“An old crate fell on her arm,” Danny said, carrying Jodi inside.
“Is it broken?”
He shook his head as he carefully placed Jodi on his bed. He pulled her shoes off and double-checked her bandage before he pulled the quilt his great-grandmother made for him over her.
“So, this is her, huh?” Devin asked, reaching over to push a strand of Jodi’s dust-coated hair out of her face only to draw his hand back with a darkly muttered oath when Danny slapped his hand away.
“Don’t touch her,” Danny simply said as he reached down and moved the strand of her beautiful hair aside.
“I thought she hated you,” Devin said with a frown, tilting his head to the side as he studied Jodi.
“That’s the only way she knows how to express her overwhelming desire for me,” Danny said, moving to stand up, but he thought better of it when he caught the appreciative look in his cousin’s eyes as he looked Jodi over. He leaned back down and kissed Jodi’s soft, unresponsive lips to make sure that his cousin got the message.
She was his.
“It’s nice to see you taking an interest in life again,” Devin said with an approving smile. “You were beginning to worry us.”
“Nothing to worry about,” he said, grabbing a pair of clean boxers from his bureau, hoping that his cousin took the hint and got the hell out of his apartment without telling him just how worried everyone was about him.
“Are you sure?”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Danny said evenly, gesturing towards the door with his boxers.
“No,” Devin murmured, frowning down at Jodi, “I suppose there isn’t.”
“Try to keep the noise down,” Danny threw over his shoulder as he headed for the bathroom.
“I’ll do my best,” Devin said as he sauntered out of the room.
Danny threw one last look over his shoulder, making sure that his houseguest for the night was still sound asleep in his bed. When she didn’t stir, he decided that it was safe to leave the room, but only after he locked his bedroom door to keep her from making an escape. Once he was positive that she wouldn’t be able to unlock the door in her drugged-out state, Danny walked into the bathroom, stripped out of his clothes, and stepped into the tub, turning the shower on full blast.
He pressed his hands against the tiled wall and dropped his head forward, letting the water stream down his back, wondering what level of hell his little Tinkerbelle was going to put him through tonight.
An irritated sigh came behind him, making him chuckle just as a pair of small hands grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. Well, she tried to pull him back, but she was a tiny little thing. Still chuckling, Danny stepped out of the way so she could stand in front of the hot water.
“What are you going to put me through tonight, Tinkerbelle, hmmm?” Danny murmured as he watched Tinkerbelle tilt her head back and enjoy the hot water as it washed away the soot and dust covering her from head to toe.
He picked up the bar of soap and lathered his hands as he mentally prepared himself for the night of hell to come.
Ten minutes later…
“I don’t think I’d be able to fit that thing in my mouth,” Jodi said conversationally, pursing her lips up thoughtfully as her focus shifted between his legs.
“Tinkerbelle,” Danny said, sighing heavily as he rubbed his hands roughly down his face, wondering why he hadn’t begged the doctor to sedate her.
“Wow, it’s getting bigger…”
“Of course, it is,” Danny muttered in disgust as he dropped his hands by his sides and looked down at the woman who was driving him out of his mind, and the funny thing was…
He was surprisingly okay with it.
That didn’t mean that he was going to willingly put himself through this kind of hell. Sighing, Danny reached up and cupped her beautiful face in his hands as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “We’re going to get dressed now, crawl back into bed, and watch a movie,” he whispered against her lips.
“But I’m not tired,” Jodi mumbled pathetically, making him smile.
“I know, but I am,” he lied, hoping that she’d just take pity on him.
She sighed heavily as she stepped away from him. “Fine,” Jodi grumbled as she turned around and stormed off, leaving him to follow after her. Knowing just how quickly medicated Tinkerbelle could find trouble, he moved his ass.
