“Let’s see how she feels first,” Blake said grimly, then stepped back in clear indication that the doctor should precede him to the front door.
Joel hesitated, like he wasn’t about to take orders, then he must have remembered that Blake was his boss. He inclined his head at Samantha. “I’ll call you in the morning,” he told her, picking up his bag.
He left the room and Blake saw him out, and Samantha couldn’t help but wonder once again if Blake might be jealous of Joel. The thought made her heartbeat pick up speed. Blake had certainly wanted to kiss her back there on the mountain and surely that had to mean something.
Didn’t it?
All at once she needed to know what he felt for her. “Joel finds me attractive, don’t you think?” she said dreamily as Blake came back in the kitchen looking anything but relaxed.
His eyes filled with meaning. “Sure he does,” he said cynically.
She couldn’t let him get away with that. “What does that mean?”
“Just that any woman with the right equipment can attract a man. And believe me, you’ve got the right equipment,” he drawled, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets, all at once looking very much in charge of himself, making her want to bring him down a peg or two.
“Thanks for the assumption that I’m only good for sex,” she said with faint indignation.
His hands came out of his pockets and his complacency vanished. “I didn’t say that,” he retorted, then strode over to check on the coffee. He spun back around. “Dammit, what the hell are you doing with those men anyway? You don’t need them. They’re beneath you.”
Startled, she gathered her wits about her. This was more like it. “Maybe I want them beneath me,” she joked.
“Don’t talk like that.”
She hid a soft gasp. It did sound like he was jealous. She needed to push more. “I don’t understand how you can say a doctor isn’t good enough for me, Blake.”
“That’s because he’s not good enough for you.”
Her spirits soared. “What about Ralph? You don’t even know what he does for a living.”
“And you do?”
She did, then realized she’d set herself up here. She had to cough before she said, “He’s a car salesman.”
“Huh! That explains the slime rolling off him.”
“Blake!” She hadn’t expected quite such a response. “What’s got into you?”
His mouth drew down at the corners. “Those guys aren’t after you for your intellect.”
She screwed up her nose. “How nice of you to point that out.”
“You know what I’m saying.”
Yes, she did. Unfortunately she knew it was true. And that would have been fine if she’d been the least bit interested in the other men. As it was, she still felt a little guilty using them, though no doubt they were big enough to look out for themselves.
She tilted her head and knew she had to say this. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous.”
“And if I am?” he challenged without warning.
She felt giddy but she couldn’t let herself get her hopes up. “I’d have to ask why. Is it because you know I’m leaving soon and you only want what you suddenly can’t have?”
“What the—”
“Or is it because you might actually want me?”
For a moment he looked like he would move in close. “You ask me that after the kiss we shared?”
Her breath came quickly. “I—”
And then something changed in his expression and his jaw thrust forward. “This isn’t the time to discuss it. You need your rest. You should go lie on the couch.”
Her throat blocked with disappointment, but then understanding dawned and she realized he was pulling back for her sake. If it hadn’t been for her accident, she was sure he would be making love to her right now.
Frustration weaved through her, despite appreciating that he was doing the right thing. “I think I’ll go read in bed. It’s getting late.” He went to come with her and she put her hand up. “No, I can manage by myself. Good night, Blake. And thanks.”
He nodded. “Make sure you sleep in the spare bedroom. I still want you close to me.”
She could feel heat sweeping up her face. Did he have to say it like that? “Okay.”
He seemed mesmerized by her reddening cheeks. “I’ll be checking on you a couple of times in the night.” His voice had a gravelly edge to it now. “So I apologize in advance for disturbing you.”
She looked away; the thought of him coming into her room during the night was enough to disturb her now.
Then she went up to bed with stars in her eyes. And they weren’t from the hit on the head either. Unfortunately she knew he wasn’t about to take advantage of her while she was injured, and certainly not during the night when she was sure he’d remain a perfect gentleman. But he’d better watch out when she was back on her feet.
Blake looked at the bedside clock and grunted to himself. It was almost seven o’clock and still dark outside, but he needed to get up and check on Samantha before he did anything else this morning. Today he planned on working from Pine Lodge so he could keep an eye on her, but he needed to go to the Manor and get some things out of the way first.
He’d spent a restless night, getting up every couple of hours to check on a sleeping Samantha in the bedroom next door. Of course it was easy for her to sleep so peacefully. She didn’t have to stand over an attractive member of the opposite sex who wore satin pajamas and looked deliciously alluring in bed. And she didn’t have to reach out to touch that person’s shoulder to shake them awake, nor rigidly ignore the urge to slide into bed next to her warm body and pleasure her senseless.
He would have done it, too—if he hadn’t had to wake her and ask questions to make sure she wasn’t suffering any sort of confusion. Even now the thought of her having any sort of aftereffects from the head injury still managed to clench his gut tight. He’d hated seeing her hurt. If he hadn’t been so focused on getting her away from that Ralph, then none of this would have happened.
Not even the kiss.
No, that kiss would have happened—if not there, then somewhere else. There was something going on between them now. It had started happening the night she’d handed him her resignation and it hadn’t let up.
And it wasn’t one-sided either. She’d dissolved in his arms so quickly yesterday he’d thought the marrow had melted in her bones. No woman had ever reacted quite like that for him before. It certainly made a man feel good.
Remembering the feel of her lips beneath his, he was tempted to just lie there and think about her, but he knew he’d never get out of bed if he did. And then Samantha would be bringing him breakfast in bed. The thought was more than pleasurable.
Giving a low groan, he tossed back the covers and shoved off the mattress in his pajama bottoms, then headed for the bathroom to take a shower. But as he opened the door and went to reach for the light switch, the light flicked on anyway and Samantha came through the connecting door.
She