Page 38 of Malicious Marriage
“You’ve caused no trouble, Clover. You’re not responsible for the irrational actions of other people.” With his voice this close to my ear, it’s painfully difficult to focus on cleaning his wound as gently as I want to. Being this close to him, touching his handsome face, and feeling his body so firmly pressed against mine are clouding my thoughts far too quickly.
“There’s a debate over whether I’m responsible for his actions or not,” I say quietly, swallowing hard. This close, Dean can surely hear how fast my heart is beating because it’s like a stampede in my own ears. “They won’t let me back in this hotel at this rate.”
“If they bar you, I’ll just buy the hotel,” is his swift response.
Laughter warms me but in doing so, I press even firmer against Dean’s rock-hard body and hot sweat prickles at my spine and under my arms. I’m overheating, but making sure Dean’s tended to is more important, especially since he got hurtbecauseof me.
“You can’t buy this hotel.”
“I can.”
“It’s got to be hundreds of years old. Places like this are protected landmarks.”
“Everything can be bought.”
“You’re really telling me you’re rich enough to buy a landmark?”
“Do you doubt me?” Dean’s voice continues to soften. It seems like our light, amused conversation is calming him down and that dark edge gradually fades from his tone.
Is it weird that I kind of miss it? It was incredibly sexy to see and hear a man so well put together becoming soferal.
“I don’t doubt you,” I reply with a final swipe of the towel. “I don’t think you need stitches but you’re definitely going to have a nasty bruise.”
“I can handle that,” Dean replies. “Is… Clover, is he the one who hurt you?”
I tense up immediately and from the way Dean’s grip tightens around me, he definitely felt it. Suddenly, my mind is blank. Admitting that Ryan hurt me opens up the conversation about why I’m still seeing my ex and what he does for me. Admitting he’s my loan shark also risks further interactions with him where he could just spill the truth to Dean.
And after what I’ve seen tonight with how he’s treated and viewed by his peers, his reputation is important not just to him but to everyone else as well. I’d be throwing him to the sharks and I can’t do that. I won’t let Ryan do it either.
“Yes,” I admit cautiously, and his arm, despite growing somewhat relaxed, tightens around me once more. “We argued because of past mistakes and as you saw, he doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do.”
“I’m sorry,” Dean says tightly. “If you had told me there was a threat, then I would have dealt with it accordingly. You don’t need to be afraid to tell me these things.”
“He’s not a threat,” I assure him hurriedly while leaning back now that I’m satisfied his brow has stopped bleeding. “He’s just… cocky and irritating. You’re already doing so much for me that I couldn’t think of bothering you with something like this.”
“Clover.” Dean’s arm relaxes around my waist, but even as I step back, he doesn’t stop touching me completely. “Our partnership requires honesty. Anything that you think might be an issue, no matter how small, is something I can help with. You’re doing a lot for me too, and I don’t want you in harm’s way. If anything happened to you and I could have prevented it, I couldn’t forgive myself.”
“Dean…” I hover against him, completely lost in the intense gaze pouring off him. He speaks as if he’s known me long enough to deserve such protection and I’m fighting a losing battle when it comes to melting into him. “He won’t be an issue.” My hand slides from his shoulder to his chest. “I promise.”
“I believe you.”
“I’m just sorry he’s tainted this night. Kind of happens a lot with me, I think.”
“Don’t,” Dean says firmly. “Clover, you haven’t spoiled a thing.”
Our eyes meet and I shift my weight to my back foot, preparing to step away from his grasp, but Dean moves with me.
And then, in a blink of an eye, his other hand is cupping the side of my neck with his thumb running along the edge of my jaw. A slight press from his thumb and I tilt my head up higher while my heart beats wildly in my chest, drowning out any other sound.
And then his soft lips collide with mine in a firm, sudden kiss.
17
DEAN
Akiss.
A single, sudden, sweet kiss where those gorgeous, plush lips are finally mine. It doesn’t occur to me that this could be a mistake or that it could lead to something there’s no coming back from. All I can think about is how Clover was trying to keep herself and her situation small so as not to affect me, which is such a far cry from how Trish has ever treated me. The difference is so stark and she smelled so good when she was in my arms, tending to my injury.