He did his best not to react to the scent of the salve he was coating each of her scrapes and cuts with. But Chloe was right. The stuff smelled like absolute hell. Sharp and minty, with hints of…damn, he had no clue but it was bad.
“The salve came recommended. It’s from a line of the most highly regarded natural products on the market.” That’s what the saleswoman had told him as he handed over his credit card with a wince. The tiny jar of salve had cost him a ton.
And he was rubbing the greasy, smelly stuff all over Chloe’s pretty face.
At least it afforded him the chance to do right by her. Oh, and gave him the opportunity to sit close to her, his face close to hers as he carefully rubbed the salve on her wounds. Even with the cuts and bruises, she was stunningly pretty.
Long, thick eyelashes surrounded those dark brown eyes as she watched him; her nose was pert, the tip curving upward so subtly, the average person wouldn’t notice. But he did, sitting this close.
And then there was her mouth. It was the stuff of dreams. All lush and pink, a little bit pouty. Memories came to him, her intoxicating taste, the way she opened to him so easily, and he blinked. Hard.
“Something in your eye?” she asked with a frown.
Yeah, you, he wanted to tell her but he kept his mouth shut. This go-around, he brushed the cream over the long, ragged cut on her cheek. They were all uncovered—doctor’s orders that they needed to breathe—and every time he looked at her, Cam was reminded how lucky she was she hadn’t suffered worse injuries.
And yet again, reminded that the accident was his fault.
“Thank you,” she murmured when he put the lid back on the salve and set it on the coffee table beside him where he sat perched on t
he edge. She sat primly in the overstuffed chair across from him, her hands in her lap, her posture perfectly straight. She’d changed out of the clothes she’d worn earlier. She was now clad in a bright blue, oversized T-shirt: the neckline was so big it slid off her shoulder, revealing the red, lacy strap of her bra.
That bra strap was driving him to distraction. Wondered more than once if she wore it on purpose.
Not to mention those little khaki shorts. They revealed plenty of long, sleek thighs, those bare legs bumping into his every time he leaned in and tended her wounds. She was bruised there, too, with nicks and cuts on her knees and calves. He wondered if she was bruised and battered all over.
He wondered yet again what she looked like naked…
“You’re welcome,” he said. They still sat incredibly close to each other and he breathed her in, absorbing her delectable scent. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy knot on top of her head, which he thought was a damn shame, considering how much he liked it down. Her elegant neck was exposed, though, and he wanted to lean over and press his mouth to that delicate spot where her neck met her shoulder.
“Now that you’ve fed me and taken care of my battle scars, what’s next on your agenda?” She sounded so hopeful, the look on her face so open, so engaging, he could forget all about his wanting to push her away. All that macho crap that he wasn’t good enough for her, could never be good enough for her.
It’s only temporary, man. You need to do right by her, make sure she heals, then you’ll bail. But if in the meanwhile, you show her a good time, she probably won’t mind. Hell, you want to show her a good time. Don’t deny it.
Cam frowned. That rotten voice inside his head pissed him off sometimes.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, breaking through his thoughts. “You’re frowning.”
She was perceptive. Of course, when they were sitting so close, it was easy to decipher his moods. “If you weren’t injured, I could take you out somewhere.”
Her brows rose. “You’d let yourself be seen in Lone Pine Lake with me on your arm?”
Well, he would…
He shot her a look, causing her to lean over and sock him lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, it might be fun, having an illicit affair with Cameron McKenzie,” she explained.
“Are you suggesting a secret, illicit affair between us?” Hell, he didn’t know what else to call it, let alone how to define it. And it might not be a bad idea that whatever was happening between them stayed on the down low. Might keep some of the nosier citizens of Lone Pine Lake out of their business.
Chloe shrugged, the movement sending her shirt falling lower, revealing more of her slender arm, offering him a glimpse of her lacy bra. He literally broke out into a sweat. And she was so damn casual talking about this, which tripped him out. “Listen, I know you’re not going to stick around here for long,” she said. “And I know you’re afraid I’m looking for something serious, which couldn’t be further from the truth.” She bent her head, kept her gaze on her lap. “I sort of remembered what I said to you at The Tree that night.”
Fear seized his heart in its tight grip. Swallowing hard, he asked, “What did you remember?”
“I was…pushy.”
In a cute way, he thought. In a sexy, irresistible way. “You weren’t that bad.”
She lifted her head, her gaze meeting his. “I propositioned you.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I’ve never propositioned anyone in my life.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” he drawled.