His back was still to Steve as he picked out another of the boards of the same length as what he'd just delivered. The muscles in his shoulders rippled and tightened, and his head stayed down over the cut wood for longer than it needed to. He had frozen in place. Steve thought it was a bad idea.
And it was.
James knew that.
The wiser thing to do would be to let the damned mermaid go. To tell her that he was no good for her, and that she'd do better if she stopped hanging around him. He should walk her down to her apartment, show her the door, and tell her never to come back. That would be the best and finest way he could ever show her that he cared.
But the serious thought of doing that made him shake - literally shake. He couldn't let her go. He wanted to, for her sake. He could still guard her from a distance, could still protect her. But the truth was that he needed her, and he was too damned selfish to let her go. His warm fist clenched around the board he meant to bring back, and he finally turned, determination in his expression. He was ready to fight.
"I know what you're going to say," James said. "And you're right. I know you're right. But I'm going to keep her, as long as she'll let me. She's the only person who could stop me."