Page 14 of Prey for You

But she knew what she was getting into with me and shelikedit—

I pushed the thoughts away and focused on choosing which gauze and tape I wanted to use,

Meanwhile, Bridget eyed my kit. I couldfeelher thinking.

“I suppose I should be grateful,” she said quietly as I pulled a clean towel from the shelf on the wall and laid my things out.

I frowned. “For what?”

She shrugged. “Most guys who feel the need to overcompensate buy big trucks or guns. You just have a medical kit big enough to provide international aid,” she giggled.

I snorted, but my heart wasn’t in it. “Put your hands down flat on your thighs. I need to check them for debris,” I muttered.

Bridget arched one brow, but did as I asked, watching my face when I slid my palm under hers and lifted her hand to examine it for any splinters, or dirt.

There was some, but close to the surface. She only winced when I pulled a tiny chip of bark off the tender skin. I’d made sure she washed her hands well in the shower, but the water and soap had made the skin weepy again.

I dabbed at it with some gauze, then went back to looking for dirt.

“Sam?” Bridget said softly. I paused and looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

I frowned. “Nothing. I’m just making sure you’re clean and healing.”

I went back to the wounds, but she drew her hand away and looked me in the eye when I glared.

“I need to—”

“No, you don’t, Sam. I’m fine. It’s scraped skin. I had worse as a kid falling off my bike. What’s wrong?”

I rolled my jaw. “I did that to you. I need to make sure it’s clean and healthy, and—”

“I’ll tell you if it starts to hurt more or swells or anything. This isn’t necessary.”

“Yes, itis,”I growled, and my stomach plunged when her eyes lit up.

She beamed at me, lifting her hands to lace her fingers at the back of my neck and pulling me in closer. “God, Ilove itwhen you do that,” she whispered, then kissed me.

I didn’t pull out of the kiss, but I didn’t let go of the tweezers, or deepen it, either. When we broke apart, she was frowning.

“Sam, what’swrong?”

“Nothing!”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

I tipped my head. “You’re right, Bridge. I am hiding something.”

Her expression grew more serious. “What? What is it?”

I sighed. “I’m hiding how irritated I am that you won’t let me do this so we can get on with our day.”

She rolled her eyes and groaned, but didn’t fight me when I took her hand and started examining it again.

She stayed quiet as I repeated the process with the other hand, then painted both in Betadine and covered them with sterile gauze, taping it to the back of her hands and wrists.

“Don’t leave those on when you shower. Let them get clean, then I’ll redress them,” I said, then pulled her off the counter and turned her around, bending her over the counter.

She pushed off it immediately, but I kept a hand between her shoulder blades so she couldn’t straighten.

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