“I gave you my word.”
That got me to look up and meet him dead in the eye. “And I’m freeing you from it. You don’t want to deal with me. I get it. It’s fine.” I’d already bothered enough people in my life.
One eyebrow went up, and then the other, his gaze bouncing around mine. I’d swear the charge his body put off seemed to ramp up like some kind of jet about to take off. An electrified vibe suddenly filled the air.
It felt so, so weird.
And I was going to ignore the fact that whatever it was made my nipples go hard.
I set my jaw. “You don’t owe me anything. I chose to help you, and I’m not going to regret that I did the right thing.” Even if he was a moody shithead. “You don’t do nice things and expect something in return. That’s not why I did it.” I lifted my shoulders. “It’s fine. Promise.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop as I lowered my cheek to my shoulder and rubbed my eye against it.
His eyes were glowing so, so faintly when I lifted my gaze.
His hand moved, just an inch, his fingers sliding across the bone of my jaw, making my skin prickle. “You’re planning on leaving?” he asked softly, his power making the air even thicker.
My damn nipples were the first to notice too.
I swallowed and sat up straight. “Go live your life or do whatever it is you need to do. Can I have my face back now?”
A soft puff of warm air left his nose, and he raised his other hand, cupping my throat with it.
My little heart sped up at that. What in the hell was he doing? Why was he touching me like this?
He wasn’t going to kill me….
Or maybe he was?
“Why?”
“Why am I leaving?”
He nodded.
What did I have to lose at this point anyway? I wasn’t trying to be mean, but sometimes the truth wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t like he held back from me either to soften my feelings. “I would rather sleep on the floor and take my chances on my own than feel like a burden,” I told him slowly, softly, carefully. I didn’t want to cry, and if I went too fast…. “You have enough to worry about. The whole world needs you. You saved me from that place, you took care of me when I needed it the most. You carried me when anybody else would have left me to die.” I swallowed. “Thank you. Really, thank you. I’ve spent the last three decades in my own little world: I can figure it out. You don’t have to worry about me… not that you would, but you know what I mean.”
That cool hand left my face, and he stood up suddenly. His chest rose and fell once before he looked down. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Those perfect lips pressed together.
I stayed where I was.
“You’re sleeping on the floor because of me?”
I suddenly felt tired and petty. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have kept my mouth closed. I should have pretended like everything was fine until I could sneak out of here. I was so damn dumb. Because maybe he was a grump, but he was no stranger to responsibility. Somewhere deep down in that crabby heart with teeth, he didn’t let people down. He didn’t go back on his word. Therewasa lot of kindness in him.
And I was guilt-tripping him.
“Gracie,” he grumbled deeply.
“You don’t want me here, and I’m not going to stay where I’m not wanted.”
His face went cloudy. “I never said I didn’t want you here.”
Why did that make my chest hurt? “Yeah, you did.”
“No, I didn’t.”
I scowled, my hand forming a fist. “I thought I was stubborn but you….”
