Chapter 9

He calmly takes a sip of his coffee, then puts the cup down on the table and looks at me:

" I did it to protect you. Especially from mean comments. If anyone saw me looking at you after what we'd done, they'd immediately know what I was thinking. Believe me, it wasn't easy for me!

I blush and lower my gaze, unable to contain a smile:

" Can I see your nails?

The sudden question puzzles me. But I held out my hands to him, a little awkwardly because they're unglazed and short:

" I'm sorry about the way I look… It's just that I haven't had much time for a manicure… " the great truth is that there hasn't been any money left for such a luxury for a long time, and I'm a disaster with manual skills. Even if it is the simplicity of polishing my nails.

Brandon takes my small hands in his, analyzes them with a mysterious smile, and then releases them after a light caress:

" Now I'm the one who's intrigued…" he says so quietly that I have to strain to hear.

" Why?

He then watches me with a