Page 18 of Hidden Desire

Grace tried to hide her hand that was cut, but the blood was dripping on the shards of glass.

“You’re hurt,” he hissed.

“It’s fine. I’ll get a Band-Aid…”

“Fuck, no. You’ll let me help. Shit, Sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

She looked over her shoulder. “This is not your fault, Robert.”

“Say that again.”

“What? It’s not your fault?” she asked in confusion.

His hand landed on her hip. “No, my name.”

She inhaled. “Robert.” This time, it came out in a low, husky tone.

He pressed his forehead on the back of her skull and stayed silent for a minute. She was about to ask him if he was okay when he finally straightened.

“Let me take a look at your hand.”

Grace held it out, and he cupped it in the palm of his hand.

“Dammit,” he said.

She leaned forward to see, unconsciously pressing her ass against his thighs.

He stiffened and used his lower body to press her against the counter so she couldn’t move. “Stay still.”

The deep, raspy tone of his voice made a shiver race up her spine.

He grabbed some paper towels and pressed them against the cut on her palm. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

“Okay.”

He cleaned the wound and put pressure on it until the bleeding stopped.

“This is a bad place for a cut. We might have to take you to the doctor and get stitches,” he told her.

Grace frantically shook her head. “No. I don’t want stitches,” she whined.

“If I feel you should get them, you’ll not fight me. I’d be doing it for your own good, Honey. Not to put you in pain. I don’t like seeing you in discomfort. You don’t want it to keep opening up, do you?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never had stitches, and I know it’s going to hurt.”

“I’ll be with you the whole time, Sweetheart. I’ll also have them give you a sedative so you don’t feel too much.”

“Okay,” she said and sniffed.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re a good girl.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Robert chuckled.

The bleeding was starting to stop. “Stay here. I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

He was gone in less than a minute, and he pressed against her back again, taking her breath away.