Page 8 of Bleeding Hearts

“I’ll take care of that, too. When’s the last time you sharpened them?” The way he crosses his arms makes his biceps bulge and I can’t help but stare. “Stop. Focus.”

He started it. And it’s not like this is the first time he’s caught me ogling him. I’ve told him before, and I’ll say it again now. “Stop trying to look like the men featured in the calendar hanging in my office. Do you know how disappointed I was when I purchased the Savannah firefighter calendar only to learn you weren’t one of the twelve? I almost demanded a refund.”

“Woman.”

The way his voice grows gravelly sends a shiver down my bruised spine and has me wincing.

“What’s wrong?” His frown deepens. “Tell me what to do to help. Should I call a nurse? Do you need more pain meds?”

“Stop looking and sounding so filibuster seggy.” I don’t even know where that last part came from, but saying fucking sexy in front of Mollie seems wrong. He asked, so we’ll blame it on the drugs.

“You’re making my cougar purr.” I add, but only loud enough for him to hear and not the girls.

“Jesus,” he growls again while clenching his jaw, making the cords of his neck protrude. “You’re impossible. The blades?”

“Oh, yeah.” I squint my eyes like I’m concentrating, but I’m not, because I know that answer. “Never. Why would I?”

That prompts a reply from him, one I add to my list of new goals. He sounds and acts like a grizzly bear, his deep voice, andthe way he runs his sexy veined hand through his short, dark hair has me moving it up my new list. “Because they need to be sharp to cut properly. Everyone knows this. No wonder it looks like someone took a pair of dull scissors to your lawn after one of the boy’s mows. And here I was blaming them for rushing, when all I would’ve had to do was show them how to sharpen the darn flipping blades.”

“Shame on you,” I tease, and when he frowns, I feel a little guilty. “Why would I know that? You’re lucky I have a lawn at all. If I had my way, I’d turn the whole thing into a garden. But who has time to dispute with the HOA over the matter? To follow their strict guidelines, I kept the grass and make sure it’s cut every ten days.

Mollie walks up to us, her hand firmly against her bottom. “Daddy, I need to pee big time.”

“I can take her.” Kellie offers. “It’s just across the hall.”

“Okay. I’ll be there in a second. We need to get going anyway.”

He has the girls say goodbye before they make a quick exit so the little one can pee.

Once they’re gone, he hooks his thumbs in his khaki shorts’ pockets and narrows his gaze. “You need to rest. We’ll get out of your hair. I’ll make sure the yard doesn’t go to shit while you heal.”

My face lights up with a grin. “Thank you.”

“That’s what neighbors do.” He nods toward the door. “I’m gonna go now.”

“So, you said.” I don’t know why I’m goading him. “Except you don’t seem to be moving.”

Nolan’s eyes turn upwards, as if he is searching for a solution on the ceiling. “Fuck.”

I giggle, but stop when he struts right up to me, leans forward, and plants a kiss on my sore lips. He holds it long enough to make me whimper, and not because I’m in pain.

Damn the man.

Pulling back, the cocky bastard wears a smirk that I really don’t know how to take. “Take care, Bethany. Hope we can do that again sometime once you’re better.” Whistling, he spins and struts out of my room.

What the hell?

My good hand lifts to touch my lips to make sure… I don’t even know. That wassounexpected.

Completely out of the blue, Nolan Archer kissed me, the sweet taste of his lips still lingering. Then the man shocks me more by suggesting we do it again once I feel better.

Hell yes. Yes, we most certainly will be doing that again, Mr. Archer. You can bet your sweet ass I’m collecting that promise. Sure thing, happy to.

The door opens again. This time, my sister is straddling the line, halfway in and halfway out. “Was that your neighbor? I didn’t know he smiled. Or whistled. And did he bring you those?”

I nod and close my eyes. “Yep. So, Dillon? What’s that all about?”

Alicia narrows her eyes. “Nothing to tell. Now tell me about your neighbor.”

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