&nb
sp; After he’d sufficiently cleaned the area, he dabbed on some antibiotic ointment, squirted a small line onto the non-adherent gauze portion of a plastic bandage, and pressed the bandage over her injury. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Levi bent, pressed a light kiss to the top of the bandage. “All better.”
Inhaling sharply, she clashed gazes with his. The heat there this time almost made his knees buckle.
He wanted her. Enough that he’d really like to push her down on the blanket, spread her legs, and push inside her with all the impatience running rampant through his veins.
“It is now.” She didn’t look away, just stared into his eyes, making him feel weak and ten feet tall all at the same time. How did she do that? How did she make him instantly get rock hard?
“Thank you, Levi.” She placed her hand on his, effectively shutting off all blood flow to his brain.
“You’re welcome.”
Rather than pick up her pole, she forwent more fishing to sit on the blanket, next to where he’d been relaxing. She wrapped her hands around her raised knees, propped her chin there.
Levi sat back down, not sure them sitting so close on a spread blanket in the sunshine at a secluded spot at his favorite place in the world was such a good idea.
“Rescuing me is quickly becoming a habit,” she mused, staring out at the water.
“You’re just a regular damsel in distress,” he teased, grateful for the conversation to take his mind off the direction his brain had headed. “You make men like me look good.”
Rolling her eyes, she laughed softly. “You look good regardless and you know it.”
Her tone hadn’t been purely complimentary, so he shrugged and gave her an honest response rather than something flippant. “Looks aren’t everything.”
“No, definitely not,” she agreed, shaking her head, her face pinched. “But that’s not what I meant. You’re fun, kind, intelligent, caring, easy to talk to, sensitive to your patients and their families. A white knight who comes to the rescue every time this damsel in distress needs you.” Her lips lifted in another soft smile. “A really great guy.”
“You think I’m all that?” Levi grimaced. Sure, he wanted Madison to see him differently from the way other women saw him, wanted her to want the same things he did. But her description of him didn’t bode well. “No wonder you asked if I was gay.”
She snickered, her green gaze lighting with mischief as she lay back on the blanket, stretching out in a way that made her T-shirt stretch enticingly over her small breasts, that emphasized the flatness of her belly and made him want to lift the hem of her T-shirt and take a peek. “Your manhood wasn’t ever really in question.”
“No?”
She was breathtaking when her eyes lit with the brilliance of jewels that way. Breathtaking when her lids half lowered and she bit back a laugh. His own lips twitched with wry amusement.
Her gaze dropped to his lips and she shook her head back and forth slowly against the blanket. As if she didn’t want to lose focus on his mouth. As if she wanted to look and look and put every portion of his mouth to memory. Her tongue darted out, moistened her full bottom lip, contracted every muscle in his body in one fell swoop.
Aw, hell. He could have one kiss without looking in the mirror and seeing dear ole dad. He wanted Madison more than he remembered wanting any woman, but he was a grown man and controlled his actions. He had willpower and wouldn’t be stripping her naked because of a mere kiss. Although she’d look amazing lying out on the blanket, her big green eyes staring up at him as he moved over her, inside her.
Almost as if she could read his thoughts, her eyes darkened to a deep forest green, full of desire and green fire and she rose to a sitting position.
Levi was a goner.
Gone. Completely. Over the top and across the finish line gone.
He leaned, touched his mouth to hers, felt the surprised smile of her lips against his, felt her pleased sigh all the way to the tips of his tennis shoes.
She tasted of something sweet, minty, intoxicating, uniquely Madison.
His willpower was in serious trouble.
This was no mere kiss.
She tasted so heavenly he wanted to sprout wings and a halo and stick around indefinitely, playing harps and singing her feminine praises.
Unable to stop himself, he cupped her face. Gently. Reverently. Forcing himself to keep their kiss soft despite wanting to push her back onto the blanket, press his body into hers, and plunder to his heart’s content.
Her contentment.