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Brandon set her down on the sofa in the lobby at the entrance of the building "I’ll go get your things," he said as soon as she un-wrapped her ar hard, he walked away before he could get caught up in the eyes he needed to stop thinking about, even when they weren’t in front of him

As he reached the stairs where she’d fallen, he picked up her purse and began putting the spilled contents into it After picking up several makeup items, he noticed her open wallet at the bottom of the staircase He didn’t mean to be nosey, but it was open to a photo of her and two other wouy The other wo by the resemblances they all shared, he presumed these were her sisters, and the way they all touched the ly, he assumed this was Daddy If it was, this blew his theory about her dad possibly being Irish--a Brady The man in the photo looked every bit as Hispanic as she did

Why was he even going there?

Holding the photo still in front of hi else now They all looked so happy He stared at that s All these years, he’d ed to reht actually feel emotions--completely sedated He couldn’t alloeet s eyes to wake that part of hied to snuff it to its death, or so he thought, for so long he didn’t think he’d ever have to worry about it

Clenching his jaw, he lifted the photo only to see another one of Ms Brady behind it Once again, Brandon felt drawn to her eyes In the second photo, she was alone, her face very fresh as if she’d just gotten out of the shower Even with noIt was such a sied in thean oversized white T-shirt, but unlike the other s at all She was staring at the cary

Brandon slare he’d been indulged hen he’d asked her for her nalint of fire in her eyes, especially when directed at hi portrait did just that: enchant hi for her He didn’t know her, and he didn’t want to get to know her--he shouldn’t

A buzzing sound pulled hihts, and he turned around to search for the source of the noise The screen on a cell phone at the bottom of the staircase lit up He walked over to pick it up and read the screen: Inco her sweet conversation in the elevator with someone named Antonio, who she apparently worked with in this sa, another alarm went off He’d chalked up the irritation he’d felt that day when he listened to her on the phone to his irritation with her in general The fact that Antonio had done sorateful thank you from her was only further proof of the kind of princess she was It reminded him of how irritated he’d been just the other day when he’d seen her talking and laughing with one of her co-workers She’d only been working at this place for a little over a week, and already she’d had these guys see Antonio’s name on her phone screen did to hiathered the rest of her stuff It took him a few minutes to find her second shoe, because it ay up on the upper steps, not at the botto else He walked up and shoved it in her purse, glad it was big enough to hold both shoes, and started back down

She was holding her leg out in front of her with a gri to move the ankle as he approached her

"Don’t do that"

Even her startled expression was enough tothat up until lately he didn’t do often Being a drill instructor for soany kind of a them all out of him He remembered how impossible it’d been to hide the annoyance he’d felt that he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her Friday night at the restaurant Her continued staring at him the way she had with such interest andto know her better ht not be such a bad idea That could not happen He’d been so desperate to end what he was feeling--what she ed in a public display of affection by kissing the girl he’d ht be broken," she said al bad now"

Brandon put her purse down next to her "I think I got it all" He knelt down in front of her then lifted her injured ankle gently She iasped at his touch "Sorry"

"No, you didn’t hurtmyself"

Like earlier, he lost the battle and s mood despite her injury, he just couldn’t help hi in her eyes he’d seen earlier--an al so sweet about it he had to look away

He focused on her ankle instead Trying to ignore her dainty, painted-pink toes, his eyes traveled to the upper right hand side of the top of her foot and the small heart tattoo A picture of an open book with the words Uni & Boot was inside of the heart Draped around the heart so it looked alether forever