way was she going to tell him she’d parked in the farthest lot. While it had seemed like a good idea at the time, she now understood it might not have been the smartest.
His chest heaved as he blew out a breath, visibly reaching for control. “I’m not blaming you. I’m pissed off at what happened and doubly pissed at your boss for sending you there by yourself.”
Ria shrugged. “Lance and Robby offered to go, but I needed them elsewhere. Besides, I’m a big girl.”
“You were attacked!” So much for control. Fury blazed in his eyes.
“I got away, didn’t I?” Belligerent to the end, that was Ria.
“Fuck!” Despite the rage on his face, his hand was surprisingly gentle as he cupped her face and leaned in close. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Ria understood the question for what it was, and was thankful that, because of what she was, the damage done to her wasn’t worse. “No. I managed to knee him and get away.” After she’d had a snack of course. Well, more like a four-course meal. She’d needed to take enough to cover not only the blood lost when the knife at nicked her vein, but enough to heal the wound and replace what she’d used in the last several days simply by being . No need to tell Santos that. She didn’t want to see all that brilliant anger for her sake die a quick death.
“Good girl. Did you call the police?”
She had to fight the desire to lean into his touch. Let him care for her. “No. I just left.”
His lips thinned, but he didn’t berate her again. “Can you walk?”
She frowned at him. “Of course I can walk. I drove back here, didn’t I?”
Muttering something under his breath, he helped her out of the SUV, keeping his hand clasped around hers and slammed the door shut. “Come on.”
“I can make it to my room on my own you know.”
“You’re not going to your room. You’re going to see my mother.” He was already pressing buttons on his phone.
Ria dug in her heels, forcing him to turn and look at her. “No. There’s no need. I’m fine. Really.”
Though the foreign color had receded from his eyes, they narrowed into slits. “The wound seems to be clotting, but it sme...seems like you’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m not taking any chances.” When she opened her mouth he added darkly, “Do not argue.”
“But...”
Her protest was cut off when he barked in his phone. “Ria was attacked at the airport. She’s dazed, lost a lot of blood, but coherent.” A slight pause before he simply hung up and clipped the device back on his belt. “Kitchen. Now.”
“The luggage...”
“Can damn well wait until you’re taken care of!”
Blinking at his back, she frowned. “Do you always cuss this much?”
Santos stopped so suddenly she bumped into his back. He turned and brought his face so close to hers that as he spoke, his breath whispered over her lips. “You were attacked. Hurt. That and the sight of your blood is pissing me off. I cuss when I’m pissed. Deal with it.”
Her lips turned down. Now that the high was wearing off, her neck was beginning to throb and her body to shiver. “I already told you...”
Rattling the hell out of her, Santos shifted slightly and pressed his mouth to hers. Heat exploded deep inside, chasing the chill from her flesh, and her eyes fell shut. It was a showing of dominance, no doubt about it, but when her lips trembled, his softened, opening slightly so he could sip at her mouth. Far too soon he pulled back. “Let someone else take care of you for a little while. Okay?”
That idea had some merit, especially as her bones had melted, and that from a simple lip-lock. No tongue required. Eyes wary, she nodded in silence.
He looked at her a moment, that tiny, almost smile twitching his lips. “Now I know.”
She was afraid to ask. “Know what?”
“How to shut you up.”
She had enough of her wits about her to glare in feminine outrage at the smug satisfaction on his face. But honestly, she’d gab
His chest heaved as he blew out a breath, visibly reaching for control. “I’m not blaming you. I’m pissed off at what happened and doubly pissed at your boss for sending you there by yourself.”
Ria shrugged. “Lance and Robby offered to go, but I needed them elsewhere. Besides, I’m a big girl.”
“You were attacked!” So much for control. Fury blazed in his eyes.
“I got away, didn’t I?” Belligerent to the end, that was Ria.
“Fuck!” Despite the rage on his face, his hand was surprisingly gentle as he cupped her face and leaned in close. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Ria understood the question for what it was, and was thankful that, because of what she was, the damage done to her wasn’t worse. “No. I managed to knee him and get away.” After she’d had a snack of course. Well, more like a four-course meal. She’d needed to take enough to cover not only the blood lost when the knife at nicked her vein, but enough to heal the wound and replace what she’d used in the last several days simply by being . No need to tell Santos that. She didn’t want to see all that brilliant anger for her sake die a quick death.
“Good girl. Did you call the police?”
She had to fight the desire to lean into his touch. Let him care for her. “No. I just left.”
His lips thinned, but he didn’t berate her again. “Can you walk?”
She frowned at him. “Of course I can walk. I drove back here, didn’t I?”
Muttering something under his breath, he helped her out of the SUV, keeping his hand clasped around hers and slammed the door shut. “Come on.”
“I can make it to my room on my own you know.”
“You’re not going to your room. You’re going to see my mother.” He was already pressing buttons on his phone.
Ria dug in her heels, forcing him to turn and look at her. “No. There’s no need. I’m fine. Really.”
Though the foreign color had receded from his eyes, they narrowed into slits. “The wound seems to be clotting, but it sme...seems like you’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m not taking any chances.” When she opened her mouth he added darkly, “Do not argue.”
“But...”
Her protest was cut off when he barked in his phone. “Ria was attacked at the airport. She’s dazed, lost a lot of blood, but coherent.” A slight pause before he simply hung up and clipped the device back on his belt. “Kitchen. Now.”
“The luggage...”
“Can damn well wait until you’re taken care of!”
Blinking at his back, she frowned. “Do you always cuss this much?”
Santos stopped so suddenly she bumped into his back. He turned and brought his face so close to hers that as he spoke, his breath whispered over her lips. “You were attacked. Hurt. That and the sight of your blood is pissing me off. I cuss when I’m pissed. Deal with it.”
Her lips turned down. Now that the high was wearing off, her neck was beginning to throb and her body to shiver. “I already told you...”
Rattling the hell out of her, Santos shifted slightly and pressed his mouth to hers. Heat exploded deep inside, chasing the chill from her flesh, and her eyes fell shut. It was a showing of dominance, no doubt about it, but when her lips trembled, his softened, opening slightly so he could sip at her mouth. Far too soon he pulled back. “Let someone else take care of you for a little while. Okay?”
That idea had some merit, especially as her bones had melted, and that from a simple lip-lock. No tongue required. Eyes wary, she nodded in silence.
He looked at her a moment, that tiny, almost smile twitching his lips. “Now I know.”
She was afraid to ask. “Know what?”
“How to shut you up.”
She had enough of her wits about her to glare in feminine outrage at the smug satisfaction on his face. But honestly, she’d gab
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