arms caging her against him. “Of course you fucking upset me. I don’t know what to do with tears!”
When her eyes widened slightly as she studied him, he had the damndest thought she was trying to decide if she should be amused or irritated by his temper. He didn’t care which one she chose. Either would be better than her freaking crying.
Temper won. It darkened her eyes as she scooted back. He almost expected to see lightning flash in the depths of the pale green of her irises. “Yelling at me doesn’t stop them.”
He snorted as he yanked off the scrub top he’d stolen from the hospital and threw it into the corner. The bandages wrapped around his torso went next, the wound beneath it reduced to barely more than a scratch. “Bullshit. There’s no reason for them.” He pulled off his boots, unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them off, leaving him in nothing but his dark grey boxer briefs. “They don’t change anything. They sure as hell don’t make anything better.”
“Whoa.” Her mouth dropped open. “What–Daniel, what are you doing?”
He ignored her as he reached in to turn on the bath water, then moved in and lifted her into his arms before she could protest. “You didn’t think I’d forget you were left-handed, did you?” He moved slowly as he sat, and carefully settled her in front of him, his jaw clenching tightly as her perfect ass molded against his aching hard on.
Ryuu, he had no self-control where this woman was concerned. “Don’t move,” he gritted out, dropping his chin on her good shoulder as he reached for the bar of soap. He could do this without making an ass of himself. “I’m not going to be happy if you rip open your wound despite my efforts to keep it from happening.”
He turned her around to face him, taking his time lathering up his hands before he slowly went to work cleaning the blood off her soft skin. His cock got harder as goose bumps ran over her skin, her nipples tightening against the chill. The entire time he worked, she never took her gaze off his face. “Do you think it will scar?” she finally asked after he’d washed her hair. Her voice was soft, hesitant, as if afraid of his answer.
“I can make sure it doesn’t,” he murmured, deliberately keeping his tone mild. He needed answers, but knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t give them until she felt safe. “Shel, I need you to tell me what happened tonight. What do you remember?”
She jerked back as her teeth began to chatter. He murmured a chant, warming the water and filling the bathroom with heat.
An adorable, confused look flashed over her face as the steam thickened around them. “How did you…” A crooked smile tugged at her mouth as her voice trailed off, and she jabbed a finger in his shoulder. “You are not going to convince me you are a dragon, Daniel.”
“We’ll discuss it later. Right now, I need to know what you remember about the shooting.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “I’m trying, but there’s nothing there.” She pulled her knees up to her chest, shaking her head slowly. “I remember getting ready and walking to the limousine the producers sent for me, but that’s it. No matter how hard I try, everything after the limo door closes behind me is gone.”
He managed not to let his frustration show. There had to be something there, something inside of her head to give them a starting direction, but he knew when people were lying to him. It was what made him good at his job. The only thing in the world he cared about was protecting the secret of his people. There wasn’t a person in the world whose emotions had clouded his judgment.
Until now. His instincts were off when Shelby was involved, and he couldn’t afford it. Not when it wasn’t only his life, his future, at stake. He could not afford to fall for her act again.
“I want a play by play of everything that has happened over the last week,” he finally said. “I want to know every little detail.
When her eyes widened slightly as she studied him, he had the damndest thought she was trying to decide if she should be amused or irritated by his temper. He didn’t care which one she chose. Either would be better than her freaking crying.
Temper won. It darkened her eyes as she scooted back. He almost expected to see lightning flash in the depths of the pale green of her irises. “Yelling at me doesn’t stop them.”
He snorted as he yanked off the scrub top he’d stolen from the hospital and threw it into the corner. The bandages wrapped around his torso went next, the wound beneath it reduced to barely more than a scratch. “Bullshit. There’s no reason for them.” He pulled off his boots, unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them off, leaving him in nothing but his dark grey boxer briefs. “They don’t change anything. They sure as hell don’t make anything better.”
“Whoa.” Her mouth dropped open. “What–Daniel, what are you doing?”
He ignored her as he reached in to turn on the bath water, then moved in and lifted her into his arms before she could protest. “You didn’t think I’d forget you were left-handed, did you?” He moved slowly as he sat, and carefully settled her in front of him, his jaw clenching tightly as her perfect ass molded against his aching hard on.
Ryuu, he had no self-control where this woman was concerned. “Don’t move,” he gritted out, dropping his chin on her good shoulder as he reached for the bar of soap. He could do this without making an ass of himself. “I’m not going to be happy if you rip open your wound despite my efforts to keep it from happening.”
He turned her around to face him, taking his time lathering up his hands before he slowly went to work cleaning the blood off her soft skin. His cock got harder as goose bumps ran over her skin, her nipples tightening against the chill. The entire time he worked, she never took her gaze off his face. “Do you think it will scar?” she finally asked after he’d washed her hair. Her voice was soft, hesitant, as if afraid of his answer.
“I can make sure it doesn’t,” he murmured, deliberately keeping his tone mild. He needed answers, but knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t give them until she felt safe. “Shel, I need you to tell me what happened tonight. What do you remember?”
She jerked back as her teeth began to chatter. He murmured a chant, warming the water and filling the bathroom with heat.
An adorable, confused look flashed over her face as the steam thickened around them. “How did you…” A crooked smile tugged at her mouth as her voice trailed off, and she jabbed a finger in his shoulder. “You are not going to convince me you are a dragon, Daniel.”
“We’ll discuss it later. Right now, I need to know what you remember about the shooting.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “I’m trying, but there’s nothing there.” She pulled her knees up to her chest, shaking her head slowly. “I remember getting ready and walking to the limousine the producers sent for me, but that’s it. No matter how hard I try, everything after the limo door closes behind me is gone.”
He managed not to let his frustration show. There had to be something there, something inside of her head to give them a starting direction, but he knew when people were lying to him. It was what made him good at his job. The only thing in the world he cared about was protecting the secret of his people. There wasn’t a person in the world whose emotions had clouded his judgment.
Until now. His instincts were off when Shelby was involved, and he couldn’t afford it. Not when it wasn’t only his life, his future, at stake. He could not afford to fall for her act again.
“I want a play by play of everything that has happened over the last week,” he finally said. “I want to know every little detail.
Similar Books
