Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
“Did I?” She grinned, but it didn’t seem to meet her eyes. “Silly me. I was just talking figuratively. Not literally.”
“Were you?” he asked seriously, studying her closely.
“Yep.”
There was no reason for him not to believe her.
Except that he didn’t think he believed her.
“If you don’t want to doctor my hands, it’s okay,” she said. “You should really get off the ground anyway. Someone might think you’re about to propose.”
“Let them think that,” he dismissed. “And I’m cleaning them.” He drew the first aid kit away as she tried to grab it.
Tamsyn held her hands up in surrender. “You got it. Sorry.”
He cleaned her hands with the wipes, being as gentle as he could be. Every time she winced or moved; he froze.
“I’m fine, really. You don’t have to keep stopping.”
“I don’t like hurting you.”
To his surprise, she stiffened. As though his words had shocked her.
But when he looked up at her, she was staring over his shoulder, a small smile on her face.
He must have imagined that. Reading body language wasn’t exactly his forte. And he often took people literally when they were joking or being sarcastic.
So he continued to clean her hands and then placed some bandages on them. He had the strange urge to kiss her scrapes better.
But that would be going a step too far.
Right?
Yes, it would be. Besides, his kisses weren’t actually magical.
And since when did he go around wanting to kiss people?
Never.
“Thanks,” she told him. “That’s the best anyone has ever patched me up.”
Okay.
He didn’t like that either.
“Tamsyn?” he queried as he put the first aid kit and roller skates into her backpack.
“Yes?”
“Are you in some sort of trouble?”
“Why would you ask me that?” She stood with a smile and took the backpack from him, placing it over one shoulder.
She was significantly shorter now that she no longer had the roller skates on. At five foot eleven, he was fairly average in height and the top of her head barely reached his chin. Which had to make her around five feet tall.
So tiny.
It roused his protective instincts even more.
“I’m just worried about you,” he said.
“Rome, you can’t spend your time worrying about other people so much. Especially not a stranger. I’m all good. I promise.”
How did he know whether her promises were worth anything, though?
He sighed. There wasn’t anything he could do to make her tell him what was going on. And she didn’t appear to be bruised or harmed. Although he was well aware that not all hurt had to be physical.
“Will you let me give you my phone number?” he asked.
Tamsyn blinked at him. “I, uh, sure.”
“I just thought that perhaps you might want to meet up for tea or coffee but if that’s . . . wait, you said yes?”
This time her smile definitely reached her eyes. “Yeah, Rome. I said yes. Give it to me.” She grabbed her phone out and typed in his number. Then his phone buzzed.
“There. Just sent you a message so you have my number too.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat. “That’s, uh, good.”
“Well, bye, Rome. SYL.”
“See you later, right?” He just wanted to check it wasn’t something else like shut your lips. Or something similar.
“That’s right.”
“Oh, wait. Do you live close by? Are you going to be all right getting home?” he asked as she walked off.
“Yep! I’m all good.”
For some stupid reason he was extremely reluctant to let her leave without him.
It was like he thought that something bad would happen to her without him there to protect her.
Ridiculous.
She’s survived until now. And could he even protect her?
Self-doubt filled him and stopped him from demanding that she let him accompany her.
Instead, he just let her walk away.
And instantly regretted it.
4
“Alexei, you should eat more. You need lots of fuel. You too, Roman, you’re looking pale.”
Salem sighed as his mother fussed over his friends. They lapped it up and Alexei sent him a smug grin.
Bastard.
“You going to eat that bread roll?” David asked Salem, snatching it off his plate before he could answer.
Salem sighed.
“David!” Charlene snapped. “Salem might have wanted that.”
“Too late,” he told her.
“Sorry, Salem. He has no manners,” Charlene told him.
“Neither does this one,” Erica added, point at his brother, Con.
“HeywhatdidIdo?” Con asked, his mouth stuffed full.
“Swallow before you speak!” their mother snapped. “What will Alexei and Roman think of your terrible manners?”
Please let this end now.
As soon as the meal finished, Salem pushed his chair back. “We should go.”
“But you can’t go yet. Alina is calling soon,” his mother said.
“She is? I’m sure she doesn’t need us all here. It’s you she wants to talk to.”
“Actually, she requested that we all be here,” his father said.
Which meant that he was staying.
He’d never deny his sister something if he could give it to her.
They all gathered around his father’s ancient laptop as the call came in. He’d offered so many times to buy him a new laptop. But his father wouldn’t hear of it.