Page 36 of Wyoming Bodyguard
“I’ll take Ace,” he said, hooking one arm around her middle. He caged her in, securing her. Protecting her.
She handed him the reins and melted against him. The heat of his body seeped into her back. His nearness was intoxicating, making her lightheaded. His scent surrounded her, and she fought every instinct in her aching body to turn around and finish the kiss they’d started earlier.
“You ready?”
Oh God, was she ever. She needed to speak, to answer, but desire clogged her throat and stole all coherent thoughts. “Mmm-hmm.”
She lightly tapped Queenie’s sides and urged her forward, Ace keeping a nice pace beside them. She wrapped her hands in Queenie’s mane and swayed with the movement, confident Madden would keep her upright, and way too comfortable in his arms.
Chapter 14
By the time Madden retrieved Lily’s vandalized riding gear and helped her settle the horses, darkness had fallen. He followed her into the cabin and steered her into the bathroom.
“Do you have a medical kit in here?” The dried blood on her face and scrapes on her arms spiked his blood pressure, but she’d insisted they see to the animals before tending her injuries.
She slumped onto the edge of the tub. “Should be under the sink.”
He found the kit then peeked in the linen closet for a washcloth. “I need to clean your cuts first, okay?”
“Sure.” She sighed, the sound filled with exhaustion and a hint of annoyance.
He struggled against his own aches and pains, but he’d deal with that later. He soaked the cloth in warm water and wrung it out before kneeling before her. “The blood’s dried so I might have to apply more pressure than I’d like to, but I’ll be gentle.”
She didn’t respond, but her wide eyes relayed her trust, or at least her acceptance that he wouldn’t stop badgering her until he made sure she was all right.
Carefully, he dabbed the washcloth over the marks on her cheeks and forehead. Her face was inches from his. He kept his free hand anchored on the edge of the bathtub to keep from caressing her skin. Blood and dirt came off, revealing shallow scratches.
She hissed out a breath.
He paused. “You good?”
“Just stings a little.”
He lowered his arm and studied the cuts. “Nothing too serious, unless you have other wounds I can’t see.”
“I hope that’s not some attempt to get me out of my clothes,” she said, smirking.
He lifted his palms. “I’d never be so sneaky. Trust me, if I wanted you to take off your clothes, I’d have more creative ways.”
Pink colored her face, and she lowered her gaze. “My hands are a little banged up from when I tried to cushion the fall, but that’s it,” she said, holding her hands in the air for his inspection.
His stomach muscles clenched. Damn it, flirty banter that led to picturing her naked was not a wise move. Forcing his mind to focus, he pressed the damp cloth against her palms. “I want to put some antiseptic on the cuts to make sure they don’t get infected.”
“Okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, her gaze now trained on him.
Space. He needed space. Standing, he unzipped the medical kit and found the ointment as well as a small bottle of over-the-counter pain medicine. “Do you want any ibuprofen? It will help with the soreness. Your body took quite a hit today. Better to stay on top of managing the pain. At least for tonight.”
“Thanks.”
He unscrewed the top and jiggled out a couple of pills, making a mental note to take some for his shoulder later. Passing them to her, her warm skin sent a jolt of electricity through his body.
She jerked back. “I can handle the rest. Besides, I’d love a hot shower. I need to get the rest of this dirt and sweat off me.”
Thankful for an excuse to leave, he cleaned up his mess then left the bathroom before he did something stupid like suggest they wash up together. He’d already made one monumental mistake by kissing her. She’d rejected him once. He wouldn’t make the mistake of kissing her again.
The sound of the doorbell yanked him out of his head. He hurried to the front door, not surprised to find Deputy Hill and Deputy Silver on the porch. “Evening,” he said. “You want to talk to Lily about what happened earlier?”
Deputy Hill removed his hat and nodded. “Yes, sir. We’d like to take her statement and look at the saddle in question.”
