Laura stared at him,speechless.
“You know, since she can’t hear the sound, this made the vibrations stronger—so she could feel the music,” Kingsaid.
“I don’t know what tosay.”
He shifted, looking slightly ill at ease. “Is it toomuch?”
“Too much? It’s the most thoughtful and kind thing anyone’s ever done for her.” Heat blossomed in her belly, spread up and over her chest, and down herarms.
“It’s not that big a deal,” hesaid.
It was beautiful and wonderful and amazing. And she was falling forhim.
Dear Lord, helpher.
“It’s perfect.”You’re perfect.She took all of him in, from his rakish eye patch, to his thick corded muscles, to the vulnerable way he looked at her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Thank you forthis.”
“You’re welcome,” he saidgruffly.
His obvious discomfort just made her care that much more deeply for him. He’d been honest and tried to open up to her about his past. He hadn’t been mean—just the opposite in fact. He’d gone out of his way to make sure they had what they needed. First the gymnastics for Faith and now this…maybe…maybe he would consider letting her take Faith back to the hospital to get her a new cochlear implant processor so that she wouldn’t lose all her hard-earned gains. She’d already reverted back to full silence, preferring to use the sign language she’d learned as a baby instead of the audible sounds she’d just tappedinto.
“King, can I ask you afavor?”
“Sure, chère.Anything.”
“Do you think it would be possible to take Faith to get a new processor for her implant?” She let him hear the hope in hervoice.
King frowned. “Where?”
“The children’s hospitaldowntown.”
“No,” he said abruptly, crossing hisarms.
If he hadn’t been so sweet she’d have gotten upset. “King, please.” She put her hand on hisarm.
He glanced down at that connection, and held silent so long she was about to ask again. Then he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to do that for you. It’s not safe. Notyet.”
Because of her brother.“There’s no way he wouldknow.”
King turned the blast of his full attention on her. “He would know, Laura. He’d be watching all the familiar places foryou.”
“I took her before he came back. He wouldn’t know to look.” She hadn’t had to take Faith back for speech mapping in several months. After she’d cleared the final visit at the hospital with the audiologist and speech pathologist team, she’d moved Faith’s speech therapy to a closer, private therapist. One less than a mile from herhome.
His jaw clenched and she could see himstruggling.
She pressed onward. “She’s already gotten behind in her speech therapy. If we can just get her processor ordered and turned on again, I can work with herhere.”
“I’d need all the details. Who’s her doctor? What kind of processor?Everything.”
“Really?”
“I’m not making any promises, Laura. But I’ll look into it. That’s all I can offer fornow.”
Laura launched up and planted a hard, quick kiss on his lips before bouncing down to her heels. “Thankyou!”
King’s dark gaze dropped to her lips. “I get a kiss just for thinking aboutit?”
“You get a kiss for all of it. The gym, the stage…”Last night.A blush heated her neck. She couldn’t quite make herself say the last part outloud.
