“And my dress is ruined. Would it be okay if we left together?”
His lips purse again. Crap! He’s going to say no!
The notion rips into me like a knife. I don’t know why the possibility of rejection from a stranger—and one who will never recognize me again at that—hurts. But it does.
Then I realize it isn’t even eleven. He probably doesn’t want to leave this early.
My shoulders sag a little. I’m being selfish about the situation. This man has done plenty already. He doesn’t owe me anything. It’s just…
“Sure,” he says. “We can leave together.”
I jerk my head up, gazing at him. I can’t help but smile, warmth filling me from head to toe. “Thank you.”
He extends a hand, palm up.
He probably means for me to hold it, but I ignore all the conventions. I’m a newly minted re-singled woman who’s starting a brand-new chapter in her life. And I want to feel this divine man.
Feeling exceptionally bold—or maybe more drunk than I should be—I loop my arm around his. But as I shift my weight, a sharp sensation stabs into my right ankle. “Ow!”
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Ugh. I think I twisted my ankle a little when this jerk”—I point at Todd—“yanked me downward.”
The Midnight God goes down smoothly onto one knee. His fingers brush my ankle, the touch methodical and brisk. And yet hot shivers rush up my body anyway.
Oh my God. You have it bad, Sierra. Stop before drool starts dripping down your chin.
Shut your mouth, self. I haven’t had sex in over a year, so I’m entitled to a little panting. Besides…
I look down at the man. Those broad shoulders…and the power that not even his current hunched posture can hide.
When God created him, He did it so I could appreciate him. Why else would He have created such a fine specimen? Not ogling—sorry, admiring—the man would be get-burned-at-the-stake-level blasphemy. So I’m going to do the right thing.
He stands back up, towering over me again. “Can you walk at all?”
I put my hand on his arm and check. “It hurts a bit when I put my weight on it, but I should be okay with a little help.”
“Where are you staying?”
“At the Aylster.” In case he doesn’t know where that is, I add, “It isn’t that far. Only three or four blocks away.”
He shakes his head. “That’s going to take forever.”
“I’m a fast walker.” I try not to laugh at the way he makes managing a few blocks out to be like climbing Mt. Everest.
“No doubt, but you’re also injured.”
My heart does a funky cartwheel. Todd would’ve shrugged and told me not to make such a big deal about such a “minor inconvenience.” How is it that a stranger I just met can show so much concern?
Maybe the Midnight God is the universe’s way of saying, “Sorry we paired you with that butthole. Here’s a premium male to help you forget him.”
The Midnight God puts one arm behind my back and the other under my knees and lifts me up. With a small yelp, I wrap my arms around his neck. This close, I can smell him—a mesmerizing scent that makes every nerve in my body quiver. And feel his delicious heat seeping into my bones.
Most importantly, the way he’s holding me like a princess makes me feel cared for. I can’t remember the last time a man aroused such a sensation in me.
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak in my normal voice. Squeaking would ruin the moment.
“Then let’s go.”