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Who knew that the paint would make her react like that? He felt terrible. As soon as they reached the edge of the lagoon, he parked. The water poured over the rocks in a loud cascade of frothy chaos. The tumult beneath swirled around until it reached the edges in a still lagoon that seemed almost emerald under the canopy of foliage dipping into its banks above it. The rocks were covered in slime-covered moss. It made for a perfect southern waterhole, and was as solitary and peaceful a place as it was going to get before Grey opened the paradise up to tourists.
Taking no chances with Angel tripping over the uneven banks, Porter caught her up in his arms to bring her to the water himself. She was surprisingly docile for such a spitfire, and unusually quiet. She must be really sick.
His stomach clenched with worry. Trust him to crush her spirit in his enthusiasm to get to know her better. He always took things a step too far, though he’d been surprised what damage he could inflict without his brother.
He lowered inside the chilly depths, taking her with him.
She let out a cry as she settled into his lap. “So cold.”
“I’m sorry.” He did his best to lend her his warmth while he tried to undo everything that he’d done with that paint. He started with the tips of her curly hair first, and then wiping the smudges from her neck, her collarbone. He saw the paint had dripped down further and he stopped there, of course, with a sound of frustration. There were limits to what he could do.
And though this was a rescue mission, he still couldn’t get over how smooth her skin was, and how perfect it looked under his own. He ran his hands down her dark arms. Her breathing slowed, turned less labored, the more he worked on cleaning her off.
Strangely, she hadn’t knocked him away, yet.
Angel had been pulling back from him since the moment that they’d met. Her muttered explanation of not knowing how to trust explained away some of that, but now he wondered what had changed between them. Why wasn’t Angel trying to keep her distance from him now?
In fact, she reminded him of a defeated kitten, the way she curled against his chest. Her eyes traveled over the ripples in the water then rose to meet his gaze.
He rubbed her back, not wanting her defeat. He wanted his vibrant, sassy girl again, and he’d get her on her feet and running again soon. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Much, much better,” she breathed out softly. “It was just the fumes. I promise I’m not usually this pathetic, but you know, it goes with the territory. I should probably take it easier from here on out, but it’s hard to know what my limitations are.”
His heart lurched. Limitations? Was she sick? How to ask that? “How long has this been happening?” he asked.
“The nausea?” She rolled her eyes. “From the beginning of all this. Lucky me, I’m one of those poor women. That’s how I found out in the first place—I had guessed that I was, but the test told me, for sure, and then at that party?” She groaned. “Oh, that horrible party… I am so sorry that that’s how we met. I don’t even know why you’re still talking to me.”
“Why, because you… felt faint?”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.” She giggled. “I puked in that plant. Of course you remember.” She covered her cheeks. “You’re too kind not to rub that in. You had to pull my hair away from my face. I was so embarrassed. And then… Lacy overheard everything I told you. Yeah, everything! You didn’t know that, did you? He wasnothappy. It definitely didn’t go over well when he found out. Anyway, I’m done with him. After what he did, we’re through.”
There was that Lacy again. Porter felt resentful on her behalf. Now he knew that the guy wasn’t a girl, but he still didn’t sound like any kind of man that Porter knew. Why would he run when things got hard? They didn’t make the same stock of men in that elite world.
She sighed. “I was embarrassed, humiliated, and that’s why I came here because I couldn’t face him. I’m doing this on my own. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
“Have you found a doctor yet?”
“No, but I will.” She smiled, though she also looked embarrassed. “Well, stop looking at me like I’m dying. I’ll be okay. This won’t last forever.”
Really? It wouldn’t? He’d been afraid that it was terminal. Porter pushed her hair from her face, studying that sweet face that he’d grown to admire these past few days. “Promise me you’ll get a doctor, stat.”
“I promise.”
“Good, I want to hear that you’re going to be okay.”
She snorted. “Ask me in a few months.”
“Yeah, but seriously.” She couldn’t play with him like this. He’d treat her like fine china until he knew that he could rough house a little more with her. Strangely both thoughts were appealing. “I want to be there for you.”
She stilled, like he’d confused her. “You do?”
“Yes!” Was she really so hurt by this guy that she didn’t know that others could handle a few punches that life had to offer? If his mother’s illness taught him anything, he might be in for some rough rounds in the ring, but with pain came the good times too, and he wouldn’t miss out on those for the world. It was another reason why he’d stayed behind when Nash left. Abruptly he changed the subject from her illness. “If you don’t mind telling me,” he said, “why can’t you trust?”
“I…” She played with his fingers, maybe unconsciously so, but something told him that she might be getting over her fear of touching him. “I grew up in foster homes,” she said. “My mother gave me up. I’ve never been part of a family that I could really lean on. I was always afraid of doing something wrong because that’s when they wanted me out.”
His hands tightened over her. He couldn’t imagine this beautiful girl in the hands of strangers. Anything could’ve happened to her. “Did they ever hurt you?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. Nothing that I could prove, but mostly I just felt like I wasn’t good enough because no one ever wanted me for long, and then I decided… I didn’t want anybody else. In the end, itwasmy fault that they couldn’t place me because I became as horrible as everyone thought that I was. When I finally got that out of the system, I realized that I just wanted more. I wanted to be someone. I wanted to go to school. I went to college and met Emily. Nowshe’sa sweetheart. She taught me how to be a true friend, and I started to figure things out. I didn’t think that I’d ever have it in me to love, though. When I met Lacy, I thought, well, maybe I got over that too.”
