The Taming of Xander Sterne(19)

                No doubt Xander had been using his gym here in the apartment these past few weeks in order to maintain that upper-body physique.

                As for his lower body...

                No doubt he usually maintained that by carousing all evening and having sex all night! Although he certainly wouldn’t have been able to indulge in the sex part of that since his accident.

                At least, Sam presumed that he hadn’t?

                Which reminded her that she had one rule of her own, regarding his own behaviour, while she and Daisy were staying here, that she still needed to discuss with him.

                ‘Samantha?’

                Sam gave a sharp intake of breath, having been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed that Xander had entered the bathroom behind her.

                She was so startled by his presence she spun quickly round to face him, not having realised he was standing quite so close to her, and succeeded in doing exactly as Daisy had earlier, accidentally knocking his elbow with the hand she had raised defensively.

                Unfortunately, with the same result!

                ‘Not again,’ Xander had time to mutter disbelievingly as he felt himself falling sideways towards the hard marble floor of the bathroom.

                Oh, yes, a concussion was definitely just what he needed to finish off this already disastrous day.

                Except it didn’t happen.

                Somehow—and Xander had no idea how she managed it—Samantha moved quickly enough to lodge her shoulder underneath his armpit. At least arresting his fall, even if they did both still stagger as his weight once again proved too much for her, before they were able to drop down onto the marble ledge running along the length of the bathroom wall opposite the shower.

                ‘You know,’ Xander snapped as he righted himself on the marble seat, ‘I’m not sure if you and Daisy aren’t determined to break my other leg—or worse!’

                It certainly must look as if they were, Sam acknowledged with a guilty wince, shifting uncomfortably as she realised she was still tucked cosily beneath Xander’s arm. Her hand, having fallen onto the firmness of his abdomen, was lying dangerously close to the top of the towel, her cheek resting against the warmth of his bared chest.

                A chest that felt wonderfully solid, his skin smelling of the cologne he must have put on that morning, and a heat that spoke purely of earthy male.

                It was a delicious and arousing combination.

                And Sam didn’t want to be aroused by this man any more than she already was. Wouldn’t allow herself to be attracted to another man who believed his wealth and power gave him the right to ride roughshod over everyone else.

                She jerked into a sitting position before scrambling inelegantly to her feet and moving sharply away from him. ‘You startled me, creeping up on me like that!’

                He eyed her exasperatedly. ‘I should have guessed it was somehow going to be my fault. I’ll try announcing my presence next time, shall I?’

                ‘That might be best,’ Sam replied tersely.

                It was totally unfair that he looked so blatantly male; his overlong blond hair was tousled, and the towel, having slipped slightly during the fall, shockingly revealing more of the lean length of his thighs. Or that he so obviously felt absolutely no awkwardness at being almost naked in her presence.