West frowned slightly while she looked down at the floor.
"The doctors say his lower half is paralyzed."
Her voice trembled.
"They don't know when he'll recover."
"They said it could take months…"
"…or years."
For a moment she looked like she might break down right there in the middle of the mall.
West instinctively stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.
"It'll be okay."
He rubbed her back calmly.
"With time."
The hug lasted only a few seconds but for her, it felt strangely comforting.
The warmth of his body, the steadiness of his voice and the faint masculine scent coming from him.
Her breathing slowly steadied.
She hadn't realized how tense she had been until that moment.
Deep inside her mind... a small, forbidden thought stirred.
It had been a long time since she had felt the presence of a strong man this close.
Her fiancé's condition meant intimacy had disappeared completely from her life.
