Page 86 of The Beast's Heart

His eyebrows shoot up, but I refuse to elaborate.

“I have something for you,” he says and he pulls an oblong box out of his pocket.

I know that shape, but… surely it’s not possible? It’s only been three days. I accept the box and pop it open.

There, on a bed of velvet, is a new pair of glasses, exactly like my old ones. “How in god’s name… how did you manage this?”

Usually getting new specs means a visit to the optometrist, re-testing and then waiting a week for them to be manufactured.

Adam shrugs. “Gave Zane a call. He managed to find the details for your optometrist. I got in touch. Nice lady. She didn’t even mind that it was a weekend. She gave me all the details so I could order a new pair.”

My head’s spinning. “You spoke to Zane? What did you tell him?”

“That you fell in a storm. Just as well I didn’t give him more context. He sounded about ready to murder me for letting you get into danger as it was.”

I try on the glasses. The world pops into fantastic focus. “This is amazing. I don’t know how you got them made so quickly.”

“Celeb status comes in handy once in a while.” He winks and I feel the blush bloom in my cheeks again.

He steps forward and touches my burning cheek and I feel like I’m going to explode, but he asks, soft and entirely calm, “How’s your face feeling?”

Hot. Burning.I fight the urge to press into his touch again. “Meredith gave me a Panadol.”

He withdraws. “You should put more ice on it. It will reduce blood flow to the area, reduce the swelling.” A self-deprecating smile. “Apparently a career of getting hit also comes in handy once in a while.”

I cover my own cheeks. The thing that would really help reduce blood flow to the area would be if I could stop blushing. “I’ll give that a try.”

“Oh, and, I was serious about the boxing lessons,” he says. “If it’s something you want to learn, I’m happy to teach you. Without hurting you. We can start tomorrow night after dinner.”

Lessons.Alone with Adam. I have no love of boxing and no particular desire to learn, but I find myself saying, “I’d like that. But I must warn you I’m not very good. I’ve never been good at anything… physical.”

“Really?” The word carries weight, as if he’s talking about something completely different from boxing. “I’d very much like to put that to the test.”

Oh my god.My face heats even further and my stomach is at once a mess of butterflies.

He clears his throat, drops his gaze down to his feet.

Say something. Use your excellent command of the English language to think ofsomethingthat’s playful and smart and...

“I… I would enjoy that too.”

Adam’s expressive eyes widen a fraction at that and he smiles.

34

ADAM

Belle stands before me in not nearly enough clothes. It would be easier for my mind to behave if he wasn’t in a perfectly fitted white T-shirt that shows off his slender frame and shorts that hug his butt just right. Fortunately his togs were in the laundry, along with a few other items from his wardrobe, and weren’t sacrificed to the storm like most of his ensemble. I went out yesterday morning, once the weather cleared, and gathered what I could. Lily-Iris doesn’t hold out much hope any of it can be salvaged though.

He shifts his weight, visibly uncomfortable. “Would you like to see what Geoff taught me?”

“Love to.” I don’t have high expectations that Geoff taught him much of anything. The ‘lessons’ were likely just a way to flex his ego while putting Jonathan down.

Jonathan plants his feet shoulder-width apart and punches out. “There was this one.” He strikes out with his other arm. “And this one. Oh, and hands in front of my face.” He pulls his fists up in front of his jaw, where a dark purple bruise marks the spot where Geoff’s fist connected. “Won’t forget that one in a hurry.”

“Hmm.” I move behind him. “Your right foot needs to move forward a little.” I automatically reach to adjust his hips.His hips.I’m standing so close and I’m holding his hips and time stops. His hair is growing long. Curls the color of sunlight kiss his neck and cup his ears.Focus.

“You have to picture a line between your feet.” I nudge his left foot with mine to widen his stance. My nostrils fill with the scent of his shampoo and his skin. I have the overwhelming urge to brush my lips against his smooth neck. It’s so close, I’d only need to duck a little. “Punch again. One two.”

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