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This was exactly the reason I had told Roger that I didn’t want Rae coming up here. This right fucking here.
My dogs barked at the woman hanging from my arms, as though a princess had just dropped out of the heavens, and I was the villain keeping her captive. That’s the story the town will spin when they get wind of this, so might as well embrace it.
“Dove, Duke! Fucking sit before I kennel you both.”
That shut them up, and they gave one last little collective whine before padding off toward their places in front of the fire.
Slamming the front door shut with my foot, I walked over to the couch and gently laid Rae down. She let out a small hiss, bringing her hand to her head, trying to gauge where the wound was.
Once letting her go, I stood and turned away from her—stretching my fingers to get the feel of her out of them. The last thing I wanted to do was get used to how soft her skin was, or admit that I liked how she felt pressed close to my chest.
“I’m going to call your dad.” I said matter of fact, but she seemed to panic at the suggestion.
“No! Please…I don’t” —she paused, wincing as she adjusted her hand—“I don’t want him to worry.”
Fuck, she was bleeding and hurt, and I was standing there staring at her like a prick.
“I’ll grab you some ice and pain meds.” I didn’t wait for her to respond. I grabbed ice, a wet rag, and some peroxide—along with a water bottle and a container of aspirin. Padding back toward Rae, I noticed she’d shifted her body so that she was more reclined, relaxing into the couch. The sight of her closed eyes and supple body made my breath hitch. I had never had this, a woman in my space. It felt strange, but not in a bad way.
Blinking away the image, and clearing my head, I stepped closer and took a seat on the coffee table across from her.
“Here…” I hesitated, trying to sound a little less like the Davis Brenton in all the rumors she likely heard growing up. “Be careful as you sit up.”
My hand was out, careful not to touch her as she moved. I wouldn’t make her uncomfortable, and I sure as shit wouldn’t touch her again if I could help it, but that didn’t mean I didn’t notice how good she looked. She had smooth, creamy skin, with a few independent freckles—one above her left brow, one on her nose and one near her jaw. Her dark lashes fanned the top of her cheeks, and her lips were plump and pink. She looked like a fucking princess: hair too perfect, and shiny, skin too clear and creamy, lips too kissable.
Her lashes fluttered, and two bright blue eyes stared back at me. For one small moment, she seemed completely at ease just staring at me, but then her gaze narrowed, and her face went from pale to slightly red. I was sitting so close to her that my knees practically touched her hips.
“You okay?” I asked, hoping to ward off her panic.
She thrust her palms back, trying to adjust her back into a sitting position.
“Careful,” I reiterated, finally applying pressure to her back to stabilize her.
She muttered something under her breath and kept her gaze low, as though she didn’t want to look at me.
“Can you say something coherent, so I know that you’re okay?”
Wincing, she finally settled her gaze on mine. “Why did you place an order and not add your name?”
Her confusion made my composure break, forcing a smile.
“I did add my name.”
Her confused stare stayed in place as she waited for me to elaborate, but I needed to be sure she was physically okay first.
“Now that you’re sitting up, I need you to take this.” I nodded toward her injury and reached for the bottle of aspirin.
“Here.” I handed her a bottle of water, and medicine.
She gave me a long look, her left eyebrow arching, as if she was weighing how likely I was to poison her.
I glared back. “It’s not drugged or anything. Look, the seal is still on the bottle.”
That eyebrow stayed arched, challenging me.
“What?” I asked, trying to shake off the feeling she stirred in me. She looked at me like she knew that deep down I was just a piece of shit, trying to hide from my sins.
“Why are you being nice to me? We didn’t end our last conversation on good terms…”
