Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6), стр. 22
“As if I’d ever…” Her eyes flared, and her fingers tightened on the bedsheet. “Your conceit is enough to turn off any woman who might be interested. And to be clear, I’m not interested.”
“Oh, I think you are, but you don’t want to give in to this smoldering connection between us.”
“Your smoldering connection. Not mine. And it will be a cold day in hell before I ever consider touching you.”
“Is that a bet?” Even when she was exhausted and frightened, she wouldn’t give an inch about the chemistry between them.
“You’d lose your money.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “How about getting me a cane?”
“We’d both win.” He waggled his eyebrows, knowing how easily he could get her to react.
“The cane?”
“Eric said not to put weight on your ankle for two days.”
“And how do you expect me to get to the bathroom?” She started to lift her ankle off the pillow. “Hop on one foot? The idea of losing my balance and falling on my wrist doesn’t agree with me right now.”
“I’ve got an easier solution.”
Lars stood and scooped her up into his arms, placing his hands under legs. Her bare skin was smooth and warm to touch. Luckily, his earlier race to reach her hadn’t reinjured his own wound. But to have Danni in his arms, he wouldn’t mind the current twinge in his thigh.
She gasped.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, but you might want to warn a girl when you’re going to go all caveman.”
He took the ten steps to the bathroom door. He didn’t ask her how she would manage the mechanics of using the toilet.
“Do you want me to sit you on the toilet?”
She hit him on the chest with her cast. “Do you know nothing about women’s sensibilities?”
“With four brothers, taking a leak isn’t exactly a big deal.”
“I’ll manage fine without your help. Just set me down by the sink.”
Reaching around her, Lars twisted the door handle and then kicked open the door. The dark marble bathroom had an enormous walk-in shower, a sunken tub, and double sinks. One wall was covered in mirrors.
Lars was pivoting toward the sink, careful not to bump Danni’s ankle, when his ears throbbed from her sudden high-pitched scream.
Danni stared into the mirror, horrified at her reflection. “Why didn’t you tell me that I looked like a monster out of a B-grade horror movie?”
“Baby, you look like you’ve had an accident. And you—” Lars caught himself from uttering his usual glib line: “You’ll always look good to me.”
He slowly lowered her, enabling her to balance with her left hand on the counter. He kept his hands on her waist to make sure she was steady.
“I’m fine. You can let go.” She batted at his hands until she suddenly jerked and grabbed the edge of the sink. “Oh, my God.”
“What is it?” Lars didn’t know whether he should touch her. “Talk to me. What can I do?”
Her head was dropped, and her left hand was holding onto her back.
She shook her head. “Just give me a minute—my back went into a spasm. It hurts like a son of a gun.”
She had gone ghost white.
She took a shallow, ragged breath. “It’s fading. I must have tweaked it when I did the face-plant. God, I need Luna.”
“Who’s Luna? Is this the spot?” Lars rubbed her lower back, spreading his hands over the curve in her spine. She was so lean that his hands covered her entire lower back. Avoiding going south like the gentleman he could be, he rubbed in gentle circles, careful not to ignite another spasm.
She nodded, her white teeth nibbling on her lower lip. During the fall, she’d tried to right herself. Her body had contorted with her weight thrown forward against the cement. She was tall to start with, and then the damn boots had thrown off her center of gravity.
“Does your neck hurt?” Of course, all her muscles were tight. He slowly inched upward, rubbing her shoulders.
“How can I possibly tell? I’ve taken pills twice now. Before the hydrocodone, I had a killer headache. Honestly…” She looked up at him in the mirror. “Everything hurts.”
Lars had never wanted anyone not to suffer like he did at this moment. Her open, honest look struck deep. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to get to you before you fell.”
“It wasn’t your fault. But I would die—what a terrible expression.” She giggled.
No wonder she was allowing him to touch her and not firing off snarky comments at him. She was hitting the peak of her drug. Danni without hydrocodone would never admit any feelings to him.
“What I meant…” She giggled again. “I was about to say I’d kill for a massage by Luna. She’s the girlfriend of Silas, the drummer. She started as the band’s massage therapist but then hooked up first with Roland when Alex took a fall onstage. She travels with the band and provides massages for everyone. She’s really helpful for my back when it acts up.”
“Those mile-high heels—not a normal posture, even if they’re sexy as hell.”
She looked up into the mirror, and just for a moment, their eyes locked, and the heat that was always simmering between them flared. She immediately averted her gaze.
“Okay, I’m fine. You can stop the massage now. How about several washcloths? And a change of clothes? I never want to see this outfit again.”
Relieved to have a role, he focused on his job instead of getting off on touching her. His pulse was in combat zone, ready for action. He turned to the shelves behind them, filled with perfectly stacked plush towels and washcloths. He grabbed a pair of each.
“While you take care of business, I’ll check out the closets to see what I can find for you to wear. I know from experience you’re