It was a good thing they'd made it back to the house.
She needed to cool him off. High fevers could be dangerous.
He really needed a doctor, even if he didn't want to go to town to see one.
First, though, she needed to get out from under him.
She got one hand between them and pushed at his chest. He was so heavy that she barely moved him.
So she wiggled until she was able to get one foot to touch the floor. She used the leverage of her body and the last of the strength in her arms to roll him over.
She was sweating, breathing hard from the exertion.
He lay there, lashes dark against the too-pale skin of his face. Handsome, even if now wasn't the time to be noticing.
She went to the kitchen and got Tylenol and a glass of water. She left them on the end table, ready for the moment he woke.
Then she went to the upstairs bathroom and wet a washrag with cool water. Back in the living room, she knelt at his side and laid the washcloth over his forehead.
He moaned slightly, turning his face into her hand when her fingers brushed his cheek.
Her stomach dipped as if she'd topped the first hill on a rollercoaster.Take care of him, West had said.
The skin of Cord’s jaw was rough with stubble.
He didn't wake. Which gave her the chance to really look at him.
Out cold like this, the worry lines around his eyes had eased. His jaw was slack, making it look like he was ready to smile at any time—though when he was awake, his smiles were hard-won.
He was mega-hot. More handsome than her favorite movie star. She'd noticed it the first day but had tried to ignore it. She wasn't looking for a fling. Or a relationship, for that matter.
After Toby, she hadn't wanted anyone close. Hadn't wanted to be vulnerable.
Cord had worked to make her feel safe from the very first day. Not wanting her to sleep in her truck. Telling her they weren't compatible when they both felt the spark.
But... there was something about him that drew her.
She liked him, gruff demeanor and all.
Hound Dog padded into the room and rested his chin on Molly's knee. She let her hand slip into the fur at his neck.
"We've got our work cut out for us," she said to the dog.
