Page 19 of Slow Burn
Planting my hands on my hips, I narrowed my eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I was only trying to help you."
"Help me?" she cried. "You came barging down here like a freaking caveman and all but threw me over your shoulder."
Exasperated, I threw my arms in the air. "I was helping you, woman!" I jerked my chin in the direction of her leg. "How are you going to get back to your place on that?"
She pulled her shoulders back and inadvertently pushed her breasts forward. I tried not to look. I really did. But beneath the scars and pissy exterior, I was still a red-blooded man. And they were so perky yet full and would probably fit perfectly in—
"I can manage on my own." At her fierce admission, my gaze snapped back to her face. Brows pulled together; she was studying her ankle, which was a good thing considering where my attention had been a moment ago.
Those whiskey eyes flicked to mine and she held out her hand. "All right. If you could just help me up, I should be good."
Both my arms came up as I took a step back. "I thought you said you could manageon your own." I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the grin from spreading when I threw her words back at her.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. And if she wasn't sitting on her ass with what I had a feeling was a sprained ankle, I might've felt the tiniest bit intimidated. "You're such a dick," she muttered.
And I really was. Because I stood there without so much as lifting a finger while she struggled to her feet. Straightening her spine, she pinned me with a stare so fierce my balls almost shriveled up.
And just to drive home the big FU she was throwing my way; she took a step forward and immediately winced. My feet shifted, but it was the tight shake of her head that kept me rooted to the spot.
She attempted to take another step; her entire face scrunched up in pain. Her chest was heaving, and her hands balled up into tight, white-knuckled fists at her sides.
"This is bullshit." That was the only warning I gave her before I surged forward and scooped her up once more.
If I thought holding her against me was intense before, it had nothing on the feeling that zipped through me when she willingly draped her arms around my neck. Everywhere she touched felt like it had a million nerve endings attached to it. All of them lighting up at once.
I forced my feet to move. The faster I got her home, the quicker I could retreat. Three steps into my plan and I had to stop. Eyeing her out of the corner of my eye—because I couldn't stand to look straight at her when she was so close—I asked, "Where's Fugly?"
A heavy sigh pushed past her lips. The faintest hint of strawberry tickling my nose when she shook her head. "His name is Sheldon and he's home."
Without acknowledging her words, I started moving again. A soft breeze picked up and lifted her hair, the light tresses brushing over my cheek. There was no stopping the string of curses that fell from my lips when all I wanted to do was shut my eyes and take that strawberry scent straight to my lungs.
She must've thought I was pissed off at her because she quickly gathered her hair together and mumbled an apology. I couldn't even speak past whatever the hell I was feeling so I only managed a grunt.
The woman in my arms let out another sigh, her warm breath fluttering over the side of my neck. "How did you know I was hurt?"
"What?" The word sounded rough to my own ears so I couldn't even imagine what it sounded like to her.
"You were there moments after I fell. How did you know?"
I was pretty sure my ears were turning some shade of red or pink at the very least. I couldn't tell her the truth; I knew exactly how messed up it sounded. Shrugging the shoulder she wasn't pressed to, I kept my voice steady. "Good timing, I guess."
The side of my face burned with the intensity of her stare. Still, I didn't dare look at her. I kept my attention straight ahead until we reached her sliding door.
The damn thing was cracked open a few inches again.
I aimed my glare at the door instead of her. "You really should lock your doors. It's not safe leaving it open like this."
She patted my chest, the heat of her palm searing me through the fabric of my shirt. I ground my back molars to the point of pain. "It's a small town." She huffed. "Nothing bad happens here."
"You can't really be that—"
"That what?"
I wasn't fooled by her cool tone. I knew enough to know when a woman spoke with such measured calmness, you shut your mouth and retreated to a safe distance.
Without another word, I slid the door all the way open and stepped inside her house. I couldn't explain why but it felt oddly intimate. I hated the feeling. Striding overto the couch, I set her down before stalking to her kitchen without asking for permission.
It felt a bit intrusive to be rummaging through her freezer, but I kept reminding myself that she would have told me to get the hell out if she minded. Once I found what I was looking for, I made my way back to where she was curled up with Fugly, I mean Sheldon, nestled against her.
