She opened her eyes but couldn’t answer. He was so close, so intently focused on her, seeming to study her every feature. Spellbinding her in the process.
‘What day of the week is it?’
‘Friday,’ she breathed.
Surely he wasn’t really thinking of kissing her. Surely it was pure wishful thinking on her part. But she reacted anyway. Her breathing shortened, her body heated, her mouth tingled. She dropped her gaze to his lips.
‘Right.’ Those lips curved. ‘But you can’t remember your name. Definitely took a knock to the head.’
‘It’s Phoebe. My name is Phoebe,’ she muttered.
‘Welcome back Phoebe’s memory. My name is Edo.’ His smile deepened and it shot right into her. He stilled, his eyes widening.
‘Everything okay?’ she asked shakily after a heart-stalled moment.
‘Perfect.’ He nodded. ‘Just flawless.’
He dropped his gaze and crouched down to slide her sandal off, now taking the time to probe her ankle. His handling was desperately gentle yet she tensed.
He immediately paused. ‘It hurts?’
Mute, she shook her head.
‘Liar,’ he said softly, then moved his fingers even more gently across her bruised skin.
This was not an intimate act. This was him being all wannabe paramedic and her body didn’t need to act as if this was foreplay. Except that’s exactly what was happening—her blood simmered and secret parts of her responded in a deeply physical way.
‘Where’s the professional you promised?’ She tried to haul herself back together. ‘Or are you telling me you’re a doctor?’
‘Not a doctor, sorry to disappoint.’ His upward glance held devilish amusement. ‘But I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a—’
‘What?’ She fired up, trying not to laugh. ‘I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but I’m not an animal.’ She pulled her ankle from his hold and waggled it carefully. ‘I’m the health and safety officer at my work—’
‘Are you now,’ he muttered with a soft smile.
‘With a current first aid certificate,’ she nodded, fully ignoring his amusement. ‘Which makes me more qualified than you. This is merely a sprain. Some ice, elevation and rest will sort it. I’ve got paracetamol in my bag—’
‘Can you wriggle your toes?’ He took hold of her again and with careful intensity rotated her foot from side to side then looked back up to her with a now limpid expression. ‘It’s just a sprain.’
‘Like I said,’ she drawled. ‘Twenty minutes ago.’
‘Some ice, elevation and rest will sort it,’ he added, the corner of his mouth quirking.
Okay, she couldn’tnotlaugh.
He inhaled a deep breath and suddenly stood. ‘I’m going for the ice, you can freshen up in here. Help yourself to anything you need.’
His quick departure stunned her. She blinked then took several seconds to stare about the place. The ‘pool house’ was fancier than any home she’d entered—all cool marble, floor-to-ceiling glass, stylish furniture. She couldn’t work out if the interior was more stunning than the view of the large pool, spa or the verdant vineyard beyond.
Then she caught her reflection in one of the mirrors and reality hit.Flawless?She was a mess. Her dress was dusty, so was her face, her hair was mussed and her pupils were abnormally large. She hobbled through the room and found a gleaming bathroom. She sponged her face and her dress, super-glad she had her bag. She dug out the small comb and lip balm she kept in the front pocket and did what she could, then went back to the lounge area just as Edo appeared in the open doorway.
He must have taken a very quick shower because his short hair was still damp. He was clothed now—the tee-shirt and low-slung jeans emphasised his tan and fitted the frame she knew very well was ripped. She grasped the back of the chair, her body weakening again because even fully dressed he was still the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
He leaned against the door jamb and smiled, as if he could read her mind. ‘Thirsty?’
‘I can walk,’ she croaked.
‘Why should you have to when you have me to carry you?’
