Chapter 2 Logan #2
He gives me a curt nod. If I didn’t know him so well, his bland expression would make me think he wasn’t in pain. But his silence tells me otherwise. When he’s feeling fine, he’s chatty and can even be, dare I say, flirty.
Not that he would be flirting with a commoner like me.
Besides, I don’t think he’s into men.
Although his brother is.
Wow. My thoughts are as scattered as can be.
I don’t realize that Erik is looking at me with these dazzling blue eyes until the lack of talking has gotten awkward.
Now I’m feeling my cooling clothes. My shorts are plastered to my legs, and my T-shirt is soaked.
I’m making an absolute mess on the floor, so I take off my shirt and put it in the sink, then step out of my shorts so I’m just in boxer briefs.
It may be unprofessional, but there will be less water on the floor for him to slip on when he gets out.
And maybe I want to check his reaction. For … reasons.
He’s staring at me.
I’m staring at the nasty welts on his shin.
“Let me …” I gesture to my clothes and grab a towel to wrap around my waist. “Let me get changed, and I’ll come back. You soak.”
There’s a knock on the main door. “That’ll be the doctor,” I say.
Erik closes his eyes and lets the pain show on his face.
Shit.
I need to change so I can help him.
After bringing a few towels over so they’re in easy reach for him and throwing one on the floor to mop up the water, I grab my wet clothes and race to the door to let the doctor in.
“He’s in there,” I say, gesturing to the bathroom, hoping they don’t wonder why I’m answering the door in just a towel. Oh well. “Jellyfish attack. Little mauve stinger, they said. I’ll be back once I get changed.”
“On it,” she says.
In my small bathroom, I throw my wet clothes in the sink and take a very quick rinse-off shower, pushing all images of Prince Erik half naked out of my mind. I’m dressed in clean, dry shorts and a fresh T-shirt in less than five minutes.
Based on what the lifeguard said, I grab the ice bucket and go down the hall to fill it from the machine. When I drop it off in the bathroom, the doctor is still talking with Erik, so I leave them alone and wait out in the living area of the suite.
My phone sounds, and I see it’s Bjorn, the head of security. “Status report?” he asks.
I fill him in on the events of the afternoon. “I’m furious at His Royal Highness,” I hiss. “What the hell was he thinking?”
“Who knows? But we’re all grateful for your quick action.”
“I wish I could’ve stopped him,” I admit. “I tried.”
“The royals have their own ideas,” Bjorn says. “You can’t always control them.”
“I guess,” I say. I rub my forehead.
“The main thing is that he’s safe.”
“He’s determined to make my job more difficult.”
Bjorn chuckles. “At least it’s not boring.”
“That’s true,” I say.
“Is the doctor done examining him?”
I glance over at the bathroom. “Not yet. I think they’re finishing up.”
“Update me on anything he needs.”
“Copy,” I say, and hang up.
I return to my room, keeping the door open so I’ll hear if Prince Erik calls for me. But he doesn’t.
After picking at his room service dinner and driving off Jasper and Cristian when they came by to check on him, Erik is slouched on the couch, flipping through the television channels.
His leg is bandaged under his loose sweatpants.
He’s wearing an aqua polo shirt and looks like he’s about to go play tennis any second, but he winces whenever he moves.
Has he taken any meds?
All of his assistants and staff are off duty for the night. I come into the room and wait silently for him to notice me.
Erik startles when he sees me.
“Are you okay, Your Highness?” I ask.
He covers his face with his hand. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Do you want me to leave you alone?”
Erik bites his lip. I’ve learned this means no. He’s just not good at asking for what he needs if he thinks he shouldn’t have it.
“May I sit down?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I sink down into a chair.
He continues scrolling through channels, then finally settles on an action movie from twenty years ago.
“Do you need some Tylenol? I mean paracetamol?”
Erik pauses, then admits, “Yes, that would be good.”
Relief courses through me that he’s finally giving in, and I head for his bathroom, where I know his aides will have stocked any over-the-counter medications he might need.
I grab a bottle of water from the minibar and hand it to him with the medication. He takes two pills and sets both bottles on the coffee table in front of him.
I rejoin him, grumpy because he’s in pain and apparently has been all evening.
“Are you okay?” Prince Erik blurts.
I raise an eyebrow. I’m not used to him asking about me. It’s almost his job to be self-centered.
But I decide to tell him the truth.
“I’m furious at you,” I say. “I told you there was a riptide and a red flag warning. Why did you ignore me and go into the water?”
His expression tells me he didn’t expect me to bring that up. “I guess I just needed to cool off.”
“But there were other options. You could’ve gone up the beach a ways. You could’ve gone in the pool.”
“I didn’t want you to see me,” he mumbles.
I wrinkle my nose and squint at him. “What are you talking about?”
Erik lets out a mirthless laugh and looks down at his lap, where there is a distinct bulge.
Well, hell.
“You affect me, okay?”
That silences me for a moment. Then, my pulse kicking up, I ask, “I affect you how?”
“I think it’s clear enough.”
I shake my head. “I need you to say what you’re talking about.”
He raises his chin, fair skin bright with embarrassment. But he’s too much the prince to shy away from honesty. “I didn’t want you to see how I was … attracted to you. Even though I shouldn’t be.”