page13 (1/2)

Aiesha reeled back froh her hands that were clasped over her mouth in stunned horror ‘Oh, my God! Did I hurt you?’

‘No,’ he said through clenched teeth as he reached with his other hand for his handkerchief to stem the flow of blood ‘I have spontaneous nosebleeds all the time’

Her eyes were still as wide as her discarded dinner plate ‘I’m sorry I—I didn’t knoho it was’

He glared at her over the wad of his handkerchief His nose was still pulsating with eye-watering pain as it hosed blood What was she thinking, swinging at him like that? She was the intruder, not him ‘Who the hell did you think it was?’

Her teeth chewed at her lower lip, her gaze falling away froet you some ice’

Aiesha held a hand against her juddering heart as she stu to see a dark shape loo over her had made her react on instinct Her prinise it was not some predatory lecher after a quick feel Her instinctive reaction to hit out was soe the inappropriate attention from her mother’s collection of unsavoury partners It hy she never spent the whole night with anyone Ever It was too aard explaining her restlessnessor the nighthtmare she’d wet the bed

Try explaining that to a lover

Aiesha looked at her reddened knuckles If the pain throbbing in the to have a shiner by , if not sooner

Her heart was not quite back where it belonged when she came back with a therapeutic ice pack she’d found in the freezer

Ja on the sofa she had fallen asleep on earlier, his head tilted back, the strong column of his throat exposed He opened one eye to look at her ‘That’s a ot there’

Aiesha averted her gaze as she handed hio It’s great for fitness You should try it’

He winced as he pressed the pack to the bridge of his nose ‘So an opponent until they lose consciousness doesn’t appeal’

She bit her lip again ‘Does it hurt terribly?’