He was those things and more.
And he was completely delusional if he thought he was her guardian.
10
“You are not my guardian.”
Zander ignored her as he carried some clothes into the bathroom for her.
“Hey! Are you listening to me?”
He was listening. He was just choosing not to respond. He walked back into the main room where she was standing, glaring at him.
“Urgh, you are so irritating. You can’t just declare yourself my guardian and expect I’m going to do what you tell me to do.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like help getting dressed?” he asked.
Shoulders sagging, she just stared at him. Guilt filled him as he saw how tired and in pain she appeared to be. Moving towards her slowly, he reached out and cupped her shoulders. She flinched slightly. Fuck, he hated that. He wanted to command her to stop, but he remembered what Butler had told him.
He couldn’t expect trauma to disappear in a matter of days. It could take weeks, months, years.
He would have to be patient. What he couldn’t do was walk away from her.
“It’s going to be all right, Little Thief,” he told her gently. “I’m going to take care of you.”
“You’re so confusing. I don’t even know where I am with you. You’ve gone from wanting to kill me to wanting to be my guardian? You do realize I’m twenty-six years old.”
“Being your guardian has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with taking care of you.”
“And why would you want to do that?”
“Because I feel something towards you that I’ve never felt towards anyone else.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure I can describe it exactly.”
She eyed him skeptically. “It could be gas.”
He’d just told her that he felt something towards her and she said it was gas?
That was . . . amusing.
He heard a snort of laughter coming from Webb.
“You’re not my guardian. You don’t have feelings for me. You’re delusional and gassy.” She pointed at him as she spoke.
“Am I?” He couldn’t stop the grin that crossed his face.
“Yes! And stop smiling.”
“You’re very bossy.”
Her mouth dropped open. Then her cheeks flushed, her hazel-colored eyes sparkling.
“I am not bossy.”
She was gorgeous when she was in a temper.