When Doom Found Violet novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: His Room

His room was at the end of the upstairs hall, and it was the cleanest place I had seen in the whole building.

A big iron bed, a leather chair, a dresser with nothing on it, and a lock on the inside that he turned himself.

He carried my bag in and set it on the chair.

"Take the bed," he said.

"Where will you sleep?"

"Floor."

"You're almost seven feet tall."

"Don't count."

I sat on the edge of the mattress and tried to pull my sweater over the sling with one hand.

It caught on my elbow, and I made a noise of pure frustration.

Doom crossed the room in two steps.

"Hold still."

"I can do it."

"You can't."

He lifted the sweater clear of the sling and eased it off over my head, and his knuckles brushed my ribs.

I went still.

Under my tank top a long purple bruise ran down my left side.

He saw it before I could cover it.

"That's from the seat belt," I said.

"Doc didn't say it was this bad."

He crouched in front of me and laid his fingers along the edge of the bruise.

His hand was huge and warm, and so careful it almost didn't touch.

"Does this hurt?"

"A little."

He pressed a half inch lower.

"And this?"

"Only when you look at me like that."

His eyes lifted to mine.

I hadn't meant to say it.

His thumb stopped moving.

The room felt much smaller than it had a minute ago.

I could hear him breathing.

I looked down, because I had to, and noticed the front of his jeans.

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