Breathless by Nancy Warren

Author:Nancy Warren [Warren, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Category
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2002-11-26T00:00:00+00:00

10

“A VACATION?” SHE STARED at him, stunned. What kind of a stupid idea was that? “My vacation’s already scheduled for next summer. I’m taking an escorted cycling tour of the Gulf Islands.”

He seemed momentarily diverted from his purpose. “An escorted cycling tour?”She’d rather he laughed at her than yelled at her. She shrugged. “I always choose escorted tours. Less chance of getting lost.”

He wasn’t so easily diverted, though. “You should take some time off, go away somewhere.”

She grit her teeth wanting to kick him for being a jerk when she needed some TLC. “I need a hot bath and some liniment, not a vacation.”

He sighed, and leaned against the door. As she gazed at him, with his rugged he-man good looks, the broad shoulders and head-to-toe muscles, she almost wished she could keep him there as a living, breathing safety system. Instinctively, she knew he’d step in front of a bullet or speeding car to protect her life. Any innocent life, she imagined.

After the shock of her almost-accident, a big strapping man standing between her and trouble seemed like an awfully good idea.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, then I need to talk to you.”

She glanced down at herself, sticky and wet with cold coffee, her knees grimy with stuff off the sidewalk she didn’t care to contemplate. She felt the incipient soreness of bruises bubbling under the surface of her skin, and imagined the contusion factory was working overtime.

Tomorrow she’d look like an overripe eggplant.

All she wanted was a hot bath, some aspirin and a chick flick. A day spent on the couch sounded like heaven. But somehow, she didn’t think that was going to happen. The detective obviously had intimidation and browbeating on his agenda.

Giving in to the inevitable, she said, “Let me change, and I’ll be back.”

“I should take you to the hospital and have you looked at.”

Frustration had her turning on him huffily. “But you won’t, because I’m not going. I fell on the sidewalk. Tomorrow I’ll have some bruises.”

He limped toward her, his expression far from that of a trained healer. “I’m certified in first aid. I take a look at you or the hospital does. Not open to negotiation.”

“You know what you are?”

“Losing patience.”

“Pushy. You’re pushy. Push, push, push…” she muttered as she stalked, stiff-kneed, toward the kitchen. “I’m taking two aspirin and I’ll call you in the morning.” She reached for the bottle of pain relievers she kept in the kitchen, filled a glass with water, popped the pills then drank the rest of the water thirstily.

“I’ll go after I’ve checked you out. Put on a housecoat or something so I can see what I’m doing.” His words were uttered in an everyday tone, but she felt a flush begin at her toes and work its way up.

Her body turned of its own volition to face him as she recalled the last time they’d spent time together. When he couldn’t see what he was doing. Because it was dark. Inside a closet. Intimate, claustrophobic and sexy as hell.

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