Page 11 of Courage of the Mountain
I sniffle and bury my face between his neck and shoulder, letting him rock me back and forth. “I want to,” I manage to squeak out between rounds of tears.
“I promise I won’t let you down,” he says. It sounds more like a vow, one that he takes very seriously. “Can you tell me what happened?” Heath peels me off his chest, then cups my face in his hands. “Shit. First, let me take care of this cut. I can’t breathe when you’re bleeding.”
I furrow my brow, then wince as the skin pulls against my wound. “I have a first aid kit upstairs.”
Heath nods and then surprises the hell out of me by scooping me up in his arms. I’m about to protest, but then he grins at me and presses another kiss to my forehead. “I hate the circumstances that led me here, but I don’t mind having you in my arms again.”
Despite everything, I find myself blushing. He’s just being nice, right? Teasing me for old time’s sake. There’s no way Heath, my first and only crush, wants me the way I want him.
He easily bounds up the stairs, even though he’s carrying all my weight. The door is slightly ajar from when I dashed downstairs, and Heath kicks it open before setting me down. We’re both dripping wet, and my head is starting to throb.
I take a few steps toward the bathroom, tilting slightly to the right with each step. I can’t seem to get my balance, but Heath doesn’t let me fall. Without a word, he guides me toward the bathroom and then helps me sit on the edge of the tub.
I feel completely useless and pathetic as he grabs the first aid kit out of the medicine cabinet and gathers the supplies he needs. His eyes meet mine, and he caresses my cheek, wiping a few tears away. “Let me take care of you, sweet girl. You deserve to be loved in this way.”
Love?Surely, he didn’t mean it like that. The sincerity shining in his green eyes, however, makes me think he might actually be serious.
Heath wets a washcloth and gently cleans the blood from my forehead and right temple before drying the area off. I can’t take my eyes off him as he swipes a disinfectant wipe over the cut, then applies a bandage. He looks over his handiwork, then presses his lips slightly above my wound as if kissing it all better. If anyone could, it’d be Heath.
“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling all kinds of vulnerable in front of him.
“Never thank me for taking care of you, Lily. You have no idea how much I…” He trails off, running a hand through his hair. Heath looks away from me and blows out a breath, debating whether he should finish his sentence.
“How much you…?” Forest green eyes focus back on me, searching my gaze for… something.
“How much I want to be the one you turn to,” he finally admits.
I stare at him, slack-jawed, unable to comprehend his words. I must have a concussion. Yes. That’s the only thing that makes sense.
“Before we unpack that, I need to know what happened tonight. This wasn’t an accident, and it wasn’t your fault.Something sinister went down, and I have to get the details so I know how to protect you.”
I open my mouth to explain everything, but then a chill rattles my bones and causes my teeth to chatter. I’m freezing, but I can’t bring myself to move. I’m afraid Heath will leave, or I’ll wake up in my store, surrounded by water, realizing this was all a dream and I’m alone, just like always.
“Actually, change of plans,” he says as he stands. Heath holds out his hand, and I slip mine in his. “Your water up here should still be on since I only shut off the water for the store. Go ahead and warm up with a shower, then come find me on the couch.” He pulls me into a standing position, then wraps me up in his embrace. It’s like he knows I need this from him, even when I don’t know it myself.
“Thank you,” is all I can manage to say. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“This isn’t a transaction, Lily,” he soothes. “I don’t want anything in return. I already told you, all I want is to take care of you, if you’ll let me.”
“But… why?”
Heath takes a step back, keeping his hands on my shoulders to steady me. “I’ll tell you when you’re out of the shower and changed into warm clothes. Can’t have you catching a cold now.” He winks as he takes a few steps backward through the bathroom door.
“You know that’s a myth. You can’t catch a cold from being cold.”
He grins, and good Lord, I’m starting to warm up already. How can I not with that smoldering look? “I don’t want to take any chances,” he replies with a wink.
I shoo him out the door before I do something I can't take back, like pull him against me and beg him to give me my first kiss.
6
HEATH
Iclose the bathroom door and lean against it, catching my breath. What a fuckin’ whirlwind. My heart is still racing, though I don’t know if the adrenaline is because of the flood downstairs or being in Lily’s presence.
Who am I kidding? Of course, it’s Lily.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her for a single minute since I left her earlier today. Guilt tugs at my heart, tearing a little piece away as I picture Lily discovering the busted pipe and then falling hard enough to draw blood. I should have been here. I might not have been able to prevent what was clearly sabotage, but at least she would have known she’s not alone.
