Page 22 of So That Happened
‘What were you thinking?’
His voice rumbled in his chest next to her right ear. He sounded more worried than angry, which surprised her. She could smell a mixture of suntan lotion and the musk of his skin and inhaled deeply, glad of the distraction from her pounding head. Despite the pain, she felt almost euphoric. She took little sips from the bottle he’d given her, relishing the coldness of the water as it slipped down her throat.
Josie had no idea how long it took them to get back to the farmhouse. Her thoughts swam in and out of focus as she fought the desire to fall asleep; it was so peaceful here in his arms that she didn’t want to miss a minute of it.
5
The next thing she was aware of was the cool darkness of the farmhouse as Connor stepped in through the door. Getting out of the bright glare of the sun was a huge relief, and her spirits soared as the reassuring sounds and smells of the place filled her senses.
He carried her straight upstairs and put her carefully down on the bed. Being hugged against his hard body had been so comforting; she couldn’t remember when she’d last been held so close for so long and she missed his touch as soon as he released her from his arms.
Lying back on the cool sheets, she opened her eyes to see Connor standing over her, his body gleaming with sweat. Before she could utter a word, he removed his damp shirt from around her head, then moved down her body to slip off her shoes.
‘What are you doing?’ Her voice sounded strangely languorous to her ears and he stopped and looked at her, his gaze raking her face. For one mad moment she thought he was going to bend down and kiss her. Her insides burned hot with anticipation.
‘We need to get you in a cool bath.’
To her disappointment his voice was brisk and professional. Her heart sank. He wasn’t going to kiss her. Not that that would have been in any way appropriate, she reminded herself sternly.
‘We have to get your body temperature down. You’ve got heat exhaustion.’
Josie bit her lip and nodded her agreement. Heat exhaustion. He must think she was such an idiot. ‘Okay.’
Connor helped her slowly ease the soaked sundress over her body. She lifted her pelvis off the bed, then her shoulders, so it could be pulled up and over her head. She watched his face the whole time, her heart thudding erratically in her chest. He seemed to be concentrating hard on his task, but she noticed his gaze flitting up and down her body.
Thank God she’d put her decent underwear on that morning.
There was a pause, as if he was going to say something, and they both hung there, suspended in the moment. Heat flooded between her legs and instinctively she arched her back towards him, pushing her breasts higher, a burning need for his touch overtaking all rational thought.
Connor tore his eyes away from her body and ran his hands roughly through his hair. ‘I’ll run you a bath.’ Turning away from her, he flung the dress onto the chair at the far side of the room and strode out, leaving her lying there with her cheeks burning.
She heard the sound of running water in the bathroom and rocked her head back on the pillow, pinching her eyes shut. She felt like such a fool. What must he think of her? She was acting like a brazen idiot after he’d been forced to come out and rescue her.
Was it possible to sink any lower?
Connor returned a minute later and gestured for her to open her mouth, so he could put a thermometer under her tongue. Kneeling down beside the bed, he took her pulse, his fingers cool against the hot skin of her wrist.
She forced herself to turn and watch him, fighting down the sting of her humiliation. His gaze was fixed on his watch, his jaw tense, as he counted the beats of her heart. With a sinking feeling, she acknowledged that she was responsible for that deep crease of concern on his forehead – and for the look of exhaustion in his eyes. The realisation that his quick thinking and superior knowledge had probably saved her life hit her like a punch to the solar plexus.
‘How do you know how to do all this?’ she asked, her voice wobbly with humility.
He looked up in surprise. ‘I’ve had first aid training. It’s important to know what to do in an emergency when the nearest hospital is a hundred miles away.’
‘Yes, of course, that makes sense.’ Perhaps she’d underestimated him when it came to his travelling. This cool efficiency was a whole side to him she hadn’t even glimpsed before.
‘Okay, time for your bath. Want me to carry you? Or can you walk?’
He was looking at her so intently a small shiver ran down her spine.
He’s only looking at you like that because he’s worried he’s in the company of a lunatic. Pull yourself together.
‘I can walk,’ she said, desperate now to appear more confident than she felt, even though she wasn’t sure she had the strength even to get up. Willing her body to function, she sat up unsteadily, then managed to roll off the bed and onto her feet. There was no way she’d ask him to carry her again. She still had some vestige of pride.
Her legs were like jelly. Moving slowly to the bathroom, she imagined she could feel Connor’s gaze burning into her back and she willed him to leave her to lick her wounds in mortified isolation. It was so undignified, shuffling across the floor in just her underwear, but she kept her head high and didn’t look back.
She didn’t realise he’d followed her until she turned to close the bathroom door.
‘I said I’m okay.’ This came out more harshly than she’d intended, and she gripped the door handle hard in frustration, feeling the metal bite into her hand. Taking a steadying breath, she smiled, trying to soften the effect of her response, but Connor just shrugged.
