worried about something.” She physically twitched, as though an answer balloon just popped right over her head. “Oh, Grant, this isn’t Sebastian’s boat, is it?”
She started pushing the covers down her thighs, until realizing she was only wearing one of my T-shirts, and then quickly pulled them back up.
The alarm that one thought conjured, however, never left her face. “He’s not here, is he?” Her voice rose with the same level of distress her movements had. Each word tumbled out atop the next, making it close to impossible to understand what she was asking.
“No,” I reassured her gently, but her eyes shot around the room as though she still expected my best friend to spring from one of the closets and yell Surprise!
“No.” My repetition was sterner. I dropped my voice by an octave, compelling her to re-center on me. Oh, hell yes. Just the way I liked it. Exactly the way I liked her.
I slid my hand over and placed my open palm on her blanket-covered leg. But the moment we both gazed at where our hands rested, I pulled back just as quickly as before.
You don’t get to do that, man.
I frowned. God, I wasn’t used to this kind of awkwardness. This sense of not knowing where I stood with a woman. The feeling was damned unsettling. “Sebastian doesn’t have anything to do with this,” I said with quiet reassurance. “I chartered this boat. For you. For us.”
“You did?” she asked, bewildered. After scrunching her forehead and looking around the stateroom again, she said, “But…why?”
I shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea. I don’t know, the right thing to do. Clearly you needed to get out of Los Angeles for a little while.”
I raised my gaze to meet hers head-on. Time to get really serious—and really honest. “Away from all the things that were pulling you under.”
She grinned and rubbed the top of her head, making her hair stick up like a baby bird’s new downy feathers. “Is that what you think was happening?”
“What?” I was more taken aback by her mischievous grin than her mocking tone. Unfortunately, I’d grown far too used to her sarcasm for that part to bother me. But her open amusement? That was new. And troubling.
When was I going to figure this woman out? And why did I keep trying?
Time for another tactic. “Let’s get some food in you.” I stood to get my cell phone off the table. “I’ll feel so much better if you eat something.”
“Isn’t that backwards?” she volleyed back, looking up at me with large, challenging eyes.
“For fuck’s sake, woman,” I answered in a rush of frustration. “Is it so hard to comprehend I’ve been worried about you?”
She continued her wordless glare.
“Is this what happens when you finally get some sleep? Everything becomes a damn battle?”
“I just thought it was funny. Normally people say, ‘You’ll feel better if you eat.’ But you said you’ll feel better if I eat.” She gave a careless shrug. “I don’t know, it just sounded backwards. You managed to make my eating about you.” She looked down to fiddle with the comforter that was tucked neatly around her legs.
Finally thinking a redirect was best, I said, “I’ll go get you something to eat.” I backed toward the door, thumbing over my shoulder to indicate the exit. “If you feel like a shower, there’s a fully stocked bathroom here.” I tapped on the door that led into the stateroom’s private head. “And there are some clothes that should fit you in…the…closet…”
I let my words trail off as her face twisted with discomfort. The look was stealing the damn oxygen from my lungs.
“Blaze, what is it?”
Are you cold? I’ll keep you warm. Scared? I’ll protect you. Lonely? I’ll hold you. Tell me, it’s yours. I’m yours.
“Did I have things…” She gave her head a little shake.
I waited a few beats, but she didn’t finish. “What is it? Ask me, baby,” I issued resolutely after watching her struggle with even the simplest question. “I’ll give you whatever truth I can, I promise.”
“Did I have personal things when you came for me?” She finally lifted her eyes to meet mine. “At the hospital? Or whatever that place was?” She swallowed so roughly after asking the question, I could see her throat process the entire movement from where I stood across the room.
My voice came out quieter than I expected. “I can’t be sure. If you did, they didn’t make it out with us. I just grabbed you, and we