He takes a slow, deliberate breath.
Silence stretches.
“What exactly did you lose?”
“Everything,” I whisper.“Everything, if I don’t find it.”
“Find what?”His annoyance shifts to intrigue.
“Shit.”I squeeze my eyes shut.
James will bankrupt me.
He’ll do it.
I know he will.
“Let me help you.”
His offer is lost in the rising tide of panic.
Where the hell is it—
My head drops.The world spins violently.
His voice is closer now.“You really need to sit down.Please, just tell me what you’re looking for.”
I grip his arm, fingers digging into hard muscle.“My engagement ring,” I force out through gritted teeth.
A sharp cramp twists my gut, flooding my mouth with a metallic taste.Without warning, I double over, emptying my stomach onto the grass at his feet.
“So s-sorry…” The words are a hollow echo.Darkness closes in.
And then, nothing.
My heavy eyelids flutter open to an unfamiliar white ceiling.
Plush cushions cradle me—a world away from cold, damp grass.I try to push myself up, but stabbing pain slices through my temples, forcing a groan.
“Easy,” a voice warns.
Footsteps approach, and then he’s crouching beside me.
“Have some water.”
I accept the glass, my gaze snagging on his hand, wrapped in white.
“Boxing,” he explains, raising both hands.“I was working out.”
Bright jade-green eyes meet mine.Intense.Unsettling.A sudden heat flushes my skin.I swallow hard, trying to quell the unexpected flutter in my chest.
He runs a hand through his thick, caramel-brown hair.“You should drink.”
I lift the glass.My gaze traces broad shoulders and muscular arms exposed by a thin white tank top.He leans forward, elbows on knees, eyes fixed on me.
I take a large gulp of water.Coolness is a balm against the heat blooming in my cheeks.
“This makes no sense,” he says, breaking the charged silence.“Youmake no sense.”
