Page 130 of Home Game

And I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Okay.” I gingerly touched my face, feeling the puckering of skin from where Bianca clawed me. I had been in a physical fight. I wanted to cry.

“Hey, are you okay?” He crossed the room lifting my chin up. “She scratched you.”

The shock of being in a fist fight was receding and being replaced by pain.

“I’m fine,” I lifted my chin in defense.

“Hang on,” he disappeared momentarily from the room and returned carrying antiseptic and some cotton pads.

“This might sting,” he said, wetting a cotton pad with the medication and then slowly dabbed my face.

It stung. I studied Ryan’s face as he concentrated on mine and momentarily wondered if he had always been this good looking?

He appeared surprisingly calm.

Still, I asked, “Are you mad?”

“About what?”

“About me firing Bianca.”

His blue eyes met mine. “Why would I be mad about that?”

“Because it wasn’t my place to fire your employee.” Nerves flooded my body. “I overstepped a boundary.”

“Give me your paw,” he instructed, taking my hand in his big one. I watched as he dabbed medication on another scratch on the back of my hand. “I’m proud of you. You stood up to her.”

I watched through my eyelashes as he lifted my hand to his mouth and slowly blew on my scratch. It was an intimate act that made my stomach pitch. The kind of act that made me think of kissing. I tugged my hand away. “I should have asked you first.”

A smile teased his lips. “You can ask me next time you want to fire one of my employees.”

“Ryan!”

He sat down on the stool beside me. “So, we need to talk.”

I sensed some bad news. “What?”

“I’m going on the road tomorrow.”

Fear clenched my stomach. “For how long?”

“Ten days.”

I looked around the apartment. I wouldn’t leave the place. I could set the alarm and not go outside, and I would be safe in here. Still, anxiety made my vision cloud. “That’s a long time.”

“Krista has offered for you to stay at her place while I am gone. Or she can move in here.”

The pent-up air escaped out of my lungs. Krista. My lifesaver. “That’s nice of her.”

“Which one do you want?”

Terrance wouldn’t know where Krista’s place was. I might be safer there. “I can go there.”

“Okay. Pack up today. I’ll drop you off on the way to the airport tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Ryan.”

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