Don't Hesitate Don't Hesitate (The Reluctant Heart Book 3) - Jeannette Winters Page 0,20

was much better than your mule joke the other day,” he said.

“It must be the wine,” I said.

“You haven’t even taken a sip,” Andrew corrected.

“Just knowing it’s there is enough for me.” I put the plate back on the tray and picked up my glass of wine. The first sip tasted like heaven. The second and third weren’t so bad either. “That’s better.” I held the glass and leaned back on the couch.

“You didn’t eat very much,” he said.

“I’m too tired to eat,” I admitted and took another gulp of wine. The glass somehow was two-thirds of the way gone.

“Then you might want to take it easy on that.” Andrew reached over and took the glass from my hand.

“Hey, I’m not done with that.”

Andrew picked up my plate of food and said, “You eat while I get you a little bit more.” He disappeared into the kitchen.

That was acceptable. Of course, Andrew was taking what seemed like forever filling my glass. By the time he returned, I had finished the entire plate he’d prepared for me.

When he sat down and handed me the glass I asked, “Was that intentional?”

He met me square in the eyes and said, “Yes. I don’t need you getting drunk and having to carry you to bed.”

I blushed, for no reason at all. “I’m no lush. Actually, I rarely drink. It’s just today…well it totally sucked. And I thought the shower would help, but I’m still sore.”

“Sore?” he asked.

“Besides being on my feet all night, I had to break up a fight. Can you believe it? I’m barely five foot five and these guys were as tall as you.”

“What do you mean you broke up the fight. What about security?” he asked sounding angry.

“I guess it was more like two drunk guys getting loud with each other. See, one of our dancers, Sugar, wasn’t paying enough attention to one of the guys and I guess he took it personally. When I tried to calm down the situation, I got knocked down on my backside, but my arm hit the corner of the table and it’s…sore.” I gently ran a hand over my left upper arm.

Andrew's eyes were wide and he lifted the short sleeve of my t-shirt. “Holy fuck! That’s not a small bruise. Are you sure you didn’t break anything?”

“Nope. Mostly my pride. I didn’t fall very gracefully,” I said.

“You’re not going back there until you’ve got security. It’s too dangerous. What was wrong with Carl leaving this to you? You’re not capable of --”

“Running the place?” I interrupted. “Because I can assure you I am. I might be tiny, but trust me, I can handle myself. It was just an…accident. It’s not like he swung at me or anything.”

“Good thing for him, or I’d be having a conversation with him that might land him in the hospital,” he snarled.

I rolled my eyes. “Now you’re getting loud just like they were. Can’t men just talk things out quietly? And besides that, it is not your job to protect me or tell me what I can or can’t do. Understood?” I snapped.

Andrew got up and went into the kitchen. If he wasn’t happy with what I said, that was his problem. But when he returned he held a towel with something wrapped inside.

“What’s that?”

“An ice pack for your bruise,” he said.

“I’d rather have heat,” I said.

“R.I.C. E. Rest. Ice. Compression and elevation. It will help relieve the pain and actually might help with the bruising.”

“And you know this how?” I asked.

“I’ve had a few sporting injuries and might have been in a couple of fights as well.”

I winced as he held the freezing towel to my arm. “If you push too hard on it, you might end up needing an ice pack yourself,” I warned.

Andrew wasn’t fazed by my weak threat in the least. “Just sit still and let me take care of you,” he said firmly. “Trust me, you’ll thank me tomorrow.”

Someone taking care of me? God, I really need that now and not for my bruises either. Any other time and I would analyze what he said. ‘Let me take care of you’. The only people who have even done were my parents or my aunt and uncle. That’s still more than what some had, but never before had a boyfriend or man I was involved with ever offered such tender care. It had always been about them.

You are full of surprises Mr. Andrew Heart. For a man with a reputation of not having