Page 23 of The Healing Touch

Bikers. He resisted the urge to laugh. His dainty girl grew up with bikers. Who would have thunk it?

“Becca?”

“Hmm?”

“Did those bikers teach you how to fight too?”

That pulled an impish grin from her. “Never piss me off, and you’ll never have to find out.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

“Let’s just say I can hold my own.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Jackson made sure of it.”

“Come on, Jackie Chan, let’s get inside. Find us some food while I take a shower.”

She cracked a crooked smile his way and went to find the phone while he headed for the bathroom.

To take a cold, cold shower.

Chapter Seven

Becca’s nerves were about to get the best of her. What the hell just happened out there? She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to steady herself. Falling apart wasn’t going to do anything to help her calm down. He kissed her, sure, but he was Dimitri, and Becca forcefully remembered all the women he’d gone through over the years. A kiss meant nothing to him. He was just full of alcohol. That was all it was. An alcoholic induced moment of insanity on both their parts. Best to leave it at that.

Instead of focusing on her very swollen lips, she set about opening boxes. The first two contained all the paper swag, and she set that aside. The next three were books. After opening the fourth, she turned her nervousness into full-on anger at Amazon’s new printing department. She’d specifically called them and asked each title be shipped in its own box, not thrown all together. And what did they go and do after assuring her otherwise? They threw them all together.

Dimitri had written twenty-three books in a little under four years. Granted, not all of them were popular, but he had three series that were, and now to have to sort them all out? He would have called her and pitched a fit if she hadn’t come. Hell, there was no way he could get this done by himself. The man had no sense of organization. She was surprised he managed to turn books out so quickly. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. When it came to writing, he was extremely well organized. The man had spreadsheets detailing everything in each series and book. Everything else? Toss it and hope it wasn’t important because there would be no finding it later.

So, instead of starting to organize the pre-orders, she began to sort books and stack them on the floor, muttering death threats at the shipping staff over at Amazon.

“What are you doing?”

Becca jumped and flailed backward, trying not to topple the books she’d so painfully organized, when Dimitri’s voice startled her. Strong hands caught her and yanked her up before she could fall. Her cheek came into contact with damp, warm skin. Holy hell. He didn’t have a shirt on. She bit her tongue to keep from tasting him.

“You okay?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice. She pushed away from him, keeping her eyes on the floor as she moved back to the boxes. If she refused to look, that was one image that wouldn’t haunt her dreams for a lifetime.

He walked up behind her, looking over her shoulder at the mess on the floor. “Why did you order so many books?”

One, two, three…she counted silently.Take a deep breath and keep your cool. Don’t let him know how he affects you.“I told you earlier how many pre-orders you had. I took a stab at guessing how many you might need. What you don’t sell, you can pack up and use at the next event. Less for me to have to order.”

“When is the next event?” He leaned farther over her, his very naked chest resting against her back.

Dear God in Heaven, give her strength. “Two weeks. Austin, Texas.” The words were clipped, angrier than she meant them to be, but hell’s bells, did he have to be so close? She couldn’t move. He’d trapped her between the desk and himself.

“You sure you’re okay, Becca?”

“I said I was fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’re trembling, and you’re breathing so hard, you might have just jogged up five flights of stairs?”

She closed her eyes. Damn him.

“Don’t, Dimitri. I am not one of your flavors of the week.”

“I know that, Rebecca.” He turned serious. “Trust me, I know.”

“Then why are you doing this?” The confusion bled out in her words. “Just stop it, please.”

---