So lost in my thoughts, I’m unprepared when the door opens and a waft of spicy, scented steam billows out of the bathroom. Flynn steps out and my tongue practically sticks to the top of my mouth. He wears only a blue towel wrapped around his waist, with another smaller one hanging around his neck. I can’t help it when my eyes flick across his chest, taking in the beads of water still clinging there before I meet his eyes.

“You shaved,” I say with surprise.

For the past three days, Flynn has let his beard grow in, claiming I ruined his blade when I shaved my legs. It was only after I was headed out the door to buy him a new razor that he laughingly told me he was joking, and that he’s just too lazy to shave on his days off.

Flynn rubs his fingertips over his chin. “Yeah. I figured I’d go ahead and knock it out since I have to be at work early tomorrow.”

“You’re going in to work?” I’m surprised, given the fact he looks like he’s been through a meat grinder.

“Sure, why not?”

I look down at his ribs pointedly. “Maybe because of that.”

His gaze follows mine down to where a dark purple bruise, just about the size of a boot, covers his right ribcage. A slight grimace passes over his face and then he looks at me, shrugging his shoulder, “No biggie. I’ve had worse.”

He moves to the left to walk by me, obviously heading to his room. My hand snakes out and wraps around his forearm. His warm, moist skin is almost electric against mine but I hold on. He stops and looks at me in question.

“Are you mad at me?” I don’t know why I blurt that out but if he’s going to end this short-lived friendship, I’d rather get it out on the table.

Flynn looks genuinely surprised. “Why would you think that?”

My hand falls away from his arm and I jam both of my hands in my pockets. My gaze lowers and I stare at the tips of my combat boots, shrugging my shoulders like a shy child.

Gah... since when is Rowan Page at a loss for words? Or since when does Rowan Page lower her gaze in embarrassment to anyone?

Flynn sticks his forefinger under my chin and pushes up. My head follows and the last thing I raise is my eyes to his. When I do, he’s looking at me with understanding, warmth, and amusement.

Amusement?

Yes, there it is.

I amuse the man and that fact immediately causes the constrictive feeling in my chest to ease up.

“You find me funny?”

“I find it adorable that you would think I was mad.”

His words send a course of pleasure through me, not only because he has reiterated our friendship is intact, but because he thinks I’m adorable.

Suddenly, I’m no longer focused on my own insecurity but I become painfully area of his closeness and near-naked state. I can smell his soap and feel the warmth radiating off his skin as he stands near me. We just stare at each other, both of our eyes locked.

When he starts to lean in toward me, his eyes lower to my lips and I know he’s going to kiss me. I am both elated and scared all at once. I want him to kiss me but I don’t want to hurt our friendship.

Panicking, I take a quick step back and blurt, “Did you disinfect your cuts?”

The heat stays in his eyes for just a few seconds and then simmers down. His lips curl upward in a smirk, but he shakes his head no.

Moving past him into the bathroom, I reach under his sink, where I had seen a bottle of rubbing alcohol. I grab a few cotton balls, a box of Band-Aids, and turn to him.

“Sit down on the toilet and I’ll patch you up.”

He turns his back on me and walks to his bedroom. “Come patch me up in here. It’s too damn hot in the bathroom.”

My eyes close briefly at the thought of sitting in his bedroom with him while he wears nothing but a towel to cover himself. I utter a small prayer for the strength not to drool over him and head that way.

When I enter his bedroom, I find him sitting with his butt perched on the very edge of his bed, his legs slightly apart. The position causes the towel to gape open over his right thigh, exposing several inches of powerful muscle. Just a few more inches of movement, and I’ll be seeing what is in between his thighs. I hope he holds absolutely still for the sake of my sanity.

I walk to stand beside him and lay my supplies on the bed near his hip. Pulling his left arm out, I look at the elbow I had noticed was bleeding. I briefly flick my eyes over the tattoo on the inside of his bicep. It’s in the same size and font as the “Semper” tattoo on his other bicep, except this one says “Fidelis”. I start to ask him what the words mean when my gaze captures the gash on his elbow. It’s oozing blood from the ragged wound.

“You got a really nasty cut back here,” I tell him as I reach for the cotton balls and alcohol.

He turns his shoulder inward, causing his arm to rotate so he can see his elbow. “Good. I thought I caught that motherfucker in his mouth. I hope he lost some teeth.”

I try to keep a stern look on my face but I smile inside. Opening the alcohol, I warn him, “This may sting.”

Glancing at him, I see his eyes are leveled at me and I wonder what he’s thinking at this moment. I break the connection and look down to his elbow. Holding a few cotton balls underneath the cut, I tip the bottle and pour some alcohol over it. I expect him to wince, or hiss, or even try to pull his arm away. I sneak a peek at him and he’s still just staring at me. He hasn’t even flinched. I quickly avert my eyes down and watch as the alcohol mixes with this blood and runs away from his wound in a pink river.

Sopping the mess up with another cotton ball, I open up one of the larger Band-Aids and stick it firmly on his elbow.

Clearing my throat, I stand straight. “All right...any other open wounds?”

Those serious eyes continue to just stare at me, but he says, “I’m not sure. You better give me a once over.”

I know he means nothing by it. I just know it. But damn if his words don’t sound like sin, and my skin tightens in anticipation of looking over his body.

“Okay,” I say, internally wincing at the fact that my voice sounds breathless.

Flynn doesn’t move and I assume he expects me to inspect him from where he’s sitting. I do a quick lean across the bed to take a look at his back. I didn’t expect to see anything there, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the smooth skin and hard muscles that greet me.

As I straighten up, I look over the side of his face that is nearest to me, since I know he took a few blows up there. I see nothing but a purple bruise near his temple and my fingers reach out to touch him. Gently prodding the skin, I assure myself there is no cut and let my fingers drift away.

Sneaking a quick glance at Flynn, he’s still looking at me with the same somberness as earlier, but now his eyes look a little more heated. If I’m not mistaken, my touch has done that and that thought alone causes my stomach to flip end over end with awareness.

Walking around to his other side, I check out that part of his face, relieved to see it looks fine. I look over his other arm and it is also unmarked. Outside of the large bruise to his ribs, I can’t see any other injuries that need tending on this side, and part of me is a little disappointed.

I reach over for the bottle cap and say, “I think that’s it.”

“You missed one.”

Straightening up with the bottle still in hand, I look at him. “Where?”

“My lip. One of those guys caught me under the chin with his knee and my lip got caught in between my teeth slamming together.”

I can’t see an obvious wound so I walk around to his front and lean in, peering at his lips. They are full and look soft, and in my dream, they felt like satin. “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s there. You might have to look a little closer.” As he says this, his legs shift apart just a tad more, making room for me to walk closer.

Whether the move is made innocently or not, my blood chooses to surge through my veins the minute my brain considers stepping in between those powerful legs. I pull my eyes up from his lips and when they meet his, my lungs contract painfully. His brows are furrowed in slightly and his eyelids are at half-mast. He’s looking at me with a lazy, sensual appraisal and in that moment, there is no doubt that Flynn Caldwell is sexually attracted to me. It causes my lower stomach to tighten and my panties immediately get wet. The sudden rush of sexual awareness is so intense on my part, I actually have to squeeze my legs together to alleviate the pleasurable pulse I’m feeling there.

Before I can even think what to say, Flynn’s hands come up to my hips and he pulls me closer. My hands reach out to grip his shoulders, not because I’m in danger of falling, but because I want to touch him the way he’s touching me.

We are so close now; our faces are only inches apart. There’s just as much room separating the tops of my thighs from the dark mystery that lays beyond the blue towel, which I’m sure has even parted further, although I don’t look for fear of perishing from pleasure.

Our eyes are locked on each other, neither one of us moving, neither one of us saying a thing. I move my right hand from his shoulder and bring it up to lay lightly against his cheek. Then I drag my fingers across his face, over to his chin. I lightly run my thumb across his bottom lip and his mouth parts for me.

Just on the inside of his lower lip, I see two cuts, presumably made by his two front teeth. They aren’t bleeding but they are red and angry looking.

“Oh my God... you do have cuts here!” I pull his lip down further so I can take a better look.