Instant Gratification

Shrugging her shirt back on, she pushed him back a step and headed to x-ray at the end of the hall. She flipped on the machine and set up an x-ray tray. “I’ve got this,” she said when he stood far too close in the small room.

“You’ll need me to hit the button.”

True enough. She showed him what to do, then turning her back to him, pulled off her shirt again, because what the hell, he’d already seen her. In fact, he’d tasted every inch of her.

They were both wet and chilled, but she didn’t feel the cold, not one little bit, not with his eyes heating her up from the inside out, and her memories stoking the fire. She positioned herself in front of the machine, extremely aware of the fact that she stood there half bare while he was fully dressed.

Five minutes later they were standing side by side studying her x-ray. Stone didn’t know what she was thinking but he was thinking that he loved how warm he felt next to her, how that warmth seeped into him, how much warmer they’d be without their wet clothes, sharing body heat—

“Nothing broken,” she said, her voice husky enough to tell him she wasn’t thinking only about her ribs either.

“So your treatment?”

“Ice and rest.”

He waited until she turned off the x-ray light before putting his hands on her hips and turning her to face him.

“What?” she asked a little breathlessly, and just the slightest bit defensively.

Poor baby. She didn’t know what to do about him, how to feel, what to think. He knew the feeling. “I can’t help but notice that we have the same treatment plan, you and me.”

A smile touched her lips. “You didn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to your treatment plan.”

“Sure I did. I just didn’t have time to rest and ice. I do now.” He took her hand and led her into the small kitchen, where he headed directly to the freezer and pulled out a small ice wrap.

Holding it up, he stepped toward her, and with a low laugh, she took one back. “Oh, no.”

Stone liked the sound of her laugh, a whole lot. It softened her face, it softened everything about her, and he liked her soft. He liked her tough, too. Bottom line, he liked her every which way. He lifted the ice pack and waggled a brow.

“I can ice myself,” she said.

“Ah, but I have experience with icing yourself. Trust me, it’s never as fun.” He stepped closer.

She took one back and came up against the vee of the counter. Perfect. He put one hand on the tile. “Open up,” he said, gesturing to her shirt.

“You’ve gotten a good enough look already.”

He braced his other hand on the tile as well, trapping her between the counter and his body. “Honey, I have a good enough look right now.”

She looked down.

Standing as close as he was, the top of her head brushed his chest as she took in what he meant. Her blouse, still wet, still sheer, revealed her as perfectly as if she’d been nude; delicate collarbone, perfect br**sts tipped with perfect rose colored ni**les, and gently curved belly, moving in and out with her quickened breathing.

Rolling her eyes at herself, probably at him too, she grabbed the ice pack, set it across her collarbone, just above her br**sts, and sucked in a breath.

He smiled.

“Are you enjoying this?”

His gaze dipped low again, watching as her ni**les hardened even further, and let out a heartfelt sigh. “Most definitely.”

“I didn’t enjoy the sight of you when you were on the examination table.”

“Maybe not then, when I was muddy and bloody, but I bet you thought of me later.”

She pulled her lower lip in between her teeth, trying to maintain a somber attitude.

“Come on, admit it. You did.”

She rolled her eyes, as good an admission as he was going to get. They were standing close, eyes locked together, and she smiled, and then so did he. And then, just as suddenly, his amusement faded.

Zero to sixty…

Emma let the ice pack fall. Their thighs bumped. His hands went to her waist. Hers slid up his chest, and they were staring at each other.

Not smiling.

Not even breathing.

His hands tightened on her, then glided up her slim spine, one fisting in her wet blouse, the other sinking into her hair. She shivered, but he knew it wasn’t from the cold.

“Are we still playing doctor?” she murmured.

“I’m game. I think I should check you out much more thoroughly.”

“You’ve done that.”

“A second opinion never hurts.” When her breath caught audibly, he pulled her up against him, careful of her ribs. “I’ll start with your mouth.”

The mouth in question fell open and she licked her lips, that quick little gesture she sometimes did when she was nervous.

Oh yeah, he liked her that way. She let down her guard, and he definitely loved watching her with her guard down. She didn’t quite know what to do with herself when she stepped out of her element.

She fidgeted, shifted her weight, nibbled on that lower lip in a way that made him very, very hard. “Come closer,” he murmured.

“Any closer, and I’ll be breathing your air.”

“Exactly what the doctor ordered.” And with that, he made the move and kissed her.

Ah, yeah. That was what he’d been craving since she’d left his cabin the night before. Hell, since the first time he’d seen her.

Unlike her wit, her brain, her eyes, which were all sharp as a razor, her mouth was soft.