy, and you’ll be back to full strength soon.”

Relieved, I nodded.

When I stepped back into the waiting room, Monique immediately stood, her sharp gaze scanning me. “Well?”

“All good,” I assured her. “No lingering concussion symptoms. Just need more time for the bruises to heal.”

She relaxed, taking my hand as we left. “See? Told you I was taking good care of you.”

I smirked. “That you did.”