“That’s what you’re going to focus on?”
“But I wasn’t your woman, um, not then, I was just someone you were watching out for.”
He leaned in again. This time she could see the flecks of green in his eyes. “Listen, sunshine. You’re my woman. You’re not just someone I’m watching over. I didn’t take care of you as I should have, and that bastard nearly shot you. It’s not happening again. So, I hope you really do love me, because I’m about to test your patience. From now until your brother is taken care of, and he will be dealt with soon, you aren’t moving more than a few inches away from me.”
Fear flooded her. “It’s my fault Beau was shot.”
He shook his head. “Oh, no, we’re not doing this again. Nope.”
She narrowed her eyes at the impatient note in his voice. “Not doing what again?”
“The blame game. You’re not taking the blame for stuff out of your control.”
“Oh, yeah? Wasn’t that just what you were doing? Blaming yourself for me ending up here?”
“That wasn’t out of my control. That was fully my job. I’m your man. I take care of you. And I’ll be doing a damn better job of it from now on. And since you don’t seem to object to this whole spanking thing, you can expect yourself to be walking around with a red ass if you don’t do as you’re told.”
If she didn’t do as she was told? Was he kidding her? She glared up at him. He glared back.
Okay, he wasn’t kidding.
“All right, I know you’re a bit overwrought about what happened—”
“Overwrought? I’m not fucking overwrought. I’m furious as fuck.”
Yep. She could see that. But she could also see more. The mask was down, and the emotions rolled over his face, anger, self-condemnation, pain. It was the last one that brought her up short.
He needs you.
Soothe him.
Help him.
“West, I’m all right.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You’re in a hospital bed.”
“But I’m all right. My shoulder will heal. I’ll make sure I eat better and get some sleep—”
“Damn right you will,” he muttered.
God, he really did love her. He wouldn’t care this much if he didn’t. West wasn’t a man who loved easily or loved just a little. There weren’t many he let close. Because the last woman he’d loved had died.
And he’d fallen in love with her. She’d been shot at, nearly killed, and then had collapsed.
Christ, no wonder he was a mess. He needed her help. So, if it made him feel better to go all alpha-male protective on her, then who was she to stop him? Besides, did she really mind? After all she’d been through wasn’t it nice to have someone care? It had been so long since Spencer had looked after her, and West definitely did.
“I’ll be making sure of that.” He stood and paced back and forth across the room.
“West, I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt.” She frowned. “It was weird, really. The bullets landed close, I could hear them, saw the dust as they hit the ground, but they kept missing me.”
“I don’t think they missed you.”
“What?”
“They weren’t aiming at you.”
Her eyes widened. “He was trying to kill Beau, not me?”