Fallen by Laury Falter Read Free Book Online Page B

accent . I could feel my heart quicken.
    “Defend myself,” I retorted, stowing the chair next to the other one. I found myself trying to avoid staring at him and hoping he wasn’t realizing it. “What are you doing here?” I demanded , while standing up to face him.
    He freed one hand to tip the rim of his cap toward me, which must have been his version of a greeting. I thought it was a haughty gesture … yet charming at the same time.
    He was a foot away now , and I could feel myself be ing drawn toward him, enticed by him .
    “I’ve actually been here for a while,” he said, casually, as he leaned back against the gate.
    I felt his eyes on me even as I looked for something else to do , trying to keep him from seeing what he was doing to me . In the end, he was unavoidable.
    “But why? W hat are you doing here?” I persisted.
    “Well,” he said, struggling not to grin at my obvious irritation . “Despite your sentiment last time we saw each other , I came by to see if you needed help.”
    I sighed, loudly. “ You were checking up on me?”
    He shrugged, a guilty expression marring his handsome face, al though I knew he didn’t feel an ounce of remorse.
    “Didn’t I tell you I could take care of myself?”
    “Yes, yes, you did … ” He nodded in agreement. “ I still came.”
    Neither of us moved, allowing silence to surround us. It was as if we were staring each other down, willing the other to speak first.
    His sultry eyes watched me, curious and teasing. How could anyone be this beautiful and aggravating at the same time? I was sure he missed nothing…my now rapidly beating heart, my visible shortness of breath, and my busy eyes flickering away from his.
    In the end, I decided it would be me to break the silence , or I was going to pass out right there.
    “I’ve been in dangerous situations before , you know.”
    He seemed unimpressed. He nodded his head downward once, submissively, and uttered, “I’m sure you have.”
    Apparently he wasn’t getting my implied point. He wasn’t moving ; instead , he remained poised against the fence. Maybe he needed further clarification.
    “I can take care of myself,” I insisted. It was something I meant and intended to prove , if I ever got the chance.
    “You’ve made that clear,” he replied, flatly.
    I wasn’t sure if he was being facetious or sincere , but I decided either way , it didn’t matter. The message I wanted to get across was that I emphatically did not want him to think I was so weak that I needed someone watching over me, trying to be a savior.
    “Well, you can stick around if you want…waiting for a building to collapse on me…but you’re going to be sorely disappointed.” I said this even as I realized my body was still feeling the effects of Sharar, and I noticed that the goose bumps hadn ’ t disappeared from my arms yet .
    “Are you in that much of a hurry to get rid of me?” he asked, disrupting my thoughts and drawing my attention back to him. It seemed like he was a bit appalled, possibly even hurt at the idea.
    “Get rid of… n o…I just don’t want you to waste your time.”
    I certainly didn’t want him to leave, even if I was a bit conflicted by his presence. I liked him being here…anywhere really so long as I was there too. I felt comfortable in his presence as if I had known him my entire life and could say nearly anything that was on my mind.
    I simply wanted him to be here for a different reason, a reason that didn’t include me being a damsel in distress. H e obviously saw himself as a hero, but a hero was only a hero if the person being saved wasn’t strong enough to save themselves. I was certainly capable of saving myself.
    He folded his arms across his solid chest and settled back against the rails - into what I was finding to be his natural , smug demeanor . “ Well… I don’t believe I’m wasting my time. Eventually you’ll need saving. ”
    My mouth fell open at his audacity. “See that…