Before Doyle stepped in the shower, she unclasped the cross and put it in the bag of clothes. A plastic store bag was her new luggage. The water cascaded over her, unlike the shower on the bus which trickled out of the narrow head. She picked up the black bottle and sniffed the shampoo. The masculine scent made her belly feel like she took a ride on a rollercoaster. Gingerly, she rubbed the shampoo through her hair. When she reached the back her scalp stung, but she wanted to get rid of the dried blood. Mick had pushed her, and she stupidly thought she loved him.

Doyle only used water on her face for a moment, because the stream hurt her swollen skin. Her face must look grotesque. Would she ever be pretty again? She picked up a piece of white soap to wash. Her belly felt as tender as her face. Anger pulsed in her head as she thought of the bastard kicking her. He should go to jail, but Doyle needed to protect the Kane family's reputation. Her mother would never forgive her if her drug use became public.

Hopefully, Gray would let her stay until her face healed. For a large man, he was incredibly gentle. The rollercoaster returned as she remembered his large soft hands.

The fluffy towel felt like home. When she looked in the plastic bag, the lore of clean clothes overruled Gray's lack of style. She had never been to an Old Navy store or worn shorts that cost fifteen dollars but the comfortable clothes were fine for recuperating.

As she joined Gray in the kitchen, she felt overheated. Hopefully, it was the hot shower, not her fever. Maybe she spread the gems that caused her headache to Mick. He deserved to get sick. She would like to bruise his balls the way his manager bruised her face.

The warmth caused her head to spin. She remembered standing asking for a brush, and then she came to, on the floor in Gray's powerful arms. Her heart sped up as she leaned against his chest. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. Kiss him? He was a chauffeur and bodyguard. Kanes didn't kiss domestic help. It was a good thing she took the cross off and even better that she hadn't kissed Mick with it on. Stupid, stupid idea.

She felt tiny in his arms especially when he lifted her off the ground with ease. As she sat at the bar top counter, he pulled out a pan and carried eggs from the refrigerator. Doyle thought of her brother, an expert in the kitchen, but Gray looked comfortable too.

"Do you cook a lot?"

He chuckled. "No. I usually eat upstairs with my friends."

"Your friends live upstairs?"

"He's technically my employer, but they're my family."

"You are friends with your boss and you eat together?" At the same table. Amelia would have a heart condition if anyone on staff sat at the dining room table.

Gray laughed. "It's not like in the movies. We were roommates for years. He's my best friend, my brother."

"Was he in the Marines too?"

Gray laughed. "No, he was a whining rich boy, while I was fighting for the freedoms he took for granted."

"Oh." An uncomfortable wave went through her. Guilt.

"It's okay. I survived."

"Why did you join?"

His golden hazel eyes looked at her without disgust. "It seemed like a good option. I wasn't an outstanding student." He chuckled. "I hated to read and now I read for fun."

"I wasn't good at school. The only classes I liked were art classes. If not for my brother's help I might not have graduated."

He smirked. "Did you cheat?"

She felt the heat in her cheeks. "I've never told anyone, but he helped write all my papers."

Gray's mouth straightened out. "I hated writing in school too." He cleared his throat. "My secret is I'm trying to write a novel. It's stupid for the guy who sucks at grammar."

His secret glowed inside her like a gift. "You speak well. Just write how you talk."

He nodded. "What do you want with your eggs? Toast? Grapes?"

"Not toast. Grapes."

As he turned away, she studied his back. The width of his shoulder and his bulging biceps should intimidate her, but they did the opposite. She felt secure with him. Wasn't there something about victims falling for their rescuers? She needed to go home and forget him, but not yet. A sourness spread inside. Maybe she wouldn't want to forget.

"Don't look so scared. I won't poison you with my cooking."

She smiled. "I trust you."

His plate had three times the eggs as hers with toast and grapes. She looked at it and he shrugged. "It takes a lot to fuel my muscles. I work out every day."

"Did you today?"

He shook his head. "I was busy with..."

"Babysitting me. You can go do your workout."

"No, it's good to rest a day."

"I workout some, but I hate the repetition day after day."

"You need to mix it up. For me, it's not a choice. The alternative to muscles on a guy my size isn't pretty, plus it helps keep me sober."

"It helps you rescue damsels in distress. Do you make a habit of it?"

He laughed. "Only once before."

"What happened?"

His eyes danced. "She lives upstairs now with her husband and baby."

"Seriously?"

"It's a long story, but it had a happy ending."

"My sister just announced she's in love with a guy I thought she hated. She found a happy ending after some tough breaks."

"Announced?"

She laughed. "Brought him to a family dinner."

"I hate family dinners. Lucky for me my family is in New Jersey."

"What's wrong with your family?"

"I love my mother although she nags."

"What mother doesn't." Amelia holds the world's cup for nagging.

He chuckled. "My dad gets put out because I won't have a beer with him. He thinks I'm acting too good for him. No one in my family served. They don't understand me."

"That's sad. I haven't but I know enough to understand being in a war must have been hell."

"Hell on earth, plus some."

"Did you get injured?"

"Never seriously. I was the lucky one which is hard to accept."

"Maybe you were supposed to rescue me." Her words sounded sappy. "If he kept kicking, I might be dead."

"Why was he in a rage?"

Doyle shook her head. "I don't know. I did a line of his shit. He didn't want me hanging around the guy I was with."

Gray frowned. "Like you would. The guy was with another girl."

"I'm not desperate. I would have gone home and cried on my pillow."

"You wouldn't have known how lucky you were. Your pretty face would have been untouched."

"Why do you think my face is pretty?

He smiled. "I can see half of it."

"I can't. I know you took away your mirror."

He nodded. "You don't need more stress. When you heal, I'll put it back. If you want to see the photos when you're better, you can."

"I'm not sure." She bit her lip. His eyes stared at her teeth pressed into the rosy flesh.

"I hope you'll change your mind and go to the police."

She didn't answer. More than protecting the family name, she didn't want her siblings to know. They had warned her to be more careful. The last thing she needed was more humiliation.

"If you're afraid, I'll protect you. I promise to always be there for you."

His words filled her heart. It was as if the beating had flipped a switch inside her. It gave her clarity that with Mick it was just lust. Stupid lust. When she looked at Gray, she felt jealous of Tate and Ivy. A comfortable home with a man they loved was perfect. Meanwhile, she had wanted a crowded tour bus and hotel rooms used for orgies. Not anymore.

She pushed her plate back. "Can I rest on your sofa?"

He nodded. "You can watch the TV too."

It had been awhile since she watched anything. Occasionally, they played a movie on the bus, but it was always violent action films which weren't her thing. She missed sitting around watching her brother on reality TV shows. It was a tradition to watch together. Maybe even Jimmy would join them next time Kasper went on a show.

She flipped through and stopped at a cooking competition. Gray lifted her feet and sat on the end. He put her feet back on his legs. She could bend her knees, but she liked the connection especially when his hand rested on her ankle.

"Do you like reality shows?"

"I like the cooking ones. I'm not obsessed like..." He pointed up to the ceiling. "She watches all those crazy shows. Have you seen this one from the beginning?"

"No, but I like to watch them." It reminded her of watching Mrs. Moran, their cook.

"We can find the first episode."

She shrugged when he took the remote and went to Hulu on his smart TV. As they watched episode after episode, they commented on and off. I like him. She's annoying. Look at that. Doyle didn't care who won because Gray's hand had moved from her ankle to her leg. He moved it back and forth like he had rubbed her back earlier.

"You can have more pain pills if you want. Let me get the ice pack."

When he came back with the frozen peas, she smiled. "You should be a father."

He frowned. "I babysit."

She looked at his face. "You do?"

"Yup."

"Do you change diapers?"

"I don't make her sit in it."

"I'd like to see you."

He smiled. "Maybe you will."

Her heart shouldn't keep swooning, but it did. He would never like the girl with peas on her face. Shutting her one eye she reminded herself he wasn't a guy to bring home to meet her parents. A fling might be nice, but she had just had one.

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