My eyes grow wide. “Maybe.”
“Look, Daisy, I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but …” He pauses and exhales before he goes on. “It’s not like I don’t think of you as attractive or sexy because youaren’tthose things … I just can’t allow myself to think about you in that way at all, you know?”
“Right,” I say, forcing a smile even though it feels like he’s getting ready to push that knife back into place. “Because I’m Rowan’s baby sister.”
“Yes. And because I can’t trust myself around you,” he blurts out, his expression pained. And my breath hitches in my throat.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to trust yourself around me?” I venture after a second, my heart racing now.
He licks his lips. “Because I don’t have a lot of will power, especially once I get fixated on some impulsive idea. And besides that, you and I don’t even want the same things. I can’t allow anything to happen between us because any way you spin it, I’d be taking advantage of you.”
I’m sure he’s right. The responsible part of my brain agrees wholeheartedly.
But every other part of me just wants to pull back the sheets and slide into bed next to him, then cling to him long enough to make him believe he’s worth my love and attention.
“Landry,” I begin, my voice thick, “it’s not just that.”
“It’s not?”
“I mean, yes, it does hurt my pride to hear you can’t even be enticed to see me as more than your friend, particularly when you throw in the fact that you were my brother’s friend first. And you know how much I hate being treated like a child and being told what’s best for me.” He frowns, but I go on. “But what upsets me the most is the way you refuse to seeyourselfas more than my friend. You like to make excuses for me because you don’t think I could be attracted to you as you are. It’s gotta be my lack of options, right? Or you think my only motivation for wanting a physical relationship with you is to settle a debt. I mean, a man like you, one who’s selfless and caring and loyal, he couldn’t possibly be good enough for a girl like me—an overly sheltered virgin with a health problem. She must think she owes him something. No way anyone could stand him long enough to marry him and have his kids, even if she were as desperate as I am, right?”
He swallows and closes his eyes to wince. “I’m sorry, Daisy,” he whispers. “That’s not what I think of you at all. I’m just trying to protect you.”
I sniffle and wipe my nose on my sleeve, noticing a burning in the back of my throat for the first time. “But who’s taking care of you?”
He opens his eyes and studies me carefully, then he reaches up to brush his hand over my forehead. “Oh, shit. You’re hot.”
“What?” I blink.
He sighs and shakes his head. “You’re burning up. Does your head hurt yet?”
“I’m fine. If anything, I’m … cold.”
He glares at me expectantly. “You have fever chills. That’s not just the afterglow from getting to stab a needle in my bare ass.”
An unexpected laugh bubbles out of me. “Well, we both know it doesn’t take much to excite me.”
He presses his lips together, looking more concerned than entertained. “Open up and sayah.”
I pout for a second before I stick out my tongue, and he grunts.
“Come on,” he says, scooting over and inviting me into the bed alongside him. I follow his lead tentatively, but he gets up as soon as I move to lie down.
“Where are you going?”
“To get your injection ready,” he replies matter-of-factly.
“Injection?” I sit up quickly.
“Good thing we brought the rest of that vial of penicillin home. You’re not allergic, are you?”
“No.” I bite my lip, watching him as he walks across the room and confidently draws the medicine into a fresh syringe like the hot doctor he is.
Stupid, sexy, capable Dr. McDreamy.
He returns a second later, flicking the side of the syringe. “Ready?”
“Sure,” I say with a shrug before moving to stand at the edge of the bed. Then I bend at the waist and begin gathering my skirt in my hands.
