Page 19 of After All

Kyle lifted a brow and looked at Scott. “You okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Becausesheseems happy about it. She’s never happy whenyouget your way about something.”

Scott sighed. “We’ve…come to an agreement.”

“We understand that there will be a lot of naked time on Scott’s part over the next few days. And we all know how I feel about Scott and naked time,” Peyton said.

Kyle nodded. “That we do.” He glanced at Scott again. “But we also know how Scott feels about naked time.”

“Well, I figure if she gets me naked, the chances of her killing me are lessened,” Scott said dryly.

Peyton grinned. Love-sick puppy impression or not, the guy amused her, and she appreciated that. No one did sarcasm quite like Scott Hansen. “That is a very good point. And don’t forget—it’s not just seeing. There will be soap and rubbing too.”

Scott shifted on the bed and Peyton laughed. She did love having the upper hand. She really didnotfeel that very often with him.

Angie spoke up then. “Let me show you the dressing change.”

Peyton moved back to let the other woman next to the bed. “Okay.” She could change a Band-Aid and reapply ointment to the guy’s thigh. That was no big deal.

But when Angie pulled the sheet back, Peyton’s first word was “whoa”.

Angie looked up. “What?”

“That’s…a lot higher on his leg than I thought it was.”

“Yes, the bullet nicked part of his femoral artery,” Kyle said. “If I hadn’t been there, he could have died.”

Scott rolled his eyes.

Peyton frowned. “What?” she asked him. “Is that not true?”

“It’s the seventeenth time he’s said it since I checked in,” Scott said.

Kyle shrugged. “It’s true.”

“Please, go on,” Scott said. “Having someone digging around in my groin is preferable to listening to Dr. Ames pat himself on the back.”

Angie gave a little laugh, but she proceeded to pull on gloves and then lift the dressings from his leg.

Peyton had a strong stomach. And she really had no trouble being this close to this part of Scott’s body. But damn—that looked horrible.

“Dude, I might change my mind about the naked thing,” she said.

“Is that right?”

She looked up at him. He didn’t look concerned. “I’m afraid every time you uncover that,” she waved in the general direction of his cock, “I’ll flash back to this.” She waved at his wound.

He chuckled. “You still promised meatloaf,” he said.

Peyton shook her head. “Raw hamburger—not a good mental image right now either.”

“Suck it up, buttercup,” he told her. “You signed on. You can handle this.”

Suddenly he looked cocky again. Could she handle this?

The blood? Absolutely. Being around Scott twenty-four-seven? Not so sure.

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