Maaz all but shoved his brother out. The crown prince made to leave but paused at the door. Traced the broken jamb. His expression tightened, then they were gone.
Apollo sagged into the chair, holding his side and grimacing.
“What were you thinking?” A tangle of emotions assaulted Leighton at the blood on his knuckles and lip. She diverted to the bathroom, where she wet a towel and hurried back to him. Sitting on the small coffee table, she thought to tend his wounds, but suddenly felt awkward and thrust the towel at him.
He caught it. “Thanks.” He pressed it to his lip and dabbed. Winced.
Why it hit her then, she didn’t know, but—sweet heavens, he was gorgeous. She wasn’t a fan of the bleached hair, but his blue eyes created a vortex that drew her in and forbade escape. His aquiline nose, stubble against tanned skin, and stern brow ridge added so much character.
Focus, Leighton! “Did you really sleep on the floor outside my door?”
He stretched his jaw, expression tightening. “I was fine.”
Deflating, she cursed herself for making him leave. “This is my fault.”
“Negative,” he said firmly, using the damp towel to wipe his knuckles and the angry cut.
“I made you leave.”
“Already told you, I never intended to sleep in here.”
“But now you have to.”
His jaw muscle flexed.
“We’ll make it work,” she said softly, feeling defeated too. “It’s not worth”—she motioned to his hands and lip—“this.”
Intensity narrowed his eyes. “Protecting you is my job, and that means protecting not just your person but your honor. I’ll put my life down to do that, if I must.”
“That’s absurd.” Leighton drew back, not believing he meant that. Surely he hadn’t. But that locked-in-place scowl did not abate, so maybe he had. She stood and moved away, then faced him, hugging herself. “You’re complicating everything.” She touched her forehead, kneading away the threatening headache.
“That’s what my mom said about being pregnant with me.”
“What?”
Cringing and bracing his side, he continued to the bathroom, where he inspected his lip and tossed the towel in the sink, running water over it. “Long story, but…I was conceived out of wedlock.”
Leighton stood at the door, watching him. “I’m not connecting the dots…”
He rinsed the towel and looked at her in the mirror. “My parents were on a mission to find some drug lord who’d held her captive for nearly a year. Since she was the only one who’d been to his compound, the US government threatened her with colluding with the enemy and jail time if she didn’t deliver this drug lord or his location. So, she led Dad’s team to the compound to take out the guy. Dad was plugging painkillers from a back injury. A landslide separated them from the team and they holed up at a hotel. One thing led to another, and here I am.”
“Um, wow,” she said with a disbelieving laugh. Had he made that up? “But what does that have to do with?—”
“She said I’d complicated things but I was the best complication.” He wrung out the towel, then draped it over the edge. “Guess I’ve been complicating life ever since, so don’t think it’s personal.” Smirking, he drew up the edge of his shirt to inspect his side, where a massive bruise bloomed across his ribs.
She gasped, moving closer. “That’s huge.”
Arm up, he angled to see the blue and purple marring his very toned abs and deltoids. “It feels huge. Pretty sure the rib cracked this time.”
“This time?” she balked, then recoiled. “I am so sorry.”
“Me too.” He grunted and lowered his shirt. “Now to get some clean clothes.”
“Oh, they put some in the dressing room, along with a shave kit,” she said, pointing past him where a door sat ajar.
He headed in there, drawing his shirt up over his head, muscles rippling and taunting.
Yeah, he was really in shape. Mouth dry, she made herself go to the small dinette where breakfast waited and sat down. “I’m really sorry they attacked you…” Because you were protecting my honor. She shook her head. Was this guy real?
