Free Seaside Kisses: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters Book 4) by Stacy Claflin

again, this time in his ear. "Give Amara a chance. She has always adored you."
    Rafael's hand tightened around hers, but he didn't move otherwise. Amara moved closer to his face and brushed her lips across his. They were just as soft as before. She sat back, afraid he'd wake up.

Nine
     
    Rafael woke up on his couch, confused. What was he doing there? The TV's screensaver was on. Had he fallen asleep watching something? He sat up and saw a washcloth in a bowl of water on the coffee table… and then he saw Amara curled up on the recliner with a blanket.
    The cat… and his allergic reaction. His face had swollen so badly he barely recognized himself. Amara had probably thought he looked like a sideshow from the circus, but yet she'd stayed to take care of him. She'd insisted, in fact.
    His lips twitched, nearly forming a smile. It was nice to have someone take care of him again. That hadn't happened since… when? Since he'd been home and his mom had cared for him when he was sick? She'd always forced him to stay in bed, but she made her special soup every time.
    There wasn't any soup, but Rafael felt cared for by Amara.
    He got up and tip-toed past her, not wanting to disturb her. Who knew how little sleep she'd gotten? He went into the bathroom through his room and studied his face. He looked as though nothing had happened. He moved his sleeve up and checked the scratch on his arm. Even that looked a lot better—just a little red line.
    Rafael's skin itched. What was going on? Another reaction? He stepped back, tripping over something. His pants and coat, which were probably full of cat fur. The edges of his eyes itched just looking at them. He needed to get them out of the room without going into another full-blown allergy attack.
    He went into his room and saw a plastic bag from the dry cleaners. That would do. He slid it off the jacket and went into the bathroom, managing to get the cat-covered clothes inside without touching them. He tied the open ends and then dropped them downstairs. Later, he would decide whether to have them cleaned or just dispose of them.
    Rafael went back over to Amara and checked on her. The blanket was about to fall off, so he pulled it up and tucked it under her chin. He stared at her beautiful face, partially covered by her dark hair, and wondered why she had cared so much to stay with him. Or help him with his egged windows at the store, for that matter.
    Even after forcing himself on her, she still wanted to stay and take care of him. His heart warmed. Maybe he hadn't ruined his chances with her after all. But even so, was it worth the risk? He certainly didn't want to wind up hurt again, like he had with Kristine. And yet at the same time, he didn't want hurt Amara, either.
    His hand brushed against her cheek as he pulled away from the blanket. He flinched, surprised at how much he enjoyed her touch—much in the same way he had when she'd shown him how to clean a window. It was no wonder he'd kissed her without thinking about it.
    Rafael had the sudden urge to sweep away some of her hair and give her another kiss. He froze. No. If she woke up with his lips on hers again, he really would scare her off.
    She had the face of an angel as she slept. He fought the urge to press his lips against hers. As sweet as she was, he needed to do some real soul searching before he even considered making any moves toward building a relationship again.
    After the way his last relationship had ended, he wasn't sure he would ever been ready to try that again. Also, Amara was too… too what? Innocent? Kind? Sweet? All of the above?
    He was no womanizer, but he'd had his share of relationships over the years, and all they had accomplished was to harden him. Amara wasn't a harsh woman of the world like he'd grown accustomed to. Staying in Kittle Falls all these years, she'd managed to hold onto something special.
    Clearly, she was no longer Four-Eyes Fowler, the shy, pimple-faced girl always hiding behind a