She dabbed gently at the wound, relieved to see the bleeding had pretty much stopped. While his skin dried in the wind, she located some butterfly bandages in the first aid kit. Three for sure, maybe four, and then she’d wrap an ace bandage around his bicep to soak up any blood that seeped out.
Increased lights along the shoreline up ahead on the left indicated the location of another small town. They’d passed two already. “Where are we going, anyway,” she asked Trent as she unwrapped the first bandage.
“Bellagio.”
A map of the lake materialized in her mind. “Why that far?”
“Because it’s that far.”
“Oh.”
“The consulate’s closed by now anyway, so we’ll get some rest and head to Milan in the morning.”
“I figured that much.” She lifted the first bandage while releasing a wistful sigh. “Bellagio’s across the lake from Villa Carlotta. I wish I could’ve seen the gardens there.”
“You’ll still get to see them.”
“I doubt it.” She touched his arm to warn, “I have to pull the edges together to put the bandages on.”
He blew out another breath and nodded. “What’s so special about the gardens at Villa Carlotta?”
She gave him a skeptical look. Like he cared about the rare and exotic plants they housed from all over the world.
“Halli, you can talk about the color of your wallpaper for all I care—just give me something to concentrate on, okay?”
She studied his pinched expression, nodded solemnly and launched into a monologue about the flowers at Villa Carlotta and her garden back home as she placed four butterfly bandages to act as adhesive stitches. His jaw clenched tight, and his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel, but he handled the process stoically now that he wasn’t jumping at every move she made.
Still talking, she reached back for a package of sterile gauze pads and turned around to the see his chin against his chest while he made fake snoring sounds. Gaze narrowed, she thumped him in the back.
He lifted his head, shrugging his injured shoulder in a defensive move that made him grimace as he laughed. “Ouch.”
“Then stop making fun of me. You asked.”
He slid her a downcast, sideways glance. A grin revealed his heart-thumping smile. “Something tells me you’d never get away with that shirt back home.”
Because her little gardening lecture confirmed what end of the boring scale she tipped. Face it, she was the furthest thing from wet and wild he’d ever meet. Halli gave an inward sigh and, while he was distracted by her breasts, reached up and gave him a slap upside the head this time.
“What? That was a compliment. You’ve totally pulled it off today.” His voice lowered. “Quite well, in fact.”
“You’re impossible.” Her face burned as if she’d spent the whole day in the sun. Men didn’t flirt with her for any good reason, much less someone like Trent Tomlin. “Watch where you’re going so I can finish this.”
She tore open the gauze package and folded one of the pads to press against his wound before winding the ace bandage around his arm. Twice she brushed his rib cage by accident; twice his skin twitched and his stomach muscles contracted. Someone was ticklish? Halli fought a smile and the urge to do it again.
“You’re not half bad at this bandaging gig,” he observed when she anchored the wrap with the little metal clips.
“I took a class at the Y.”
“They teach you how to treat gunshot victims at the Y these days?”
“Just basic first aid. Really, anyone could do it.”
“Well, I appreciate your help. Thank you.”
His serious tone brought her head up. Sincerity lit his eyes; a look like that made her crave the kiss he’d intended earlier.
She quickly turned away to pack up the first aid kit. “You’re welcome,” she murmured.
The higher pitched sound of a motor travelling at a fast speed caught her attention. Glancing between them, Trent reached for the gun. “Get down. Now.”