“Ouch.”
Evan froze midcaress, in response to Renae’s involuntary grimace. “What? Did I hurt you? What’s wrong?”
Sheepishly, she eased her left arm from around his neck. “Sorry. It’s a little bruised.”
“Let me see.”
“Oh, well, I—”
But he had already eased her purple cardigan from her shoulders, leaving her arms bared by the sleeveless purple-and-gray-striped sweater she’d worn beneath. The color of her outfit coincidentally matched the deep eggplant blotch that spread from her elbow almost halfway to her shoulder on the outside of her left arm.
&nb
sp; “What in hell did you do to yourself?”
She made a face, instinctively attempting to cover the bruise with her other hand. “It’s a long story.”
She’d arrived at his apartment only a few minutes earlier after several days of debating with herself, and several hours of being convinced that this time she would finally be strong enough to stay away. She’d gotten into her car thinking she would maybe go visit her favorite bookstore, but when she’d reached Evan’s apartment complex, she’d turned into the parking lot in resignation, knowing she’d simply been fooling herself all along.
For all Evan’s warnings about how they needed to talk, he had barely let her into his living room before he had her in his arms.
But now he was more focused on her injury. He moved her hand out of the way and traced a fingertip lightly over the bruise, barely making contact with her skin. Still, it was enough to make her shiver.
“Looks bad. Does it hurt?”
She craned her neck to look at the arm. “Not too much. And it actually looks better than it did. It’s fading some.”
“When did you do it? How?”
She laughed softly, ruefully. “It was one of those silly TV sitcom moments. A stepladder, a pair of overexcited twins and a hyperactive dog.”
“You fell?”
“I caught myself before I hit the floor. But I smacked my arm on a cabinet when I flung it out to steady myself.”
“What were you doing on a ladder?”
“Putting a star on the top of the tree. It would have been fine if Daniel had left the dog outside, as I’d instructed him to do. He spent some time in his room reflecting on why he should do what he’s told.”
Evan bent his head to press his lips to her shoulder. “Did you see a doctor?” he asked, his mouth moving against her skin.
“Um...” She swallowed, her eyelids going heavy. “No, it was just a bruise.”
“I told you I’d help you with the decorations.”
Her eyes flew open. She drew a few inches away from him. “You know why that isn’t going to happen.”
Evan sighed, impatience radiating from him.
“Besides,” she added quickly, “I’m perfectly capable of decorating my own tree. Next time, the dog will stay outside.”
There was still a frown in his eyes, but his hand was very gentle when he stroked it down her arm. “You’ve got a couple hours free, right?”
She nodded. “Lucy and the kids won’t be home until eight. She puts them to bed if I stay out after their bedtime, which isn’t often, but occasionally.”
He picked up her cardigan and held it for her. “Let’s get out of here.”
She was too surprised to resist as he helped her into the sweater. “Where are we going?”