Page 36 of Regally Binding

“Yes. And suddenly, the pub was all I had. I threw myself into my work. I was productive, and I had value, and the place improved too. Eventually, I became deputy manager and then manager. It doesn’t compare to having a real family, but it waslike filler that you put in cracks on a wall. It doesn’t fix them, not really.”

This was the longest she’d been away from the pub since her mum died. Without the place filling her days, the pub meant less to her.

Bear’s words distracted her from her thoughts. “It’s like the cracks are still there, but you can’t see them, and they’re not as damaging,” he replied, his hand covering hers to still her spinning ring. It wasn’t like he was trying to counsel or give her space to speak. It was as if he knew and understood what being alone meant. His eyes appeared glassy, and he blinked several times before clearing his throat. “I was worried when I found you at the bottom of the stairs. I know our kiss was a mistake, but, but…please don’t do anything like that again, because I can’t bear anything happening to you.” He wasn’t talking about her from a professional standpoint anymore. “And if you need to rescue someone, let me know, and we can go together. Deal?”

Liss nodded as she stared into his deep brown eyes. “Deal.”

“Thank you for telling me about your mum. I can’t imagine how painful it was to go through her death and the years since, especially as you were alone. But you’re not alone now. You have me and Strike. I’m not going anywhere.” He squeezed her hand like he had in the cellar. It filled her entire body with a glowing warmth. “How did you fall down the stairs?”

Liss explained the lights going off in the corridor and that she’d heard something in the cellar as Bear worked on her sling.

“Does it hurt anywhere else?” He was softer now, but she debated mentioning the hand pushing her. He wouldn’t believe her anyway.

“My knees,” she replied as if that would divert his other questions.

His hands brushed her legs as he rolled up her leggings. Blood caked at her knees, but the sting was a welcome distraction.

“It’s a surface wound from when you fell, but I’ll clean it up for you.” He left the room and returned with a bowl of hot water and a flannel.

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked, resuming his place below her. His eyelashes framed his eyes, which shone with concern. His relentless touch and genuine care were too much, especially after everything. “Did something else happen in the cellar?”

She contemplated her answer as he squeezed the flannel in the water.

“This will sting, but you’re strong enough to deal with it.”

At the hot cloth against her wounds, her breath hitched.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “Now tell me what you’re not telling me.” Bear cleaned her wounds and carefully wiped the blood away.

“Someone pushed me,” she relented, confident that his human lie-detector skills would get to the truth eventually. “A hand was at my back at the top of the stairs. I can’t prove it, and you guys didn’t see anyone, but… Maybe I’m imagining it.”

“Or maybe you should trust yourself.” He sat back on his feet. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

He dried her skin with a second cloth and added plasters to her knees. “And I’m sorry again for earlier. I shouldn’t have gotten angry. I know what it’s like to want a family.”

Liss held her breath. Bear was sharing a rare moment of vulnerability, and although it only added to her questions, she kept her mouth firmly shut for fear of scaring him.

“Are we friends again?” he asked as his hands squeezed her calves.

“Yeah, we’re friends.” She twisted her mouth to the side, unable to smile.

At that point, his phone rang. It was the same Madzy ringtone as before. Bear turned and cancelled it. The muscles in his back flexed as he took deep breaths.

“Luke said you were her…bodyguard,” she said, her voice going up at the last word. She counted to ten while waiting for him to shut the conversation down.

“Yes.”

“And?” she replied, elongating the word.

Still, he didn’t turn. “And there’s nothing else to say about it except it’s not what you think. And Luke shouldn’t be talking about clients. It’s private.”

She huffed under her breath. “That’s not what I heard.”

As he turned, his face was blank, but the twitch of his eye was a giveaway. “Things aren’t always as they seem. You can choose to believe me or not.” His eye twitched again. “But you can’t trust every person, even those you’ve known for years.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards the kitchen part of the suite.

“Bear.” Liss jumped up and banged her arm in the process. Her howl brought him back to her immediately.

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