Page 82 of Fall for You
He would have made a good doctor, she realized. He had this calm, patient air about him, like he could wait all day, and he wasn’t going to run if she lost it again.
She swallowed hard. “When I first hit the snow, I was worried I was injured, but then…” She looked away, shame and guilt making it impossible to hold his gaze. “But then when I realized I wasn’t, I…”
Her throat outright ached with unshed tears she couldn’t even explain.
He reached out and touched her cheek. “When you realized you weren’t hurt, you…?”
She wet her lips and forced herself to look at him, realization hitting her like a ten-ton truck. “For a second, I…I wished I was.”
His eyes widened a little, but he kept quiet.
“Because…because if I was hurt, I wouldn’t have to join the circuit again.” Saying the words aloud made the tears come back full force, and Dallas reached for her.
This time he didn’t let her push him away. He held her to his chest. “Ah, sweetheart.” His voice was so low and soothing. “You don’t have to do this anymore, whether you’re hurt or not. It’s your life.”
She sniffed. The words were so sweet.
So sweet but…so not true.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Eric had his hands up like he was a bank teller being robbed. “Just…calm down.”
This was the wrong thing to say. Willow’s eyes grew wider—a feat he hadn’t known was possible.
“Calm down?” Willow screeched, borderline hysterical. “Calm DOWN??”
He flinched. Okay, yeah. Now it was full-blown hysterical.
She’d pushed off the comforter he’d tucked her under last night and was scrambling out of bed, trying to pull her skirt down and right the top part of her dress in the process.
He half turned to give her some privacy. “First of all, nothing happened.”
The room grew eerily still. He kept his eyes on the doorframe as his chest tightened. Crap. Did she actually think…? “Willow.” He spoke firmly so there’d be no question. “I promise you. I did not take advantage?—”
“Oh my gosh, Iknowthat.” Willow’s tone was filled with exasperation, and as she was no longer moving around, he peeked in her direction.
She was scowling at him, arms crossed and dress fully righted. He pressed his lips together to hold back a smile. She was so stinkin’ cute.
Seriously…adorable. Her hair was a wild halo around her head, and her eye makeup was smudged. She looked like a woman who’d just had a wild night. In bed…
He turned away with a gulp. Suddenly the way she looked was far less cute and way more seductive.
“Eric.” She sighed his name.
Nope. That was not helping the direction his thoughts had just taken.
“What am I going to do?”
The plaintive tone tugged at his heart. He turned to her, and every bone in his body was aching to take her into his arms. To scoop her up like he had the night before and cradle her against his chest.
Everything in him wanted to assure her that she’d be fine. That he’d make sure of it. Heck, he’d move heaven and earth to clear that worry from her eyes. “It’ll be okay, Willow.”
She sighed and took a deep breath, her eyes holding his.
“I promise,” he added.
She seemed to consider this, but then she nodded. “Okay.”
