She pressed it to his chest.“Breathe.”
He sucked in a breath, and she moved the metal around.She motioned for him to sit forward.“Again.”
He obeyed but couldn’t help gasping with annoyance as she set the cold object on his back.She patted his shoulder, and he relaxed back into the chair.
“I was an RN before I moved here.”
Interest sparked through his fuzzy brain.Huh.Admittedly, he didn’t know much about McKenna or her past other than that she practiced acupuncture and made tinctures and salves and some kind of supposed immune-boosting concoctions.As a city boy, it was hard not to be skeptical of that stuff, but if she made a living off it, all the power to her.
“Your lungs sound clear, so I’m not too worried.If you’re not feeling better by the time the roads clear you should check in with Dr.Lots.”
He brought his hand to his breastbone, but rubbing it did nothing to soothe the ache.“I’ll be fine.”
She tucked in a corner of her mouth.“Let’s clean up that wound.”
One glance at a metal box on the coffee table brought new sweat to the back of his neck.Hell, he wasn’t a wuss, but every muscle in his body ached.His head throbbed, the room swayed as though he were on a damn boat, and the gash burned like a motherfucker.
Her light giggle made irritation creep up his throat.“What?”
“Nothing.You just look super angry.”She shrugged as if his misery were completely ridiculous.
“Sorry,” he said wryly.“I feel like death and I’m not looking forward to whatever medicine is going to sting the shit out of the cut.”
She moved closer and motioned him to turn.
He obliged.
“For the record, it won’t hurt.And if you’re a good boy, I’ll make you a cup of tea after.”
He scoffed.“Tea.That’s exactly what I need.”His tone had more bite than he’d intended.“Sorry, that’d be nice,” he grumbled.
She rubbed his bare shoulder.“It’s fine.I’m sorry I don’t have alcohol.I’m sure that would beat the hell out of tea.”She reached for an amber glass bottle.“It’s colloidal silver.It won’t sting, I promise.”
He gave one nod.“What’s it look like?”
“The wound?Kind of ugly, but not as bad as I thought.”She ran her fingertip along the skin above the gash.The motion should have made him cringe, but instead lust, combined with his climbing fever, sent a wave of heat through him.“Looks like two claws got you, but thankfully not too deep.Head wounds always bleed easy, though, so the mess is a little misleading.”She opened the bottle.Cool liquid washed over his neck, and she dabbed his collarbone to mop up the constant flow.
He kept his focus on her supple thigh, which was draped in pink leggings.A gray sweatshirt slipped off the edge of her shoulder, revealing pale, satiny skin.Desire hardened his dick despite his physical state.The scent of lavender floated to his nose, and he inhaled a deep breath.God, she was calming.Something about her settled the anxiety and fear that had chased him through the woods.
“How’s that feel?”She leaned closer to his face, forcing his attention to her eyes.Worry etched her irises.Her firm but gentle hand on his shoulder kept him from moving where he wanted to—closer.
He cleared his throat.“Didn’t sting at all.”
She lifted her shoulders.“Told you.It’s my secret weapon.”Her gaze flitted toward her kitchen.“Among other things.”
He studied the dark tendrils of her wavy hair.Some kind of leather material was wrapped around a chunk of it.She sealed the bottle of silver and her bracelets jangled with the motion.Beads in teal, pink, and black took up half her forearm.Around her neck were two silver chains; one held a large black stone and the other a crystal pendant that lay between her breasts.
Sexy.Exotic.Everything he didn’t need to get in his head right now.Maybe when he wasn’t too consumed over his brother he could entertain the idea of being with McKenna.
“Thanks.”
She pulled out a large bandage and adjusted it over his cuts.Her long hair dangled over his bare forearm.Every atom in his body told him to lift his hand and catch the strands in his fist.
McKenna was right.He was running a fever.Yeah, he’d always found her attractive.And cute, the way she fluttered around town, her shopping baskets always filled with herbs and weird oils.But what fascinated him the most was what everyone said about her.How Dr.Lots referred some of his patients to her for acupuncture.How Candy, part owner of her father’s hardware store, sang McKenna’s praises because she’d helped her get pregnant after eight years of infertility.The stories baffled and intrigued him.
“I didn’t know you were a nurse.”
She pressed the bandage to his skin, and he jerked his shoulder.
