Page 13 of Romancing His Heart

She’s on me before my next breath. We’re not a family of overtly affectionate people, but Emory’s time with Preston and his family has rubbed off on her. She wraps me up tightly in her arms. “I love you, Sloane.”

Damn emotions. Blinking four billion times to ward off tears, I finally choke out, “Luvs.”

Pulling back, she smiles. “This crazy family has its claws in you already, huh?”

Shrugging like a surly teenager, I let a grin slip past. “Lanie is one hard bitch to hate. Her luvs are contagious.”

Lanie is the wife of Loki and Preston’s other friend, Dexter. She’s probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met.

“She is.” Emory stands there, holding onto my upper arms, observing me like a proud mama bear. She stares for too long, and it makes me fidget. Thumb, finger, tap-tap-slide. “Are you still sleeping in the chair next to Loki?”

“Ah, not every night,” I lie. Now that he’s not taking the pain pills, it’s harder to sneak in and out.

She narrows her eyes but doesn’t question me. “I’ll call you later.”

“Bye, Mis.”

Scanning her instructions, I’m relieved to see all I’m supposed to do is feed him, make sure he gets his meds on time, and help him to the bathroom.Shit! I was too on edge to ask Emory what that entailed.

Do I stay in the bathroom with him while he goes? I bet he’s huge everywhere.

That’s it. There is something officially wrong with me. All I have to do is go in there and say, “Hey, Loki. Need anything?” If he has to use the restroom, I just have to make sure he doesn’t crack his head open on the floor. It’s easy! Yet, here I am, pacing the small space of the kitchen like a scared, little girl.

“You’ll never be anything but a scared, little girl, always waiting for someone else to take care of you.”The memory of my father comes and goes so quickly I have whiplash. Well, screw him. I can do this. I can take care of myself and someone else. Watch me. I’m going any minute now.

Ugh! An exasperated sigh leaves my lungs with a wheezing sound.

It was so much easier to take care of Loki when he was asleep. I couldn’t screw anything up. Now that he’s awake and intimidating as hell, I’m nervous about going back into the bedroom. Not that I would mind checking out what was going on under that sheet.Geez, he’s—

I’m interrupted by a loud crash that has me busting out of my fantasy and rounding the family room in only a couple of strides. Entering the bedroom, I find the bed empty.Fuck. I run to the bathroom door, yank it open, and mentally prepare to find Loki sprawled out on the floor, blood gushing from his head.

What I’m not prepared for is Loki standing in a pair of tight-fitting, gray boxer briefs while he gapes at my makeup rolling around the bathroom floor.

“What the hell are you doing?” I ask.

At the same time he says, “What the hell is all this?”

“Loki, what are you doing out of bed? You’re supposed to ask me for help. Doctor’s orders, remember?”

“All this shit wasn’t here the last time I was home. Seriously, what the hell do you even do with this?” He holds up a thin handled makeup brush with wire spindles at the end.

Grabbing it from his hands, I tell him, “I use that to separate my eyelashes when my mascara gets clumpy.”

“And this?” he asks, holding up three different bottles of concealer.

Ripping them from his grasp, I say, “I have fair skin. Sometimes, depending on the weather, I have to mix shades to get the right tone.”

“Jesus, I just wanted to take a piss.” He’s pinching the bridge of his nose, and from here, I realize our vast size difference. Taking a step back, I look up, and up, and up. Compared to my five-foot-two frame, Loki is a damn Viking with the pecs and abs to match.

Jutting out my hip, I can’t help the sarcasm that seeps from me. “And what? You thought it would be fun to play fifty-two pickup with my makeup bag?”

“What?” His incandescent caramel eyes fly to mine. “No, I … fuck. I got dizzy, okay? I went to grab for the sink, and everything went flying.”

I was only teasing, but getting caught in his gaze, I realize he’s off.Shit. “Okay, big guy. Let’s get you back to bed.” Wrapping an arm around his waist is almost comical. “Are you going to make it back to the bed?”

“I’m good, Red. I just need a minute to catch my bearings, and what I really need is a shower.”

With my hand on his bare abs, my fingers flex at the image of him getting naked, and I misstep.