Page 9 of Blind Attraction

When the threat to their safety vanished, he moved in front of her, the broken glass crunching under his feet. He stared at the shaking hands covering her eyes, and his chest started to throb. The visible skin around her cheeks held tiny scratches with bright red blood. “Alana?”

Still no response.

He placed a hand on her forearm, and she jerked at the touch. Damn, what the hell should he do?

“Sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.” He picked pieces of glass from her hair and wiped them from her shoulders. Relief flooded him when she didn’t continue to flinch. He needed to keep himself busy otherwise the fractures in his panic would deepen, and he’d cause a bigger scene.

Her breathing came in ragged pants. She pulled her hands an inch away from her face and lifted her gaze to look straight through him with rapidly blinking eyes. He supported her shoulders and tried to blow away the glitter of glass particles from her cheeks. The brush of his breath pulled another cry of pain from her throat and she covered her hands over her face again.

“Christ.” He was useless, with no concept of what to do. “Alana, please, sweetheart. Tell me what’s wrong.” He’d tried to protect her and failed.

“My eyes,” her voice broke.

“Is she all right?” Mitch glanced at one of the male hotel staff who knelt beside them.

She let out a sob. “I can’t see.”

Pain slashed through Alana’s vision. Her reaction had come too slow when the heavy vase hit the wall mere inches in front of her. Glass had sliced her face and flown into her eyes. And her worst mistake had been rubbing them to try and dislodge the fragments.

“She needs an ambulance.” Mitchell’s voice came from beside her, firm and demanding.

She kept her eyes squeezed shut and reached out a hand to grasp his shirt. He responded immediately, pulling her into the protective warmth of his embrace.

She couldn’t see.

Whenever she opened her eyes, the burn of fire greeted her and everything came into view in a kaleidoscope of blurred images. Even the soft breeze of the air conditioner made her snap her lids shut again. If this was permanent, she wouldn’t be able to work, and she’d lose the limited independence she cherished.

A snap of bright light came through the darkness. Once, twice, three times. She flinched with each burst of illumination.

“Get those assholes out of here. And I want every photo destroyed!” Mitchell’s ferocious bark made her wince. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll get you out of here in a sec.” Both his arms cuddled her close, and she sunk further into the embrace. “Has someone called an ambulance?”

“Umm, excuse me, Mr. Davies. If her eyes are the problem, she would be best to see an optometrist.” The man’s voice was young and filled with unease. “The hospitals aren’t equipped to handle complicated sight problems and usually only give the bare minimum care.”

“Somehow I don’t think any optometrists will be open at—” Mitchell released his grip with one arm, “—one-thirty in the morning.”

Alana listened to the exchange in silence, trying to slow her rampant breathing so she could think straight.

“My mother’s an optometrist. I’m sure she’d be happy to meet with you, no matter the time.” The young man’s voice grew in strength, the confidence he held in his mother clearly shining through.

Alana shook her head and clutched at Mitch’s shirt. She needed someone familiar to help her, someone she wouldn’t be ashamed to cry in front of, or apprehensive about clinging to.

“I need Kate,” she whispered and cleared her dry throat. “Can you take me to her? She can help me wash my eyes. It might dislodge whatever is blurring my vision.”

“Would washing them help?” Mitchell hadn’t directed the question to her.

“I don’t think so. Not with tap water anyway.” The young stranger replied.

Mitchell’s other arm came around to hold her again, pulling her tight. His concern vibrated from him, increasing her alarm.

“Get her away from the gawking people and take her to find her friend. I’ll call my mom.”

Mitchell’s head rubbed against her hair, as if he nodded in reply. “We’ll be in my suite. Call the room as soon as you find out.”

His arms moved from around her back and the warmth from his chest faded. Strong hands encased her shoulders, supporting her on more than a physical level. “Are you all right with that, sweetheart?”

She continued to squeeze her eyes shut, trying not to flutter her lids and aggravate the debris still in there. “Yes. Kate will be able to look after me.”

The grip on her shoulders tightened. “I’ll take care of you.”

---