The air thickens around us, and I refuse to pull back. Instead, I lean in again. “How old are you, princess? Old enough to spend the night in a cabin making up for your transgressions?”
She doesn’t back down. “How old do you think I am?”
“That’s a jailbait question. I’m going to need to see some ID.”
“Andthat’sjust a trick to find out who I am, and I’m not going to fall for it.”
“So you’re someone I might recognize from your name?”
“Ooh, Mr. Military Man thinks he’s clever.”
“And Criminal Goldilocks thinks she can keep hiking on feet she can’t even put flat on the ground.” I drop to a squat in front of her and start unlacing her boots.
“Hey!”
“First aid or a spanking, honey. Your choice.”
“Doesn’t first aid include water? Because you’re still holding my water bottle hostage.”
I yank off her first boot. There’s blood on her sock. Well, fuck. “Tell you what, princess. You can have your water bottle if you can walk across the cabin and get it.”
She groans. My cock twitches at how good that sounds. I wish she was making such a sweet noise for a better reason.
I free her other foot and find that sock in a similar state. “Stay here,” I order, crossing to the kitchen.
She doesn’t move, so I grab her water bottle after snagging my first aid kit.
And since I don’t know how long she’s been out in the woods today, I grab a bowl of fresh peas, still in their pods, and a couple of cheese sticks.
Setting everything on the table, I tell her to eat while I work on her feet.
Instead of listening to me—what a surprise—she watches carefully as I peel off her socks, spray her feet with antiseptic, and start to apply ointment, followed by a thin layer of healing second skin, and finally bandages to keep it all in place.
She doesn’t make a sound the whole time.
And it tears me up inside to see her delicate little feet in such rough shape.
Finally, I look up at her. I know my mouth is set in a stern line. She did quite a fucking number on her toes, and she isn’t going anywhere for a day or two.
So much for my peace and quiet.
“I’m twenty-two,” she mutters. A peace offering.
Great.
At least I can fuck her at some point and see if that shakes her pretty scent from where it’s wrapped itself around the base of my brain.
CHAPTER4
ABIGAIL
I hate to admit it, but my feet already feel better. And there’s no way I’m putting those boots back on, so whether he likes it or not, this sailor has just acquired himself a house guest.
From the second he flashed me his military ID, I shifted gears. Always important to have contingency plans, my father used to tell me. Because the official plan goes out the window as soon as the battle begins.
Or in my case, the wild, ill-thought-out solo adventure.
“Thank you,” I add, giving him my most charming boarding school smile. “You’re being very gracious.”