Page 6 of Wild Desire

"I don't think that will be a problem."

She was only making me more intrigued about her life outside of this condo.

"Good. I meant what I said. I'm at your disposal." She turned to go and then paused. "Did you need anything before I head out?"

"Can you help me to the bed?" The ache had dulled, but I needed to get to bed so that I was comfortable for the evening. I wasn't ready for her to leave, but I sensed that she was eager to get out of my space and create distance between us.

"Sure." Her response was clipped as she held them for me. I shifted so that my feet were on the ground.

"Can you give me a hand?" I doubted she could lift my weight, but I wanted to feel her hand in mine.

She shifted the crutches to one hand and held the other out to me. My larger hand closed around hers, and I hefted myself to standing. I swayed slightly, and she let the crutches fall to the couch. Her arm came around my waist. Her head was tucked against my chest, her body pressed against my side. I breathed in her scent, enjoying the feel of her soft curves.

"Are you steady now?" she asked.

"I think so," I said reluctantly, not wanting her to move away.

She slowly removed her arm and reached for the crutches again. She held them in front of me, and when I shifted my weight to them, she headed down the hallway.

"It's the last room."

She flipped on the light, then moved to the bed to fold the covers down. "Do you need anything else? Pajamas?"

I probably shouldn't tell her I slept in the nude. "No."

"Water? More pain pills?"

"That would be great," I said as I moved toward the bathroom. I'd get ready for bed while she was here.

I brushed my teeth. It was slow and awkward. By the time I was done, my knee was throbbing again. I opened the door, and Noelle rushed to assist me. She stayed by my side as I slowly made my way to the bed.

She waited while I swung my legs onto the bed and then handed me water. I was exhausted. I hated that I was in recovery mode with no end in sight. I wanted to get back to my life and onto my board. My heart was still racing as I set the glass aside.

"I'll get you more water." Noelle lifted the glass, and I snagged her wrist.

Her wide eyes met mine.

"Thank you."

Her eyes softened. "You're welcome."

She was an employee I was paying to be here, but right now, she felt like a friend. Someone who was here because they liked me, not because they were under any obligation to me. I watched her walk out of the room. I enjoyed seeing her in my space, her hips swaying in that dress. She wore practical flats instead of heels, and I assumed it was because she was on her feet a lot tonight.

When she returned, she set the glass on the table. "If you don't need anything else, I should be going. I have to get up early."

Would she really have helped me change? The idea had my skin heating, and my pulse raising. "Will you stop by when you're done with whatever you have in the morning?"

"Of course, and you can call me if you need anything."

"Thank you for helping me. I know this isn't what you wanted to be doing." She hadn't spoken to me since that kiss when we were kids. One minute I'd been complaining about something, and then there was the shock of her lips on mine. It had been so unexpected; I didn't even react. Before I could, she was scrambling off the rock we were seated on, apologizing, unable to meet my gaze. She was gone before I could say anything.

I never expected her to kiss me. I wasn't sure I'd ever thought about her as anything more than a friend. I'd dated a lot of different girls. I liked to have fun. I wasn't looking to settle down or fall in love, and Noelle had always struck me as a forever kind of girl. She deserved everything. Not someone like me. Someone who didn't know who he was outside of snowboarding.

"This will be good for my personal-assistant business. My first client is the famous snowboarder, Killian Wilde." She said it with a smile, so I knew she wasn't making fun of me.

"I don't know about that." I was featured in sports magazines and occasionally gossip columns when I was dating a model, fellow athlete, or actress. But none of it was real. Most womenliked to say there were dating the famous snowboarder. None of them knew the real me.

"Good night, Killian."

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