Heal My Heart

SIX

Something was wrong with Adrian. Being shot and losing so much blood had somehow altered his thoughts. Why else would he look at the girl he couldn't wait to get away from as a boy and now look upon her as if she was an angel? A sweet smelling angel, at that. He couldn't help himself from burying his face in her hair when they hugged and smelling her intoxicating flowery scent. Seeing her look so lovely in a dress didn't help matters, either. She was all woman, and he'd been without a woman for several months.

Maybe he was just lonely... yet, he'd been lonely before and seeing a pretty woman had never made him lose his mind. Not like now. Obviously, it had something to do with being shot.

Nicolette's shoulders stiffened and she moved back. "How do you know I haven't already seen your animal side?" She arched an eyebrow. "You forget, I used to follow you and your friends around."

Although he should be upset at her, he just didn't care anymore about what she'd done in the past. That part of his life was behind him now – and he was a better person today.

He grinned. "Oh, so you do know?" Playfully, he bumped her arm. "Did you learn anything?"

When she laughed, it sounded forced. "I learned how alcohol could alter a man's mind and make him do foolish things."

"That's a very good thing to learn." He winked. "Because I will never consume that foul drink again."

Her face brightened. "Good. I'm happy to know that you have learned a lesson, as well."

She moved off the cot and back over to the pan sitting on a flat rock. She stirred a spoon inside before taking an empty bowl and dishing out the beans.

"You're probably hungry," she said.

"I am."

She brought him the bowl. He took it from her and set it in his lap, but then realized he wasn't sure how he was going to eat without the use of both hands. She had moved back to the coffee and poured him a cup. As she carried it to him, her gaze moved between his face and the bowl on his lap.

"Oh, dear. You probably need help eating."

He shrugged. "I think I do."

She set the coffee on a nearby table before moving back to the cot and taking the bowl and spoon from him. "Then I suppose I shall feed you."

Neither of them spoke a word as she fed him the beans. He couldn't believe how much enjoyed watching her face as she did this simple task. He wanted to laugh over the way she opened her mouth as if trying to help him to open his own. But, he didn't laugh, because humor wasn't the emotion filling him right now. She was so darn pretty, and he enjoyed studying her face. She had remarkable brown eyes that twinkled whenever she laughed. Her nose was perfect and straight, and her heart-shaped mouth... was just the kind he would like to kiss.

Kiss? Where had that thought come from? Why would he want to kiss Lottie? Then again, the more he gazed upon her beauty, the more he saw the mature woman and not the irritating little girl, and slowly the past slipped out of his mind and all he could think about was the future... which included taking her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

Of course, he'd wait until after he had eaten. He might even wait until he was cleaned up a little more.

"You're done." She smiled. "Unless you want more. I could make you more."

"No, I've had enough beans."

She turned to lift his coffee cup off the table. "Here's your coffee. Be careful, it's still a little hot."