blood transfusion. Elena had donated her universal type O blood.
His lips quirked up. It was almost a grin. “I’m okay. This won’t slow me down for long.”
Relief made her feel ten times better. “That’s good. Thank you,” she said, needing to get right to the point. “I never thanked you out there. You were crazy brave.”
He tipped his head to downplay the compliment. “Anybody would’ve done it.”
She laughed and said something very unladylike. Everyone in America still thought of her as a Goody Two-Shoes, and any time she let a foul word fly she got the same reaction. She said it again to make sure she had his attention. “Bullshit. Not anybody would’ve done it.” Her mother had told her that the press had skewered the unknown man who’d risked her life by making that run to the ambulance. What the public didn’t know was that she had been minutes away from bleeding out. Staying on that red carpet would’ve meant certain death. He’d had nothing to lose, except his own life. “Most people would’ve realized there was a good chance of getting shot.” She lifted an eyebrow to get her point across.
He watched her with those intense dark eyes. He had a day’s growth of dark stubble on his jaw and looked like the ultimate bad boy. So different than the clean-shaven man in the tuxedo who’d saved her. She itched to run her fingers through his messy hair. He shrugged again. “I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let you bleed out on the red carpet. It would’ve upset America.”
She grinned. Her star definitely had been burning bright the past six or seven years. The Sporties might not have been as high profile as the Oscars but dying on any red carpet would’ve have made her a Hollywood legend. Not that she wanted fame that bad, or in that way. She definitely did not.
“How did you manage to keep your name out of the news?” she asked. “That trick alone is worthy of Houdini. TMZ is everywhere. How did you dodge them?”
He looked over his shoulder, then leaned forward. “I told the hospital staff I was in the witness protection program,” he whispered. “Outing me could get me killed and since I saved you, they all want to protect me.” He put his finger to his lips. “Shh.”
Julie’s unbelieving grin turned into openmouthed appreciation. “Wow. Nice one.” She liked that quick thinking. It told her he didn’t like the limelight, which told her he was a private man. “So you saved me and got shot in the process. That’s kind of a raw deal, wouldn’t you say?” She wanted the truth. He had to be a little pissed at her. She’d screwed with his life in a major way despite it being unintentional. God, what if he was one of the athletes who had been nominated for an award? What if she’d sidelined his career?
He shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “I knew exactly what I was in for.”
Okay. No doubt about it. The way his eyes locked onto hers. The absolute certainty that helping her meant a good chance of getting shot himself...and he’d gone and done it anyway.
That was extremely admirable. And sexy as hell.
* * *
Troy couldn’t believe he was sitting in Julie Fraser’s hospital room having a conversation with her. He’d pretty much expected to never see her again. Not because he thought she might die, but because he hadn’t expected to survive. There’d been a few minutes there when he’d seen a giant white light and felt the peace surrounding it. He’d been suspended, almost floating toward it when everything had gone black.
Life always surprised him.
Her pretty blue eyes narrowed. “Why?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why you’d risk your life like that.”
He almost didn’t either. He shrugged his good shoulder. “Because not risking it meant you died and I couldn’t sit around and watch it happen.” It was hard enough seeing her lying in a hospital bed with her arm bandaged and strapped against her chest, knowing her whole midsection had to be heavily bandaged as well.
Her gaze softened as she studied him. “Are you always so noble?” She looked so serious when all he wanted was to see her beautiful smile.
“Never. You caught me on a good day.”
The room lit up when she grinned and something inside him clicked on. He’d been living life in a dreary bubble and her smile had popped it fast.