Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 321

Camila Davis felt her heart plummet.

She could practically see herself face-planting onto the hardwood floor, nose first and all.

But just as gravity was about to win, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, yanking her back from disaster.

A split second later, she landed safely in someone’s arms. The impact knocked them both backward a few steps until they bumped into a bookshelf with a dull thud.

She heard a low grunt. Camila’s heart was still racing as she looked up.

The first thing she saw was his face—way too close for comfort.

A sharp jawline, long lashes, brows pulled together in concern, lips pressed in a straight line, and his warm breath just barely brushing her skin.

They were close. Like, really close.

Her whole body was practically plastered against his chest, not even an inch between them. Even through his wool coat, she could feel the heat radiating off him.

And his hand was still resting firmly at her lower back. The whole thing felt... well, let’s just say it wasn’t the most professional pose.

But Camila was too worried to care. “Mr. Williams, are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

She could’ve sworn she heard the bookshelf groan when they hit it. What if he’d smacked his head?

She reached up, her hand searching the back of his head for any bumps or bruises.

Which, in retrospect, only made them look even cozier—like she was straight-up hugging him.

Dennis Williams’s eyes flickered, voice deep and low, almost against her ear. “I’m fine. Just hit my back. Coat took most of it. But what about you? Are you hurt? I meant to warn you earlier—Aaron broke that ladder this morning.”

His words tickled her ear, and that’s when Camila realized just how awkward their position was.

She quickly yanked her hand back and stepped away, blushing. “I, uh—I think I’m okay.”

He turned to Aaron, his voice a little sharper. “I told you to get rid of that ladder after it broke. Why was it still there?”

The way Camila had fallen, it could’ve been a lot worse. If Dennis hadn’t caught her, she could’ve slammed right into the corner of the bookshelf.

Aaron looked pale as a ghost, sweating bullets. “I’m so sorry! I meant to take it out this morning, but I got sidetracked. Ms. Davis, I’m really sorry. This is all my fault.”

Camila shook her head. “It’s fine, really! You didn’t do it on purpose. I should’ve paid more attention.”

Aaron kept apologizing as the security guard hurried in with a first aid kit.

Dennis took the spray, gave Camila’s ankle a few cooling bursts, and started gently massaging it. “Hang in there. You need to work out the swelling if you want to heal up quick.”

Camila nodded, trying not to yelp. The whole room felt tense—Dennis’s jaw still tight, Aaron wringing his hands.

She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Mr. Williams, please don’t blame Aaron. He’s been a huge help the last couple of days. Let’s just call it even, okay?”