by Lori Foster
“Lace.” He turned to face her and his expression was grave. “What if the dog got excited around a kid? What happened to you could have been ten times worse with a small child.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Daniel looked surprised at her quick agreement. His dark brows raised a fraction, and then he nodded.
Lace pondered the problem. Something had to be done. Just the thought of that dog sinking his teeth into a child chilled her to the bone. But though the dog was a pain, always barking and obviously too undisciplined, she also knew the man was lonely, the dog his only friend. “What will happen?”
“I’m not sure. First we’ll make certain the dog has had all his shots.”
“He has. The owner hurried to assure me of that after he got the dog to turn me loose.”
Daniel winced. “Damn.” His expression was unreadable, but Lace thought she saw a bit of sympathy. Impossible.
“I can’t believe you’re not mad about this.” As Daniel spoke, he moved behind her and lifted the sheet. Lace wanted to die. She wanted to tell him to close his eyes, to wear blinders; she did not want to be vulnerable with this man. She began chattering to distract herself.
“I’m not happy to have gotten bitten, but it was an accident. The dog isn’t normally vicious, in fact, it’s still more a puppy than not. It’s just so darn big. Maybe it should go to an obedience school or something. He’s usually such a nice big ugly dog. And— Ouch!”
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t sound sorry and she gave him a suspicious frown. “That hurt.”
“You’ll be numb in a minute.” His gaze, damn him, remained glued to her backside. “So, how did you get here, by the way?”
Though she knew he asked only to distract her, she appreciated his efforts. It wasn’t like Daniel to treat her with consideration, but then she supposed this was his doctor mode and he took his work very seriously. “This nice guy who was close by gave me a ride. I couldn’t drive myself, and he had a big back seat, and vinyl upholstery in his car, so I figured I couldn’t do much damage…”
“You rode in here with a stranger?”
The nurse was all ears, so Lace couldn’t say precisely what she wished. She wanted to slap him, hard, for his damned presumptions and biased opinions of her. She did the next best thing. She grinned at him.
“Yeah. He was a real sweetheart. He offered to stay and wait for me, but I told him not to bother. He took my number so he could check on me later.”
Daniel stared at her, his expression a cross between outrage, disbelief and sheer disgust. His lips were flattened together and his dark brows lowered behind his glasses. His disappointment was plain, but resigned, as if he expected no better of her. Lace tried to laugh, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Damn him for always judging her. The man who’d given her the lift had to be around seventy and he’d had his wife of a similar age with him. She’d seen them both in the apartment complex many times, and on the trip to the hospital, they’d doted on her as if she’d been their only grandchild.
His censure hurt, and she heard herself saying, “It’s not really like you think—”
But he cut her off. “It doesn’t matter, Lace. How you live your life is of no concern to me.”
She should have known better than to try to explain to him, the discriminating prude. He didn’t want to know the truth about her. And until this moment, she hadn’t cared. She decided it was the loss of blood that had temporarily rendered her sensitive to his censure. He was only a man, like many other unenlightened men, and his opinion didn’t amount to a hill of beans.
In a sweet tone she said, “Did you expect me to limp in, Daniel, trailing blood in my wake?”
He ignored her. “When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
His lack of reaction deflated her. “I have no idea.” He took care of that in short order, only this time she didn’t even flinch. Daniel still scowled, but there was also a look of concern on his face and Lace wondered at the seldom seen view. She knew what an excellent doctor he was. Not only did Annie brag on him constantly, but Lace visited the hospital often with her—especially if she knew Annie would be seeing Daniel—and Lace had witnessed the amount of respect given him, the way patients responded to him. He was a wonderful doctor, a sinfully handsome man, and he disapproved of her mightily.
At present, he was busy studying her bottom in great detail. Her eyes nearly crossed at the discomfort of it.
“You’re a real mess, Lace. We’ll need about fifty subcuticular stitches—”
“Excuse me?” That sounded rather horrific and it unnerved her enough to counteract her embarrassment. She twisted her head around to watch him.
“Stitches in the underneath layer,” Daniel explained, his fingers lightly exploring though she couldn’t feel a thing, could only watch as his large hand coasted over her exposed flesh. “Another fifty on top. You won’t be able to sit for a while, and you should try to keep any stress off the area.”
“No deep knee bends, huh?”
Nervousness made her something of a smart-ass, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. Daniel didn’t appear to mind this time. “I’ll give you a prescription for pain and one for oral antibiotics. I’ll need to see you again in forty-eight hours to change the dressing, then after that, if all looks well, you can change the dressing yourself. The nurse will write out instructions for you to use a mixture of half-strength hydrogen peroxide. You’ll want to watch for signs of infection, increasing pain, redness, swelling. There’s going to be a lot of bruising.”
“There goes my photo shoot.”
Daniel made a sound of disgust, and Lace hid her smile. He’d started to sound too detached there for a moment, but she’d easily brought him back around.
They sat in silence for few moments, other than Daniel and the nurse murmuring to each other as he put in the stitches. Lace tried to think of other things. Unfortunately, every other thing she thought of still involved her with her pants off and Daniel looking at her.
“So if your savior left already, how do you plan to get home?”
The suddenness of his voice, the growling tone, made her jump. “I hadn’t thought about it. I was more concerned with getting here at the time. But I don’t look forward to throwing myself facedown in the back of a taxi, if that’s what you want to know! Especially given the fact you ruined my slacks.”
“If you recall, it was the dog that took a hunk out of you and your pants, not me. But I can give you some scrubs to wear home. That’s not a problem.”
He stared at Lace a moment more while she struggled to turn on her side and keep the sheet in place at the same time. He looked annoyed and angry and then he threw up his arms. “I suppose I’ll just have to drive you home.”
Lace stared, not at all amused. “You’re kidding, right?”
“My shift actually ended just as you came in. I’m ready to leave, so it won’t be any bother. And as you’ve pointed out to me many times, I drive a disgustingly sedate sedan with a big back seat.” His gaze scanned her from head to toe. “You’ll fit.”
Lace didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, Daniel was a very conscientious fellow. It could just be that he felt somehow obligated, regardless of his personal dislike of her, to see her settled safely. After all, he’d made her his patient, and she and Annie were very good friends, despite his edict to the contrary. He loved his little sister like crazy, so he wouldn’t want her upset. But somehow it felt like more than that. And under no condition did she want to be alone with Daniel when she wasn’t up to snuff. He’d make verbal mincemeat out of her, and she couldn’t accept the defeat. Right now she ached all over, and she still suffered lingering humiliation. She wasn’t in proper form to do battle with the big bad doctor.
“I could call Annie instead.”
“Annie and Max have gone Christmas shopping. The malls are having a midnight sale, and Annie will make Max use every minute till then.”
“Oh.” Max was the middle brother. A real Lothario, but also a sweetheart, when someone understood him. “I forgot.”
“Then you already knew?”
She nodded absently. “Max had invited me along.” Then she slanted Daniel a look, realizing what he would say and wanting to beat him to the punch. Usually, that was her only defense against his criticism. “Max fancies himself in lust with me, and evidently isn’t hampered by your scruples. Your younger brother isn’t one to give up easily.”
Daniel looked ready to explode. His neck turned red, his frown became fearsome, and he stalked away. He stood with his back to her for long moments. But when he faced her again, his expression was controlled. He pulled off his glasses and polished them on his sleeve. “Max has a little maturing to do yet. He’ll gain a finer sense of judgment with age, I’m sure.”
“Ouch.” She feigned a grimace. “Going for the jugular now, are you? And here I am, a lady in distress, without the means to fight you.” She batted her eyes at him, just to make certain he’d caught her double entendre.
Daniel frowned at her, then spoke to the nurse. “Fill out the dog-bite card, then get Ms. McGee some scrubs and help her into them. I’ll pull my car around to the front.”
Lace would have kicked him if she was sure she wouldn’t hurt herself. “I haven’t agreed to go with you, you know.”
He never paused on his way out the door. “I don’t recall asking you.”
She sighed. Now she was in for it. Even her taunting hadn’t turned him away, as it usually did. Why would Daniel do such a thing? It unnerved her, but then, the man himself unnerved her. Still, she liked the way he polished his glasses, the way he held his shoulders so straight. Actually, on some basic, primal level, she liked a lot of things about him.
Too bad he was such a rotten chauvinistic jerk.
*
Two
« ^ »
“Your car smells like you, Daniel. All spicy and manly and—” she drew a deep breath “—nice.”
Daniel had to use all his concentration to keep them on the road. Ever since he’d settled Lace—very gently—into his back seat, she’d been hitting him with little comments like that. They were getting tougher to ignore. His touted self-control held only by a ragged thread.
He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw her resting on her side, managing to look elegant and sexy in a pair of worn scrubs with her black cloak tossed over her like a blanket. The blue color of the scrubs seemed out of place on her. Lace wore black almost without exception. She did it for effect, he was certain, and he had to admit, she always looked striking. The contrast of her pale blond hair and bright green eyes against the black made a very enticing picture.
But then, she’d look every bit as enticing with no clothes on at all.
He chased that errant thought right out of his mind and cleared his throat with difficulty. “That’s the leather you smell. My car may be sensible, but it’s also top of the line.”
“Like you, Daniel?”
He managed a scoffing sound. Damn her, why wouldn’t she let up on him? Usually her little barbs and sexual innuendos were well timed, not issued with the rapid-fire succession of a submachine gun blast. He tried to change the subject. “How’re you feeling? You holding up okay?”
“Don’t worry about me, you’ll give me a stroke. It’s not what I’m used to from you. The shock could well kill me.”
“Lace…”
“I’m fine. Just a little drowsy.”
She sounded drowsy, sexy and slumberous, and his undisciplined mind supplied erotic images of her first waking in the morning after a long, night of lovemaking. He had to grind his teeth together. With a slightly deeper tone to his voice, he said, “I’ll have you home and settled in soon. You’re in pain and you need to rest.”
With a little sigh, she shifted and he again looked in the rearview mirror. She tried to hide her discomfort from him and that angered him. He didn’t want her to be stoic, didn’t want her consideration. He wanted to relish his dislike of her, to think only on what he knew was right and true about her.
He’d written her a prescription for pain pills, but now it struck him that she had no way to get them. He and Annie no longer discussed her, since it seemed a bone of contention, but he knew enough about her to know she was alone here in Ohio, with no family close by to lend her a hand. She couldn’t very well go after the prescription herself, and with Max and Annie unavailable, she might not have anyone she could call if she needed help. The next few days would be rough for her.
For now, at least, she needed him.
Just that quickly he decided to fetch the pills for her to make certain she was able to settle comfortably. He was off tomorrow, and he had nothing more important planned than his own gift shopping to do. With Christmas only two weeks away, he was running out of time. But he could spare a day or two for Lace. After all, his male intellect reasoned, his sister thought of Lace as family. And though they were at odds a lot more these days thanks to Lace’s interference, he cared a great deal about his sister.
Daniel pulled into the lot in front of her apartment building and turned off the car. Once before he’d been here, to pick up Annie when her car had died. Though he hadn’t gone inside, his brain had memorized everything about the location of Lace’s home. He knew which apartment was hers on the second landing, and now he realized there was a long flight of steps inside.
He looked over the seat at Lace while she shoved herself more or less upright, balancing on her uninjured hip. The effort caused her to pale and grimace in pain and he silently cursed her stubbornness even as he ordered, “Sit still, Lace. I’ll carry you up.”
He heard her strained laughter as he got out of the car, but it didn’t matter. He’d made up his mind, and he knew his duty, repugnant as it might be. He shook his head at himself. Touching Lace wouldn’t be the least bit displeasing. He didn’t like her, but he wasn’t dead, and as a man, he was more than a little aware of her allure.
When he opened her door, his intent obvious, she gave him a wary look and said, “Daniel, really, this isn’t… Don’t you dare! Put me down!”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue with him. He tightened his hold and carefully scooped her up, making certain to keep his arms high on her back and low on her thighs so he wouldn’t add to her pain. He hefted her out of the car while she made a loud and furious ruckus.
“Good grief, are you nuts?” She gasped and sputtered and tried to twist away. “What will my neighbors say?”
“I don’t give a damn what they say.” He bumped the car door shut with his hip, jarring her slightly.
Lace made a small sound, then wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, her grip almost painful. “You’re being totally ridiculous, Daniel.”
“If you’d stop clucking and carrying on, no one will even notice we’re here. Quiet down and hold still before you hurt yourself.”
They entered the building—and ran into three neighbors. Lace hid her face in his neck. Soft hair brushed his cheek and he couldn’t help but breathe in her musky feminine scent. She felt warm and sweet and … right in his arms. Her plump rounded breasts pressed into his ribs and her thighs felt womanly soft draped over his arm. Damn, but he would not allow his physical attraction to her to override his common sense.
He stared at all three people, daring any of them to ask.
One man stepped forward, twisting his hands together. “Is she all right? Lace, honey, how bad was it?”
The dog owner, Daniel decided, and his scowl deepened. The man appeared to be in his mid-forties, had at least three thick gold chains around his neck, and obviously enjoyed lifting weights. Daniel tightened his hold possessively—not that he was possessive. “She got close to a hundred stitches. The dog was reported, of course.”
Lace bit his ear. He almost dropped her he was so surprised. It wasn’t that it had hurt, because she’d only given him a small nip, but it had nearly buckled his knees. The feel of
her open mouth on his skin, the touch of her sharp little teeth, her warm breath, had felt very like a lover’s nibble, and suddenly every male hormone he possessed screamed an alert. It took every ounce of his flagging control to keep his expression impassive.
Lace leaned away from him, sending a smile to the other man. “Hello, Frank. I’m going to be fine, so you can stop worrying. And I’ve decided not to press charges this time. But I will have to insist that you check into some training for him. He can’t just go around losing control like that. And from now on, make certain he’s kept on a leash.”
Relief spread over Frank’s face, despite her stern tone. He appeared ready to fall at Lace’s feet in gratitude. “I’d already decided the very same thing, Lace, honey. And I really am sorry. I swear I won’t let him loose again, now that I know there’s a problem. I just don’t know what got into him.”
“The cat that tried to use me as a shield enticed him beyond his endurance, I’m sure.”
“I know he was after the cat, but he’s never so much as even growled at a person before.”
Lace reached out to pat his shoulder, leaving it to Daniel to balance her weight. “I’ll be fine, Frank, really. The important thing is to make certain it never happens again.”
Frank turned to the other two men, both older, but still not old. “We’ve been talking, and if there’s anything you need, just let one of us know. We’ll be glad to help you out while you recuperate.”
Daniel finally found his voice. Here was the perfect solution, a way for him to leave her, in familiar hands, so he could go home and retire after his long day. He opened his mouth and said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of her.”
Silence fell. Daniel heard the words, knew he’d said them himself, and almost shook his head to deny it anyway. He didn’t want to take care of Lace. Good grief, he didn’t even like the woman. He vigorously disliked her! He disapproved of her and her immoderate effect on him. He racked his brain for a tactful way out of the predicament he’d just put himself in when Lace leaned back to see his face.