She’d given him the potion, which should have eased him like it had the last time, but every fucking inch of him still hurt, even the bones on his feet. Summoning the remnants of his fast-fading strength, Nate tightened his mind shields, trapping the fucker, then kicked off his boots.
Hades! He shut his eyes. Sometimes death was preferable…
The air in the cold basement stirred, a familiar scent flooding his senses…fresh, soft, reminding of a spring breeze and flowers. And a wave of calm seeped into him, soothing the rioting pain within a little.
She…didn’t…leave.
A part of him rejoiced, but another part was gripped by terror. In his weakened state, he could hurt her if he fell asleep and his mental shield fractured, letting the beast free.
He cracked open his eyelids. “Why are you still here?”
“How are you not asleep?” she countered, wiping the gore off his chest with the damp towel she’d procured. “If you want me to leave, you know what to do.”
Pick her up and throw her out?
If he did, he’d probably have her under him—because every inch of him, hurt or not—longed for her.
The damp terry cloth gliding over his abs disappeared. Then fingertips gently caressed the edges of the dressing…retaping it again?
Her touch feltsogood…soothing.
Hell, maybe it was the potion at work, seeping through the turmoil and agony scouring his mind. Nate didn’t know or care, simply craving another minute, wanting to linger in this utopia his beautifullaika’spresence provided, no matter how fleeting.
His gaze caressed her lovely face as she cleaned away the blood from his torso, wishing he could have had a real chance with her.
But the Fates had screwed up his life, voiding it into nothing but a mere shell of an existence.
Shutting off the strangling sensation garroting him at the thought of never seeing her again, he closed his eyes. Because looking at her would only weaken his resolve at what he must do…
CHAPTER13
He fell asleep?Ely hoped so.
It didn’t surprise her it took the potion this long to knock him out, not when he possessed a constitution armored in tungsten. He needed to heal, and fighting her every step of the way wouldn’t help.
Satisfied the dressing remained intact, she sat back, then frowned. Something felt a little off with him. His chest rose and fell a little too fast. From the pain?
Carefully, she slid her fingers down his damp abs, the heat from his skin almost scorching her. It seemed worse than hers. She grabbed the other wet towel and dabbed him, trying to cool him down again.
As she slid the wet terry cloth over his chest and rock-hard stomach, her gaze lingered on his muscled body. He sported a faded, circular scar on his left pectoral, hidden under his tatts. For a mechanic, he sure was built like a warrior, with bulging biceps and a hard, ripped abdomen. But being this close to him, touching him, his heady male scent cocooned her in a haze where nothing intruded, no boundaries were crossed, and where he wasn’t the enemy.
“Urias,” she stifled a groan. “What am I doing?” It was utterly useless pretending whatever this was she felt for him would fade. She’d tried. And here she sat, taking care of him instead of Grounding.
Her gaze skimmed over his handsome, taut face. Even in repose, he didn’t relax.
Long lashes formed shadowy arcs on his tan cheeks, and his straight nose suited his angular features. But the sense of familiarity she had dismissed several days ago struck her again. As if she should know him.
Her brow furrowing, Ely sat back on her heels. She’d never met him before. Nate was the kind of person one didn’t forget in a hurry. Whomever he reminded her of, it would probably register when her mind wasn’t fighting her own inner battles along with her growing feelings for this male who drew her so inexorably.
The churning heat coursed through her, coiling low in her belly.
Gods, enough already!
Exhaling a shaky breath, Ely tidied up the first aid supplies, then settled herself an arm’s length away from him. Leaning against the chilly wall, she fished out her potion, drank some of the pinkish, somewhat sweet liquid, then recapped the bottle and set it aside.
“What is that?”
Crap!Her heart banged against her ribs, her gaze snapping to him. He wasn’t asleep? Seriously? “How are you still up? The potion should not only ease you but knock you out for a while.”
