“I should have told you.”
He studied her leg. “When you broke your leg, it wasn’t just the bone?”
She shook her head. “There were cuts.” More than cuts, the pointed teeth of the bear trap had bitten deep, cutting and mangling muscle. “It’s mostly healed, but still tender.”
Gus leaned in, resting his head against her knee. “I’m sorry.”
She put a hand on Gus’ head. Instead of black hair, she imagined the head bent under her hand was blond.
Damn it.
“Don’t apologize, you didn’t hurt me.”
His head pressed harder to her knee. The fire of need that had ignited cooled into something much more tender, despite her attempt to keep the mood passionate.
He was a kind, empathetic man, who was probably seriously wondering if he wanted to get involved with a woman who got shot and poisoned and stepped on bear traps. Not that he knew any of that. All he knew was she had a broken leg and traveled with bodyguards.
She was certain that if she told him the broken leg was from a bear trap, he would run out of the suite and she wouldn’t blame him. Even the most hardened of her security officers had looked a little green during the debrief about how her leg bone snapped in the metal jaws of the trap.
“Gus.” She combed her fingers through her hair. “I think we should end the night here.” A weird combination of regret and relief passed through her as she spoke.
He looked up. “I’m sorry I pressed on your leg?—”
“It’s not that. I think a kiss is enough for tonight.”
He rose, gaze tracking up her body as he stood to his full height. His hips nestled between her knees once more, and this time, he put both hands on the wall, his body caging her in place.
Her libido stirred, but the moment was gone, that heavy feeling more pronounced. He must have felt it too because he smiled down at her, sadness touching his eyes, and there was just a hint of a dimple in his cheek.
“I’d hoped to do more than just kiss you, lass.”
She raised a brow. “I was fully prepared to have sex with you.”
His eyes widened, but the smile faded as he searched her face. “Did I miss my chance?”
“No.” But she wasn’t sure that was true.
Looking up at him, she made her decision. She wouldn’t recruit him, but she would tell both Arthur and Ricardo, the admirals of England and Castille, about him. She’d be up front about it, say she’d met him and had even considered him as a potential spouse for herself, but realized it wasn’t her place to recruit him. Maybe one of the other admirals would take the hint, recruit him, and then agree to allow him to enter into an arranged marriage with her.
An inter-territory arranged marriage. Usually those involved input and coordination by the fleet admiral, not just his approval at the end.
Gus cupped her neck, his big palm spanning from the top of her shoulder to her earlobe. His hand was warm and strong, and her eyes slid closed as his thumb stroked her jaw, his fingertips pressing softly against the back of her neck.
She was suddenly exhausted from the relief of having made a decision.
“Will you…let me hold you?”
Eyes heavy lidded, she looked up, into his uncertain but hopeful expression. She nodded once, and when he swung herinto his arms, the world spun. She closed her eyes, leaning into him. He was warm and solid and sure while everything else seemed to tip and spin.
She kept her eyes closed as he settled on the couch, her on his lap. She should get off his lap. She should open her eyes.
But she was warm, and that heavy soft feeling was pulling her down into the dark. Nikolett tucked her head against Gus’ neck and relaxed into sleep.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Spaniard closed his eyes, a battle raging inside him as he held Nikolett cradled in his lap.
As a child, he’d spent time hiding in books, or hiding with books if other children were around. The same children who taunted him about his odd, foreign name. About the father who didn’t care about him enough to think of a different first name.
