I’m moments away from falling off this counter with my spinning head.
“Give me a second, princess. I’m right here.”
I grip onto the counter, but right now I don’t have a second because I find my mind growing darker and darker, my vision almost fading into nothing. A presence approaches me, a large hand at the back of my neck, delicate fingers brushing my skin.
“Ivy,” JJ says as he places something cold against my lips. “Take a sip of this. It’ll help with your sugar levels. Don’t faint on me.”
I lean forward a fraction and allow him to pour the liquid into my mouth.Coke.I slurp it down, enjoying the sensation of the fizzy sugar.
“That’s it.” His fingers continue to caress my neck. “Good girl.”
He pulls back the can slowly, and I open my eyes.
“Okay.” He takes my arm again, and I resist the urge to look down at his rippling, tattooed biceps. He hasn’t put a shirt on, and now that might be the reason why I faint. “Let me clean this up, then I can bandage it.”
“Does it need stitches?” I ask as my stomach rolls.
“I don’t think so,” he says.
I lick my lips and press my head back into the cupboard door. “You know first aid?”
He glances up at me with a cheeky grin, blue eyes gleaming. “Sure do.” He takes a damp washcloth and removes the blood from my open wound. I look away and grip his arm with my fingers.
“How?” I ask desperately. “Talk to me, please, because I need a distraction.”
“Okay, but you can’t laugh.”
His fingers gently stroke my arm in soothing motions. I don’t dare look back at the damage. “I won’t.”
“My mum used to take me ice skating when I was younger,” he starts, and I focus on his soft hands as he takes his time. Hedefinitely knows what he’s doing. “And for ages, she wanted me to be a professional skater, but I was too much of a liability. I was like a kid on crack, the coaches didn’t know what to do with me.”
I bite down on my lip as he begins to put something on my arm, drying the skin. “I would fall over all the time because I just wanted to mess around. My mum made sure I knew basic first aid in case I hurt myself or anyone else. Especially with those blades, they can do some real damage.”
My mouth twitches into a frown. “Why would I laugh at that?”
“I guess no one really knows I ever did it, or suspects as much.”
“Were you good?”
“No.” JJ laughs gently, and it makes me smile, warmth and calmness washing over me. “Not at all. I felt bad because my mum really wanted me to try it, but it just wasn’t for me. I got into other things as I got older and into other sports, but video production has always been my passion.”
I finally pluck up the courage to look at my arm, a bandage now in place and not a drop of blood in sight. My lungs constrict, and I watch his gaze as he inspects his handiwork.
“I remember you telling me about it,” I whisper.
JJ glances up, and it makes me realise just how close we are to each other. Practically sharing the same breath.
“What do you make your videos on?”
“Anything that inspires me, really.” He shrugs. “Nature. People. Kind of like realism, I guess.”
“That’s cool.”
“There,” he says before placing my arm back into my lap. “Leave the bandage on for a few days, and then take it off to see how it’s healing. Might need to replace the gauze if it’s still a little gooey.”
I nod once, heat rippling down my spine. “Thank you.”
When JJ doesn’t move away instantly, I look down at his nose ring and my heart thumps. Why are nose rings stupidly attractive on the right man?
