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“Then stop acting like one,” he rasped. “You were knocked unconscious this morning, after witnessing something most people would never dream of seeing even in their worst nightmares. For reasons you’ve explained, and I sympathize with, you then dismissed going to the hospital after the doctor expressed concern about your concussion and the need for an X-ray of your skull. The least you could do is agree to take a rest now.”
When he put it like that…
“Okay.”
Frustration darkened his brow. “Do you have any idea how infuriating that one little word can be?”
She smiled. “Because you were gearing up for another fight and I took the wind out of your sails again by agreeing?”
“Exactly.”
“Then yes, I know exactly how infuriating it can be.” She gave a dismissive shrug. “Are you going to show me to the bedroom I’m to use now? Maybe tuck me in and read me a bedtime story? Should I call you Daddy?”
“What the…? I am not your fucking daddy.” Darius’s cheeks were flushed with anger. “Don’t ever think of calling me that again. Even in jest.” He shuddered.
Mia grinned unrepentantly. “Not into that kink, huh?”
“I make no judgment on those who are, but I’m not into any sort of kink.”
“Tried them all, have you?”
He glared his exasperation. “Let’s just leave my sex life out of this conversation, okay?” he bit out from between gritted teeth.
She arched an eyebrow. “Regretting inviting me to stay yet?”
His expression was completely serious as he gave a shake of his head. “If it keeps you safe, I’ll never regret that.”
She chuckled softly. “Give it time.” She sobered. “Joking aside, I’ll need to go home and collect my books and some clothes if I’m going to stay here for a couple of days and nights. As you said, I can get notes from one of the other students, but I’ll need my books to be able to do the work. I also need clean clothes.”
“Tell me what things you need, and I’ll have one of my brothers go to the house and pick them up for you.”
Mia tried to imagine having one of those completely alpha Kingston men she’d seen in a photograph on the company website going through her underwear drawer. No. Just no. “I don’t think so, but thanks.” She grimaced at the idea.
“I can give you one of my T-shirts to sleep in.”
“And a pair of your boxers to wear in the morning?” She eyed him mockingly. “I think they might be a little big on me.”
Darius narrowed his eyes at her. “I think I liked you better when you were in shock.”
Her lips tilted into a rueful smile. “No, you didn’t.” She’d seen the worry in his expression earlier. It was one of the reasons she was trying to make light of things now. Bad enough she was intruding into his apartment and his life without adding to it by continuing to be a cause for his concern.
“No, I didn’t,” he conceded heavily. “Okay, you agree to rest for a couple of hours, and then we’ll both go to the house you share and collect some of your things. Enough for the next couple of days and nights, at least.”
“Are you going to escort me when I do my dog walking this evening, and in the morning, and to class tomorrow too?” Mia knew from his wince what his answer was going to be. “I’m not going to be doing any of those things, am I,” she realized heavily.
“Not for the moment, no.”
Mia knew she could fight that decision, that maybe she should. But even if she won and insisted on doing those things, she knew Darius would demand to accompany her. Then she would be putting his life in even more danger.
“If you give me the names and addresses of the owners of the dogs you walk, I can have one of our men do that for you for a couple of days,” Darius reasoned.
“Problem solved, just like that?”
He grimaced. “Just like that.”
She snorted. “Must be nice to just be able to just click your fingers and make stuff happen.”
“It has its moments.”
