AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her shoulders droop on an exaggerated exhale. “Don’t be ridiculous, Marcus. You need medical attention.”
I’m stunned when my name slips so casually from her mouth.
“What? I don’t live under a rock,” she says coolly.
When her fist swiftly thumps my sternum, my heart thunders around the imaginary weapon.
“Did you just…?”
“Slay you?” She jerks the invisible stake from my chest with a wrinkle of her pert nose, and I swear she’s trying hard not to laugh.
Dumbfounded, I gawk at her. Probably longer than socially acceptable, but damn. It’s hard not to enjoy a brief moment of normalcy with a woman who isn’t treating me like an object to be fucked, preyed upon, or fought over.
It’s only once the amusement fades that disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach.
Had I really hoped she wouldn’t recognize me?
There is no normalcy for me, and as long as I carry the weight of my family’s burdens, there never will be.
With my mood souring like curdled milk, I rock my weight to my good side and hobble to standing.
“Whoa, wait a second.” Her hands fly out, offering a source of stability.
“I’m fine,” I mutter, but the second blood starts sliding downward, I reluctantly grab her.
I both loathe and enjoy the cockiness in her tone when she smarts, “That’s what I thought.”
I’m shocked again when an arm carefully winds across my back.
“Will your horse be all right out here by himself?”
“Sparrow is a female,” I grunt, slinging my arm across her shoulder as we test out a few steps together. “And like me, she’ll be just fine.”
The tips of her nails tighten on my waist when I try to turn.
“If you want to act like Mr. Tough Guy, fine. But unless you plan on walking back up that hill, I’m all the help you’ve got.” Each word riding her lashing tone is more enticing than the last. “At least let me get you inside where we can assess your leg, and we’ll go from there.”
She doesn’t wait for a response before dragging me along. And even though I’ve got about four inches on her, she holds me steady with a determined set to her jaw.
“And you have experience with this sort of thing?” I ask skeptically.
When she yanks me forward harder than before, my mouth curves into a grin at the growling little slayer.
CHAPTERFIVE
Heather
Sweat gathers under my arms while I pour Marcus a cup of coffee. I’d hoped changing out of my robe into a comfortable shirt and cotton shorts would ease my nerves, but my hands are unsteady as I sneak a glance at the man whose forearm is slung across his eyes, head back on the couch with his injured leg sloppily propped up on some pillows.
Marcus fucking Matthews is in my house. Well, it’s not my house per se, but I’m still reeling over fate catapulting me into this situation.
“May I ask why you’re stirring a coffee with no cream or sugar?”
My hand freezes, silencing thetinklingsounds of the spoon hitting glass. I drop the utensil into the sink, trying to shake out the nerves which had me reaching for it to begin with.
Heat creeps up the back of my neck as I cross the living area, and when I shove the cup into a hand almost large enough to wrap around it, I grumble, “Are you always so pleasant to be around, or do I just bring out this sparkling part of your personality?”
Marcus glares at the liquid as if I poisoned it.
