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Yael
“Shitskis.” I waved my hand around, thumb and index finger stinging with pain and welling with blood.
Alex popped up from the floral armchair where he’d been sitting, staring blankly at the ceiling of our hotel room, completely blissed out from our morning at the spa. “You okay?”
“I will be.” I sucked my fingers into my mouth, copper hitting my tongue.
He approached, eyeing the wires and metal cutters in front of me on the window seat. “Did you cut yourself?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Working with metal was a touch more hazardous than needle and thread. I’d given myself a good slice, but I didn’t think it would need stitches. “Would you mind grabbing me a washcloth?”
Worry pinching his brow, he hurried into the bathroom, returning moments later with a white washcloth waving in his hand like a flag. He kneeled in front of me with his hand out.
I raised my brow. “What?”
“Give me your hand so I can fix you.”
I clutched my injured hand to my chest. “No, I can fix myself.”
He shook his palm. “Don’t argue with me, Yael. You won’t win.”
Sighing, I laid my hand on his, and he hissed when he saw the blood on my fingers. “You really got yourself good.” Concentration replaced the worry as he dabbed at my fingers. “I can’t take you back home in more than one piece. Your brother would never let me hear the end of it.”
His palm was warm beneath mine, warm and rough, cupping my hand like a baby bird. He treated it just as delicately, gentle in his caregiving. I’d never seen this side of him. I knew silly Murray. Snarky Alex. Hard-rocking Alex Murray. But this was something else entirely.
His hot breath grazed the skin of my wrist. Like a breeze on a scorching summer day, it did nothing to make me more comfortable. Instead, I shivered.
Of course, he noticed.
Alex raised his eyes from my hand to meet mine, and my breath caught. We weren’t often this close, face-to-face. A wave of terror knocked me down. There was no goofiness in the way he gazed at me. It had all fallen away, leaving a burning intensity. He’d looked at me this way before, and no good had come of it.
His thumb moved to my inner wrist, right over my fluttering pulse.
“I should find a Band-Aid,” I croaked.
“I’ll get you one.” That thumb brushed my pulse, slow and steady.
“No.” I tugged my hand back and fumbled to my feet. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of it. I don’t think I’ll be losing any fingers, so you can stand down. Moses won’t disown you for allowing me to be injured.”
I brushed by him, rushing into the bathroom. Almost blind with panic, I searched for a bandage, but came up short. Groaning, I stared down at my hand, still weeping blood. I couldn’t very well walk around with a washcloth on my hand all night.
Flying back out of the bathroom, I stuffed my feet in my Chucks, and snagged my room key. Without meeting Alex’s eyes, which were no doubt wide with alarm over my sudden mania, I bolted from our room and took the elevator down to the lobby.
A cramped store situated near the front desk sold snacks and sundries. I quickly found a tiny box of bandages which cost a small fortune and threw in a Snickers for Alex and jelly beans for myself. If things were awkward back in the room, we could eat candy so at least we wouldn’t have to speak.
I bandaged my wounds as I made my way back through the lobby, not paying much attention to where I was going. I was almost to the elevators when a commotion caused me to swivel around and face the front doors.
A group of rowdy men squeezed through the entrance, arms thrown around each other’s shoulders, loud and boisterous. Right in the middle was Jamie, looking sun-kissed and not entirely sober. With reluctance, I scanned the group, but not for long. Right beside his brother was my ex, and he’d already found me.
Yes, I came here for closure, but I would have preferred to look a hell of a lot cuter while achieving it instead of a garbage bag with crazy hair and crusty Chucks. Clearly the universe was screwing with me.
Jamie spotted me and shouted my name across the lobby, ceasing any chance for a graceful escape. I raised a hand and laughed like this was all so damn hilarious.
Jamie and Harris broke off from their group, approaching me together.
“Hey.” I leaned into Jamie, giving him a peck on the cheek. “A castle, huh?”
He nodded, chuckling. “My girl wants a castle, she gets a castle.” He smacked his brother on the back, subtly pushing him forward.
