A Virgin for the CEO

27

"Enrique? Enrique? My God...!" She tapped his cheek. "Enrique? Are you hurt? Don't faint. Enrique?"

He opened his eyes, then he tried to grin, so she thought he really was hurt.

In the head.

Like gone mad.

"The horse... stupid... horse..." he mumbled in a rough voice.

"It got scared of our fight... I'm sorry it's my fault."

He still looked confused as he tried to sit up. "That's the first time I ever fell from a horse..." he said groggily.

She cringed. He folded his legs as if he was going to get up but she held him down tighter. "No... wait. Let me see first..." she told him. "Where are you hurting? Let me see your back."

"Sure..." He was still smiling. Her hand froze from reaching for the back of his head.

"Enrique?"

He winced. And then, he used the 'royal highness' tone again. "Enrique's really a mouthful. I told you, Eric or Ric. Choose for the last time."

"I forgot, okay?" He's injured and he still had the time to nag?

"Say it."

"What?"

"My name."

She stared at him stupidly. Really?

"Or you can't check my injuries."

For goodness' sake! "Okay! Eric! Let me see!" God, this man is so infuriating!

He was grinning now, his eyes alert. Shameless! He had recovered enough and the first thing he did was to play with her again. But he winced at her angry touch, and she went back to being worried.

"Where does it hurt?"

"I just got stunned by that fall but I'm alright. I can stand up. Wait."

"Are you sure?" she asked, but helped him when he turned here and there, shaking the dirt off his clothes.

"I'm sure... I'm just a little shaken. Stupid horse. Will you help me up?" He looked at her again. "Please...?"

"Here," she said as she held his big hand in her smaller one, then seized his other arm with her other hand.

So she helped him up, trying not to fall on him when he got a little off-balanced because he was heavy. He swayed a little and her arms went around his back to steady him.

"Careful."

"I'm fine... really." He sighed, rotated his shoulder, and stretched his back. He paused for a moment as she anxiously watched him. Then he rolled his eyes and turned towards the direction they were going to before the fall.

"So, I guess we'll have to walk."

She gasped as she saw the trickle of blood running down the back of his neck. Now that he was upright, it flowed down.

"Señorito, what is that?" Her hand had reached the back of his head and the part of his hair that was wet, and her fingers came away with more blood. "You've a wound in your head!"

"I think I did hit my head somewhere hard," he repeated, dazed again.

"Let me see."

"It's just—"

"Stay still and let me see," she instructed in a harder voice, and he froze.

She pulled impatiently at his shoulder as he was taller, and he obe-diently bent so she could see the spot under the strands that were wet with blood.