Her brows bumped together in confusion. “You’ve touched me before you know.”
My dick twitched in response. Fuck, I knew that. I remembered every time I had touched her. I’ve replayed it so many times in my head. “Your hand is cold,” I lied.
She pressed her lips into a thin line and studied me for a moment before nodding. “Mhm. Okay.” She held the ice up against her lip. The bruising around the gash was getting worse.
My hand moved on its own accord, reaching up and cupping the side of her face. She let the ice pack drop from her face as I caressed the bruised skin with my thumb. It was hot to the touch from the increased blood flow to the injury. In the ER, I’d handled some pretty gruesome shit, but I’d never reacted the way I had from Mags getting hurt. I was worried about her feeling pain. What kind of shit was that?
Her eyes were curious as she watched me. Her chest moved up and down at a steady rhythm like she was controlling her breaths. Her hand rested on mine, and her eyes fluttered shut. She melted in my palm and pride swelled in my chest. Magnolia was feisty and independent. The way she reacted to my touch was like a lion submitting. It had been like that every time we’d touch, and I was addicted to it. But much like a hard drug, I couldn’t indulge or I’d become intoxicated by her.
I couldn’t become addicted to her. It’d be detrimental to us both. I was toxic, and she deserved better.
She let out a small sigh as I pulled my hand away. We were still in close proximity. All I’d had to do is wrap my arms around her and she’d be against my chest. At that moment, the noise from the door being unlocked by a key card made me step back a couple of steps.
I leaned against the sink as Declan opened the door. He hesitated when he noticed me. I gave him a nod, and he rushed to Mags’ side. Bile crawled up my throat watching him rush to her side.
“Flower, I’m so sorry.” He cupped her face, and she flinched back, swatting his hands off her. I could see the pain from his touch go right through her, and I clenched my fists at my sides.
What kind of fucking nickname was flower anyway?
“Don’t touch it,” she hissed. “It hurts.”
“I’m sorry.” His eyes found mine before they narrowed, and he flicked them toward the door. Get out, was what his body language conveyed.
Magnolia may not, nor ever will, be mine. But my territorial nature kicked in, and I smirked before walking over to Mags.
I grabbed her hand with the ice pack and guided it to her wound, softly pressing it against it. “Keep ice on it for ten minutes, off for five, on again for ten, and then off for twenty. Lay down on the bed and watch TV or something. Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. Rest, okay?” My voice was soft, and she hung on every word I said. It gave me a sense of pride and confidence as she listened.
“Thanks, Luca.” She gulped as I moved my hand from hers.
“We may not have the best past, but I care about you.” I started walking toward the door. “You’re my cousin’s best friend, after all.” I opened the door and let it close behind me.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut so I didn’t complicate shit, but Declan pissed me off when he was around her.
I stepped inside my room next door and groaned. “What the fuck am I doing?”
The inside of the hotel rooms were designed the same. One king-size bed in the middle, a porcelain sink with white cabinets outside of the bathroom on the opposite side of the room, and a TV hanging in front of the bed. A hot flash of jealousy warped through me at the thought of Mags sharing a bed with Declan.
I muttered curse words under my breath as I stripped the sweaty blood-speckled clothes and entered the bathroom. A big glass shower was nestled in the corner, a jacuzzi tub in the center, and a toilet in the other corner. I threw the clothes on the white tile and turned the shower on before I stepped into the hot stream.
I washed away Mags’ blood, the sweat, and the lingering feelings that tried to claim me. I couldn’t be the man she needed. I wasn’t made for relationships, no matter how much I wished I was. I’d damn well better remember that.
Day One
4:40 PM - 9 PM - Dinner & the Aftermath
I took Luca’s advice by icing the gash and lying on the bed for a couple of hours. Declan had apologized profusely more times than I could count. He’d been clingy since Luca left, and I knew it was jealousy. Declan was an open book who wore his emotions on his sleeve.
“We don’t have to go to dinner. We could just stay in.” The edge of the bed dipped where he sat next to me.
I poked my tongue into my cheek and inhaled a long breath as I sat up. “As much as I’d love to, Faith would kill me if I didn’t get my ass up out of bed and celebrate her love.”
His eyes shone with concern as he stared at me. “We only have thirty minutes to get ready. Are you sure?”
My eyes widened. “Thirty-minutes?” I hopped out of bed, ignoring the pulsating in my lip, and rushed to the bathroom.
As soon as I saw myself in the mirror, I grimaced. I looked like I had been beaten with a bat, which wasn’t far off considering it was a golf club. My blonde hair sat in a messy knot on top of my head, tangled to hell. My eyes were swollen and red. The gash on my lip was gaping open,
