She felt his gaze on her as she laid out her instruments on a clean towel. By the time she turned to face him, her pulse was racing. This was Joe. He was alive. He was here. Every fiber of her being quivered with suppressed joy. But she knew better than to let herself feel that joy. This man had broken her heart. She couldn’t afford to trust him. Not, at least, until she knew more about the secrets he seemed to be hiding.
“First the head wound. Hold still.” She leaned in close with the scissors to cut away the bulky wrap around his head, which was still in place. His hair smelled of woodsmoke and sweat and horses. The aromas crept into her senses, creating a warm awareness. He’d been a boy the last time she was with him. He was a boy no longer.
Taking care, she snipped through the wrapping and unwound it from his head. The dressing above his ear stayed in place. Sarah decided to leave it for another day or two. “Rusty did a good job,” she said.
“He’s had plenty of practice patching up cowboys. But he knew better than to try and take that bullet out. You did a good job, too, Sarah.”
“Tell me that when you’re healthy enough to walk out of here.” Sarah examined the shoulder wound, which was still oozing blood where the bullet had entered. She replaced the dressings with fresh ones and wrapped his shoulder again. Last night when she’d cut away his clothes and dressed his wounds without knowing who he was, she’d had no reaction to their physical contact. But this was different. This was Joe. He was awake and aware. So was she.
Her palms felt the warmth and texture of his skin, and the hard muscles beneath. Her hands lingered when there was no reason to. Touching him was pure, raw pleasure.
As the heat crept into her face, she realized what was happening. Suddenly self-conscious, she lifted her hands away.
“Rusty left me plenty of cash,” she said, filling the silence that had fallen between them. “I can ride into town and buy you something to wear. Except for the boots, your old clothes weren’t worth saving. And I still have Uncle Harlan’s clothes. You’re about his size. If you don’t mind dressing like a middle-aged doctor, you can wear them once you’re out of bed.”
“How soon can I get up?” he asked. “Can I try it today?”
“Not a good idea. You’re so weak, you could pass out. The fall could open up your wound, and if you went down, I’m not sure I could get you up.”
“I just feel guilty, taking your bed.”
“Don’t worry about it. My bed is the best place for you right now.” Bending above him, she folded the covers back to check the wound in his side. “I’ll need to unwrap it to change the dressing. It’s bound to be tender. How’s your tolerance for pain, cowboy?” She adopted a teasing tone, partly as a defense.
“I’m tough. I’ll be fine. I can sit up all the way if you want.”
“No, stay where you are. Just give me room to move.”
Finding the end of the wrapping that held the dressing in place, she began unwinding it from around his body, a delicate task that involved reaching in close without putting pressure on his injuries.
As her cheek brushed the mat of dark hair on his chest, she heard—and felt—the sharp intake of his breath. “Did I hurt you?” she asked.
“No,” he muttered. “I just—”
“Just what?”
“Never mind. Go ahead and do what you need to.”
* * *
Joe swore silently as she leaned over him. The urges he’d felt when thinking and dreaming about Sarah were nothing compared to what he was feeling now. The subtle fragrance of her hair and skin crept through his senses. The touch of her hands on his bare skin, the accidental brush of a breast against his shoulder, and the nearness of those soft, ripe lips . . . Hellfire, she was driving him crazy.
Only the dangerous wound in his side—and the certainty that he’d end up getting his face slapped—kept him from capturing her in his arms, pulling her down to him, and tasting the sweetness of her mouth.
He glanced down to make sure the quilt was covering him below the hips. To have her see what was happening to his body would be the ultimate embarrassment.
Anyway, what was he thinking? It wouldn’t do to just grab her