Chapter 41

Not long ago, Jace had given me a foot massage. It felt pleasant then, but it didn't compare to what I was feeling now. I couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was Hayden's technique.

As Hayden finished, I heard Macy shouting outside, “Listen up, everyone! If anyone tries to mess with my tenants, don't blame me for getting nasty! I'll make your whole family regret it…”

“What’s going on?” I asked quietly.

Hayden lifted my foot from his knee and placed it on another stone bench. As he stood, I noticed his face was flushed. I thought he was just hot, but his next words proved otherwise.

He said, “From now on, don’t wear skirts around here!”

I looked down at my skirt, a royal blue silk one that clung to my body and had a slit up the side. Sitting as I was, the slit had ridden up, exposing my thigh. He must have seen something while massaging my foot.

My face flushed slightly, but I wouldn't lose my composure. I feigned indifference. “Why? Does my skirt bother you?”

Hayden’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Then he strode out of the yard. Shortly after, Macy’s yelling ceased.

Curious, I darted to the door and saw Hayden standing with his back to me. Molly, his rumored admirer, was in front of him.

“This is intentional harm. If we call the police, you’ll be held legally responsible,” Hayden said, pointing to a puddle of oil on the ground. That was where I had slipped. So, my fall wasn't an accident, I thought.

“What makes you think I did it? Did you see me?” Molly snapped.

Macy chimed in, “I asked around. Someone saw you pouring the oil here.”

Molly fell silent, her eyes filled with anguish as she looked at Hayden. Her words, however, were sharp. “Who asked her to seduce you?”

Did she say I seduced Hayden? Molly certainly knew how to hurl accusations.

Seeing Macy and Hayden defending me, I felt compelled to act. I hopped over, using the wall for support. When I arrived, I didn’t shout or argue. I simply took Hayden’s arm and smiled at Molly. “Thanks for this. It made me realize how great a guy Hayden is.”

Molly turned pale. I squeezed Hayden’s arm, feeling his firm, springy muscles. “Let’s go. You can cut the watermelon for me.”

My voice was so sweet it gave me goosebumps. I’d never been like this before, not even with Jace.

Hayden looked at me, his eyes darkening, and before I knew it, he scooped me up again. He carried me as if I weighed nothing.

“Check it out! He’s carrying Keira home while he tossed you out like trash,” Macy teased Molly.

Molly tried to undermine me, but we completely reversed the situation. She ended up losing a whole bowl of oil, too.

Hayden carried me back into the yard. His cool voice floated above me, “Inside or outside?”

“Outside, I want to eat the watermelon there,” I said, nodding toward the spot where I’d been sitting.

Hayden carried me over, and as he set me down, his chin brushed against my nose, tickling me. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and before I could think, I blurted out, “Hayden, are you trying to seduce me?”