There was a limit to how much she could do to heal a human face.
“Hi to you, too,” she rejoined with a smile.
“Sorry. Hi, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d come by to see if you needed medical attention.” She grabbed her bag and closed the hatch.
He took her bag from her and hooked the strap over his shoulder. As his shirt moved with the gesture, she saw big bruises like cabbage roses on his belly. Over an impressive array of lean muscles. Wow.
“Kelsey, this is a bad idea. Your dad—”
She cut him off. “My dad gave me your address.”
He stared at her. Under the swollen mess, she thought he might have been attempting a shocked face. “What?”
“I have called off that particular dog. So can we maybe go inside? Because it’s freezing out here, and if nothing else, it’s very clear that you do need some medical attention.”
He stood there, staring. His face was too injured to offer insights about his thought process, but Kelsey took a stab and said, “Do you think I’m lying?”
“No,” he said at once. “You don’t seem like the type.”
“I’m not. If you believe me, are we standing out here in the cold because you don’t want to invite me into your house?”
That, he did not answer right away. As the silence expanded, and the cold deepened, Kelsey’s nerve faltered. “Okay. Sorry.” She reached for her bag.
Dex grabbed her hand. “No, don’t … go. I’m just … trying to understand. Your dad was trying to kill me a few hours ago. And I am not exaggerating. Now you say he’s pushing you to me?”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. He’s pouting, and he’s probably not going to buy you a beer anytime soon, but I pointed out that he wasn’t trusting me, either. So he backed off.”
Again, he just stood there. Kelsey was fully dressed and wearing a coat, but Dex’s feet were going to be frostbitten if they didn’t figure this out pretty soon.
“What do you want with me, Kelsey?”
“I don’t know. But I like you. I liked kissing you. I think you liked it, too. So maybe … I don’t know … maybe we could talk, at least?”
“You should be looking for a decent man. Somebody safer than me. Somebody better.”
“So here’s the thing. The only man I know who might be better than you is my dad, and he’s taken. Also, that would be gross.”
He shifted impatiently and shook his head. “Kelsey …”
“I will tell you what I told my father. I was raised in the Bulls. Do you really think being able to do violent things in the name of the club, or the club family, would be abadthing in my mind? Dex, you saved my life because you didn’t hesitate to kill a man. I got a brain facial that night, and I am telling you that I understand who you are.”
Again, he just stared. But he was still holding her hand, and his grip was snug.
He looked around, then met her eyes. “Okay. Let’s go in.”