I was going to die of embarrassment.

Mom and Allegra gathered around me, frantically asking how badly I was hurt, but all I could see was the line of iPhones held up in front of me that had documented every second of my fall. “I’m not hurt at all!” I tried to twist out of his hold so I could convince everyone there was nothing to film here, but Enzo marched with determination through the crowd, cradling me against his chest like I was a bird with a broken wing.

This was so bad. Except the way he held me. For a few stunning seconds, I felt completely protected and safe. The warmth of his shirt, the strength of his lean arms, the delicious scent in my nostrils, all of the sensations swarmed around me until I wished I could shut my eyes and relish the experience.

He reached an empty café table and sat me gently down on the chair, kneeling at my feet. “Fran, where does it hurt?” he asked calmly. “May I feel your head?”

I nodded. People still peered from the edges of the crowd, probably trying to see if I needed an ambulance. Or maybe they just wanted to get a better pic for their Instagram story. Enzo’s fingers were firm but gentle as he probed my head, exploring the small, tender lump on the back.

“Oh my God, do you think she has a concussion?” my mother asked, grabbing at my hands like she needed to convince herself I was still alive. “Should we get her to a hospital?”

Enzo remained calm, slowly moving from my head down to my bare legs. “I can definitely take her to the doctor. Fran, can I check your ankle?”

I nodded again, liking that he asked before running his hands over me. He repeated the same actions for both calves and ankles. Shivers ran up and down my spine at the touch of his fingers on my bare skin. “Can you move your toes?”

I wriggled them and they obeyed. Allegra looked distressed, so I forced myself to smile at her. “It’s okay, honey. I’m tougher than I look.”

“How’s your back?” he asked.

I moved from side to side tentatively, but other than basic soreness, there were no sharp flashes of pain. “Fine. It’s just some scrapes and bruises.”

“We should go to the doctor and make sure,” my mother said.

I shook my head. “No. I’m not wasting the rest of the day in a doctor’s office for a silly fall. I swear, Mom, I’m okay. I’d tell you if I needed to get checked out. Here, let me try walking and make sure.”