Page 79 of The Stolen Princess
“Get away from me!” she said as she turned her head.
“You heard the princess. Get away from her.” Myka peered to the side, seeing Drake and his steely eyes. His jaw was hard, and his stance was wide.
Dawsick released his grip on her backside but kept his hand wrapped around her waist. “What does it matter to you? She’s not your property.”
“She’s nobody’s property.”
Dawsick’s laugh came out with an edge of roughness. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft on her? What would King Ezra say if he knew Adler’s daughter had wormed her way into your bedandyour heart?”
Drake cocked his arm back and threw his fist at Dawsick, connecting with his jaw. The force of the blow sent him backward, and he released his hold on her waist. He lunged for Drake, swinging his arms wildly out in front of him, but Drake moved and ducked away. He sent another punch to Dawsick, hitting him in the nose. Myka didn’t know if she should be helping somehow or not. Admittedly, it was attractive to see Drake beat up Dawsick for her. Was it okay to be turned on by a man defending her?
Because she was.
Dawsick came up swinging again; this time, his knuckles hit Drake in the face, splitting his lip. Myka winced, wishing he could have come out from the fight unscathed. He ducked under another one of Dawsick’s swings then sent an uppercut to his stomach, making him double over in pain.
He leaned down, grabbing Dawsick by the back of his shirt. “If I ever see you touch Myka again, I’ll kill you.” Then he pushed him into the grass and walked off.
She stood motionless, watching Dawsick hold his stomach.
“Myka?”
She looked up at Drake. He was ten feet away waiting for her. That was her cue to leave.
You hit someone, then you leave.
Noted.
She kicked Dawsick in the side as hard as she could then ran off after Drake, thankful that Dawsick hadn’t grabbed her foot and tripped her. That would have completely ruined the whole tough-girl vibe she was going for.
Drake didn’t say anything as they walked back to the shack. He opened the door, pausing for her to go through first. Her eyes met his as she passed, and she wondered what he really thought of her. Was she a nuisance, some annoying girl that he was forced to babysit? Or did he actually care about her?
“Did he hurt you?” Drake asked.
Myka shook her head. They stared at each other for a moment until she couldn’t handle his brown eyes anymore, then she walked into the house, leaving him at the door. She sat down on the edge of the cot, and an unsettling feeling brewed inside of her. Tears streamed down her face, and before she knew what was happening, Drake was sitting on the cot next to her.
He lifted his hand like he thought about touching her, but then he dropped it back into his lap. “It’s over now,” he said. “Everything’s all right.”
She swiped at her eyes, careful not to meet his gaze. “Thank you,” she said.
“It was nothing.”
She looked down at her hands, studying them. “Why did you do it?” She guessed Drake was protecting their asset, not protectingher.He needed the princess alive and well, just in case her father had some weapons to trade.
“You don’t deserve to be treated like that.” His voice was low and soft, melting her heart. She would give anything to go back to the start, to the place where Drake wasn’t her kidnapper. She glanced at his smooth face, reaching up to touch his cut lip. “You’re bleeding.”
Drake flinched like her touch had been painful. He stood, walking to the bucket of fresh water, and grabbed a cloth, moistening it. Then he dabbed the wet corner across his split lip.
“Let me help.” Myka walked to him, taking the towel from his hand. His body turned to her, and her heart sped up. Feelings were churning inside of her, begging to be let loose. Myka had always wanted to feel this way—all twisted up inside because of a man—but this wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen, and it definitely wasn’t supposed to happen with a man whom she hated.
His brown eyes dropped to hers. There was a magical quality in Drake’s gaze that could make a woman fall instantly in love with him while also making her feel like he was annoyed with her. So really, his gaze was more confusing than magical.
She slowly moved her fingers to the side of his cheek, holding his face steady as she rubbed his lip where the cut was. Drake’s body stiffened at her touch, and she could have sworn his breath hitched. His skin was soft and the moment reminded her of when they had first met, when she had tended to his gunshot wound. Things had felt different between them then. They had been light and airy. Free and uncomplicated. Now, everything was difficult and messy and charged with even more attraction.
She held his face in her hands, moving the washcloth back and forth, taking her time.
Drake’s jaw flexed and tightened under her fingers. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands down from his face. His expression was unreadable, and his voice was barely a whisper, raspy and deep. “I think that’s good enough.”
They stood like statues, his hands on her wrists and her gaze on his handsome face. She didn’t want the moment to end. His brown eyes seemed so inviting, and all Myka wanted to do was sit there and stare at him like she was in some kind of staring contest that she didn’t know the meaning of.
