Page 33 of Regally Binding

“Yes,” she conceded before mumbling, “You must have eyes in the back of your head.”

“I also have acute hearing, so less of the cheek,” he said close enough to make her shiver. “I was so scared, Liss.”

“Me too,” she said, and he held her good hand in his. She’d already broken her vow to distance herself when she saw Bear again. Something about being rescued by a distressed Bear overwhelmed her heart and sense.

He chewed his lower lip. “Just stay still while Ewan uses his professional skills to make sure you’ve not broken anything.” He added louder, “I’m going to stay here and watch that you don’t do anything dodgy. Aren’t I, Ewan?”

Ewan nodded like a bobbing-headed dog before bending down and asking Liss questions to check she wasn’t incoherent or disorientated. He gauged where her pain was and if her vision was okay. After that, he checked her limbs and worked with her to ensure she moved relatively painlessly. Eventually, Ewan helped ease her arm from behind her. It wasn’t broken, but he’d strap it in a sling.

Bear’s eyes never left her, and he never dropped his hand. At various points, his brow furrowed, and he shook his head. Heplaced his spare hand on his heart, and his chest moved slightly slower as if it was calming his breathing. He didn’t speak all that time except when he called the ambulance to cancel it. Ewan focused on his task. It was unusual to see him so professional. He didn’t notice the occasional moments that Bear opened his mouth to interject based on where Ewan was touching her, but every time Liss squeezed his hand and shot a warning glare at Bear, he shut his mouth without speaking.

Eventually, Bear’s patience ran out. “How’s it going there, Ewan lad?”

Ewan jumped up. “It’s all good. Help me get her to the side room off the bar so I can put her arm in a sling. It’s best to avoid the punters, as they’ll want to see the princess.”

“Good point. You get the first aid box, and I’ll get her to the side room.”

“Okay, Mister…”

Bear’s jaw was tight. “Call me Bear. Now move. That box isn’t going to collect itself.”

Ewan nodded and ran off.

Bear tucked his hand beneath Liss. It was hot against her thin vest. Slowly, he eased her off the floor and hooked his arm under her good arm to support her. “You good, Liss? Because if you’re not, we’ll get you straight to the hospital. I’m not keen on this plan of yours.”

She nodded and fought the tears that brimmed in her eyes. The realisation of how bad the fall could have been kicked in. Her body shook with a mixture of terror and the cold that settled in her bones as she lay alone at the bottom of the stairs.

“Come here, beautiful,” he said softly before pulling her close. Her tears flowed freely, and she sobbed against his chest. He whispered into her hair, holding her, “It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t leave you again.”

She fought the temptation to wrap her arms around him. Instead, she sagged against him and let his heat and strength heal her as an earthy and spicy aroma made her nostrils twitch.

“You smell different,” she said as the tears eased. “Like a teenage boy that’s doused himself in Lynx.”

He pulled her away from him. He wriggled his eyebrows. “You cheeky cow. I smell like a sexy man who’s returned from exploring the depths of foreign countries.”

“Excuse me?” She giggled while wiping the last tears away with her hand.

“What? That’s what it said on the back of the bottle. I found it at the office. I guess Luke used up all the good stuff during one of his late-night geek-outs and left his crap stuff instead.” Bear looked down at his shirt, now soaked through with tears and streaked with dirt. He didn’t complain though.

Fear settled in her heart, and she wasn’t sure how to make it leave. “Smelling like that, you could rival Ewan when he’s priming himself to chat up a punter. He’s a massive fuck boy.”

“He’s not going near you again then. I’ll do the sling myself,” Bear said gruffly.

“He’s a trainee paramedic,” she replied, fighting the temptation to smile at his jealousy.

“And I’ve been in enough scrapes to know how to put a sling on someone. Ewan doesn’t need to get his hands on you again,” Bear pouted. His voice softened again. “But seriously, are you okay? Because we can go to the hospital or wherever else you want. I know you’re worried about the business, which is sweet of you, but your safety is paramount. We don’t even need to leave this cellar today.”

“I don’t want to stay here any longer.” Her voice wobbled.

“As you wish, especially as the dirty floor has made you scummy as hell.” Bear lifted her into his arms as effortlessly as if she was a toy. “But when you’re feeling better, I have loads ofquestions about what the hell you were doing in the pub after I told you to stay where you were. I’m very interested in how you ended up in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. I’m seriously pissed off.”

She winced against the pain but didn’t dare tell him in case he called the ambulance again.

“Now, let’s get you out of here.”

Fear twisted in her stomach. Liss hugged Bear and breathed him in again. It didn’t matter that he didn’t smell like himself anymore because she was safe with him. Yet, as Bear carried her, she still felt that hand pushing against her back and forcing her to a place she was scared to go.

Chapter Seventeen

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