Blood Entangled Read Free

an ice pack. While she held it to her wrist, Kos cleaned the blood off her head.
    He’d never been so close to her, aside from their quick flight to the front door. Her blond curls were feather soft under his fingers.
    “Lena, this is already bruising. How hard did you hit the ground?”
    “I don’t remember.” Her forehead creased with the effort.
    “That’s not a good sign.”
    “I guess not.” She wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
    “Are you feeling tired?”
    “Very. Do you think I have a concussion? I didn’t think I hit that hard.”
    “You said you don’t remember.”
    Her crooked smile seemed to be an admission of some sort.
    He filled a glass of water at the sink and slid it across the counter. “Listen, I want you to stay in my room so I can watch for any signs of a concussion. I’ll wake you up every few hours.”
    “There’s no need for that. I’ll sleep in my room. I can set an alarm and wake myself up.” She took a tentative sip, then swallowed the rest of the glass in one gulp.
    “Sleep wherever you’re most comfortable. But I’ll keep watch either way.”
    Her mouth parted. “Really?”
    “Yes.”
    She closed her mouth, pressing it into an unreadable expression. “Fine. Then I’d prefer your room. Mine will bring back all the unhappy memories of living here.”
    About that they were in perfect agreement. Two whole years of self-denial and unmet expectations weren’t good company for her at the moment.
    “No problem. Let’s get you settled.”
    He took her to his room and went to hers to gather some essentials. Only, what were essentials for a woman like her? A bra hung on the door to her bathroom, and he shied away from it as if he’d snuck a glance at her bare breasts. His gaze landed on a large dresser. If he brought it upstairs, she would have whatever she needed. Soon she would leave Kaštel, and it would be someone else’s job to take care of her. But he would do it right until then.
    He stopped midway down the hall and shifted his load. The weight of her dresser was insubstantial, but he just couldn’t find a way to grip the awkward thing. He dragged it the last few yards into his room.
    Behind the bathroom door, water splashed in the sink. Her toothbrush scrubbed and then the sounds of whatever else women do to get ready for bed came through the door. When she emerged, she had on over-sized flannel pajamas. They were turquoise with a dark-blue unicorn print, making her eyes an even deeper blue. His hands ached to touch her, his palms breaking out in a layer of sweat at the force it took to resist. With her clean face and her hair brushed out into waves, she was the picture of girlish sweetness.
    If he weren’t two-hundred-percent certain she wanted Andre, and not him, he would have kissed her.
    “Everything okay?” he asked instead. Idiot. It was only the millionth time he’d voiced the question already. With all the books in the room, with all the brilliant words from renowned authors in his mind, he should be able to speak more eloquently.
    “Kos, really, I’m fine.” She looked around the room. “But, I feel bad taking your bed.”
    “You know I don’t sleep. Never use it.” Mostly true—since he didn’t actually need sleep. Beds were purely recreational, and he preferred not to recreate at his father’s house. He folded himself into his favorite chair and kicked his feet up on the ottoman. “The sheets are clean and the bed is comfortable. I’ll just sit here and read. I’ll wake you every now and then to be sure you’re not having complications from the head trauma.”
    “You make it sound so…traumatic. Really, I’m fine.”
    “I’m sure you are. But, this way I won’t worry.”
    “Right, that’s good. I don’t want you to worry.” She pulled the sheets down and sat, swinging her legs up and under the covers. Settled into the bed, she let out a contented sigh.
    “Comfortable?”
    “Yes, and suddenly I’m very tired.”
    He