She was kind. Down to the marrow.
And you want a piece of that.
Yeah, maybe he did.
As little as heshould.
Chapter Sixteen
Franny felt mortified. She tried to let the hot spray of the shower wash away that feeling along with all the allergens.
It didn’t work. Well, she stopped sneezing. The throbbing behind her eye was starting to fade. Eventually the antihistamine would kick in. She’d probably be a little tired, but by the morning she’d feel good.
Well notgood,because the humiliation settled deep.
She’d just wanted to feelnormal. Instead she’d proven to literally everyone involved she was the opposite. When it had been so nice to leave the apartment, to leave Hope Town, to not worry about library cards or burned books or Albennie.
Brooke was so nice, and Franny kind of missed being on a ranch. Or maybe she just missed it because it had felt like freedom.
On a deep, onlyslightlywheezy breath, she turned off the water. Her eyes had stopped watering, and she hadn’t sneezed in a while.
She hadn’t grabbed clothes before she’d come in there. Well at least she had a towel or that would bereallyembarrassing if he hadn’t left.
Surely he’d left. Hightailed it back to safety. He was probably talking with Brooke right now about what a strange little weirdo he’d been assigned to protect.
She dried her hair then wrapped the towel around her, just in case. She stepped out of the bathroom then stopped short. Royalwas standing there. For a moment, they were both perfectly still, staring at each other.
Then he jerked his head up, looking at the ceiling.
But there was that…brief second where his gaze had drifted…down.
Wasn’t there?
“Sorry. I thought you’d…be dressed,” he said, sounding gruff. “I just wanted to… Do you need anything? I’m still worried about you.”
Worried. That was…sweet. But she wasin a towel. “All my clothes are in my room. So I’m just going to…” She sidestepped, holding the towel tight. “Get dressed. I’m good. I’ll…be out in a minute.” She nearlyleapedfor her door and then closed it very firmly behind her.
It was silly. The towel covered what any dress would. Well, maybe notanydress as she wasn’t prone to wearing anything that short, but still.
It didn’t matter. He wasn’t looking at her any way, and theworrywas that the woman he’d been assigned to protect might die from cat allergy instead of crazed kidnapper she’d IDed.
Frustrated with herself on just about every level, she pulled on some baggy athletic shorts, and because she couldn’t be bothered to put on a bra, an athletic top with support built in. She left her hair damp and down, because it didn’t matterhowshe looked.
He’d seen her use her inhaler. She needed to stop holding on to some strange little seed of hope that the hot cop who’d grown up in abiker gangthought there was anything even remotely interesting about her.
She stepped out of her bedroom, determined to play all of this as justnormal. Something that could happen toanyone. Ha. Ha.Ha.
But he was standing there still. Right across from her room door. Waiting for her.
She tried to smile but wasn’t sure she managed. “All better,” she said brightly.
But he crossed the small space between them. He studied her face very intently, then framed her face with his very large, very rough hands and tilted her face up toward the light.
For signs of allergic reaction, Franny. Stop letting your imagination play tricks on you. Because in her imagination this would lead somewhereverydifferent. In her imagination, she was the kind of woman who knew how to issue aninvitation.
And then knew how to behave if such invitation was accepted.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked very seriously.
