Fuck. Fuck.
Abby stared up her, lips swollen. Her face slightly flushed. Her eyes, which had been glazed with lust, were now darkening with worry.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“I can’t believe I just did that. It was a mistake.”
Her body grew tense and she scrambled her way off his lap. He let her go. She scooted her way onto the sofa, kicking him in the thigh as she moved.
“Oh crap. Sorry. Shit.” She stared at him in horror. “I didn’t mean to do that. Honestly. It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Abby, I know it wasn’t. Calm down, sw—” He cut himself off before he could call her sweetheart. He needed to back off. For both their sakes. Because the more he thought of that kiss...the more he wanted to kiss her some more. The more he wanted to take things further. To lay her down on the couch. To explore every inch of her.
She sat in the corner of the sofa and the way she crouched in on herself, as though to make herself smaller, punched him in the gut.
“Abby, I’m so sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. I apologize. That’s not what I...who I am. What I need.” He needed to get out of here. Before he was tempted to pull her back into his arms and comfort her. Which would no doubt lead somewhere else...
Fuck. What was wrong with him? This was Abby. Sweet, kind, innocent Abby. She wasn’t the sort of woman that could deal with him. She needed someone who would be gentle with her. Guide her. Nurture her.
Not someone who’d want to tie her to the bed, plug her ass before fucking her. Hard. Fast.
She stared at him incredulously. Those wide, hazel-colored eyes were filled with something he couldn’t quite decipher. It wasn’t anger, although she was entitled to feel
that.
More like disillusionment.
“Not what you need? It was a mistake?”
He nodded. “It was. And I’m so sorry. Can we please just forget it happened? I came here to put on new locks so you are safer and to check on you after the late night you had. My family owes you a debt—”
“No, you don’t,” she interrupted.
“Pardon?”
“You don’t owe me a debt. I didn’t do anything. And I think you should leave.”
He didn’t want to leave things like this. Not with her looking at him like he’d slapped her. “You went running into a dangerous situation to help my sister. Anything could have happened to you. Many people would have stayed hidden or left to get help but you didn’t.” He gave her a stern frown. “Of course, if that situation ever happens again, that is exactly what you should do.”
“You would expect me to leave your sister there on her own with those assholes?” she asked.
An uncomfortable feeling filled him. The thought of anything happening to Eden made him nauseous. But he also had this growing protectiveness towards the woman sitting as far away from him as she could on the couch.
“It won’t happen to Eden again.”
“I hope not,” she said quietly.
“It won’t,” he repeated firmly. “Sanctuary takes care of its own. Eden is going to find herself much more closely watched.” He knew Clint was already beating himself up for not taking a firmer stance with their sister. They tended to indulge her where they could. She’d been through so much in her short life and she was the baby of the family.
“Okay, well, you don’t owe me a debt. Or if you did it’s been paid with the new locks on my doors. So, you can leave now.”
He didn’t want to go.
It was ridiculous. He’d just pushed her away. He should be taking the out she gave him and going.
“Abby, it’s not what you think,” he told her gently. “It was a slip of the tongue. We’re just not well-matched.”
“That’s one way to put it,” she said stiffly. “I get it. A mistake. I’m tired.”