Page 16 of Liar & Champion
Chapter Seven
CHAMPION
Iwoke up with my neck kricked from sleeping without a pillow. The sun was shining through the curtainless windows on the golden head of the softest, sweetest, stubbornest blonde I’d ever met. She’d used my shoulder for a pillow all night, but that couldn’t be great for her neck, either. I needed pillows. I hadn’t thought of them when I went to buy sheets, not when I lived in a hotel that came with pillows. You shouldn’t take things like that for granted. I should be wise enough to know, but apparently, I’d gotten soft in my old age.
I stretched my neck and propped my arm under my head carefully so she wouldn’t wake up. She’d had a rough night. I wasn’t exactly a soft and fluffy person, but I could be whatever I needed to be when dealing with skittish clients. Sunshine was something else. First, she’d given that monster my address, so she was smart. Second, she’d dealt with her pain with more courage than even Trixie had when dealing with dislocations. Jezebel didn’t count because she was psychotic. Third, she felt absolutely perfect in my arms, even sobbing, clinging, needing human comfort after her attack. Michael Dupre was going to hurt, maybe spend a few months in traction before he moved to a secure location.
At that moment, I couldn’t move because it would wake her up, and she needed as much rest as she could get after yesterday’s nightmare. I dozed off and on, apparently still catching up on sleep after my cross-country drive. When she finally stirred, she snuggled into me for a satisfying moment before she sat up, absolutely shocked that she’d gone to bed with an almost stranger.
“Morning, sweetheart,” I said, finally stretching my arm and shoulder that she’d made her own.
“I didn’t… I mean, did we… Was there a hayride?”
I studied her bright blue eyes. They were so pretty, but maybe overbright. Was it from pain? “I don’t recall a hayride, but shared dreams aren’t as common as you’d think. How do you feel? How are your hips?”
She hesitantly touched her hips, while studying me like I might bite her any second. I didn’t get up, just stayed laying where I’d been. “I’m fine, but I don’t think I’ll be doing a lot of walking for a few days. He used a lot of force.” She swallowed hard, no doubt hating the memory.
A rush of adrenaline fueled by anger went through me. I got up, scooping her up as I went. She gasped and grabbed my neck. “Where are we going?”
“Bathroom. You can take some time, maybe check all the rest of your bruises I didn’t see last night. Take a bath if it’ll help, or only use the facilities if you’d rather get home sooner than later. I’ll make us breakfast. I’ve got lots of girly breakfast food that you will love.” I put her down on the generous counter and left her alone to deal with her emotions without any pressure. She’d given me his name. I’d see to it that he never hurt anyone else again, and then I’d feel better. Maybe I’d personally break his face. Attractive monsters were the worst kind because they lured you close before they ripped you apart. And he had her stuff. That pissed me off too. I should have managed to keep a grip onhim while I caught Kitten, but the guy was fast, and I had to be careful with her.
I went to the kitchen and started omelets, putting out the breakfast stuff, cutting her a grapefruit and pulling out the mix-and-match plates in the bottom shelf.
“Nix?” she called when the omelet was about done.
I cut it and quickly flipped them onto our plates and went to check on her.
She had the door open, but was gripping the counter with most of her weight on the hand that hadn’t been dislocated. “I’m not very mobile this morning,” she whispered, like it was embarrassing.
I picked her up and carried her into the kitchen. “Maybe you should get checked up at the hospital. It didn’t look like anything permanent, but I’m not a doctor,” I said, putting her carefully down on the bar stool. “Is this okay, or would you rather eat in bed? I don’t have any pillows. I’m not the best host, am I?”
She snorted and cocked her head to study me. “The good Samaritan is supposed to drop the victim off at an inn. You can’t be the innkeeper and the good Samaritan. That’s just ridiculous.”
Her face was only slightly bruised along her jaw, but her throat and shoulders were already brightly mottled. It was infuriating to see something so pretty so hurt. “You make a good point. So, the bench is okay?”
She smiled at me and the sun broke out from behind the clouds and I found myself taking a deep breath and smiling back. She just had the prettiest smile in the world. “I’ll endure it for the sake of good southern manners. What’s for breakfast?” She raised her brows and waited expectantly for me to set the omelet and bowl of sliced fruit in front of her with a flourish.
“And your yogurt, madame,” I said, peeling off the lid of the strawberry for her.
She took it with an arrogant tilt of her chin. “Thank you, my champion, but I’m no madame, even if I did spend the night with you.”
“Ah. Thanks for clearing that up.” I grinned at her and then took my plate and started eating.
She hesitated, but eventually she stopped pushing the food around and started taking bites. She didn’t look at me while she ate, just focused on her food until it was all finished, every single bit. It was somehow satisfying to see her eat what I’d made for her. She stacked her bowl and yogurt container on her plate and then folded her hands primly on her lap.
“I’d offer to do the dishes, but I’m afraid my hand isn’t up to it. Now that I’m all fed, will you carry me home?”
“Sure. Don’t worry about the dishes. Is anyone home? I hope no one worried about you last night.”
“My aunt was out of town, but she’ll be back this afternoon. She’s a doctor, so she can check my hips and drag me to the hospital if I need to go.” She rolled her eyes like her aunt was so crazy to think that those silly bruises needed any monitoring.
“Good to hear that someone’s looking after you. You don’t want the good Samaritan to worry. She can be the innkeeper.”
She smiled at me sweetly. “She’ll be delighted to hear it. Listen to you, talking like you know your Bible stories.”
“Is that from the Bible? It’s almost like I’ve read it once or twice. It’s the hotel thing. I’ve spent a lot of time in hotels, and there’s always a Bible to help a man out when he can’t sleep.”
She laughed and shook her head. “See? You can’t say religion isn’t good for anything.”
