Love, Guns, or Knives? Ch. 02

Chase's head hurt as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes seemed sewn shut, and he could tell that they hadn't been opened in a while. He smelled the scent of perfume as his senses cleared. 'Where am I? That smell is damn fine, but where's it coming from?' he thought. He tried with all his might to force his eyes open, but when he did the light blinded and hurt him. He squinted his eyes and tried to ignore the pain he felt as they slowly adjusted to the light, the blurry images clearing.

When his sight was finally restored, he was surprised to see a woman standing over him. 'She's beautiful!' Chase thought as he took in her shoulder length strawberry red hair and her soft, blemish free face. She had a slightly upturned nose, and luscious full lips with rosy cheeks. Her eyes caught his attention quickly, and he noticed that her left eye was blue, and her right was brown. They were framed with long, curled eyelashes, and the brown eye had a beauty mark near it.

"Where..." Chase said with a hoarse voice. "Where am I? Who are ya?" As he saw her smile at him he realized that he didn't even know who he was. "Who am I?" He asked, and she frowned. Chase wanted her to smile again instead, but he couldn't think of anything that would make her. When she suddenly left him with no explanation he felt lonely, an emotion that he felt used to for some reason.

Eventually the woman returned with another woman who was wearing nurses scrubs. The nurse put a hand on his forehead, and then watched the nearby machines' screen for his pulse. "You seem fine right now, but you'll be feeling real bad real fast. This young lady says you can't remember anything?" His throat hurt too much for him to try and talk again, so he nodded his head, trying once again to remember his name.

The nurse left to find the doctor, and the woman from earlier stood next to him once again. She reached out and caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. Her touch made him relax, and he could feel his feeling of loneliness retreating slowly. "Oh, you poor thing you. You must feel terrible right now. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She asked in a sweet, caring voice that had him relaxing even more.

He stared at her for a few seconds before closing his eyes and thinking. "Well," he said, his voice still hoarse, but his throat hurt less. "I suppose it would be nice ta know who I am, and who ya are." He was disappointed when she stopped her caresses, but he was too weak to protest it. She sounded timid when she finally answered his question.

"I'm sorry to say this, but I don't really know you so I can't really say. But I found your wallet, and it says your name is Chase Grande. Oh, and I'm Arinn Trinner, by the way."

"Well then," Chase mumbled. "It's nice ta meet ya, miss Arinn."

He drifted off to sleep with the smell of strawberry scented perfume in his nose and the soft sound of her voice in his ears saying "It's nice to finally meet you too, Chase."

~~~*~~~

Chase had finally woken up! Arinn was still stunned as she drove home that day. He had had the most beautiful grayish blue eyes. When he had asked who he was, she felt a wave of concern wash over her. No one had claimed to know him, so she was worried about what he would do when he was finally released from the hospital. She felt like it was somehow her responsibility to take care of him. 'Then it's final.' she thought. 'He'll stay with me after he leaves.'

She had leftovers and watched reruns of 'Green Acres' when she got home. Afterwards, she went into the bathroom and got undressed, then headed into the tub. As she soaked in the water, she let her mind wander. When her thoughts drifted to Chase, she couldn't help thinking of all the things they could do together in her tub. She had to stop herself from anymore of those thoughts before she started to try anything.

"If I keep thinking like I have been and things might get awkward if he doesn't feel the same." Arinn warned herself as she climbed out of the tub. "I mean, it's bad enough that I have these thoughts while he's at the hospital. What will happen if he's right next to me when I start thinking up those fantasies again? I don't even know him, what's wrong with me?" Even as she said that she didn't know him, a small part of her mind whispered to her that she knew enough, and that knowing anymore before she fucked him was optional.

~~~*~~~

Arinn had woken up this Wednesday morning from a dream about Chase making love to her until she couldn't walk straight. The dream ran through her mind the whole time she got ready for work, and while she drove. She had a meeting scheduled for when she arrived at work, and she had almost forgotten about it until her secretary reminded her. She hadn't paid attention in the meeting, and just agreed to whatever they'd said. They had all decided at the end of the meeting to go through everything that they had agreed on again next week, just to make sure, so she would have a chance to listen then.

At some point after the meeting while she sat at her desk, something in her mind awoke, and she realized that she hadn't thought straight all day. She couldn't recall a word of what anyone said in the meeting, and she didn't even know what time it was, or what else was to happen that day. She left her office and went to her secretary, claiming that she felt ill, and that she might have to take the next week or so off.

Arinn didn't realize where she was going until she saw the hospital. As she walked to Chase's room, she hoped that he was awake again so that she could talk to him. She wanted to hear what his voice was supposed to sound like. When she got to his door, she could hear that the doctor was in there too. 'Damn...' Arinn thought. 'I'll have to wait to talk to Chase.' She listened through the door as the doctor and Chase talked. She couldn't help noticing as she listened in that Chase had a southern drawl. A very sexy sounding southern drawl.

"Chase, I'm glad to say that you will be able to leave in about a weeks time."

"I'm happy to hear that as well, doc."

"Well, you may have some trouble walking for a while, and you may be sore too, but it should all get better, except..."

"What doc? What's wrong?"

"I'm concerned about your amnesia. It should come back eventually, but until it does, who will you stay with?"

At that moment Arinn chose to enter the room, and the conversation. "You see, that's where I'll be taking over his care. If no one steps forward, then I'll take him to stay with me, if it's okay with you, Chase." she said confidently.

~~~*~~~

Chase was stunned. The beautiful woman who had saved him all those weeks ago was saving him yet again. He had been worrying for days about where he would go when he was let out, and now she had just given him one; Hers. He felt very touched by the generosity of the woman standing before him. Somehow the feeling felt very new to him; His body apparently wasn't used to feeling it.

"You don't..." He began, sounding far too shocked for his own good. He calmed himself a little and then tried again. "You don't have ta do that...I don't wanna be a burden ta ya." Arinn just smiled and shook her head.

"You're right. I don't have to, but I want to. Will you let me?" she asked him in a voice as sweet as honey.

'Now how can I say no ta that?' Chase smiled too, and relaxed back on the bed and rested his tube-free arm over his eyes. "Ya drive a hard bargain, don't ya miss Arinn? Sure, I'd love ta come and stay with ya until I get better."

After Chase had agreed, the doctor had left to give them some time to talk, and had said he'd be back in about an hour to continue talking about what would have to happen when Chase was to be let out. After the doctor had left the room, it had grown silent. A few seconds later Chase felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Chase..." He heard Arinn say. He moved his hand and placed it over the one she had put on his shoulder. "Yes? What can I do for ya little missy?" He couldn't stop staring at her eyes as she spoke; He loved how her face was so unusually...colorful.

"I just wanted to know...are you really sure you want to stay with me? It's okay if you don't want to. I could lend you some money for a hotel if you want..." Arinn asked, clearly distressed.

Arinn had apparently mistaken his surprise as something else. Chase frowned at how worried she sounded. Worried and...hurt. 'Damn! I made her sad. She looks like she's about ready ta cry.'

"No, that ain't it. I was just shocked, that's all. Why would anyone not want ta stay with a pretty little thang like yourself?" At hearing that Arinn blushed cutely, causing Chases frown to turn into a pleased smile. 'Just more color ta her colorful face.'