Quite the Catch (8 page)

After
a few hours apart, she’d almost forgotten how damn good looking he was. “Well,
you did. I’m a little upset anyway, after what happened to me.”

Joshua’s
smile faded. “Tell me.”

Tina
balked. Like a child trying to avoid being scolded, she changed the subject. “I
got the witch hazel and some comfrey. Do you want to apply it now or wait until
after lunch?”

His
dark eyes narrowed. “First, tell me what the hell happened. You look spooked.”

She
probably did and when she glanced down, Tina realized she still clutched the
book in her hand so she placed it on the table. “I am a little, but promise not
to yell at me, okay?”

“I
can tell I’m not going to like this,” he said. He glowered at her but the stern
expression served to make him more desirable. Then he leaned back against the
counter as if he needed the support.

“Are
you okay?” Her concern was genuine but the question bought her a little more
time.

Some
of the harsh lines softened. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired and a little winded. And
sore. Any muscles that didn’t hurt before do now. I’m a little chilled, that’s
why I’m making coffee. Now, explain.”

Feeling
like the hapless Lucy from the classic sitcom, Tina sighed. “All right, but
you’re not going to like it. On the way to town, I checked the river and didn’t
see anything out of the ordinary. Coming back, I swung around again and at one
of the public access points, there were three guys.”

“And?”

“I
pulled in and parked to see what they were doing.”

Joshua
frowned. “That wasn’t a good idea.”

“I
know that now.”

He
sighed. “What did you do? Ask them a bunch of questions or what?”

Anger
flared. “I’m not that stupid! No, I didn’t approach them at all.”

“Then what?”

Tina
explained how she’d put on Gramps’ old coat and fished. What had seemed like such
a cool idea then sounded foolish now. Joshua’s expression changed, ominous as
an approaching storm front, as he listened but he said nothing. His sole sign
of agitation was a steady drumming against the table with two fingers. Silence
punished her more than a scolding or harsh words. Joshua said nothing until she
shared all she had overheard.

He
exhaled a harsh sigh. “So I’m right. If they find me, they plan to kill me.”

The
idea upset her. “That can’t happen.”

A
slow grin flirted with his mouth but didn’t quite form into a smile. “I don’t
intend for it to happen,” he said. “Not to me and not to you. Don’t even think
about pulling anything like this again.”

Determination
tempered his words and although she’d planned to talk back, Tina didn’t. His declaration
left her wondering if he wanted to protect her out of a sense of duty or
obligation, or if he really cared. To test the waters, she said, “How’d you
plan to stop me?”

Joshua’s
black eyes glittered, darker than midnight, harder than onyx. Before she had
time to draw another breath, he moved forward and caught her in his arms. “Like
this,” he said and kissed her until her head spun.

Chapter Eight

His
walk around the perimeter tired him far more than he’d expected, and he was
hurting. The last damn thing he needed in his complicated life would be a woman,
but Joshua admitted he was falling hard for Tina. Women could be a royal pain
in the ass, something he’d learned the hard way in the past. He hadn’t thought
he needed to worry much—she’d been heading off to town so what could happen? He
didn’t expect her to run into the men who’d chased him or to pull a crazy stunt
the way she had. Attraction smoldered between them, potent as good wine,
something he wouldn’t deny. But
caring
wasn’t in the plan.

Joshua’s
first clue came when he’d missed her after she headed for town. Her scent
lingered in his nose and he could still taste her on his lips. The real reason
he’d headed outside hadn’t been to get familiar with his surroundings but to
clear his head. He kissed her for physical pleasure but the experience brought
out emotions he would rather not own.

When
Tina returned, he knew by her expression that something happened, and the first
tendril of worry curled within his belly. By the time she’d finished telling
him what she’d done and overheard, his concern had grown acute. If anything
happened to her because of him, he’d want to die—but first he would seek
revenge. Joshua wanted to protect her, to hold her close and keep her safe in
every way. Damn, if he didn’t want to stomp spiders if they scared her, kill
snakes before they had time to strike, and shoot any son of a bitch who sent
her a cross-eyed look, let alone laid a hand on her!

He
wanted to spend time with her and listen to her memories, leaf through photo
albums, and learn all her expressions. Joshua needed to know her favorite
color, flower, and song. Soon as he healed a little more, he’d have to leave
and finish his investigation, then return to his world, but he needed to fit
Tina into it somehow. And he hated himself for it, afraid that whatever they
had would go bad before it ever had time to grow into something good.

Tina
suspected, if she didn’t know. The way her blue eyes shimmered said she did. It’d
been a mistake to insist she never pull such a stunt again and although she
agreed, he knew flirting when he heard it. “I’m not but if I did, how do you think
you’d stop me?” she said. It was a dare and he knew it.

There
was one way to answer it and he didn’t think first, just reacted. Joshua pulled
her into his arms and cuddled her close.
Don’t
tell, show
, he thought and kissed her. He’d meant to take it slow and easy
but when his lips touched hers, he went a little berserk. All his worry and mixed
feelings about Tina powered the kiss and took it to an extreme level. His mouth
ached with want, lips as sensitive as his bruised skin. Her lips yielded to
his, sweet and tender. Although he wasn’t gentle, she held her own and gave
back his heat, intensified.

Though
he ached to run his hands over her breasts and reach between her legs, Joshua
didn’t. If he did, he’d be gone and past stopping. No matter how much she liked
the kiss, he doubted she’d be willing to fuck on the kitchen floor. Instead, he
kissed her until he had to pause for air. He drew breath and lowered his lips
to the soft hollow of her throat. He planted a gentle kiss, shivering at the
velvet of her skin. He kissed her mouth one more time and pulled back, eager,
yet afraid to see her expression.

Tina’s
warm smile erased his fears that she might be angry. Her blue eyes met his gaze
without blinking. She touched the back of one hand to his cheek and let it
linger long enough to be a caress. “I do believe a kiss like that would stop me,”
she told him. “It would definitely distract me.”

Hell,
he’d almost forgotten the question that prompted the kiss in the first place
but he grinned. “I’d certainly hope so.”

If
he kept staring into her eyes, he might drown in their blueness or lose all
restraint. After a long, increasingly awkward moment, Joshua exhaled. “Coffee’s
ready.”

“Sit
down and I’ll grab two mugs,” Tina told him. She seemed as eager as he was to
move past the unplanned kiss.

“Sure,
thanks.” Joshua wondered if her emotions were as unsettled as his, if she
experienced the powerful pull of desire. Maybe she longed to know all about him,
the way he ached to discover all her little details right down to her favorite
color. He wanted to know, but right now he needed to sit down. Any lingering
chill, however, had vanished in the feverish heat of their kiss.

Coffee
restored some measure of calm. With a big supper in the works, they lunched on
grilled cheese sandwiches. Afterward, Tina bustled around the kitchen cooking
and although weary enough to nap, Joshua stayed and watched. He enjoyed her
domestic goddess routine as she squinted at a faded recipe card, stirred up a
cake, and stuck it in the oven. As it baked, Tina put together a meatloaf in
what seemed a haphazard fashion, with no recipe card in sight, but the end
result appeared to be correct, as she crammed the mixture into a loaf pan.

“I’ll
put it in as soon as the cake comes out,” she said. The kitchen had warmed as
she worked, enough to flush her cheeks. A smudge of flour on one cheek endeared
him all the more.
She’s about the
prettiest woman I’ve come across in a long while.

“I’m
not in a hurry,” he said.

Tina
smiled. “I know, and I’m glad because it’ll be awhile until we eat supper. You
look tired. There’s plenty of time if you want to grab a nap.”

He
did but he didn’t. “I’ll pass.”

“As
long as you don’t pass out, that’s fine.” A hint of laughter flavored her
voice, teasing and yet sympathetic. “I should’ve helped you with the witch
hazel and comfrey before I started cooking but I forgot.”

“No
problem.”

“If
you want, we can take care of it after supper. I can help you after I get
everything cooking but I don’t want to make supper smell like herbs.”

“I
can wait,” he said, although the promise of any relief from deep muscle
soreness tempted him to apply it himself.

Watching
her putter around the kitchen, her movements as graceful as a dancer’s, gave
Joshua pleasure. He managed to push the simmering tension about his situation
and hers to the back of his mind, and was able to savor the moment. He longed
for more quiet interludes and pleasant afternoons like this one, so much that it
gnawed at him, almost as sharp as his hunger pangs.

By
the time she served supper, Joshua was starved. The meatloaf tasted so
delicious he let each bite linger on his tongue and relished it. He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d eaten homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. Although
the peas were frozen, Tina dressed them up with a little butter and onion and
he had no complaints about the hot rolls. Her version of Wacky Cake was just as
rich and decadent with chocolate as he remembered, and by the time he finished
the huge slice she served, his belly was tight and he was near a food-induced
coma.

“Thank
you, Tina. I haven’t had a meal this good in a long time.”

Her
slow smile sparkled. “I’m glad you liked it. You look so sleepy. Let’s go treat
your hurts and I’ll clean up the kitchen later.”

He
should refuse and offer to help but the heavy weariness creeping over his
consciousness like fog prompted him to nod. “Okay.”

“If
you want to shower first, go ahead, but don’t get dressed afterward.”

Uh-oh.
Maybe he should volunteer to
treat his own injuries, although he doubted he could reach some of the sorest
places. Joshua opened his mouth to protest,
then
changed his mind.
She’s a nurse, after
all,
he rationalized.
She’s seen nude
guys before.

“All
right, I’ll go splash through the shower.”

“Do
you want a couple of pain pills first? You haven’t taken any since this morning
and I’m sure you’re hurting.”

Joshua
was but he wanted to wean down his drug use. “One will do.”

“Are
you sure? It may hurt when I apply the witch hazel and cover the wound with
comfrey?”

He
nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

After
a steaming hot shower, relaxed to the point of boneless contentment, Joshua
found Tina waiting. She’d mixed the comfrey powder with water into thick, brown
goo and had a pile of cotton balls beside the witch hazel. “Here you go.” She
handed him a towel and he dried off, aware of his nudity, although she paid
little mind.

Tina
began with comfrey, her fingers spreading the paste over his injured side with
light, gentle strokes. She covered the area with a thick coating and stepped
back to check her work.

“Once
it dries, it should harden,” she said. “Then I’ll go ahead and replace the gauze
over it. Are you ready for me to apply the witch hazel?”

Aware
of her touch, his skin became ultrasensitive. Joshua wasn’t sure he could manage
to have her touch him any further without his cock coming to attention. He
could feel the heat rippling between them and the slightest brush of her
fingers against his body turned him on with incredible force. With his emotions
engaged even reluctantly, Tina’s close proximity presented temptation he wasn’t
sure he could resist.

“Maybe
I’d better do it,” he mumbled.

She
dampened a cotton ball with witch hazel and dabbed it across a large bruise on
his left shoulder. Joshua shuddered with an erotic chill, delicious as it
rippled down his spine and through his body. Tina paused. “Are you cold?”

Like
an idiot, he stammered. “No, I’m good.”

“You’re
shivering.”

“I’m
not cold.” He snapped the words out, short and harsher than he’d intended.

Her
frown wrinkled her forehead. “Then what’s wrong? Am I hurting you?”

“No,”
he said.
“God, no.”

“Then
what is it?”