Rhys blinked at her. His mouth moved a little, but no sound came out. Maybe the goo had had some sort of effect on him? Had it left him mute?
Before she could think better of it, the thought that had been swirling around in Maisie’s head came bursting out of her mouth, relief at seeing him alive and well making her stupid.
“Andyou were sucking on my fingers!!”
Thatseemed to jerk him out of whatever fugue state he was in.
“Pardon?!”
“Uh… I…”
Maisie’s brain caught up with her mouth… and then apparently overtook it entirely, because suddenly the torrent of words dried up and she could barely even string a sentence together. Her face grew hot. “I mean… I…” She shook her head to clear it, and raised her chin defiantly. Hehaddone that, after all! She definitely hadn’t made it up! “Like I said. You were sucking on my fingers.”
Rhys continued to stare at her for so long that she started to wonder whether she’d broken him somehow.
He raised his hand hesitantly, as if to touch her arm, and she felt herself leaning in toward his touch for a moment before he suddenly pulled his hand back.
Maisie felt her mouth opening in shock.
What just happened? Why did the incredibly handsome man just reach out like he wanted to touch me?!
Rhys’s mouth moved again; eventually, words emerged.
“You must be freezing.”
His voice was low, and the concern sounded genuine, if a bit awkward. It was enough to leave her completely wrong-footed for a long moment.
She supposed shewaspretty cold; the rain was still pelting down, and she was only in her scrubs – which were, she now realized, gulping, about as plastered to her figure as Rhys’s shirt was to his pecs… and abs… and…Okay, enough of what his clothes are plastered to, for goodness’ sake.
It wasn’t like the weather was actually freezing – it was Sydney, after all – but it was certainly cold enough that, now that her adrenaline and self-righteousness andfearhad subsided somewhat, she was starting to feel it.
Involuntarily, she shivered.
Again, Rhys made an abortive gesture toward her, and she found herself wishing that he would just put his arms around her, even as she appreciated the respect he was showing.
Part of her was yelling that she had literallyjustbroken up with Brent, and that she didn’t need to latch on to the next good-looking guy who stumbled across her path, but another, much louder part of her was just wishing that he would scoop her up into his arms and just take her away. From work, from worries, from confusion – fromeverything. All she wanted in this moment was to just be somewhere warm, and safe, and protected.
This isn’t like me. I’m dependable. Sensible. The one everyone can always rely on.
True, that gottiringat times. And sometimes, she wanted to be the one who could rely on someone else. But why was she feeling like thatnow, with a guy she’d only just met?
I can’t let myself go down this road again,she told herself.I can’t let a gorgeous smile and a nice set of abs throw all my judgment out the window. I have to stay strong.
And yet…somethingin her was drawn to Rhys.
She didn’t know what, or why. Maybe it was just the weird situation, or maybe it was something else. Something she couldn’t explain – but it made her heart beat faster, and made her want to reach up and… and…
And what?
She gazed up into Rhys’s eyes, for one brief moment feeling incredibly vulnerable. Something told her that it was safe totrust him. She didn’t know what it was – and part of her was still baffled that she was acting this way – but it feltright.
Rhys stared at her for what felt like an eternity, before appearing to come to some sort of decision.
“We need to get out of this rain,” he said gruffly, and Maisie nodded in whole-hearted agreement, another shiver running through her. “And I think we need to find somewhere where we can talk through a few things. But I don’t have my car with me, and I don’t trust any of the places around here.”
That last statement struck Maisie as a little odd, though probably it was no stranger than anything else that had happened today. She supposed that someone who had just been shot was entitled to a little paranoia.
“Lucky for you,” she said through chattering teeth, “my car is right here. Just tell me where to go, and I’ll drive you there.”
