Chapter Three
What the heck was she thinking inviting a strange man into her home? Grace could already guess what her parents would have said. Just being alone with a man was something they had frowned upon, especially someone so handsome and playful like Vitus.
Her heart pounded as she thought about the well-muscled man and how she’d felt against him. His body had been so firm when he’d walked her home, his strong arms holding her up and keeping her safe. For the first time, she could understand what it meant when someone said they felt protected. That was exactly what she had felt.
More heat spread across her face as she stared down at her long, frumpy skirt. For the first time she felt a little silly wearing the thing. She’d not worried about dressing to draw a man, always figuring she should focus on comfort rather than style. All her friends and even her sister had gently teased her about her clothes, but it was what she felt most comfortable in.
Grace shook her head. That wasn’t entirely true. Sure, she felt comfortable in the oversized sweater and broomstick skirt, but that was only because she didn’t like calling attention to herself. She didn’t know what to do with attention, or even if she really wanted it ever. At least she’d thought that way until recently.
She glanced over to the door and wondered what the easy-going man really thought of her. Maybe she was just an easy mark. He probably thought that a shy and reserved woman like her would melt under his attention and sleep with him without much effort.
Grace snorted. Not much of an easy mark if she was still a virgin.
Heavy footfalls came from the direction of her room, and she looked up just in time to see him enter the living room, his mere presence almost filling the entire space
She tried not to gasp. Every time she saw Vitus, she always had the same reaction, like all the oxygen in the room had suddenly been sucked out, and she was left gasping for air.
He was tanned with a light olive complexion that only made his black hair stand out more.
Tina, one of her teen checkers at the store, had called him a bad boy. Something about that seemed very accurate, given just the air around him and the lop-sided, wicked smiles she’d seen from him.
“I found some tape and an ice pack,” he said, holding the two items up so she could see.
Grace watched as he made his way around to where she sat on the couch and knelt down in front of her on the stool she had by the fire. She scooted back onto the couch, not really sure what to do with him so close. She wasn’t so sure if she didn’t trust him or didn’t trust herself.
“Now let’s get that shoe off,” he said softly.
She jumped when his hand touched her boot and jerked her foot out of his hands.
“I can do it,” she said quickly.
Vitus stared over at her from his spot. He was so tall that even on the stool he was nearly the same height as her. “Let me help you. I promise I’ll be gentle.”
For about the millionth time, her cheeks heated at his words. The double entendre wasn’t lost on her, despite her innocence otherwise.
Vitus slowly reached forward for her foot again, as if she were some sort of rabid dog ready to bite at any moment. Grace sighed and moved her foot into his hand.
He made quick work of the boot and gently worked it off. Already she could tell her ankle was swollen. Without the pressure of the shoe, her ankle started to throb.
The touch of Vitus’s fingers against the skin on her calf pulled her mind away from the pain.
His warm fingers wrapped around the back of her leg. She watched as he shifted the edge of her skirt up until it rested on her knees, exposing her pale legs against his tanned skin.
Grace bit her lip, and for a brief moment she felt panic rising before he eased off the sock and had her foot wrapped in his strong fingers. Her body shook a little as she leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling.
This was silly really. She was acting like he had his head between her legs when, in reality, he was just looking at her foot to help her.
“It’s a sprain for certain, but you don’t seem to have hurt anything major,” Vitus said finally.
She looked away from the ceiling back toward him.
“You deal with this sort of thing often?” Grace asked, curiosity in her voice.
A small smile played on his lips, as if there were some secret in what she asked. The thought made her heart thump even harder.
“You could say that,” Vitus said.
She watched in silence as he placed the beige bandage on her heel and started to wrap it. His warm hands were still holding her as he did so.
“Vitus is an unusual name,” Grace said. “Is your mother an immigrant?”
She honestly didn’t know. She’d never run into someone with the name Vitus before.
A small frown briefly passed over the man’s face. When she thought about it, she realized it was the first she’d ever seen from him.
“I didn’t know my mother,” Vitus said stiffly.
Guilt racked her. She had just assumed. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
His brown eyes looked over to her and softened. After a moment he shook his head.
“I didn’t always have the easiest life,” he said quietly. “Eagle Ridge is the first place I’ve ever felt like I belonged.”
Grace nodded although she wasn’t certain she totally understood. “Eagle Ridge is the only place I’ve ever been, so I guess I’ve never really had that. I’ve always sort of done the same thing.”
Vitus stopped what he was doing to listen to her. The intensity of it was almost intimidating. Most people seemed to only half hear what she was saying, and that’s if they bothered to pay attention to her at all.
“I mean, you have a cool tattoo,” she murmured. “I’m sure you’ve done lots of interesting things, seen a lot of the world. Not just one tiny little town in Washington.”
She remembered what it felt like to touch the tattoo. It was almost electric. But that couldn’t have been more than a sheltered woman overreacting to touching a handsome man.
Her mouth ran dry as Vitus placed her foot on the floor and knelt in front of her, raising his shirt as he did so.
“It’s not a tattoo,” he said.
“It isn’t?”
“It’s more a birthmark than anything.”
Grace stared at the bright blue lines that snaked around the side of his body and wound their way across the muscles there. Could a person really be born with something like this on their body?
Without even thinking, she leaned forward and traced a finger over the blue skin. The same tingle shot through her once again, and she jerked back, staring at her finger in disbelief.
It had to be something more than just overreacting to a handsome man, but she just didn’t know how else to explain it.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” Grace said quickly.
Vitus stared at her for a moment before dropping his shirt. “I didn’t mind,” he said quietly.
She licked her lips at his words. She couldn’t seem to function with him so close to her. It was as if he clouded her brain.
Grace nearly yelped when he placed her foot back on the floor, her mind still foggy from being so close.
“All finished,” Vitus said with a small grin, as if he knew just what he did to her. Bad boy, indeed.
“I…” She fumbled with her words as she glanced down at her bandaged foot. “Thank you.”
Vitus nodded and stood. “I guess I should let you get some rest now.”
She watched as he stepped over to the notepad by her phone and scribbled down something. He tore it off and brought it over to her.
It was his number. Her heart thundered.
“In case you need anything,” he said, and winked.
Grace’s cheeks turn to fire, and she looked away.
His soft laugh made her look back to him. He was already making his way to the door.
She struggled to stand and held on to the couch as she did so, the foot far more tender than she expected.
Vitus opened the door, and the cool air slipped in under the storm door, making her shiver.
“Goodnight, Grace,” he said quietly.
She stared at him, searching his face for something. She didn’t even know what. Answers? His feelings? It was silly.
“Goodnight, Vitus,” she said softly.
He gave a nod and stepped out the door. The darkness quickly swallowed his form, and she closed the door behind him, locking out any thoughts of calling him back for something she wasn’t even sure she was ready for.