Blind Attraction Read Online Free PDF Page B

give the bare minimum care.”
    “Somehow I don’t think any optometrists will be open at—” Mitchell released his grip with one arm, “—one-thirty in the morning.”
    Alana listened to the exchange in silence, trying to slow her rampant breathing so she could think straight.
    “My mother’s an optometrist. I’m sure she’d be happy to meet with you, no matter the time.” The young man’s voice grew in strength, the confidence he held in his mother clearly shining through.
    Alana shook her head and clutched at Mitch’s shirt. She needed someone familiar to help her, someone she wouldn’t be ashamed to cry in front of, or apprehensive about clinging to.
    “I need Kate,” she whispered and cleared her dry throat. “Can you take me to her? She can help me wash my eyes. It might dislodge whatever is blurring my vision.”
    “Would washing them help?” Mitchell hadn’t directed the question to her.
    “I don’t think so. Not with tap water anyway.” The young stranger replied.
    Mitchell’s other arm came around to hold her again, pulling her tight. His concern vibrated from him, increasing her alarm.
    “Get her away from the gawking people and take her to find her friend. I’ll call my mom.”
    Mitchell’s head rubbed against her hair, as if he nodded in reply. “We’ll be in my suite. Call the room as soon as you find out.”
    His arms moved from around her back and the warmth from his chest faded. Strong hands encased her shoulders, supporting her on more than a physical level. “Are you all right with that, sweetheart?”
    She continued to squeeze her eyes shut, trying not to flutter her lids and aggravate the debris still in there. “Yes. Kate will be able to look after me.”
    The grip on her shoulders tightened. “I’ll take care of you.”
    She sucked in a breath, overwhelmed with…everything: his scent, his touch, his comfort. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, and her control shattered. She let out a sob and squeezed her lids tighter. The burn of tears was excruciating. His kindness was too much.
    Men weren’t meant to be like this. They weren’t kind-hearted or gentle or protective. Especially not strangers…or so her mother had led her to believe.
    “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I knew seeing you again was too good to be true.”
    His anguish gave her the determination to be strong. Lifting her chin, she smiled and placed a hand on his chest, pressing against the hard muscle beneath. “It’s not your fault. At least I’ll have a great story to tell my friends back home.”
    Was it morally acceptable to tell a lie if part of the statement was true?
    She honestly didn’t believe the situation was his fault, but she would never tell her friends back home. If her mother found out, she would worry herself into a stroke. It didn’t matter how old Alana became, her mom never stopped treating her like a fragile piece of porcelain waiting to be broken by a man.
    Mitchell leaned in close and brushed his cheek against hers. “I hope by the time I let you go, you’ll have a far better story to tell.”
    Anticipation skittered over her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps which distracted her from the pain. She was falling for a man she didn’t know and couldn’t even see.
    He stepped back, and a slight sense of vertigo hit her mind. She wavered, wobbling in space. Within seconds his hands were back on her body, lifting her off the ground. She squealed as her arms flailed for something to grip. “What are you doing?”
    He began to walk, sure and certain, her weight not hindering him in the least. “I’m getting you upstairs.”
    Whispers passed her ears from people in the lobby while he cradled her in his arms, against his hard chest. He ignored her protests, and by the time they reached the elevator, she had relaxed and rested her hands around his neck.
    Slowly she opened her lids, hoping for some improvement to the coarse scratching in her eyes, but the discomfort and lack