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Shaking her head, she dredged up her courage and walked out of the bathroom. The sun was gone, but the evening light still filtered through the large windows, and her princely benefactor was ... kneeling next to the bed praying.
Hattie could only stare. She’d never seen anything so appealing. She wished she had her phone to snap a picture of his well-built body humbly kneeling.
This man was not only a tough alpha male, brilliant doctor, and a gentleman who took care of her with no ulterior motives. He was humble, good, true …
She didn’t deserve him in any way.
Hattie resolved then and there that she would not ask him to leave Augustine after they took care of Franz. It wouldn’t be fair to him. She’d already asked too much of him and Jensen, putting their necks on the line for her.
Not only was Steffan’s place here—with his family and his career—but he was so good he glowed. She couldn’t be with a man like that. Nobody but her parents, and maybe the organizers of charities that she self-funded who she’d never met in person, would think she even deserved to be.
As if he sensed her there, he glanced up and his handsome face split in a smile. Even in the dying light, she could see his blue eyes. They were a dusty, smoky blue filled with warmth and desire for her. She didn’t know Steffan as well as she’d like, but somehow she knew his desire was pure and wouldn’t be used to push her to do anything beyond kissing and snuggling.
What a man. Sadly, he could never be her man. Was it selfish of her to savor the next six hours with him before they needed to hike to that lake? Probably. But everybody who knew Hattie would say she was a selfish billionaire, so it fit. Just another reason she wasn’t worthy of Steffan.
He stood, and she could appreciate his lean, firm body encased in a simple T-shirt and joggers. He reached up as if to clasp the stethoscope she suspected was almost always around his neck. When he didn’t grasp anything, he quickly folded his nicely-formed arms across his chest.
“I hope Aliya didn’t embarrass you, but I really would love to hold you close …” He paused, and her body threatened to combust. “So you can rest before we have to go.”
She didn’t care what his motivation was to hold her close, only that he did it.
“Okay,” she squeaked out, swallowing against her suddenly dry throat.
“Give me just one moment.”
He hurried past her, his warm, clean scent making her as weak as his inviting smile. As the bathroom door shut, she walked to the large window and rested her head against the cool pane. What was she doing? She should be worried about whatever Franz was trying to pull off tonight, but Jensen was so capable. Augustine’s police chief had protected her five years ago from being framed for murder. Tonight, she wanted to focus on Steffan. She’d deal with the idiocy of letting her heart get more entangled with his … tomorrow.
He exited the bathroom and thankfully, it was dark enough that she could only see his outline. If she got one more glimpse of his blue eyes, she’d falter on her promise to herself and beg him to go with her when she left his country early tomorrow morning with a no-return stamp on her passport.
Steffan walked around the bed, stopping right in front of her. Her nerves ramped up. This felt far too intimate, like they were playing married or something. He held out a hand to her and waited. Hattie drummed up her courage and put her hand in his. Warmth and a sense of rightness washed over her. No matter how welcoming people around the world were and how fun and laidback her travel companions, she hadn’t felt like she was at ‘home’ like this. Not since the last time she and Sadie had been at her house with her parents and aunt and uncle, the week before they were killed.
For years, she’d been looking everywhere in the world, spending time with a huge variety of people, hoping to find that feeling again.
Until this moment and that kiss earlier tonight … she’d failed.
“Hattie, I want you to know I would never take advantage of this situation. I will keep things pure between us.”
“You are a great man,” Hattie burst out with.
Such a great man. Far too great of a man for her.
“Thank you.” He released her hand, lay down on his back, and scooted over to make room for her. She was relieved yet again when he laid on top of the covers. She was plenty warm simply being close to him; she didn’t need the intimacy of climbing under the covers.
Lying down next to him, she wasn’t sure what to do next. She’d never laid on a bed with some handsome, alluring prince. She’d snuggled with different men on a couch as they watched a movie or before or after a kissing session, but this wasn’t even close to that. This was snuggling times a thousand, and he hadn’t even touched her yet.
Every nerve in her body tingled as Steffan gently slid his arm between her neck and the pillow, cupping her upper back and shoulder with his palm as he turned her slightly toward him. His other hand rested gently on the side of her abdomen.
Hattie couldn’t catch a full breath. Her right arm was trapped between their bodies, but she bravely rested her left arm on his forearm. Steffan cuddled her in closer, and her arm slid around to his strong back.
The only sound was their breathing, and she was grateful that his seemed as short and quick as hers was.
“Do you think this was what Aliya had in mind?” he whispered.
“That girl.” Hattie laughed, appreciating the break in tension. “If I didn’t love her so much, I’d cuss her to one side of Georgia and back.”
He chuckled. “You’d cuss her, and I’d praise her.” His voice dropped, husky and enticing. “I’ve never felt something as incredible as cuddling you close.”
Hattie’s stomach did a happy dance. She ran her hand up his back, along his neck, and cupped his strong jawline with her palm. “I have,” she whispered.
