fight?”
“Because you took away his opportunity to kill me.”
Titania’s frame straightened in outrage. “He was there to kill you. I knew it.”
It warmed him to hear the protective note in her tone again. “He has tried. Just as I have. It is hard to kill one who once trained with you.”
Her eyes found his, deep and confused. “Trained with you?”
“A long time ago. It does not matter now.” He sank to the corner of the bed, leaving plenty of space between them. She was still pale, but was slowly working her way to an explanation. It was too soon for his truth, if ever. He sought to distract her further. “How are you feeling?” He studied her pale cheeks, the bruising still prominent on satin skin. He tried not to think too much of how she’d felt the previous evening. How perfect, or how much he wanted to kiss her again.
“Better. What you did last night…” She scooted to sit on the edge of the bed with him near the opposite corner. Her movements were no longer wary, but still showed a slight hesitation, her gaze slipping to him, then beyond, still trying to understand. “I don’t know how or what you did, but thank you. I know you are why I slept here and not in a hospital bed.”
“Would you let me treat you again? I did not have time last night to do a thorough job.”
“Do I have to lay naked in the tub again?” Her head bowed, and he caught her blush, her feelings of embarrassment.
“No. Lay out here and let me see what I can do.” He stood, but her next question was quiet and not ignorable.
“He meant it, didn’t he? He’ll never give up.” She hadn’t moved from where she sat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“I promised to protect you from everyone.”
“You can’t always be with me,” she stated.
He could taste her fear, wondering at the same time what she had stumbled into by breaking up the fight. While he frightened her at times, Brakka terrified her.
“I guess Houston is right. I’ll have to hire a bodyguard.”
Diego’s first thought was that a bodyguard would be a play toy for Brakka. There was no one he would trust to keep her safe. Not any longer. “No.” His expression became implacable. No one else would have the right to protect this woman.
Her head snapped up. “What do you mean no? I can’t walk around when someone like that is after me. I have to tell Houston.”
“I meant no, you do not have to hire one. I will take the position. With one provision. I cannot be with you during the day. You must stay with Houston.” He wondered with a dismissive thought how that was going to work. He was positive Houston would not take his inclusion into their group well. He was a very territorial male, just as Diego was, and Titania was under Houston’s care. He doubted Houston knew how to share.
“I know you have your own life, Diego. I can’t ask you to do this.”
“You are not asking. I am offering. Now lay still. Your jaw is still bruised at the bone.”
She fell back to the bed with an annoyed groan, her arms slack at her sides. “I knew you were going to be one of those overprotective types. You and Houston need to form a club.”
“I protect everyone under my care, which now includes you. Now lie still.” He swallowed the sudden urge to laugh, catching her petulant, overdone whining, making blistering comments under her breath. He was not an insufferable, overbearing anything. “That includes being silent,” he told her, biting the inside of his cheek to hide his reactions. Laughter would only rile her again. Not conducive for concentration.
She let out another long groan, then fell silent, and he went to work. This time he was able to be more thorough, taking his time, moving carefully from bruise to bone, ensuring he touched on everything that needed attention. She lay perfectly still and thankfully silent. She made concentration hard enough without speaking. When she was being stubborn or feisty, it was near impossible to do
“Because you took away his opportunity to kill me.”
Titania’s frame straightened in outrage. “He was there to kill you. I knew it.”
It warmed him to hear the protective note in her tone again. “He has tried. Just as I have. It is hard to kill one who once trained with you.”
Her eyes found his, deep and confused. “Trained with you?”
“A long time ago. It does not matter now.” He sank to the corner of the bed, leaving plenty of space between them. She was still pale, but was slowly working her way to an explanation. It was too soon for his truth, if ever. He sought to distract her further. “How are you feeling?” He studied her pale cheeks, the bruising still prominent on satin skin. He tried not to think too much of how she’d felt the previous evening. How perfect, or how much he wanted to kiss her again.
“Better. What you did last night…” She scooted to sit on the edge of the bed with him near the opposite corner. Her movements were no longer wary, but still showed a slight hesitation, her gaze slipping to him, then beyond, still trying to understand. “I don’t know how or what you did, but thank you. I know you are why I slept here and not in a hospital bed.”
“Would you let me treat you again? I did not have time last night to do a thorough job.”
“Do I have to lay naked in the tub again?” Her head bowed, and he caught her blush, her feelings of embarrassment.
“No. Lay out here and let me see what I can do.” He stood, but her next question was quiet and not ignorable.
“He meant it, didn’t he? He’ll never give up.” She hadn’t moved from where she sat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“I promised to protect you from everyone.”
“You can’t always be with me,” she stated.
He could taste her fear, wondering at the same time what she had stumbled into by breaking up the fight. While he frightened her at times, Brakka terrified her.
“I guess Houston is right. I’ll have to hire a bodyguard.”
Diego’s first thought was that a bodyguard would be a play toy for Brakka. There was no one he would trust to keep her safe. Not any longer. “No.” His expression became implacable. No one else would have the right to protect this woman.
Her head snapped up. “What do you mean no? I can’t walk around when someone like that is after me. I have to tell Houston.”
“I meant no, you do not have to hire one. I will take the position. With one provision. I cannot be with you during the day. You must stay with Houston.” He wondered with a dismissive thought how that was going to work. He was positive Houston would not take his inclusion into their group well. He was a very territorial male, just as Diego was, and Titania was under Houston’s care. He doubted Houston knew how to share.
“I know you have your own life, Diego. I can’t ask you to do this.”
“You are not asking. I am offering. Now lay still. Your jaw is still bruised at the bone.”
She fell back to the bed with an annoyed groan, her arms slack at her sides. “I knew you were going to be one of those overprotective types. You and Houston need to form a club.”
“I protect everyone under my care, which now includes you. Now lie still.” He swallowed the sudden urge to laugh, catching her petulant, overdone whining, making blistering comments under her breath. He was not an insufferable, overbearing anything. “That includes being silent,” he told her, biting the inside of his cheek to hide his reactions. Laughter would only rile her again. Not conducive for concentration.
She let out another long groan, then fell silent, and he went to work. This time he was able to be more thorough, taking his time, moving carefully from bruise to bone, ensuring he touched on everything that needed attention. She lay perfectly still and thankfully silent. She made concentration hard enough without speaking. When she was being stubborn or feisty, it was near impossible to do
Similar Books
