Page 11 of Dark Side of the Cloth (The Righteous 1)
“Here, let me see your finger.” Her hand shook as she handed it over. She stared at the top of his head as he inspected the cut and tried to push all the sexy thoughts away. He was simply kind, and here she was lusting after him. “I was right. No stitches needed.”
Dean cleaned the cut and applied the band-aid with quick, efficient fingers. He stood and put everything away, and Yasmine took the moment to take a deep breath and steady herself.
“Can I have a moment? I need to use the lady’s room.” She gave him a small smile.
“Yes, of course, I will meet you out in the kitchen.”
The moment the door was closed, she flopped down on the toilet seat lid again and held her head in her hands as a complex vortex of emotions swirled in her gut. Standing, she splashed some cool water on her face and composed herself, determined to walk out there and act like a normal human and not some wanton creature.
Yasmine marched across the kitchen floor, and a little of her bravado slipped as she watched Dean work wearing an apron with angels on it. He looked so adorable and sexy, all wrapped up in Mabel’s Viva Las Vegas apron. Stifling a laugh, she sauntered over to resume her position.
On multiple occasions, she caught Mabel staring over at her and Dean. Mabel even wiggled her eyebrows at her once, causing Yasmine to choke on her water. She was so embarrassed that she had to walk out of the kitchen for a moment. But as the day passed, her embarrassment eased, which made it easier for her to breathe and enjoy herself.
“Bye, Mabel, thank you for the great day.” Yasmine hugged Mabel and breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of roses and spices that always accompanied Mabel.
“You’ve always been such a sweet girl.” Mabel pulled back and patted her cheek. “Thank you for coming, Father. It is always wonderful to see you.”
“Oh, I was planning on staying a little longer,” Dean said as Mabel pulled him over to the door.
Yasmine felt like a teenager being set up on a blind date as Mabel shoved Dean’s coat into his hands. “You better let Father O’Sullivan make sure you get to your car alright. It has been snowing all day,” Mabel said as she practically pushed the two of them out the door together.
“I’m not sure if I should be insulted?” Dean asked and nudged her shoulder.
“I have stopped trying to understand Mabel’s motives,” Yasmine laughed. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she walked to her car, very aware that Dean’s hand was resting on her lower back.
“Thank you for walking me to my car,” she said, not looking Dean in the eyes.
“The pleasure was all mine. I do hope to see you again soon, Yasmine. It is always wonderful to spend time with you.” He gently brushed the flakes of snow from her hair, the gesture feeling more intimate than it should.
Yasmine slipped behind the wheel over her car and waved as Dean stepped back. She watched him in her rearview mirror, and even with the gaining distance, she could feel their eyes locked onto each other.
What had she done in her life to deserve this torture? At this point, she did not know, but she was pretty certain that God must hate her.
