Page 9 of Bewitched

Paige knew that he couldn’t say more, so she didn’t ask him any questions. “I’m glad that I got to see you again.”

“Me too, Paige.”

Dipping her head, she tried not act like a school girl. Fluttering and flirting like a fourteen-year-old wasn’t anything she did on a regular basis. And, she didn’t need to start now. She found her brush and held it up. “Are you sure you want to tackle this?” She ran her hand over her wet hair and she shook her head. “It’s going to take forever.”

“I have the day off, so you’re in luck. I’ll not only pull you out of a burning building but also take care of the tangles.” He took the brush out of her hand and then turned her around. “Scoot over and I’ll get started.”

Following directions, she moved over and felt the bed dip when he sat down. He started to loosen the knot and she was surprised at his gentle touch. He wasn’t tugging and pulling like she expected. Instead, he was taking his time as he unraveled the knots slowly. It was so relaxing that she found herself wanting to melt into his body. “You seem to be good at this, Blake.”

“I had a horse when I was twelve that liked to rub her tail against the rail in her corral, which meant that I had to put a tail bag on her so she wouldn’t lose the whole thing. I washed her several times a week, and had to brush out her tail and then braid it so I could put her tail bag on. Guess I still remember how to be gentle.”

“What was your horse’s name?”

“PJ. She lived until she was twenty-six, which is old for a horse. That girl and I spent many happy years together.”

“You’re lucky. My grandparents had a ranch when I was growing up, and my favorite horse died when she was seventeen. We were the same age and I took it hard. In fact, I never rode much after that. Thinking back on it, it seems silly. I denied myself a thing I loved to do because I couldn’t do it with my best friend.”

Leaning over her shoulder, he kissed her cheek. “Makes sense.”

“What was that for?” Lifting her hand, she pressed it to her skin.

“Been wanting to do that since I pulled you out of the building.” He slid the brush through her hair and made sure he hadn’t missed anything. “Now I’m going to see if I remember how to braid.”

Closing her eyes, she smiled. He wanted to kiss her. How freaking amazing was that? A tear slipped down her face, and she wondered how long this roller coaster of emotion was going to last. One minute she was lusting and the next she was tearing up. Wiping her face, she mentally pulled herself together. She should at least make some small gesture of appreciation. “Would you like to go down to the cafeteria? I’d like to at least buy you a coffee and maybe a sweet treat?”

“Sure, but are you allowed to leave your room?”

“I think so. If I tell them you’re going with me, I bet they won’t mind.”

He slid the finished braid over her shoulder and stood up. “Sounds great.”

Running her hand over the braid, she tipped her chin against her chest and smiled. “Thank you. That’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a while.” She scooted off the bed, slipped her feet into her sandals, and found Blake standing in front of her with his hands out. “What?”

He lifted her chin and brushed her bangs across her forehead. “We should hold hands. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Oh…of course. Good idea.” She put her hands in his and watched his fingers fold over hers. Perfect. That’s exactly what this moment was.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” They slowly walked out of the room toward the nurse’s station, and Paige felt a smile dance on her lips. How in the word did the worst experience of her life result in something like this?

***

Blake sat next to Paige in a small garden that was next to the cafeteria. It felt like an oasis in the middle of the desert with the fragrance of jasmine filling the air. He draped an arm over her shoulder and told himself it was because he wanted to make sure she was warm enough. It was hovering around sixty and all she wore was a light sweatshirt. She certainly didn’t need to catch a chill. The fact that he was acting like a grandmother bothered him very little.

His protective instincts had gone into overdrive the moment he pulled her out of that room in Sakib. Mix that up with the crazy chemistry that was happening between them, and he was officially out of his mind.

He wasn’t sure if what he’d felt the other night would still be there, and he had his answer. It was a hundred times worse, which begged the question what he was going to do about it…if anything.

The term geographically undesirable didn’t begin to cover the situation between them. She was in the Foreign Service, which could put her anywhere in the world, and his job was worse. How or when they could be together was an impossible question, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to find a way.

Paige picked up the plate of desserts they’d gotten from the cafeteria and smiled. “Which one do you want to try?”

“How about that one, but first tell me what it is.”

“The one on the left is hareeseh, which is like an almond coconut brownie, and the other one is kanafeh. It’s like baklava, but has cheese on the bottom.” She handed him a fork and smiled. “Try it.”

He took a bite and grinned. “It’s good. Not too sweet.”

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