Page 36 of Gilded in Blood

“Don’t be.”

I frown.

“Why?”

“Because it happened.”

The bluntness of the answer shouldn’t surprise me, but it does.

“That’s a depressing way to look at it.”

His gaze meets mine.

“I would call it realistic.”

Something flickers across his face, but it's gone almost immediately.

I return my attention to the bandage, smoothing it carefully over his skin.

Silence stretches between us, broken only by the soft sound of my breathing and the rustle of gauze.

While I work, the memory slips out before I can stop it.

“When I was little, if I got hurt… scraped my knee or cut my finger… my sister Calina would always kiss it better. She said it helped. Made the pain go away faster.” I let out a nervous little laugh. “I know it sounds childish now, but back then I really believed it worked.”

I finish securing the bandage over the cleaned graze and sit back slightly. “All done.”

A small wave of satisfaction washes through me as I look over my work. For someone who hates blood as much as I do, I managed not to faint, throw up, or embarrass myself.

Honestly, the bandage looks pretty good.

Maybe not doctor-level good, but definitely better than the disaster I’d expected.

Before I can pull my hand away from his chest, his hand moves.

His fingers close around my wrist, stopping me.

My breath catches.

The warmth of his skin seeps into my palm where it’s still resting over his heart. I can feel the steady beat beneath it.

One.

Two.

Three.

His gaze drops briefly to my hand before returning to my face.

“Do you want to?” His voice is low, rough.

I blink, suddenly unable to think properly. “Want to… what?”

His steel-gray eyes darken as they lock onto mine. “Kiss it better.”

The words hit me like a spark to dry kindling. Heat floods my entire body at the thought of pressing my lips to his bare skin.

Right there, over his heart, or lower, or anywhere he wants sends a rush of need through me so strong my thighs press together instinctively.