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I chew on my lower lip. “You should probably take a hot shower.”
He gives me a wistful look. “Are you sure that’s okay?”
I nod. “You’ll catch a cold, otherwise.”
He looks relieved.
While he is in the shower in Bryan’s bathroom, I go through Bryan’s things and pick out a white T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. As I put the clothes out, I hear the click of the door, and I quickly leave the room to give him some privacy to change.
Moments later, he exits the room, and I see that while he put on the sweatpants, he isn’t wearing the shirt, the towel hanging from his neck, his hair wet, raked back by his fingers.
He has a narrow waist, and there is a tattoo that extends over his left arm, circling onto his shoulder, and settling on his chest. Speaking of his chest, it is broad and defined, and I feel my mouth become dry.
Even the sight of the bruise on his ribs doesn’t distract me from the realization that I am too attracted to him.
He sees me staring and smirks at me. “See something you like?”
I try to compose myself. “I see that you didn’t wear the shirt I gave you.”
“It’s too small.”
I bite my tongue.
He cleaned up his face, but I can still see the purplish bruise on his cheek, and my heart feels heavy, my hand reaching up to grace his cheek gently with my fingers. “Who were they? Why did they hurt you?”
Before I can retreat, his larger hand grasps my smaller one, and he presses a kiss to the center of my palm, his eyes serious. “They were Street Serpents, but not ones I had seen before. It was an ambush. They were waiting for me outside the restaurant.”
I can’t help it. “Is this my fault?”
He gives me a strained look. “I wouldn’t be so quick to say that.”
He hasn’t let go of my hand, and as I stand there, our bodies inches apart, I find it doesn’t bother me.
“I don’t like you getting hurt.” I recognize the mulish tone to my words, and he grins at me, his expression soft.
“Really? Why not?”
I make a small sound. “I just don’t. I’ve decided, next time I come to the bar, from tomorrow, I’m going to pretend you’re a stranger. That way the Street–”
“That’s ridiculous.” Fergus scowls at me. “You can’t just ignore me when you’re there.”
“Look what they did to you!” I argue, gesturing towards the bruises on his form. “I’m not letting you get hurt because of me. I’m practically a stranger to you!”
Fergus narrows his eyes at me. “I have a feeling you don’t go around kissing every stranger you see. So, forget it.”
My cheeks flame at his words, and I splutter.
Before I can get a word in, he covers my mouth with his hands, his eyes gleaming. “If you think I’m going to let you ignore me, Sarah, you have another thing coming. For some weird, unfathomable reason, I can’t seem to leave you alone. You’re constantly in my head. I can’t stop thinking about you. So, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you sit in my bar, alone, so that every man in the vicinity can come and hit on you.”
I stagger under the weight of his words.
He can’t stop thinking about me?
I gaze up at him, my eyes wide, and then use my hands to push his hand away.
I never realized that I like to play with fire.
I tuck my tongue in my cheek, a slow grin forming on my lips. “It sounds like you have a crush on me.”
