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“I was kidding.” He didn’t sound amused. His dark eyes looked annoyed. “Like old times.”
She raised her chin, but that didn’t make up the difference in height. The top of her head came to his nose. She reminded herself that in every other way they were equals. And an underground city of elves lived inside Mount Shasta, too. “The old times weren’t that great.”
He flinched. “They weren’t that bad.”
She shrugged, hoping the gesture hid the hurt she was feeling. “I’m used to taking care of myself. I can do this.”
But if she didn’t get moving she would be flat on her butt in about ten seconds.
“Tomorrow—” he scooped her into his arms “—not tonight. Time to get you into your jammies and into bed.”
Cradled against his strong, wide chest, she struggled to breathe. Her muscles tensed. Her senses reeled.
What was happening to her?
Sarah wanted to be strong, but she also wanted to collapse against him and forget everything in the past and what would happen in the future. But she couldn’t. Not when the feel of his heartbeat sent hers into a frenetic rhythm. Or when the musky scent of him made her want to take another sniff.
“You don’t have to do this.” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “I’m okay.”
Or would be once she was out of his arms and into bed.
Alone.
With the door locked.
Sarah’s gaze locked on his lips. Heat exploded inside her. She looked away.
“You’re not okay.” He carried her down the hallway. “It doesn’t take a medical degree to see you’re exhausted.”
She opened her mouth to deny it, but couldn’t. “I’ll feel better in the morning.”
“I’d rather you feel better now.”
Maybe if she had a good cry or if he kissed her…
He kicked open the bathroom door with his foot and flipped on the light with his elbow. He set her on her feet in the bathroom, keeping his hands on her. “Let’s get you ready for bed.”
Her heart beat a rapid tattoo. She leaned against the sink counter for support. “My toiletry kit is in my suitcase.”
A coworker had packed a bag for Sarah and driven it to the hospital yesterday.
Cullen opened a drawer and pulled out a new toothbrush. He unwrapped the plastic covering. “Use this.”
“You have spare toothbrushes?”
“People sack out here if they don’t want to drive home.”
People? Or women? Sarah didn’t want to know.
He squirted toothpaste on it. “Here you go.”
She took the toothbrush. One minute he seemed upset at her, the next he was concerned. The flip-flopping made her dizzy. Or maybe it was the pain medication. That could explain her crying.
“I’ll brush your teeth for you,” he said.
She shoved the toothbrush into her mouth. “Got it.”
“Be right back.”
Sarah took advantage of the moment of privacy. Then after brushing her teeth, she washed her face and combed the tangles out of her hair. The effort wiped her out. She released a frustrated breath.
Cullen stood in the doorway. “Finished?”
Sarah nodded. He followed her to the guest room.
A queen-size bed with a headboard made of twigs dominated the room. He’d straightened the bedding and pulled back the covers for her, something he’d done for her when he worked graveyard shifts. Her chest tightened with memories and regrets.
A full glass of water sat on the knotty-pine nightstand. A cookie lay on a paper towel. Tears returned to her eyes. “I don’t deserve—”
He placed his finger at her lips. “Shhh.”
The slight touch sent chills down her spine. She couldn’t have said anything if she’d wanted to.
Cullen tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t take good care of you earlier.”
Her heart stilled. She knew he meant today, but a part of her wished he’d meant during their marriage.
“I’m making up for this afternoon,” he continued.
Sarah released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her disappointment was a not-so-subtle reminder of how stupid she became around Cullen. “You’re not my manservant.”
Mischief did the tango in his eyes. “I could be if that’s what you want.”
She wanted…him.
No, that was the pain medication talking. More tears filled her eyes. She wiped her face with the back of her hand.
He embraced her. “It’s going to be okay.”
Not with her breasts pressed against his broad, muscular chest and her heart thudding in her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m all loopy.”
“You’re cute when you’re all loopy.”
He pulled her closer and she sank against him, too tired to keep fighting herself. He felt so good. Warm. And strong. “You’re cute when I’m all loopy.”
Cullen laughed. The deep sound was the best medicine of all. “Where are your pajamas?”
“In my suitcase.”
“Sit.”
She sat on the bed while he opened her suitcase.
He removed a floral-print nightshirt. “This work?”
“Yes.”
Cullen placed the nightie on the bed. He pulled on her bra band through her T-shirt. The strap unhooked.
Heat rushed up her neck. “You’ve, um, always been good at that.”
“A little rusty, but it’s like riding a bike.”
Her pulse quickened. “I haven’t ridden in a while.”
Too long. She missed it. Missed him. No, she missed the idea of him, of what they could have had together if fairy tales existed. This—what was happening right now—wasn’t real.
He brushed his hand over her hair. “You can always hop back on.”
Sarah’s mouth went dry. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“Let’s get your shirt off you.”
Let’s not. She crossed her arm and her cast in front of her chest. “I want to see if I can do it.”
“Sure.”
She waited for him to turn around. He didn’t. Frustration grew. “Maybe you could face the other way.”
He turned to the wall.
Self-preservation helped her undress and put on the nightshirt. Thank goodness she’d taken the pain pills, or she’d be really hurting. “You can turn around.”
“I’m impressed.”
She was about to fall asleep. “Thanks.”
“Time for bed.”
Before Sarah could blink, she was horizontal with her head against the pillow. She had no idea how he’d managed to get her in this position so effortlessly, but she was beyond the point of caring.
Cullen arranged the sheet and comforter over her.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said quietly.
He brushed his lips across her forehead with a kiss as light as a feather. “It’s been a long day, an even longer week. The least I can do is tuck you in.”
Emotion overflowed from her heart. She felt so special.
“Sweet dreams, Lavagirl,” he said.
Who needed dreams? Reality was pretty sweet right now. Sarah wanted him to stay, to hold her, until she fell asleep.
“Thank you, Dr. Gray.” She felt dreamy and a tad wistful. “For everything.”
“I’m right across the hall if you need anything.”
He turned off the light, walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
And then it hit her.
She and Cullen had never spent a night in the same place without sleeping in the same bed. Not until tonight. Her heart panged.
A door closed out in the hallway. She heard water. The shower.
Well, there was always a first time. Sarah touched the empty space next to her. But she had to admit she’d rather there wasn’t.
Even if she knew better.
CHAPTER SIX (#u23a456c9-8bc2-5521-9534-a49e67643ba3)
SOMEONE COUGHED. CULLEN bolted upright from a dead sleep. He blinked, not quite sure what was going on. Rays of sunlight peeked into the room around the edges of the window blinds. The digital clock on his nightstand read 6:45 a.m. Another cough.
Sarah.
Pulse pounding, he jumped out of bed, ran to her room and flung open the door. She lay in bed. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her face, what he could see through her hair, was pale. “Sarah?”
“I coughed.” Her voice sounded hoarse. “It hurt.”
“I’m sure it did.” He sat next to her. “Let me check your incision.”
Her eyes widened with a hint of panic. “It was the cough.”
He brushed the hair away from her face. His fingers touched her cheek. She didn’t feel warm. “I want to make sure.”
She pulled the blanket to her neck. “You don’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.” He understood Sarah’s leeriness. In spite of being a little out of it last night, she must have realized he’d been turned on. Even after a cold shower, he’d wanted to sleep in here, to hold her, to breathe in her scent. Loneliness did strange things to a man. “If you were in a SNF, someone would check you.”
“Yes, but not…”
“Me.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
Her fingers rubbed the edge of the blanket. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s the situation. I’m not sure how to feel around you. Parts of last night were nice, then awkward, then nice again. So nice I hated sleeping alone.”
