Page 63 of Beast

Awareness. Attraction. And something more. Aconnection.

Her gaze softened and she smiled.

My pulse jumped.Be careful. She’s off limits.

I leaped up from the couch. “Therapy’s over. I’m going to fix something to eat.” I strode for the kitchen. It was past dinnertime and I was hungry.

Annika followed me in her chair, the wheels thrumming softly along the floor. “Speaking of therapy…can you help me with my physical therapy again after dinner? It’s been three days since the last time.”

I kept walking. Touching her wasnota good idea. She made me weak and when I was around her, my senses were swamped with everything about her. I’d done my best to keep my distance from her over the past few days, but it was impossible to refuse this woman when she needed me. I’d rather help her with her physical therapy than have Tim do it.

Knowing it would be torturous to give in to her, I did it anyway.

Because she was Annika, and I couldn’t tell her no.

So I said yes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Annika

Adrik had faced his fears. He’d let Harley get close. He’ddaredto pet him. And he’d even allowed the dog to lick his face.

Pride swelled in my chest. I believed if he did this regularly, he would soon overcome his PTSD and the residual trauma from the dog attack and the horror he’d experienced at the warehouse.

It might seem strange, but I felt closer to Adrik than I ever had to anyone else before. Seeing him struggle with his fears and manage to tackle them only made him more attractive in my eyes. Adrik’s scars didn’t bother me, though it was obvious they bothered him. And that got me wondering: Why hadn’t he gotten his face fixed? Didn’t he know an experienced plastic surgeon could repair his scars and deformities? Hell, he could look like a movie star if he wanted. Was it a matter of money? Or something else?

And then it hit me. Hismother. He’d mentioned he was paying for his mother’s care. That couldn’t be cheap. I didn’t know how much money my family paid him, but I imagined most of his income went to his mother’s care and didn’t leave enough for him to have facial reconstructive surgery.

A pang filled my chest. Adrik was such a selfless, giving person. A sweet and genuine guy. He deserved to have his face repaired and his self-esteem restored. I would offer to pay for the surgery myself, but I doubted he would accept such a thing. How did I bring up the subject without offending him?

After a quick dinner of soup and rolls, where we were mostly silent and kept to our own thoughts, we went to my room for the physical therapy exercises. I settled on the bed, stretching out my legs.

“I never thanked you for what you did earlier,” Adrik murmured. “If you hadn’t pushed me to try that with Harley, I never would have done it.” He dropped his gaze, blowing out a breath. Then he lifted his head and met my stare. “So, thanks.”

My heart warmed. “You’re welcome.”

A small silence.

“Do you think maybe later you can teach me more piano tunes?”

I grinned. “I’d love to!”

He chuckled. “Okay. Good. You ready?”

“I am.” I motioned him forward and he settled on the edge of the bed.

“Same as before?”

“Yes.”

Adrik was wearing a plain black Tee today that emphasized his fit torso and exposed his hard, muscular arms. I tried not to notice how built he was, howstrong, but it was impossible. My gaze kept darting repeatedly to his arms, then his wide chest as he lifted my legs, doing the physical therapy stretches, my imagination running wild. Even the tingles that arced down my leg with the exercises couldn’t distract me from my obsession with Adrik or his sexy body.

“I know it’s probably a sensitive subject to you, so please don’t be offended when I say this,” I blurted, “but I was wondering why you haven’t had plastic surgery to fix your scars. Is it a matter of money? You said your mother was in a care facility, so does all of your money go to paying for her care?” I paused, my gaze cautiously moving to his, praying I hadn’t offended him. “Sorry for being so nosy.”

Adrik stared back with those dark, soulful eyes, his face partially hidden by his hair. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then heaved out a sigh. “Mom’s careisexpensive, but I can afford it. I actually spend most of my money on my sailboat.” He sent me a sheepish look.

My eyes widened. “You have a sailboat?”

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