“A lecture about how dangerous my work is,” she answered promptly. “Maybe a tactful suggestion that I go into another line.”
Wearing his most innocent expression and fully determined that she’d never know he’d briefly wished that very thing, Jeff shook his head reproachfully. “You should have known better.”
“Mmm. Well, anyway, you’ve almost made up for coming across like a dictator about the pain pills.”
He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of which, it’s time for another dose. You slept for four hours.”
“Jeff…” she wailed.
“Don’t make me spoil your decent mood by having to play the dictator again,” Jeff warned her with a smile. “That last dose will be wearing off any time now, and you’ll be in pain again. There’s no need for that.”
“I hate taking drugs,” she muttered, shifting the arm that was already beginning to throb, to her annoyance.
“This is just a mild painkiller,” he answered soothingly. “You’ll have to take them tomorrow, but after that you won’t need them. Believe me, honey, I wouldn’t insist that you take them if I thought they were bad for you. Are you hungry? Want me to warm up some soup?”
“I am hungry,” she admitted, aware of the endearment and the warm glow that accompanied it. She spoke quickly. “And I’m thirsty. But I can get it.”
“Take one step toward that kitchen and I’ll really show you macho,” Jeff told her humorously. “I’ll bring you a tray. You can talk to Babs while I’m getting it. She’s been worried about you.” He deposited the drowsy dog on the couch beside Autumn and stood. He paused in the doorway to the kitchen, looking back apologetically. “Oh, I called you honey again, didn’t I? Sorry, it just slipped out.”
Autumn flushed and looked quickly down at Babs. “That’s okay. I don’t really dislike it all that much. I was just in a bad mood earlier.”
She sensed his smile, though she could not make herself meet his eyes. “I’ll get your dinner,” Jeff said softly, wisely not commenting on her statement.
THE FIRST THING AUTUMN SAW when she woke the next morning was Jeff’s smile. Her mind still foggy with the remnants of sleep, she decided that there was nothing she’d rather see first thing in the morning, though she had no intention of telling him that. “Have you been staring at me for very long?” she asked huskily, not sounding nearly as stern as she’d intended.
Head propped on one elbow, he looked down at her, his smile widening. “Awhile. You’re beautiful when you’re asleep. Did you know that? You’re beautiful when you’re awake, too.”
She rolled her eyes and smothered a yawn. “I don’t feel beautiful. I feel like—”
“Watch your mouth,” he said quickly, teasingly. “Beautiful women shouldn’t use such language.”
“Now that’s a sexist remark.” Autumn tried to frown at him, an admittedly difficult task since he looked young and heart-stoppingly sexy with his dark hair tousled over his forehead, his eyes heavy-lidded, bare chest glistening in the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. The shadow of his morning beard did not detract from the attractive picture—just the opposite, in fact. Her heart started a crazy tap dance, accompanied by the steadily increasing rhythm of her pulse.
“Sorry. How’s your arm?” Jeff inquired solicitously.
She moved it experimentally. “Ouch.”
“Sore, huh?”
“Yeah.” She noticed that the sheet had slipped down around his hips, revealing the tops of low-slung blue briefs. She immediately forgot all about her arm.
“You should take one of your pain pills.”
Autumn wondered if she’d imagined that his voice had gotten a bit hoarse. She studied him through her lashes. He seemed to be suddenly fascinated with the front of her T-shirt. The thin white T-shirt was stretched tightly across her chest by the position in which she was lying. She inhaled, pleased to note that his eyes immediately glazed.
She hadn’t protested when he’d informed her the night before that he was going to spend the night, even though she’d known he was staying to take care of her if she needed him. Although she’d firmly believed she was capable of taking care of herself, she’d allowed him to stay quite simply because she hadn’t wanted him to go. Last night she hadn’t felt like doing anything more than sleeping in his arms. This morning she was feeling much better. She smiled slowly at him.
Jeff cleared his throat forcefully. “Stop looking at me like that, Autumn Reed.”
She reached out with her good arm and circled a tempting, flat brown nipple with the very tip of one finger. “Like what, Jeff?” she asked with not-very-deceptive innocence.
“Autumn, you’re injured, remember?”
Her finger trailed lower, following a thin line of hair to the point where it disappeared beneath the sheet. “I’m not dead, Jeff.”
He caught her hand just as it was about to burrow beneath the sheet. “You’re not making it easy for me to be noble,” he told her, and his voice was definitely hoarse.
“What makes you think I want you to be noble?” She stroked his hair-roughened leg with one bare foot.