“ARE YOU okay?” Aiden asked Bree, concern evident in his voice. They were already in Puerto Galera and had stopped over for a while. She was seated in the front passenger seat with the door open, her head resting against the headrest. Bree looked pale and weary. She must have thrown up everything she ate on the boat earlier, and it scared the hell out of him.
“Here, drink this.” He handed her a bottle of water he had bought from a nearby convenience store and opened it for her. She only took a few sips. “We can stay for a little—”
“No, we should go,” she cut him off.
He studied her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’ll just go to the comfort room for a bit,” she said and stood up. He leaned against the car while waiting for her. Minutes later, she came back. She looked a little better, though still pale. He was seriously worried about her. The last thing he wanted was for her to get sick.
She gave him a forced smile. “Let’s go.”
“Bree, I don’t want you—”
“It’s okay, really,” she insisted. “I’ll just sleep during the ride so this will completely go away. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
He shook his head. “Don’t apologize. It was nothing.” He looked at her again. “Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”
She nodded once more. “I’m sure.” She started getting into the car but hit her head on the roof.
“Ouch!” she cried, holding her forehead.
“Bree!” He quickly pulled her hand away to check. A bump had already formed on the side of her forehead. She must have hit it really hard. “Dammit, Bree. Why aren’t you being careful?” he scolded, like she was a careless child.
“Relax, it’s just a bump,” she said, still wincing.
“Bree, I want to take you home without any bumps or bruises on your body.”
“Don’t worry, this bump will be gone by the time we get home,” she said, and he made a face. She laughed softly. Before he could even think about it, he leaned in and blew gently on her bump. He didn’t know why he did it—he surprised even himself. And when he realized Bree had gone stiff, he stopped and leaned back. Her gaze slowly lifted, and when their eyes met, his throat suddenly went dry.
Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. “I’ll close the door now,” he said, and she shifted aside. After closing her door, he got into the car as well. From his peripheral vision, he noticed her looking out the window. He started the car without a word. It was still awkward, so he chose to remain silent.
BREE moaned and stirred. She had fallen asleep a few minutes after they had lunch at a luncheonette they passed along the Strong Republic Nautical Highway. He just let her sleep since she didn’t seem to be feeling well earlier.
He waited for her eyes to open. And when they finally did, he flashed her a smile. “Hi,” he said. “Feeling better?”
She rubbed her droopy eyes. “A little better,” she replied softly.
“Do you want us to stop for a bit?”
She shook her head and sat up properly. “No, it’s not necessary.”
“Are you hungry?” She nodded, so he took a box from the dashboard containing six donuts. He bought them earlier, knowing she’d get hungry.
A sweet smile spread across her lips. She eyed the open box like it was the most precious thing she had ever seen. “Thank you, Aiden.” She took one and happily bit into it.
He smiled back before focusing on the road again. “You’re welcome.”
“Do you want one?”
He shook his head. “I’m good. I already ate.”
“Oh,” she said. “You bought so many. But don’t worry, I won’t finish all of these,” she added, and he laughed. She took another one and bit into it happily. He couldn’t help but glance at her face.
“You have sugar all over your face,” he said. Alarmed, Bree wiped her mouth. He grinned. “Cheeks, too.” She wiped her cheeks, but only smeared it more. He chuckled as he subconsciously reached out and touched her left cheek. His thumb grazed the softness of her skin, and he heard her suck in a breath. She probably didn’t expect what he did.
Awkwardly, he withdrew his hand. Damn it, he’d done it again.
He cleared his throat and focused back on the road. From the corner of his eye, he saw her close the donut box on the dashboard.
Great.
Because of him, she stopped eating. He wanted to apologize, but heck, he didn’t do anything wrong, right? It wasn’t a crime. He was just helping her. It wasn’t a big deal.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from outside.
Bree gasped and grabbed the dashboard. “What was that?”
“Oh shit…” he cursed as he slowly reduced the car’s speed. He knew that sound all too well—a flat tire.
Damn it.