In the kitchen, he pulled out a chair and set a steaming bowl of soup in front of her, with thick slices of bread on a wooden plate.
She sniffed it warily. “Smells decent.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t take the bait.
They ate in silence.
“You know, you have a real issue with boundaries,” she finally said. “Hugging random women you hardly know. Kidnapping them.”
He looked up slowly.
Those mismatched eyes—one hazel like gold, the other glacial blue—pinned her in place like a moth on a corkboard.
“You’re not any woman,” he said, his voice rough. “You’re everything I—”
His jaw worked. Then he said, almost gruffly, “Let’s just eat.”
But Faolan couldn’t stop wondering what he would’ve said if he had continued.
Chapter 34
Thane stood in the doorway of the bathroom, arms crossed, jaw working. He had followed her like a ghost back to the bedroom into the bathroom and had stood there watching as she struggled with her clothes. She could see he was itching to help but was holding himself back.
“I’m helping you with the bath.”
Faolan had managed to get her shirt off and was kicking off her pants. “I can manage. I still have a working arm.”
He moved to the sink, unrolling a waterproof sleeve and pulling it gently over her cast before taping it. Their breath mingled as he bent over the task. “You’ll get water in the padding if it’s not sealed right. And it’ll itch like hell”, he tried to reason.
“I can do that myself,” she mumbled stubbornly.
He kept his eyes on the wall. “I’ve seen you naked. It’s not like we have any surprises there.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t be an arsehole.”
He winced. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, there’s no need to be shy. But if there’s anything you don’t want me to do, just say the word and I’ll step back. But I’m not leaving.”
She didn’t.
He helped her out of the panties, eyes trained stubbornly on his hands, even as she refused to look at him. Even though he had been inside her, this was somehow more intimate than anything they had done together. His throat worked as he stepped back to let her into the shower cubicle, shutting the frosted glass behind her. There was no hiding the hard-on he was sporting.
Through the haze of condensation, she could still see his silhouette—tall, broad, and motionless. It was like the concept of personal space had gone out of the window from the moment he strongarmed her into staying at his flat.
“What does a girl have to do to have a wee in peace around here,” she grumbled to herself.
“Did you say something?” Thane asked from just beyond the glass door separating them.
“You don’t have work?” she asked, rinsing carefully.
“It’s sorted. Don’t worry about it.”
There was a pause, like he was working his courage up to say something. “The guys want to meet you, but only when you are ready. You tell me when.”
She reached for the soap, wincing as it slipped from her hand for the third time. With a quiet curse, she bent awkwardly.
The cubicle door slid open. Steam poured out.
Thane stepped in, still in his joggers, hair already damp within seconds. “I’ll keep my pants on,” he said. “I swear. I just want to help.” His eyes were pleading.
