Page 72 of Fall for You
She booped his nose.
His lips twitched.
She sighed. Man, she loved when his lips twitched like that. But she loved it even more when he actually smiled.
He arched his brows, all proper and stuffy. “Did you just boop my nose?”
“I did.” She grinned up at him. “But you booped me first.”
“Ah,” he said in that dry voice of his. “I can’t argue with that logic.”
She wasn’t sure if he had any idea what she was referring to, but she didn’t bother reminding him. She wasn’t sure she could explain it coherently enough to be understood.
Her brain was still swimming, and she was pretty sure she was still smiling. Grinning up at him. Just waiting for…
There it was.
An actual smile.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, he brushed his finger lightly down her face.
“I knew you’d keep me safe,” she whispered, her voice catching as a shudder ran down her spine. Her slow brain was only just starting to realize how badly things with Mr. Handsy could have gone if Eric hadn’t been here. Hadn’t been watching out for her.
“We should get you home, love.” He leaned down closer to be heard over the music, and the whiskey on his breath mixed with whatever fancy-pants cologne he wore…
She leaned in to sniff him…and then face-planted against his chest.
His arms came around her. She had a feeling he was just making sure she stayed upright, but it still felt cozy.
Nothing like the unwanted embrace from Mr. Handsy. Eric’s arms were soft yet commanding. She could trust these arms. She instinctively knew this.
Plus, he smelled really good.
She felt the chuckle through his chest as much as she heard it. “Thank you.”
She peeled herself off him to look up at his face.
Shoot, which part had she said out loud this time?
Wrinkling her nose, she tried to hide her faux pas by slurring, “I like dancing.”
The flicker of warmth in those dark eyes made her knees go weak. “I can see that. But if you stick around here, there will be more guys like that one.” He nodded in the direction Mr. Handsy had gone. “It’s not safe for you here.”
She shook her head. “I’m safe.”
He looked like he might argue.
“I’m not worried about more Mr. Handsies.”
His eyebrows dipped in obvious annoyance. “You should be, Willow.”
She shook her head. “Nope.” And then she beamed at him as she slung her arms over his shoulders. “You’re here. And that’s all I need.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Eric had been about to give Willow a much-needed lecture on the dangers of strange men in seedy bars.
Instead, he found himself staring down at her messy bun, his heart firmly lodged somewhere in the vicinity of his throat.
