Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1) - By Unknown Page 0,16
His heart hammered in his chest, and his instinct kicked in, uncloaking him in a split second. Her surprised cry was muffled against his coat.
“Are you okay?” he managed to say as he caught his breath and tried to sit up without releasing her.
This incident clearly counted as an emergency, and revealing himself to her was therefore necessary. It didn’t mean she had to know who he was. She would never need to find out that he wasn’t human, and that he possessed powers that would scare the living daylights out of her. It was best for her not to know, because he didn’t know how she would react.
Leila seemed dazed and made no attempt to free herself from his embrace. Her body so close to his felt intoxicating. She smelled like a ripe fruit ready to harvest, her curves exhibiting the perfect combination of yielding softness and firmness that stood its ground. He savored the moment, knowing that once she’d recovered, she would push him away. After all, he was a stranger, it was dark, and there were few other people around. Instinct would tell her to be cautious, despite the fact that he’d saved her from being run over by a car.
Aiden glanced toward the intersection, but the car hadn’t even stopped. A drunk driver, most likely. Nevertheless, he couldn’t shake off the thought that this was no coincidence. He’d long stopped believing in things happening at random.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, her hand pushing against him to steady herself.
As she managed to sit up and lift her head, she looked at him, assessing him as if to figure out if he could be trusted.
“Thank you. I didn’t see … the car ran a red light.”
He nodded. “I’m glad I was there.”
“I didn’t see you,” she said, her voice a hotbed of caution as she eased farther away from him now. “There was nobody behind me. I would have heard you.”
Perceptive human. “I was just crossing from over there. The car’s headlights probably blinded you, so you didn’t see me.”
He rose slowly and reached a hand out to her.
Leila gave him a doubtful look. “Thank you.” She made a motion to get up, declining his hand, but the moment her right leg touched the ground, her knee buckled and she cried out in pain.
Aiden didn’t hesitate and supported her by putting an arm around her waist, making her lean against him. Heat from her body seeped into his, igniting his cells instantly.
“Brace yourself on my shoulders,” he instructed as he crouched down. Her elegant hands dug into his shoulders.
He reached for her foot. “I’m going to check if it’s broken, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Slowly, he stroked his hands over her ankle and tested her range of motion. She winced immediately.
“Ouch!”
“I’m sorry. It’ll be just a second,” he assured her as he allowed his supernatural senses to penetrate her skin and reach to the bone. It was intact. There was no break, merely a sprain. Relieved, he exhaled. “It’s not broken.”
“How do you know? Are you a doctor?” With curiosity in her eyes, Leila looked down at him.
Aiden released her foot and rose, making sure he kept supporting her weight. “No, I’m not a doctor. But your ankle is just sprained. You’re very lucky.”
“Thank you again.”
“You should put some ice on it right away.”
“I’ll do that when I get home.”
“No, I mean right now. Even a half hour delay can make it worse.” He pointed toward the end of the block where the lights of an Irish Pub flickered invitingly. “They should have some ice down there.”
What the hell was he doing? He shouldn’t engage any more with her than he already had. If he were smart, he’d leave her now. But apparently tonight his mind was occupied with other things, lust being one of them, the inexplicable need to get to know her being another.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll just get a cab to take me home.”
He glanced up and down the street. “You won’t find a cab around here this time of night. We can call one from the pub—after you’ve put some ice on your ankle.”
And thanked your rescuer.
He could vividly imagine what kind of thanks he’d prefer: a kiss from those pert lips. The thought jolted him. He’d never before hoped for any kind of thanks from his charges, no matter how many times he’d saved their lives. It was what he did, what he was called to do. No payment of any kind was ever expected.