Page 14 of Meant for Two
If she blacked out, she’d have a concussion, but he didn’t need to mention that. He extended a hand to help her up, noting how her fingers trembled slightly as they brushed against his. “You don't lookfine. You need to take it slow.”
“Zane. I promise I've had worse spills than this.”
When she stood, he wanted to run his hands down her body to check for more injuries, but he feared his reaction to touching her would scare her—especially if his fangs extended or his eyes glowed.
“It doesn’t appear as if anything is broken, but you’ll need to get that wrist checked out,” he said.
Blair's gaze flickered away from his, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. “I will. I guess I'm not as skilled at navigating the woods as I thought.”
This wasn't like her. Blair was cautious and smart, and wandering into the woods alone was completely out of character. “What were you looking for out here?”
She hesitated for a moment, and then sighed. “I was trying to find the spot where the thieves might have entered the property. I wanted to see if I could figure out how they managed to get past our security.”
He loved how much she cared, but what she did had been dangerous. “You should have told someone and asked for help. It’s why I’m out here.”
She shrugged, wincing again. “I didn't think it would be a big deal. I just wanted to help solve the mystery.”
Zane's concern for her deepened, and he realized that along with it came a strong attraction—insanely strong in fact. He’d been with many competent and beautiful women, but he’d never reacted like this before. His heightened senses were picking up her scent, and his pulse had quickened inexplicably. Not good.
“You could have gotten hurt a lot worse than you did. You need to be more careful, Blair.”
She looked up at him, her expression softening. “I appreciate your concern, Zane. But I'm okay. Really.” She rubbed her wrist, though he wasn’t sure if it was to check to see if it was sprained or to prove to him what she said was true.
“Let me take you back to the complex. We should have someone check on that cut and your wrist.”
Blair rolled her eyes playfully. “You sound like a worried mother.”
“Someone needs to worry about you since you clearly don't worry about yourself.”
“I told you I'm fine,” she repeated, though her voice was quieter now.
As they walked back toward Woodland Estates, Blair seemed to struggle with every step, and Zane's concern grew with her every grimace.
When they reached his car, he opened the passenger door for her. “I know you’d like to drive, but you shouldn’t,” he said.
“For once, I agree.”
After ensuring she was buckled in, he walked around and slid behind the wheel. “I'm taking you to your house to make sure you're okay. Unless you want to go to the clinic?”
“I just need a hot shower and a cup of coffee. Then, I’ll be good as new.”
“You were unconscious, which means you had a concussion. You can’t ignore something like that.” Zane started his SUV and took off.
She didn't argue further. During the drive, Zane stole glances at her, trying to understand why he was having such a strange response to her. He was hyper-aware of every little detail about her. It was distracting and unsettling.
“Turn at the next street,” Blair instructed.
When they arrived at her house, he parked the car and turned to face her. “I’m staying with you for a bit.”
“That isn’t necessary. Besides, I barely know you.”
She had a point. “Okay, then how about you call your assistant? You shouldn’t be home alone. Concussions can sneak up on you.”
“Fine, but what about my car?”
“Don’t worry. Jeff and I will get it back to you by tomorrow.” Somehow.
Zane had no idea how his friend would react when he learned that something had happened to Blair. While Jeff hadn’t said anything, it was clear to Zane that Jeff had feelings for her too.