Page 25 of Tell Me Again
She found Trevor and the electrician in the main cabin’s oversized kitchen. The roofers were hammering away above them so neither man heard her stalk in. She tapped Trevor on the shoulder to get his attention.
“What do you think—” she began then gasped as he turned and the light caught the shiner around his right eye. “You have a black eye,” she yelled, only after realizing the roofers had gone quiet above them. Her voice rang out in the silence of the kitchen.
Trevor touched a finger to the bruised skin under his eye and winced. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“What the hell happened?”
“Um, I think I’ve got everything I need,” the electrician said quickly. “I’ll schedule some time at the end of the week to get back out here.”
“Thanks, Steve,” Trevor said, not taking his eyes off Sam. As the man hurried away, Trevor pointed to the ceiling. “You might want to take it down a few decibels.” He quirked a brow. “I’ve already given the guys at Whitton’s plenty to talk about.”
“A black eye is not a joke. You can’t go around hitting any guy who acts like an idiot toward me. We’re not kids anymore.”
“Don’t I know it,” Trevor said, and touched the corner of his eye again. “I was faster at ducking punches when I was fifteen.”
Sam blew out a breath, frustration warring with something she didn’t want to examine inside her. It felt a lot like gratitude, which was stupid because she’d been fighting her own battles against lecherous men for a long time. She sure as hell didn’t need Trevor taking on the role of knight in shining armor, especially when she knew somehow it would turn into one more reason why Grace spending time with her was a bad idea.
But her heart didn’t seem to get the memo, and it began to flutter wildly as Trevor studied her. “I liked being fifteen with you,” he whispered and memories flooded through her.
She shook her head. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—go there. “You need ice on your eye.”
“It’s fine, Sam.”
“It needs ice,” she insisted and stepped around him toward the industrial-size refrigerator that had been pushed against the far wall. “Damn,” she muttered and whirled back around to face him. “It’s unplugged.”
He shrugged. “Not a big deal.”
“It will be to Grace,” she answered. “There’s a mini-fridge in the office.” She grabbed his wrist and tugged him through the main cabin, well aware she was only able to move him because he allowed her to.
The billowy clouds that had blanketed the morning sky had blown away, and she squinted against the dazzling sun. The staff office was in a private cabin behind the others, situated in a small clearing of trees, which offered both privacy and the ability to keep an eye on the camp’s main area.
Trevor didn’t say a word as she practically dragged him along the path and through the door, slamming it shut behind them. Releasing his arm, she bent in front of the mini-fridge and grabbed one of the ice packs from the freezer.
She whirled back around to find him standing toe to toe with her.
“What’s going on?” he asked softly.
She held up the blue gel-filled cold pack. “I’ve got a towel to wrap it in here somewhere.” She shifted, trying to move around him toward the desk, but he placed his hands on her arms, holding her steady.
“Sam.”
“Let me do this. Please.”
He released her, and she wrapped the cold pack in a thin towel then lifted it to his face.
The towel slipped and his head jerked back as the cold touched the bruising. She used her free hand to brush the hair off his forehead. “He really landed a good one,” she said softly, earning a chuckle from Trevor.
“He looks worse.”
“I have no doubt,” she agreed and held the ice against his eye. “Do you want to sit down?” She motioned to the couch that sat against one wall.
“No.”
His unharmed eye drifted shut and she took the opportunity to study him. His skin was golden from days spent in the sun, and the shadow of a beard covered his jaw, as if he’d forgotten to shave this morning. In contrast to his swarthy complexion, his golden eyelashes were long and soft where they rested against his cheek. Lashes that cosmetics companies would envy. Her body warmed at the memory of having those eyelashes flutter against her skin when he’d held her tight.
As if he could read her wayward thoughts, his eye opened and she was pinned by that sparkling blue gaze. She took a step back, and he lifted a hand to pull the ice pack away from his other eye.
“Why are we here?” Trevor asked.
