Page 33 of Unexpected Entanglement

“I’ll get the first aid kit out!” Alex shouted from where she stood.

“Go that way,” Rowan pointed behind him. “We’ll go through the basement so we won’t track mud all over.”

With his hand firmly clamped over Rowan’s bleeding one, they went to a door at the basement level that opened to a mudroom. They kicked off their dirty shoes by the door, but Rowan didn’t budge beyond there.

“Grab me a beach towel from that closet over there.” She replaced his hand with her own on the wound as Chris rushed to the door she’d pointed.

He grabbed two towels, one for himself, and wrapped the other around her shoulders.

“Uh…” She hesitated as she glanced at him.

“What?”

“I need to get out of these clothes. I don’t want to drip all over the wood floor.”

Chris looked at her with a cocked brow. “Okay, you want me to help?”

“No!” She waved him off. “Go upstairs.”

“But your hand—”

“It’s fine. It’s barely bleeding anymore. See…” She opened her hand, and the blood oozed out again.

Chris quickly reapplied pressure, this time with his towel.

“Oh, the towel!” Rowan complained.

“It’ll wash,” Chris said, exasperated. “Either you take off your clothes now or wet the floor. Make your choice. I can see everything through your T-shirt, anyway.”

“What?” she shrieked and looked at herself. “Turn around!”

“I wasn’t looking!” Chris assured her but did as he was asked.

He didn’t intentionally look, but he had eyes. Her wet white tee was plastered to her body, accentuating the shape of her bra-clasped breasts. And good lord, what a glorious pair they were, all round and high with perky points. He bet that water was cold.

Chris wished he could admire them properly, but his head—the one with the brain—took over.

You’re a fucking gentleman. Act like one. She isn’t the first half-naked woman you’ve seen, for god’s sake.

It took some maneuvering to get Rowan’s arm out of her sleeve, since she told him to close his eyes while still held pressure on her cut. Soon enough, she wound herself in the large towel. Though the towel covered more of her than her clothes did, it didn’t help the wild images running in Chris’ mind because he knew she was buck naked under it.

They left the wet clothes piled in the plastic bin nearby, made their way up the small staircase, and emerged in the hallway between the kitchen and the manager’s office.

Alex popped out at the end of the hallway. “What took you so long?” Her eyes widened as she took in her friend’s lack of attire.

“She’d rather get naked than soil the floor,” Chris explained.

Running her gaze between Rowan and Chris, Alex quipped, “I didn’t realize you’re all that comfortable with each other already.”

“Do you know how long it took to sand, buff, and stain all this flooring?” Rowan retorted.

“Yes, I do.” Chris pulled her to the sink and started washing her wound with cool water and soap.

Rowan groaned, feeling the sting.

“What do we have?” Oliver asked as he brought the first aid box closer to them.

“Deep gash.”

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