“You must be careful,” Peter urged. “I heard them talking about plans to capture you and make you pay for your crimes.”
“Do not worry about me.”
“No. No,” Peter protested anxiously. “You must take care. You must not meet such a horrible fate.”
Janelle stepped in, chasing everyone out, insisting that Peter had to rest and shoving clean bandages into Burke’s hands. “See to Storm.”
Storm took the bandages from Burke. “I can see to my own wound.”
Burke snatched the bandages back. “Janelle ordered me to see to it and so I shall.”
Storm grinned. “Since when do you obey a woman?”
“Since the order is no chore at all.”
They were standing beneath her tree house and in an instant, Burke had her around the waist, the rope around his arm, and they were gliding up to the treetops.
She liked the feel of his embrace. He cuddled her against him, holding her firm as if he never intended to let her go. She let her defenses down for a moment to rest her face on his chest and breathe in the scent of him, loving the pungent mix of earth and pine.
His warmth and his strength both penetrated her to the bone and filled her with a sense of peace. She hadn’t felt such peace since Daniel had last held her.
Her head snapped up along with her guard, and when they entered her quarters she said, “I can tend to my wound.”
“Better that I do it,” Burke insisted, turning the chair around for her to sit after placing the bandages on the table.
She didn’t move. “The wound is healing fine.”
“Show me,” he said, gesturing her to sit.
When she hesitated he asked, “What are you afraid of, Storm?”
“Not you, Mr. Longton,” she said, stepping almost nose to nose with him.
“Then prove it. Let me help you.”
She could not take a challenge lightly or allow this man to think she was afraid of him.
“All right, Burke, tend my wound,” she said and slipped her shirt over her head to stand bare-chested in front of him.
Chapter 12
“Sit,” Burke ordered with a tap to the wooden chair. It was apparent Storm had tried to shock him. He hoped his reaction wasn’t as apparent, though it sure had surprised him how quickly he had sprung to life. The quicker he could get his eyes off her breasts the better. They were round and full and her nipples a dark, rosy color and hard, possibly as hard as he was right now.
Relief flooded him when she sat, and though her breasts were partially out of sight, they weren’t out of mind. He worked quickly at changing her bandage and was pleased to see that her wound was healing nicely.
“The stitches should come out soon, don’t you think?” she asked looking up at him.
He was forced to meet her eyes and catch a glance of her naked breasts. Damn if he didn’t ache to touch them, so round and perfect and the hard nipples so deliciously inviting. He could almost feel his tongue exploring them, his teeth nipping at them, and his mouth—
He nodded. “I’d say tomorrow or the day after.” He turned away from her. “All finished.” He wanted her to put her shirt back on. Actually, he needed her to cover up. Her breasts were just too damned tempting. All of her was just too damned tempting.
“Thank you,” she said.
He turned just as her shirt slipped over her breasts, and relief mixed with regret.
“You’re welcome. So what now?”
“What do you suggest?” she asked, tucking her shirt around her trim waist and into her trousers.
