Page 48 of Zain

Pulling away, he lowered her to her feet and cradled her cheek with his palm. Tipping her chin up with his thumb, he examined her face. A streetlamp illuminated her smooth, pale skin, accentuating her bruise. He couldn’t wait for it to vanish.

Tears filled her blue eyes, and his heart twisted. “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you.”

She sniffed. “It’s not your fault. There was no reason for you to be with me.”

He clenched his jaw. “There is now. Someone’s after you. Probably because of me. And until I find out who, you’re staying with me.”

She lowered her gaze to his mouth then slowly dragged her eyes up to meet his again. And damn if that look didn’t stir his desire.

“Is that okay?” He should’ve asked, not told her, but he also wasn’t letting her out of his sight whether she liked it or not. He could at least be polite about it, though.

She swiped a tear from her cheek. “Where will we go?”

He dragged his thumb along the slant of her jaw. So fucking pretty. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again. To tell her he hadn’t stopped thinking about that kiss at Ali’s, and that he needed to know if she felt the same.

He swallowed the words before he said shit he couldn’t take back. Right now, she needed to feel safe, not poached by a sexually depraved dick.

“Let me figure that out, okay? We’re gonna leave your car here for the night, though. Come on.” He caught her arm, and something warm and sticky touched his palm. She winced and let out a sharp whoosh of air.

Lifting her arm, he froze. Blood dripped from her forearm down to her wrist. A thick gash, probably two inches in length, split her skin. “Shit. You’re hurt.”

She twisted her arm to look at it. “He tried tostab me. I blocked it.”

He locked down his expression, fighting the urge to put a hole through her window. Rage rattled his muscles, but he forced a composure he didn’t feel. “I have a first aid kit in my truck.”

He led her to his vehicle and lifted her into the front passenger seat. She probably could’ve gotten up there herself, but he couldn’t stop touching her. He’d carry her around all damn night if it meant no one would hurt her again.

But that was stupid. She was in danger because of him, not despite him. It might be his fault she’d been attacked, but he wouldn’t let it happen again.

The fierceness of this realization made his hands shake. He’d never trembled over a woman. Never worried so much about anyone else’s life. When his unit died, he’d been shaken. Distraught. Furious.

But this was different. Maybe because the blame fell on him. Maybe because she was a woman. Or maybe because his heart was getting in the way and Dana was a lot more dangerous than her dazzling blue eyes let on.

***

In the truck,Dana watched as Zain methodically cleaned up the blood coating her arm. Strange, but she’d forgotten about the gash until Zain pointed it out.

Now it hurt like a bitch.

“This is gonna sting.”

She cringed and turned away as he squirted liquid fire—alcohol—on the wound. She let out a sharp hiss as the astringent disinfected her as effectively as bleach.

“Sorry.”

At least he sounded apologetic. A second later, a cool breeze lessened the sting eating at her flesh. She opened her eyes. Zain held his lips close to her cut, blowing gently over the injury. “Okay?”

She nodded because she couldn’t do anything else but wish those lips would linger in other places.

Before she could haul her mind from the gutter, he had a laceration bandage on her skin and gauze wrapped around that. “How’d you get away?”

She swallowed, and the dry walls of her throat nearly stuck together. “I hit him with a heavy lamp. Knocked him out.”

Zain blew out a breath. “Must’ve been a heavy-ass lamp.”

“Porcelain.”

“You’re tough as nails. I’m sorry you’ve been through all this.” He smiled, and if she didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t suspect there was fury burning behind those glittering eyes. Not at her. The anger had flashed in his tightened face the moment he asked about her escape.

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