“We need to get this out,” he stated as his large hand reached beneath hers, cupping it gently. The places that his skin touched hers were tingling with arousal.
Oh. My. God.
Jessie had thought her body’s reaction to super-sexy-guy’s voice and presence had been severe, but that was merely child’s play compared to the rush of desire that flooded through her veins at his touch. Normally, Jessie did not allow strangers to touch her. In fact, she didn’t really allow people that she knew to touch her. Even when she was seeing someone and the only time that she allowed any kind of displays of affection was on her terms, between the sheets. The only people that were exempted from her no-contact clause were her family. That was only because she didn’t have a choice, they were all huggers.
This has to stop. Jessie tried to reason with herself.
Pull your hand away now. She instructed herself forcefully.
Now! Her inner voice screamed.
Unfortunately her body was behaving like a defiant teenager and was not cooperating in the least.
Attempting to snap herself out of her lust-addled state of limbo Jessie decided that the best thing to was face this, like everything else in her life, head on. Literally. She needed to raise her head so that she would be face to face with super-sexy-man.
But…she didn’t.
Nerves bubbled up inside of her like water boiling in a pot, increasing in intensity as if someone had turned up the heat. Her heart was beating rapidly at even the thought of lifting her gaze to his. All she could see out of her peripheral vision was his large hands, black sweats, and the silver zipper that ran up his dark gray hoodie.
This was one of the oddest moments, if not the oddest moment, she’d ever experienced in her life. Her first instinct should have been to raise her head as soon as he stopped on the step above her. Her first instinct should have been to immediately pull out of his grasp the second he touched her. Her first instinct should have been to open up her mouth and speak. It was painfully obvious that her instincts had decided to take a momentary leave of absence that she was desperately hoping did not turn into a sabbatical.
“Oh wait,” super-sexy-man’s deep voice sounded again sending a chill down her spine so strong it felt like someone had dropped an ice cube down the back of her shirt. His arm brushed her shoulder as he reached behind her and instantly warmth replaced the chill. At his movement the distinct scent of man drifted up into her nostrils. It smelled earthy and raw and sent all of her feminine nerve endings to move to code-red-high-alert status. Jessie took in a deep breath and the smell washed over her like powerful aphrodisiac, she had to fight from leaning closer to be nearer to it.
Next thing she knew super-sexy-guy had a first-aid kit open and was wiping her finger down with alcohol swabs as she stood like a wax figure in her muted state of lust. He pulled out a needle and sanitized it as well before pressing the side of the cold metal against the pad of her finger with the sharp tip positioned at the slice of wood poking out of her.
“Hold still,” his gravelly voice instructed.
Done. ‘Hold still’, she could totally do. Speak, not so much. Move, mmm didn’t look real good for that happening either, but hold still she seemed to have mastered in the last few minutes.
Jessie could hear her heart pounding in her head as her eyes stayed glued to her hand. Not because she wanted to watch as he pulled out the splinter but because she still couldn’t seem to force herself to look at this creature that had managed to make her feel more in mere seconds than any other man had ever incited in her…ever.
In one try he was able to remove the offending slice of wood from beneath her skin. The moment that he did bright red blood appeared where the splinter had just been. Jessie’s head began spinning and her face felt as if it had gone numb. Blood had always had that effect on her. Since she was little the mere sight of it caused her to black out.
She watched as if she was floating outside of herself as thick fingers quickly covered the wound with a white alcohol wipe. Super-sexy-guy’s thumb covered the white square applying pressure as he held it in place firmly over the wound. For a moment she felt herself coming back, the room ceased to spin and she was fairly certain she was not going to pass out. Then bright red seeped out beneath his finger as she bled onto the surface of the wipe and the spinning was back in full force.
“You need to sit down,” the forceful words barely made it into Jessie’s clouded consciousness before she felt an arm wrap around her and guide her down to a seated position.
As her backside hit the floor she felt the solidness of the wall behind her and she closed her eyes as her head fall back to rest against it.