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She advanced on him, her eyes widening the closer she got. Did he smell that awful?
“I’m not concerned with your scent. I am speaking aboutthis,” she said, stepping in close and placing her warm fingertips next to the scar on his shoulder—a bullet wound.
“Oh,” he said dumbly, far more affected by her touch than he wanted to admit.
“And this.” She trailed her hand down his arm to the scar on his bicep. A knife wound.
Brad couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Her touch was mesmerizing, the concerned look in her teal-blue eyes even more so.
“And this.” She ran her palm along his skin until she reached the burn marks above his wrist. Part of his captor’s torture.
Brad needed to pull away. He also needed to make certain she did not see his back.
“And this.” She placed her warm palm on the left side of his abdomen, right next to the scar where he’d almost lost his spleen—a spear that time.
He swallowed hard and flexed an arm. “You’re inquiring how I developed all of my impressive musculature?”
“Your build is …” Arianna looked over his chest and shoulders, then met his gaze. “Very impressive.” She finally pulled her hand back. “But I am horrified by all these scars. Who injured you?”
Brad wanted to smile again. She looked like she’d go hunt down and have words with anyone who dared hurt him. His stomach turned. He would never let her close to the fierce warriors that had injured, imprisoned, and tortured him.
“Worried about me, are you?”
He should be keeping his distance, but it was difficult with how appealing she was. He’d run and fought for eight years, penance and justice for the pitiful amount of self-control he’d exhibited after his mum’s death. He’d been alone and devastated when he lost his mum, but that was little reason to return Arianna’s intoxicating kisses. Especially after he’d lost control and done more than just kiss Annabelle the night before her tragic death. Annabelle had been engaged to Levi at the time, so Levi had every reason to hate him. Brad was the lowliest of scumbags. He’d found forgiveness and a relationship with his Savior while fighting and serving in the wilds of Africa, but sometimes the balm of forgiveness was hard to hang on to.
“Of course I’m worried about you,” Arianna insisted. “I thought you dug wells and built schools. You said you protected, almost as an after thought. This isn’t some occasional protection detail.” Her gaze turned knowing. “General Ray also said you were well-trained and experienced. I put that to the back of my mind because I was such a mess last night.”
“You were incredible last night. Braver than anyone could be.”
“Thank you.” She smiled softly, but it quickly disappeared. “Who hurt you?”
“I, um … I trained with the warriors from the tribes and helped protect the people.”
“And you got all these scars in battle?”
“Most,” he admitted. What would she do when she saw his back? The battle had been going well, but he’d been struck in the head from behind as he battled two men in front of him. He never saw it coming.
When he awoke, he was tied to a tree along with his men who’d survived. There had been no way to fight or defend his friends, and he’d been forced to listen to their screams and grunts, or worse, them not responding to the lashings of the whip. That had been as painful as his own beatings. Especially when they started dying from their wounds.
If he edged back to the bedroom to grab a shirt, would that be too telling? He cleared his throat. “Are you hungry? Can I help you with something? How is your work going?”
Arianna eyed him strangely. “I’m grabbing a drink, and not great, honestly. I want to be out there.” She threw a hand toward the world of white, brushed by him, and sauntered to the fridge in the kitchen area.
Brad slowly pivoted with her to keep his back out of her view. He didn’t mention that even if she wasn’t in danger, this storm would have grounded her.
She pulled a seltzer water out of the fridge, shut the door, twisted the top off, and took a long drink. Her neck was smooth, and her lips glistened with moisture.
Brad stared. Openmouthed. She looked so appealing he almost forgot his purpose here.
“Are you all right then?” she asked him.
He shrugged, and Arianna’s gaze sharpened on his shoulders.
“You’ve matured … a lot,” she said, focusing on the water in her hand and taking another sip.
“And you have grown into an exquisitely beautiful woman, Ari.” He wanted to rush across the space between them, scoop her into his arms, and kiss her.
What he should do was ease back into the room, put a shirt on, and wait until she hid in her bedroom again.
