It hadn’t been him. That’s all Lizzy could think. It hadn’t been him. “You’re not okay.” Her heart took a hard hit at the gash on his forehead. She slipped her arms around him to hold him upright, even though he was as steady as a rock. It was her legs shaking like a bowl of Jell-O. “Come on, come here.”
They waded through the water to the far side of the street. On the corner was a park. Or had been. With the rain battering the virtual sea around them, they headed straight to what looked like a wooden lean-to.
It was really a playground set, half-covered by water. They sat on what turned out to be the middle level of the jungle gym, using it as a shelter to get out of the driving rain for a minute.
Lizzy looked around the three-foot-by-three-foot area. She’d give her last penny for a space heater and dry clothes.
“You must be cooked,” Jason said. “No sleep last night, literally running in this storm all day…”
“I’m okay.” She slipped her backpack off and opened it, pulling out her first-aid kit.
“I’m fine, Lizzy.”
“I know it.” She lifted the gauze she’d opened and scooted closer. He was sitting, leaning against the back wall, one leg straight out in front of him, the other bent, his elbow propped on it, hand holding his head, eyes closed.
“Let me see,” she said.
He dropped his hand and set his head back. She kneeled at his side and pressed the gauze to his cut, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
He sucked in a breath but said nothing.
“I don’t think you need stitches,” she murmured.
“No, I don’t.”
She looked at his face. His eyes were still closed and he looked pale to her. A muscle in his jaw ticked, and her heart sank. He was in great pain. “Open your eyes.”
He did, flashing the gray depths at her.
“Not concussed, I don’t think,” she decided, relieved to find his pupils normal and reactive. “But we should get an X-ray just in case.”
“Your nurse is showing.”
It wasn’t pain getting to him, she realized. He was pissed, and she stared at him as it sank in. “You’re upset that you got taken down by that boat.”
“Hell, yeah. They were older than dirt and couldn’t get out of their own way.”
She let out a low laugh. “Big enough ego?”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Ego?”
“Yes. You’re being such a…guy.”
“News flash. I am a guy.”
“Uh-huh. Look, I’m sure you’ve taken a hell of a lot worse hits than this. I’m figuring if you’re okay enough to be insulted, then you’re okay enough to continue. So if you’re done sulking, we should go.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “Your bedside manner could use a little work.”
“Oh, sorry.” She let her smile slip out. “Would you like to be fawned over?”
“No. Hell, no.” But he paused, and then looked at her curiously. “What would the fawning consist of?”
“Funny. Let’s go, big guy. Oh, and it’s two-one now.”
“What?”
“Before we crossed the new river running down Third, we were even, one-one. I saved you, you saved me. But now we’re two-one, big guy. You owe me.”
He narrowed his eyes, then hissed out a breath at the movement.
“Careful. You’re still bleeding.”
“Yeah, and how exactly did you save me this second time?”
“It’s all in the gauze work.” She cupped the back of his head and pressed on the gauze with her other hand. “Are you going to go all alpha on me and get upset that I’m winning?”
“I didn’t realize we were keeping score.” He turned his head a fraction and she watched his eyes go from alert and sharp to…heated?
She looked down and realized their positions—him sitting, her kneeling—left him at eye level with, not to mention less than an inch from, her breasts.
He licked his lower lip.
And just like that, her nipples hardened.
Not that he could see her reaction. She wore his thick sweatshirt and a rain poncho, and was soaked to the skin, but it didn’t seem to matter.
Her breathing changed.
And so did his.
Trying to act normal when her body was so hyper aware of his that it was quivering, she pulled the gauze away from his cut, bent over the first-aid kit and located Steri-Strips, which she put on the gash. She worked in silence, and he didn’t say a word until she’d finished and sat back on her heels to regard him.
He looked right back at her, then skimmed his hands up to her arms and tugged, and with a little gasp, she ended up in his lap. “Yeah, you’re winning,” he murmured silkily. “More than you bargained for.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. He slid one arm around her waist; the other skimmed up her spine to the back of her head, cupping it, bringing her mouth to within a beat of his.