“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Me?” I ask incredulously. “I didn’t….”
“You should know how to take care of yourself, dammit.” He rises to his feet and holds out his hand to me. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Where?” I ask, a little distracted by his elegantly long fingers. The delicacy about them did nothing to diminish his manliness… even his fingers were attractive.
“To the police station,” Abram replies as if that’s obvious. “Let’s go and report that bastard to the cops and get a restraining order.”
I shake my head, lowering my eyes from his.
“I can’t,” I say in a small voice.
“What?”
I cringe at his tone of voice. He sounds like I just slapped him in the face. I wish he knew how inconsequential women like me are, even to the police.
I raise my eyes to him again, determined not to be pressured by his beautiful eyes and genuine concern.
“I’ll take care of myself,” I say in a firm voice. “You don’t need to concern yourself with me.”
“What?” Abram says with a mirthless laugh. He runs a hand through his already tousled hair and mutters a quiet curse word. “Too late, darling,” he says and walks out of the store.
I watch him go, feeling mostly numb.
What did he mean by too late…?
* * *
Abram looks just like a dream sitting behind his canvas in white, loose pants and a white shirt that’s unbuttoned just enough to give me a glimpse of his muscular chest. His brush moves delicately on the canvas, a small smile playing on his sexy lips.
God, help me. This man is irresistible.
Abram raises his eyes to mine at that moment, and my heart skips painfully, then stops functioning entirely. His smile grows into a knowing smirk.
He can’t read my mind, can he…?
“You seem more comfortable in your dress today, Melody,” Abram finally says.
I swallow the urge to let out a sigh of relief. I glance down at the pretty floral dress he’d made me wear this time and smooth my hands over its soft material.
“I love it,” I reply in a small voice.
I feel my cheeks redden at the admission.
“It does look great on you,” Abram says. “Close your eyes, Melody.”
I promptly obey, helpless against the soft command in his tone.
“Sit back.” Abram’s voice is calming, oddly compelling. “Imagine my lips on yours...”
My lids snap open and my eyes clash with his.
“Wh...Why would I do that?”
It’s not like you haven’t done it before.
It’s times like these that I wish my subconscious would just shut up forever.