Page 31 of Tying the Knot
Morgan
Pullingmyself together after a few minutes of extreme self-pity, I pull away from Dylan and meet Elijah’s gaze. He is staring at me, his eyes a turbulent mess of emotion. He masks it well, though, when he clears his throat and removes his hands from my knees. Ducking his head, he removes my shoe and sock and starts poking at my delicate ankle.
“Sore?”
“No.”
He nods as if that’s good.
I glance up as the one who took my bag reappears with that same stricken expression on his handsome, chiselled face. “I put your washing in with mine. Hope that’s okay. I was doing a load anyway.”
My mouth drops open in horror. “What?” I squeak, jumping up. “No, that wasn’t necessary…”
“It’s done,” he says. “I’m Nik, by the way.”
“Nik. You really shouldn’t have.”
“Stop worrying about it. It’s nothing.”
But I can tell from his face it’s not nothing. Either my scent is repulsive to him or the unthinkable, and it’s an attraction. I can’t quite tell yet. He won’t come near enough to me for me to catch a second whiff of him. Maybe that’s for the best. Elijah and blondie are making my head swim enough. I’m thankful that Dylan is a beta, so I can think clearly around him.
“Sit, please,” Elijah murmurs, still kneeling in front of me.
Gulping back my humiliation, I sit and avert my gaze to the floor next to where he is kneeling. He gently bends my ankle this way and that, assessing me and asking me questions.
He traces a finger lightly over the faded red welt from the anklet with a soft growl. His hands are hot on my cold skin. I shiver when I think about him trailing them up my legs, up my body to cup my breasts before he sinks his cock into me.
“Uhm,” I stammer. “What did you want with me if it wasn’t to arrest me?”
Four gazes land on me. I fix mine onto blondie as he seems the best option. He hasn’t said much, is trying to keep his distance, hasn’t manhandled my filthy knickers and isn’t sitting next to me like Dylan, so I can stare at him without straining my neck.
“Who are you again?” I ask when none of them says anything.
“Kaleb,” he croaks.
“That’s right. Captain Kaleb.”
He nods slowly as if debating to continue this awkward conversation. Luckily, he doesn’t because I was all out of words.
Elijah stands up and holds his hands out for me to take. “Can you put weight on it?”
I glare at his big, manly, strong hands that are doing things to me and lick my lips. Hesitantly, I reach out and place mine in his.
It’s like I’ve been hit with a thousand volts of pure electricity. I gasp when he pulls me to my feet, his gaze never leaving mine. His sexy, full red lips part slightly as he pants out a shallow breath.
“How does that feel?”
I blink. “Hmm?”
“Your ankle?”
“Oh, fine,” I lie. It hurts, but I don’t want him to waste any more of his time on me. I want to hear what they have to say, and then I need to leave before my body does something my head is going to regret. Severely, savagely, sinfully regret.
He narrows his eyes but takes me at my word. I sit again, pulling my hands out of his so I can replace my sock and shoe without grimacing with pain. I think I can walk on it, at least to get back to the hotel where I can call up for some ice and also rest it. I need to get busy with finding somewhere else to live and a job, but I can’t do that if I can’t walk properly. It’s not efficient.
“Sooo? Anyone? Or am I free to leave?”
“Your washing hasn’t finished yet,” Helpful Nik points out.
