He smiled apologetically. Still, she kept him at arm’s length.
“I didnae mean to.”
He could not fault her apprehension when his shoulders had begun shaking with laughter. She slammed another indignant fist over his heart. This time, he doubled over, clinging to his shoulder as he howled in pain.
“Me love,” she cried, rushing to him. “Pardon me, I forgot about yer wound. Does it hurt so much?”
Darragh enjoyed the way she wrapped her slender arms around him and led him to the cot reserved for her patients. Until his head touched the downy pillow, he did not relent.
“I havenae checked on ye all morning.”
“I have also been remiss.” He held on to her forearm like a man on his deathbed about to proclaim his valedictions.
Such theatrics seemed to tug on her heartstrings. She cuddled him as one would a wounded kitten.
“Ye are me patient?—”
“And ye are me lover.”
Darragh knew he had won with that. She gave him space to rise, then he took her hands and pulled her between his legs. He wanted to kiss her, but her gaze was fixed on her shoes, her cheeks flushed.
“What have ye been up to?”
“The vet gave me a list of medicines to make for the horses.”
“Then I have to thank ye for takin’ care of me assets.”
Perfect, she was looking at him now.
“How do ye intend to do that?”
“Like this.” He pressed a peck to her lips. “And maybe like this.” Then another, before he deepened the kiss.
She sighed into his mouth and let her weight rest against him. He released her hands and cupped her face, kissing her harder.
Emboldened, her fingers snaked up his back and settled on the nape of his neck, before raking through his hair. Her grip was tight, keeping his mouth on hers. A bolt of pleasure shot down his spine.
She stroked his neck, and a thrill of pleasure rushed through him. She shouldn’t be so good at this. She shouldn’t bedominating his senses. His body responded hard, his cock jerking to life.
She loosened her grip on his hair and traced his forearm until her fingers fell into the gaps between his, then she was intertwining their hands while he held her face.
Now, if the hand on his back inched down just a little, then a little more, then a little more?—
She pulled away from him and stared down at his hands.
Right, he should have wrapped them in bandages. The skin was pinched, but was healing nicely. Two days from now, it would look as though he had never been burned.
“Where is the gauze I put on yer hands?”
Her glare was the most arousing part of the afternoon. He liked it when she used that authoritative voice with him. His senses were still addled by that searing kiss, so it took him a moment to clear his mind and steady his breathing.
“I took them off.”
“On whose orders?”
“I couldnae enjoy me bath.”
“If ye were havin’ trouble with washin’ yerself, ye should have asked me for assistance.”
