Page 32 of Sweet Harmony

Withoutreplying, he turned her around a bit roughly and unzipped herbackpack.

“What are youdoing?”

“Hold this.” Hehanded her the bottle of water before dipping his hand back intothe pack. He rummaged through it and brought out the first aid kit.“Turn around.”

She sighed andturned to face him. “Gideon, I don’t need -”

“It needs to becleaned and disinfected,” he said before taking the water bottlefrom her. “Hold out your hand.”

She held outher hand, palm up, and he uncapped the bottle and poured wateracross the bleeding scrape. Water and blood flowed to the groundand he rinsed it again before leaning over and studying herhand.

“It doesn’tlook like you’ll need stitches.”

“It’s just ascrape,” she said. “Thanks, but I really need -”

“It needs to bedisinfected.” He was already unzipping the first aid kit andpulling out the disinfectant wipes.

He handed herthe kit to hold while he ripped open the foil, and she tucked itunder her arm before petting Tank who had wandered over. The bigdog leaned against her, but she’d already planted her feet inanticipation and didn’t stumble. She patted the dog’s side as hepressed his big head against her ribs.

“Tank, sit,”she said.

The dog satobediently, and she winced and pulled her foot free. “Not on myfoot, silly boy.”

His tailthumped and he chuffed happily when she scratched under his collarwith her left hand. “You’re a good boy, yes you are, you’re such a…ow!”

She yanked herright hand away, holding it protectively behind her back andglaring at Gideon. He flipped the wipe over to the clean side.

“That hurts,”she said.

He rolled hiseyes. “It’s not that bad. Give me your hand.”

“No.”

“Grace.” Hegave her a warning look, and she sighed and held her hand outagain. He swiped the wipe across it, not that gently, and shewinced as her palm stung and smarted.

“Ouch!” Shetried to pull her hand back again, but he was on to her and wrappedhis fingers around her wrist, holding her firmly. “Seriously, man,that hurts.”

“It’s a littlesting,” he said. “Don’t be such a baby.”

“You try havingdisinfectant wiped across your bleeding and raw skin,” she said.“Then we’ll see who’s tough.”

He wiped thescrape again, ignoring the way she winced. When she tried to pullher hand away for a third time, he snorted and bent his head. Shewent stock still when he blew on the palm of her hand, every nervein her body pinging to life and goosebumps erupting across herskin.

Her mind wentblank, her nipples went hard, and her pussy went wet.

Gideon blew onthe scrape again. “There. Is that better? Or do I need to give youa sucker to make you feel…”

His voicetrailed off into a low groan when he glanced at her face. For amoment, the only sound was the rasp of Tank’s panting, the soft cryof a bird and the return call of its mate, the low buzz of theinsects.

“Grace, don’tlook at me like that.” His voice was dark and rough. She’d onlyheard it like that once before, and the memory of that night sentmore goosebumps to the surface of her skin. Her scalp prickled withawareness, and she stared at his mouth as his thumb swept back andforth over the thudding pulse in her wrist, that soft, simple touchlighting her up like fireworks on the fourth of July.

“Gideon,please,” she whispered.

Chapter Six

“Okay, so tellme everything there is to know about Connor MacMillan.” Kira smiledat him as they walked.

The trail theywere on was surprisingly quiet, especially considering the weirdlywarm weather, but he took her hand anyway. “Just in case we seesomeone we know.”

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