006 Attention.

~KELSIE~

I wasn't aware that I was still strapped in his arms— my hands around his nape—till he was lowering me to the passenger seat of a car. Another shocking realization: he was carrying a car, not his big Harley. 

Sorrel's grunt as she settled in the backseat filtered through my ears and I looked over to the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay?" I asked, surprised that my voice quivered a little. 

Sorrel found my gaze in the rearview mirror and nodded softly in a half smile.

"Yeah, what about you?" 

I nodded in response, right before I felt more than saw Lancelot settle in the driver's seat. 

His commanding presence was kinda assuring. It reminded me that I was safe now. And his exquisitely broad frame pressed against the seat he fumbled with the keys.

His long fingers—

"Shame on you, Kels." I mocked mentally. "You were a breath away from being raped and you're ogling another guy's frame and fingers—"

"You okay, Red?" His raspy voice invaded my thoughts. I shivered, not knowing whether it was as a result of his reverberating voice, or the adrenaline that was still surging through me.

Either way, I nodded, remembering my earlier observation.

"You came in a car..." My voice trailed off as something struck me. The interior decor of the car was strikingly familiar. On a closer look, I gasped.

"Kendra's car?" 

He shrugged. "Didn't want to alert them with that big Harley, don't you think?" He started the ignition, but his eyes were fixed on me. 

I didn't respond, just held his gaze for several seconds longer. Somehow, it had a calming effect that I didn't know I needed. 

Then he wrenched his gaze away as those long fingers rolled on the steering wheel in reverse.

"Get some rest, Red. You're trembling." 

That was when I looked down at myself and noticed that my hands were trembling and so were my thighs.

Oh boy...

With a slow biting of my lips, I rested my back on the seat and snapped my eyes closed, willing the event of a few minutes ago to fade into blurriness.

If ever...

                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

My eyes snapped open to someone softly tapping my shoulders. I had dozed off without knowing.

I blinked and tried to adjust my gaze and sharpen my consciousness.

Big hands were trying to scoop me out of Kendra's Tesla— Lancelot's. His face came into view as soon as I was carried out of the car. 

I tried to ignore the cherry scent of his cologne that wafted through my nose, also trying not to latch onto him. But I knew the last part was nearly impossible, not when my hands had automatically found his nape.

Staring ahead, I discovered we weren't at our house. 

"This isn't our house." My brows reflexively raised as I glanced at him. "Where's this place?" I couldn't hide the suspicion that was etched in my voice.

A chuckle reverberated through him, and since my body was pressed against his, it had the same reverberating effect on me.

"Relax, Red. It's my apartment." 

I snorted. "And how relaxing is that piece of information?" 

"You'll find out, soon." 

Blowing out a breath, I rolled my eyes. "I can walk, you know." That blush that burned on my cheeks couldn't be ignored. I was thankful it was already nightfall.

"Sure. Not when you're trembling like a leaf. Ow!!" He screamed as a result of my smack and despite the event that led to this moment, I couldn't help the smile that adorned my lips as I allowed myself to look at him.

The nightlight hinted at his face, giving him that mysterious, yet alluring vibe.

Yeah, it was safe.

An hour later, I stepped out of his bathroom, clad in his dress shirt that seemed more like a gown than a shirt. I tried to shrug off the feeling of how intimate it felt, wearing his things. But at the same time, I had to tell myself that I had no choice in the matter. 

My leather outfit was dirty and soiled. It was generous of him to offer me his piece of clothing.

I left the bedroom and wandered into the sitting room, feeling a tad lost. 

He was standing by the breakfast bar when I stepped further into the sitting room. His back greeted me first. Then he turned, a smile hanging across his lips as his gaze raked down my body. Under his gaze, I felt more like a melting puddle, but I struggled to hold it. 

After a few seconds, he crossed the room striding over to where I stood. But before I could see it coming, he had already scooped me up... again.

I slapped his shoulders again, but he didn't budge, only twitched his lips like he was trying to hold back a smile.

"Stop scooping me up like some princess that needs protecting."

 I grumbled as I set myself down on the large cushion, his gaze intent and tender.

"How are you?" He asked as he settled beside me, by the edge.

"I'm fine." I shrugged, despite knowing my body didn't feel anywhere close to fine. Now that I had splashed water on myself, some places I was aware were injured, surfaced, giving me stinging pains that seemed hard to ignore.

Then he dragged out a first aid box from the side of the cushion and placed it on the glass center table.

"Now, let's get you treated." 

I shook my head vigorously. "No, I'm fine." I wasn't used to this side of him. It was enough that I couldn't help noticing how strikingly handsome he was, no matter how much I tried not to.

Him being all nice was tugging at my heartstrings. And quite frankly? I didn't want him tugging at anything of mine.

"Just go back to being all cocky and smug. You caring is so..." I bit my lips, trying to find the right word that doesn't hint at my attraction.

"... unsettling." I finally uttered, not bothering to look at me.

With a chuckle, he snapped the first aid kit open. I still didn't look. Right until he appeared in my line of sight with a cotton wool soaked with a liquid I guess was hydrogen.

Yeah, I had an injury on my face, perhaps, when I was trying to fight the bastard off.

 I gazed steadily at him, wondering if he really wanted to dab the wound himself. My body shivered at the thought of his fingers touching my face.

"It's going to hurt." He said, gazing pointedly at me.

I stretched out my hand. "It won't if I do it myself." 

He shook his head. "You don't always have to be so tough, you know. Sometimes allow others to take care of you." He said, ever so softly, and proceeded.

As soon as the hydrogen-coated cotton wool came in contact with the wound on my cheek, I flinched, clenching my fist to stop myself from whimpering. 

The pain stung more than I thought it would.

He was smiling as I held his gaze, lips pressed against each other. He was smiling. My brows arched. "Something funny?"

He chuckled." As I said earlier, you don't have to toughen up, Red. Sometimes you have to be vulnerable. Confide in someone."

My head automatically reared backward. "And if I wanna confide in someone. It would be the guy who almost ran me over with his Harley? No thanks." I flipped my hair in a dismissive gesture, ignoring my stinging cheek.

He laughed. "Almost." He was still crouched in front of me, and something about that felt very intimate.

That got the next question rolling out of my lips. "Why did you do it though? Try to run me over?" I hated that I asked, but I already did, so I stared expectantly at him.

A few beats passed and he was staring at me without saying anything. Then he reached out with his free hand and cupped my other cheek, sending automatic shivers through my spine.

"Because I wanted to get your attention..."