Page 6 of My Bossy Mountain Man

His fingers are firm, almost trembling—whether from adrenaline or anger, I can’t tell. His eyes dart over my face, assessing, and for the first time, I see emotions flooding behind his eyes.

“Ouch.” Groaning as he makes me pinch my nose hard, the groan comes out nasally.

“Does it feel broken?” he demands. “Do you need an ambulance?”

I try to laugh, but it comes out as a wet, muffled sound. “Dallas, it’s just a nosebleed. I’m not dying.”

I hope not. Worst case scenario, there could be some swelling, or Imightget a black eye. Maybe two.

Shoot.I’m going to need a lot of makeup to get through these next few days.

“You could’ve been hurt worse. That book weighs five pounds. It could’ve hit your eye, your temple—” He cuts himself off, jaw clenched so tight I swear I hear his teeth grind.

Then my gaze drops to my dress—the delicate fabric now splattered with crimson—and I grimace. “Oh, come on—”

A fresh drop of blood falls, adding another stain to the pretty fabric.

Dallas exhales sharply through his nose. He’s still holding me, his thumb brushing absently against my shoulder—like he’s forgotten he’s doing it. Like touching me is as natural as breathing.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up before you traumatize the kids in here.” Gliding his palm to the space between my shoulder blades, he guides me toward the storage room.

With the thought of this man taking care of me, I don’t even mind the mess I’m going to have to clean up later. Even if the library looks like a crime scene, I’m pretty sure I’ve just hit the lottery.

3

Dallas

“I don’t think my nose has bled like this since high school.”

To fill the silent air, Tulip rambles as she rests against the surface of a cluttered desk. One, I had to push the sheets around to make enough room for her to sit. This entire room is a hoarder’s wet dream. Once an office, now turned into a storage space, there’s just enough room for the addition of the two of us.

After abandoning her long enough to get some paper towels to wet them, I’ve returned, fitting myself between her parted knees to help wipe away the dried crimson.

“Do you have a habit of books falling on your face even during your younger years?” Curious to find out whatever I can about her, I pluck for information whenever I can.

The paper towel grazes her chin, and her lips curve into a smile—soft, but there. Even when her face is flushed and her nose is swelling, she still remains positive.

“While I did spend a lot of time at the school library, I’ll have to disappoint you by saying I stayed far away from any book that is more than an inch thick.” A self-deprecating laugh slips out as her fingers brush the bridge of her nose. “Actually, you can thank my inability to play sports. Took a few hits to the face, and my nose has always bled like a fountain because of it.”

I snort at the mental image and feel my frown crack before I can stop it. Shit. Too late.

I brace for her to flinch. I know what my smile looks like—all teeth, no warmth, like a damn villain plotting his next crime. Not exactly comforting. Not something people lean into.

But she doesn’t pull away.

Instead, she’s staring at me like I’ve just pulled the moon from the sky. Amazed. Unblinking. Her lips part slightly, like she’s about to say something, but the words dissolve in the space between us. The air thickens, and for a heartbeat, neither of us moves.

Why isn’t she looking away?

Her gaze holds mine, steady and unflinching, and it’s making it impossible not to stare back.

But where her eyes linger with something warm—something knowing—mine drops to her mouth for entirely different reasons. I’m not admiring her smile. No, I’m too busy wondering if those lips are as soft as they look, if they’d part easy under mine, if she’d gasp or sigh or—

A nudge closer. A hesitation with the paper towel.

The spell shatters.

Her focus dips, breaking away as she glances down at the streak of blood trailing her chest. Crimson rivers winding over smooth skin, slipping dangerously close to the swell of her cleavage—another damn war I’m losing today. My jaw tightens.

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