AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He placed her on the counter with a stern look. “Don’t move.” His fingers dragged away from her painfully slow, as if reluctant to let her go.
Feeling a blush spread over her cheeks, she lowered her eyes. He shot her a quick cocky smile before turning his attention to her foot with a grim expression.
“Nick?”
He placed a towel carefully around her foot. Taking great care to ensure he got every piece, he swept all the glass aside; it crunched as he brushed it into the pan, making her hair rise on her neck.
Completely satisfied that he wouldn’t be crushing glass shards into the floor, he bent down and pulled the first aid box from the cupboard under the sink. His eyes were fixed on her foot as he moved toward her.
“Nick?” she tried again.
He regarded her rather than the box as he opened it. “Yes?” he answered, his voice weary.
She thought he sounded tired and beaten down, and that wouldn’t do. Sighing heavily, she pulled her foot onto her knee and, holding her breath, yanked out the glass with a tight wince.
His eyes went wide. “You…come on…fuck!” He cursed and covered her wound. “It looks deep,” he muttered, his scowl firm. Shaking his head, he seemed unimpressed with her first-aid efforts.
“It will heal Nick,” she softly reassured him, touching his cheek. “You know that.”
Under his breath, he grumbled. Then he snapped, “That doesn’t mean I’m happy you are hurt, Harper.”
“Oh,” she replied softly.
He tended to her foot quickly, as if he thought it would heal in the next few seconds. The disinfectant made her hiss as he cleaned the wound. She attempted to pull her foot away, but he tugged it back with a beast-like growl indicating that he intended to complete the task.
Licking her lips, she extended her toes so he could see the pad of her foot better. With a deep frown, he carefully dabbed and cleaned it up. He put a white cushioned pad over it before binding it with a bandage.
She held on tightly to the counter, her eyes on the back of his head.
While he was not technically on his knees, a primal part of her, the beast, was excited to see an Alpha on his knees in front of her. A deeper, more sensual thought flashed through her mind. She felt her pulse thumping against her neck. She let out a shuddering breath as her skin tightened and her heart raced wildly.
She had to concentrate hard to maintain an even breathing pattern. Unlike her scent, however, she didn’t have to control it at all, and she relaxed some of the rigid control she normally exercised.
She felt a shiver sweep over her, and he noticed it. “Are you all right?” he asked after straightening up and packing away the first aid supplies. He threw away what he had used.
“Ye…er…Yes,” she stuttered, her cheeks slightly pink as if he might be able to hear her thoughts. “I came to check on you, but instead, I’m breaking up your house,” she said—a weak smile spreading across her face.
“Nah, you didn’t break it,” he replied, looking at the glass. “At least not yet,” he chuckled.
Harper groaned. “I wanted to see you. How are you?” she asked.
His shoulders tensed up, and his eyes narrowed, but not in anger. Instead, he seemed to be holding back emotion. “It was Drey who told you?” he presumed.
“No. Imogen told me,” she corrected, wringing her hands.
He rolled his shoulders as he leaned against the counter opposite her. She swung her other foot out as she observed him. Though he was trying to appear unaffected, she knew better; she saw the faint lines around his eyes, the tightening of his mouth, and the tick beginning along his square jaw.
She pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, I understand how difficult it must be.”
Nick stared at the floor without responding. He got lost in thought, developing a tight line on his forehead. She had no idea what he was thinking.
Throughout his career, he was required to be unreadable, so it was sometimes difficult to read his face, but Harper had become accustomed to picking up minute changes in his expression and was able to tell what he was feeling.
She breathed in his scent, absorbing his emotion, and was overcome by a lethal-edged anger along with the sour taste of guilt.
Her beast growled, and she almost rocked back as the feeling overwhelmed her. Nick’s head snapped up in surprise as she let out a guttural snarl.
“What are you doing, Harper?” he asked, his gaze narrowing.
