The Game Has Changed by D. L. Wu Page A

he had
done and what he now endured for her honor and safety.
    After a moment of contemplation, an idea formed
within Jaime's mind. She cradled his head between her hands as she
became a tad overwhelmed. Allowing the sudden impulse to claim her,
she very gently kissed his forehead. His eyes opened wide with
surprise as he felt her lips press against his flesh. He jerked
into a sitting position, causing her to pull her hands away and
drop the blood-soaked tee shirt.
    Embarrassment filled her as she acknowledged
her impetuous act of affection. The look he gave her caused the
embarrassment to dissipate as several chills coursed through her
entire body. His eyes were saying so much to her. She wanted so
badly to tell him how much she loved him. Tenderness, appreciation,
gentleness – all of these emotions were written across his face. It
was almost as if he doted on her. Yet she found that she couldn't
say the words. At least, not yet.
    Instead, she dismissed her impulsiveness by
giving him a shy smile. “It's slowed down now. How do you feel?”
she asked lovingly.
    “To hell with me,” he said softly, sounding
nasally because of his injury. “How are you doing?”
    “I wasn't really hurt,” she murmured with
consideration. “You were hurt very badly. I'm so sorry for that.”
She paused a second to take a deep, courageous breath. “Thank you.
For doing that . . . for me.” Several grateful tears streamed down
her red cheeks.
    Evan silently regarded her. “You're welcome,”
he whispered and reached to wipe the tears from her cheeks. His
action only caused the tears to fall even more. Yet she felt
comforted by his presence.
    “I'm getting my blood all over you,” he said
with a sad laugh. “I'm sorry.”
    She offered him a watery smile. “It's
okay.”
    Startled, Jaime noticed Evan’s beautiful brown
eyes glaze over. Tears rolled down his bloodied cheeks. Her pity
overwhelmed her. “Evan?” she cried softly.
    He shook his head, dismissing his tears and
rubbing his cheeks dry with the edge of his jacket’s sleeve. She
sensed that his masculine pride wouldn’t tolerate her dwelling on
his momentary lapse of emotion. So, for his sake, she pulled back
from him slightly and stared at his swollen, bruised
nose.
    She smiled and gently touched his injured nose.
“The bleeding's stopped now,” she announced. “It must really
hurt.”
    “Hurt's like hell,” he groaned, lightly
touching it. “It is swollen?”
    “Oh, yeah. And all purple in color. Looks like
it could be broken, even.”
    He examined his face in the rear-view mirror.
“Oh, bollocks,” he mumbled.
    His face was a complete mess because of his new
injury and the nasty scar he sported across his forehead. He hadn't
really thought about it before, but soon realized that the damage
to his handsome features would put his job in serious jeopardy. Of
course, it all depended on whether he would be able to keep his job
and not be thrown in jail for the rest of his life. Being a stunt
double required him to maintain his good looks and physique. This
recent damage to his face was certainly threatening his
livelihood.
    Jaime watched him intently as he stared at his
own face in the mirror. In her eyes, he was still the most handsome
man she had ever seen. He’d saved her life and had been hurt in the
process. While it hurt to see him in such pain, she was grateful
for what he’d done for her.
    She felt a little embarrassed as he caught her
staring at him and quickly looked away. Yet, just as quickly, their
eyes clashed as she looked back at him. There was no hesitation on
her part as she gently suggested, “Why don't we just stop early
somewhere tonight? We'll get some ice for your nose and you can get
some rest. You could use some sleep, I think.”
    He nodded in agreement and smiled sweetly. “I
think we should drive to the next town and find a shop again. I
could really use another shirt,” he commented, pointing to the
blood-stained tee shirt he