Page 58 of Resist

I knew what that felt like.

“Helena?”

“Yes. What?” I snapped out of my daze and found Lucas beside me once more.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. There’s something about Cairns that has you worried.”

I wanted to lie and tell him he was being stupid; the less he knew the better. But he was right, I was worried. Truth be told, I was terrified. I didn’t want to go to Cairns. I’d even thought about flying home to Melbourne while the revue performed there, checking in on Jason, and flying back to meet them all in Darwin. But we had a lot of work to do to get Lucas’s routine ready by then, so I couldn’t leave now.

I had to face my demons and stay.

Hobbling toward the exit, I rounded the corner when Lucas closed his hand over my arm. “Helena? Tell me what’s wrong.”

Tears pooled in my eyes, so I wiped them away. “My ex-husband lives in Cairns.”

“So? You’re no longer married. What’s the problem?”

I sucked in a breath then it let out, remembering I was safe. “The last time I saw him, he threatened to kill me.”

“Honestly, I’m quite capable ofgetting to my room safely,” I said to Lucas as I swiped my room key through the lock.

“I know you are.”

“Then why are you still here, fussing over me?”

“Because I care.”

I pushed on the door with my knee, but he leaned over my shoulder and held it open for me. “Look …” I sighed, turning to face him. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine—”

Lucas’s lips stole the rest of my words, his soft kiss, warm and comforting. I stumbled back against the door and raised my hands to his face, my crutches falling to the ground beside me. Lucas placed a hand on my hip, the other on the side of my face, and pressed his body into mine, holding me firm against the door.

I’d had every intention to send him on his way as soon as I was safe inside my room, but his hands, lips, mouth, tongue … surely I could stand them for a little while longer.

“I … I have to make—”

Kiss.

“… Some phone calls.”

Kiss.

He groaned. “Then make them.”

Kiss.

“I can’t.”

Kiss.

“Why not?”

“Because you keep kissing me.”

He pressed his lips to my neck and traced the tip of his tongue to my collarbone. “I can stop. Just say the word.”