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He made a deep sound, hunching around me a little more, creating a cocoon with his body heat and a shield with his size. The scruff on his jaw caught in my hair as he lowered his face to speak softly against my ear.
“What’s the matter, baby girl? Hmm? Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
Goose bumps lifted across my arms, and my fingers went from clenching his shirt to flattening against his chest. Balancing my palms against him, I pushed out of his hold enough to lift my face.
My stomach dipped when I realized how close we were, so close that our noses nearly brushed and the tickle of his warm breath brushed softly across my skin. Flexing my fingers against his pecs, I thought about moving back just a little bit more, but my body didn’t obey the thought, and I stayed rooted right there in his personal space like it was mine.
Maybe it is.
I lifted my eyes, seeking answers but forgetting the questions and getting caught up in his captivating two-toned stare. I heard his thick swallow and watched his lips part with a cautious inhale. Everything around us began to hum, electricity bringing the air alive, the currents making my stomach buzz. Without thought, the pads of my fingers rubbed lightly against his shirt, the repetitive action oddly soothing.
The palm cradling the back of my head slid down to gently untangle a few rogue brown strands of my hair that were caught in his scruff. When they were gone, I felt oddly sad until he cupped the side of my face.
“Everything’s okay.” He spoke quietly to no one else but me. Like I’m the center of his world. “I’m here. I got you.”
I hesitated, afraid to ask but so desperate to know. “Ben?”
Pride lit his eyes, and the corner of his lips tugged up into a lopsided smile that made my heart tumble. “I guess some things are just too good to forget.”
A rush of fondness overcame me, and suddenly, I wanted to tease. “Or too annoying.”
His mouth dropped open, but then he shook his head sadly. “You hit your head hard.”
I giggled, and he grinned. The giggle was short-lived, though, because, while I was happy I’d remembered his name… “I don’t remember anything else,” I confessed, sorrow clogging my throat. “It was really bothering me that you left without telling me your name. I worried you wouldn’t come back.” I lowered my eyes, feeling embarrassed and somehow ashamed.
He made a soft noise, petting my hair. His hand was big, so big it covered the entire side of my head, and even though his touch was gentle, it made me feel inherently safe.
Tucking his finger beneath my chin, he pushed my face up even as he leaned down so he could look right into my eyes. “You take all the time you need, sweetheart. I’ve been following you around half my life, and I can guarantee that isn’t going to change, so you don’t have to worry about me not coming back. I’d have to leave first, and that ain’t happening.”
I felt my eyes round with the little bit of information. We’ve known each other that long? “Really?”
He nodded. “But I’m not sorry I forgot to tell you my name.”
Surprised, my lips fell open. “What?”
He half smiled. “If I had, I wouldn’t have gotten that sweet rush from having you remember me on your own.” He tapped the side of my head lightly. “If my name was still in there, then the rest of me is too.”
My lips curled in on themselves. Is he flirting with me? “It just came out when I kept asking for you and they said no.”
He drew back a little. “They told you no?” His body rotated in the direction of the nurse, and all the warmth he’d radiated at me turned cold. “You told my girl she couldn’t see me.”
The nurse bristled a little but stood her ground. “We need to assess your fiancée, Mr. Kruger. I’m sure you understand her well-being is top priority.”
His body tensed. “You told her we’re engaged?” His voice was flat, borderline angry.
My hands slid away from where they still touched him, unease coiling inside me.
“I mentioned it briefly,” the nurse replied.
“Is that not right?” I asked, feeling my forehead bunch as confusion muddied my thoughts. “Are you not the one who gave me this ring?” I worried, stabbing a finger at the sweet little bow. “Oh God, is it someone else?” I freaked, snatching my hand back to cradle it against my chest. Panic pooled into my limbs like adrenaline, making me jittery and unable to focus clearly.
Ben made a noise and closed the distance between us that I had tried to gain. “Like hell I’d ever let any other man have you,” he grumbled. “Of course it’s me.”
Calmed, I sagged into him. “It’s you?”
“Mm.” He agreed. “Who else would it be?”
My nose wrinkled, and I hesitated.
