Page 12 of Howl for Me
He sighs. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
And just like that, I’m off the ground. One arm under my knees, the other cradling my back. He lifts me like I’m made of air.
“What the hell! Put me down!”
“I am. Eventually.”
“This is kidnapping!” I yell.
“This is basic first aid, drama queen.”
I slap at his shoulder. He doesn’t even flinch. “Tell the truth, baby, you like being this close to me.”
“Your ego is staggering.”
“Yeah, so’s your aim with that pepper spray.”
I kick my foot against his side, and his grunt of pain pleases me for a moment. He shoulders the door open, kicks it closed behind him, and carries me into a bathroom with obnoxiously clean tile and obnoxiously bright lights. He sets me gently on the counter like I’m something fragile, which only pisses me off more.
“I bet you’re enjoying this.”
“Not even a little. You’re heavier than you look.”
“Excuse me?”
He smirks and grabs a washcloth, running it under cold water.
“Oh, you’re hilarious,” I mutter, but I don’t stop him when he steps between my knees and tilts my chin up. Somehow, the heat from my face seems to spread throughout my body, down to my core. It’s just the pepper spray, right?
The cold cloth hits my face, and I flinch.
“Hold still,” he says, voice quieter now, more focused.
The cloth presses gently to my cheek, and I suck in a breath. “Ah shit, that stings.”
“Yeah. That’s how pepper spray works.”
“Thank you, Professor. Do you offer a course in not being a total dick?”
“Not currently.”
His fingers are careful, surprisingly gentle as he dabs along the edge of my eye. “You got lucky. Most of it hit your cheek. Shouldn’t be permanent.”
“Great,” I mutter.
“Could be worse. You could’ve hit me with it.”
“I was trying to.”
His mouth twitches like he’s holding back another laugh. “Yeah. I got that.”
For a second, it’s quiet. Just the soft pat of the cloth, the drip of the sink, my stupid, traitorous heart knocking against my ribs like it’s forgotten why I’m here and who he is.
I feel him hesitate. His hand stills on my jaw. He’s too close. His scent curls around me, and I hate that it makes my stomach twist.
He clears his throat first, stepping back like he felt it too. “You’re fine now. You can keep hating me with full vision.”
“I was doing that before just fine.”
