“Sorry,” he said, an apologetic expression in his hypnotic eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault. I was clumsy.”
“You were likely terrified,” he said as he set aside the tissues and unzipped the canvas-covered first aid kit sitting on the cushion next to her. He tore open a packet of triple-action antibiotic and grazed the cut with the moist pad. She refused to utter a sound over the burning sensation, not wanting to make him feel bad.
He covered the laceration with a bandage and then stood, tossed the scraps in the trash bin and returned the first aid kit to the desk drawer.
“Thank you,” she managed to say, her mouth having gone as dry as the Sahara as she stared at his enticing backside. The man’s ass did incredible things to a simple pair of jeans.
When he was done, he sauntered back to the settee and she admired how stealthily he moved, especially for such a big guy. He had to be six-two or three, and he was so magnificently built, she had to tamp down the sigh bubbling in her throat.
“Do you have a broom handy? I’ll clean this for you.” He gestured toward the shattered glass.
“I don’t. I have a service that will be in first thing in the morning. I’ll pay them extra for dealing with the mess.”
He knelt beside her again so she didn’t have to crane her neck to stare up at him. And maybe so he didn’t intimidate her. Ginger pressed her legs together because her skirt had raised a few notches during her ordeal.
Resting her hands in her lap, she said in an honest and humble tone, “I would have been in very serious trouble if you hadn’t come crashing in.”
He gave her that easy grin that made her stomach flutter. “You did a good job with the redhead.”
“I’m not sure I would have taken the risk if you weren’t here. He was really heavy and he didn’t look to be the type of guy to piss off if I didn’t hit him hard enough to get him off me.”
Ryan brushed a long blonde curl from her face and asked, “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Shaken, but I’ll survive.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to take some self-defense classes. There’s not much to you, sweetheart.”
He stood again and walked back to the desk. The receiver of the phone had hit the floor when she’d been attacked. He picked it up, then eyed her over one ridiculously broad shoulder. “You almost got a call into 911?”
“Yes. I told them to take my money and get out, but they wanted me to go with them.” A tremor rippled through her at how horrific the incident could have been had Ryan not interceded.
With a lifted brow, he asked, “They robbed you too?”
Ginger sighed. “Took all the cash I’d made today.” She shook her head and said, “I seriously cannot catch a break.”
“We’ll see about that. I’m calling the sheriff. He’ll find these guys—and maybe get your money back as well.”
Ginger shot to her feet as adrenaline rushed through her. “No, no, no!” she said as she scurried over to the desk and grabbed the phone from his hand. “You can’t do that. Please don’t do that.”
He stared incredulously at her. “You were robbed and assault
ed, Ginger. We’re reporting it to the police.”
Clutching the handset to her chest as panic pressed in on her, she said, “Word’ll spread.”
“And that’ll put people on guard so it doesn’t happen again. I got a good look at the dark-haired guy, and the other one left his beer on the table. His fingerprints will be on the paper bag. They should be easy to track down. They probably have prior arrests—something tells me you’re not their first victim.”
“No, they knew what they were doing.”
Point proven, he held his hand out and said, “Phone.”
Ginger’s heart sank. Giving him an imploring look, she said, “I can’t let your aunt and uncle find out about this, Ryan. I can already hear the ‘I told you so’ in Lydia’s voice. She can’t stand my boutique and I know she’ll tell the whole town I got what I deserved for advertising my ‘pornographic’ clothes on the street.”
Ryan’s brow furrowed. “First, I’d hardly call these clothes pornographic. Sexy, sure, but in a sophisticated, classy way.” He glanced around, then added, “They’re all very frilly and girly and… I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I like ’em.”
That little tickle between her legs turned into a sharp tingle that was distracting, but also incredibly enticing. Foreign, yes, but she enjoyed the stimulation, given her lifelong lack of it.