Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

“Shit!” He pulled out his hand and scowled. It was already bleeding—a lot. He grabbed a roll of paper towels from the back and tore off a strip, wrapping it around his middle finger. Carefully he checked the glove box and found an open utility knife.

“Goddammit.” He rolled the blade back into the handle and shut the glove box. Blood was already soaked through the towel and he took it off, staring at the deep gash before tearing off a new strip and wrapping it around his finger.

Waiting for stitches in an emergency room on a Friday night was not how Josh wanted to spend his evening, and suturing his own wound didn’t hold much appeal, either. He checked his watch. If he was lucky, Dr. Howard would still have the office open and could stitch him up in a flash. Josh put the truck in gear and headed to the office.

The streets were full of tourists, the annual season of clogging the roads and alternately bolstering the economy in full swing. It was part of Jewell’s lifeblood. The vibrancy was part of what drew him back here. Life went on.

A silver convertible was the only vehicle outside the doctor’s office—Lizzie’s ridiculous excuse for transportation that was a little too flashy for his liking. She was wicked good at her job, though. Perhaps she was seeing a last patient for the day, Josh thought. He wrapped another square of towel around the already-soaked clump on his finger and headed to the door. Unlocked. A few stitches and they could get on with their weekend plans. The waiting room was empty, though, and a quick glance down the hall showed both exam room doors open. Josh frowned.

“Hey, Doc, you here?”

There was a shuffling sound in the back, and the clunk of a drawer closing.

“Sorry, I’m closing up,” her voice said, and Josh spun to the left and the reception desk. She took one look at the bloody towel and her lips dropped open.

As soon as he saw her stunned expression, Josh’s knees went watery. Shit.

She recovered quickly. “You’ve lost some blood there. Let me have a look.”

Josh gazed stupidly at his finger and back at Lizzie. He took a few steadying breaths, feeling ridiculous. It was just a cut finger. Lizzie stepped forward, took his hand firmly in hers, and turned it over, examining the slice, her fingers cool and soft on his. She was close enough that he could smell her light perfume and as she looked down at his hand he looked at her face, marveling at the fine cheekbones and long eyelashes … but more than that, her hair was down. It had been pulled back yesterday, but today she’d left it loose. It was glorious, just as he’d imagined.

“You’re going to need stitches,” she said.

“What?” Josh struggled to come back to the present. He’d been thinking about sinking his hands into the thick mass of her hair, tilting her head back, exposing the pale column of her neck. Wow. He had to be light-headed, because those thoughts were really inappropriate, considering she was a new doctor in his practice.

“Oh. Stitches. Yeah, I know. I was hoping you could do it and save me a trip to the ER.”

Lizzie circled his wrist with her fingers and led him into the first exam room. “You’d better sit down,” she said gently. “You look like you’re going to faint.”

It was enough to pull him out of his stupor and he shook his head, looking up at her clearly. “I don’t faint at the sight of blood,” he replied, his tone suggesting the very idea was preposterous. He’d be damned if he’d explain that it was her turning his brain to mush rather than any blood loss.

She raised one eyebrow. “You sure?” She moved to a cupboard and took out a tray. “When was your last tetanus?”

“Tetanus?”

“You hurt your hearing as well as your hand?”

He heard the smile in her voice and tried to relax. “No, ma’am. Last year. I was updated last year.”

“Well, I can forego sticking you with a booster, then. Lucky for me I still get to poke you when I freeze your finger.” Her smile looked a little bit smug, he noticed, liking the way her lips titled a bit at the corners as she teased him. He found the hint of sassiness crazy sexy.

In no time flat she’d given him a local anesthetic and grabbed a suture pack and was sitting on a rolling stool putting four stitches in his finger.

“Nice stitches.”

“And you’re done.” She pushed back and peeled off her gloves. “Keep it clean and I’ll take those out for you next week.”

“I can take them out myself, you know.” He sent her a sarcastic grin. “Easier than putting them in.”

She shrugged. “You’re the doc. But you’re also a man, and you’ll want to take them out before they’re ready.”

She was right, not that he’d admit it out loud.

She was up and tidying and he was still sitting on the chair. “You need something else, Josh?”

Did he need anything else? He couldn’t think of a thing. Not one single plausible reason to keep her with him a moment longer. Except …

“You settling in okay?” It was a fair question, right? She’d only been in town a few days.