007 Affectionate.

~KELSIE~

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

 I replayed the words in my head, wondering if he meant it in the romantic aspect or not. But the former seemed unlikely because all he did from that moment on was try to get on my nerves.

What kind of attention seeking was that?

"That's why you wanted to send me to my early grave?" The question tumbled out of my lips before I could stop myself. I was no longer in control of my thoughts, not when those sapphire eyes gazed at me with that tender glint dancing in them. 

Hell, it was surprising to see that part of him; saving me and treating me like some fragile being.

A soft laugh escaped his lips at my question, reminding me that he was still crouched in front of me with his hand cupping my cheek.

Wait...

The realization hit me like waves. He was still cupping my cheek and staring at me like that. Was I imagining things, or was Lancelot interested in me?

I gave a vigorous mental shake of my head. 'No, Kelsie. He's just giving you attention because you were almost raped. There's no way he's interested.'

But wait a damn minute...

Why would I care if he was interested or not?

A guy like Lancelot was the kind of man a mother would warn her daughters to stay away from. Gorgeous in a way that should be illegal; shoulder-length raven-black hair that gleamed effortlessly under the sun, sapphire eyes that looked as though they could suck you into the depths of the ocean if you let them. And those full lips...

Not that I was stereotyping but this was the typical description of a Playboy. With looks that could kill, he could get any biker girl into his bed. It most certainly couldn't be me.

So, I mentally looked for something to get myself out of this oh, so awkward situation. Like say something maybe...

First, I eased my face away from his touch and collected the cotton wool away from him. To my surprise, he didn't try to drag it with me, instead, he just cleared his throat and sprang to his feet.

I tried to evade my gaze from his tall, powerful physique and concentrate on dabbing the wounds on my face. The pains had dulled but I couldn't help but worry whether it would ebb away by morning.

"Do men run over girls they want to get their attention?" That slipped out as soon as he sat beside me. Maybe because I was desperately trying to shut out my other senses, especially that of the smell that seemed to notice the velvety scent of his aftershave. And the sight, that I couldn't help noticing him through my peripheral vision.

I had to still be reeling from the event of a few hours, still cruising on adrenaline because why the hell was I suddenly soft on him, getting affected by him when he was about to take over every part of my life.

Still, a part of me couldn't stop being appreciative of the fact that he saved me...twice.

All I should feel was gratitude, not—

"You seriously thought I would have run you over if you hadn't halted your Harley, huh?" 

'Finally, he speaks...'

I thought he was never going to, seeing as he was staring at me as though I was applying make-up other than tending to my wounds.

Shrugging, I glanced into those sapphire eyes but briefly.

"Hell, yeah. You were full-on coming at me."

"I would never do that." He said casually as though he almost didn't. "Like I said earlier, it was to get your attention."

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "Like some Queen freaking Elizabeth."

"Like the girl whom I would be guarding from here on out." I bit back a groan. And he had to remind me what I had been fighting to forget. 

How he'd played me into his hands.

"So, now that you have gotten my attention. What do you intend to do with it?" I was curious to know. Would this just be a bodyguard slash biker prince arrangement or would there be something more to it? My brain supplied the last part, but of course, I would never ask him that.

"You'll see..." He muttered a reply.

I snorted, grabbing the mirror I had seen in the first aid kit. Maybe he put it there because he knew I would be tempted to check the extent of the damage done to my face.

That's why I didn't see him stand until he was kneeling in front of me again, eyes quizzical, sharp, but never losing their tenderness.

I darted my pupils in confusion, trying to think back on whether I missed something he said. A proposal maybe. Because why the hell was he crouched in front of me all of a sudden?

"You bruised your knee." He said matter-of-factly, his gaze lowering to my knee.

I bit my lips. Yeah, I had totally forgotten that this wound wasn't caused by Jade spawn-of-the-devil Walter.

But hey, I wasn't about to let him know that my pride wasn't the only thing that was bruised on that asphalt. My flesh did get bruised.

"Yeah, clearly. Jade's a psycho." I said casually, my gaze drifting back to the mirror.

"We both know it wasn't Jade who caused it." Wait, what?

I was forced to glance at him. "Okay. Who, pray tell, did?" I desperately wanted to inject a little bit of dramatic flair to that question, but I just... couldn't.

Not when his lips were hanging to the side in a half smile.

"You were trying to outdo yourself on the asphalt. It backfired." There was no judgment in his voice, but I did feel judged.

I swore I was about to tell him to go get his trophy and stomp out of the sitting room, but his next action got me rooted to the spot, eyes slightly widening.

He used a cotton wool dabbed in hydrogen to clean it up while the other drew circles around the white flesh that had suddenly gotten watery, probably on the verge of getting infected.

"Just like I said earlier, Red. You don't have to be tough or win every time. What if you got really injured trying to race me?" He looked up at me, and the sexy glint in his eyes sucked the breath away from my lungs.

I swallowed at the sensation that was building low in my stomach. Not bothering to answer me.

But when he narrowed his gaze at me, halting the circling motion, I was able to get my mind back on track.

"Was I supposed to just sit around and watch you beat me, huh?" My brows arched dramatically.

He chuckled, resuming the circling motion as though he had the faintest idea of what he was doing to me.

"I could do this all day, you know?" The huskiness of his voice threw me off balance. And when he looked up at me again, my breath caught somewhere in my chest. 

There was something about his gaze that made my heart flutter without even trying.

"You kissed me this evening, why?" He looked up from my knee and fixed me those sapphire eyes again.

Oh shit!! I had totally forgotten about that kiss. Now I knew why my entire body was tingling even though he was already touching me. That's because I had already tasted his lips, and I couldn't help the urge to taste them again.

Then the revving of the engine roared outside, breaking our eye contact. 

Relief shot through me as he sprang to his feet. 

"Must be Kendra." He said, heading towards the window.

I took the opportunity of his brief absence to pull myself together.

Oh boy!