Page 27 of Hot For You

A part of her had wanted to get home at once, and another part knew she had no business driving. Her head was splitting and she still felt foggy, and was having a hard time thinking clearly.

Cody walked into the bedroom, smiling as he saw that she was awake, his brown eyes warm. Despite her headache, she couldn’t help but admire the pure masculinity of his presence. He wore a T-shirt that fitted snugly to his muscular frame, stretching around the width of his biceps and across his chest.

He came closer and stood beside the bed, looking down at her. “How are you doing?”

“Hi.” She managed a return smile and started to push herself up in bed. Her head swam and she put the heel of her palm to her forehead as if that would stop the spinning. “I guess I’ve been better.”

“You can stay here as long as you need to.” The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he sat down on the bed beside her. “There’s no rush in leaving.”

“You don’t need to take care of me.” She slid back down again though, fighting a wave of nausea. “Maybe you could give me a ride home to Leigh’s and I’ll get the car later.”

“Not happening.” He shook his head. “I’m going to watch you for a full twenty-four hours. After that we’ll see how you feel. If Leigh was here to check in on you, that would be one thing. But I’m not leaving you alone.”

She sighed. “All right. I hate being any trouble for you.”

He rested his hand on her wrist and she looked at it. The hair on his arm was a brownish-gold against his tanned skin. His fingers were long and strong and his touch felt warm and comforting. “You’re no trouble.”

“Ha,” she said, giving him a teasing smile as she met his gaze. “I’m being a big pain.”

His expression turned serious. “I’m sorry this happened, honey.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” She put her hand over where his rested on her arm and she liked the feel of his warm skin beneath her palm. “I had a great time.” She gave a wry smile. “Up until the rattlesnake spooked Molly. Whatever happened to that snake, anyway?”

His features hardened a little, as if the thought of the snake being a danger to her stirred anger inside him. “That’s what the snake shot was for. I buried what was left of the head once I killed it. A rattlesnake’s fangs are just as poisonous when it’s dead.”

“Oh.” She let out her breath. “I forgot about the snake shot.”

“Are you up to going to the kitchen for breakfast?” he asked. “Or would you like me to serve you in bed?”

Carilyn would have shaken her head if it didn’t hurt so much. “I can get up. I need to move around.”

He squeezed her arm. “Why don’t you swing your legs over the side of the bed and take it easy when you stand. Make sure you’re okay to walk.”

Her bruised body complained as she sat up in bed and slowly slid her legs off the mattress and stood. His T-shirt fell to mid-thigh and the tile was cool beneath her bare feet. She felt sore, woozy, and wobbly but she gave him a smile. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a chance to put on my jeans.”

He left the room and she grimaced as she pulled on her jeans and then she stuffed her phone in her pocket. She headed out of the bedroom with its rustic furniture, and burgundy and forest green curtains and comforter.

“I had no idea that having a concussion could affect me like this,” she said as she entered the kitchen and saw Cody.

“Concussions can range from mild to severe, and yours seems to be moderate.” He rested his hand on her shoulder when he reached her. “If it gets any worse, we’ll get you to a doctor. I know a couple of good ones.”

“Thanks.” She glanced at him and tried to look like she was smiling and not grimacing. “I’m sure I’m going to be okay.”

“I’ve know people who have seemed all right at the start,” he said, “but then it progressed to something much worse. I’ll just keep an eye on you.”

“Okay.” She really couldn’t argue with the pounding in her head making it feel like it was splitting.

The kitchen smelled great, of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. She figured her appetite was just fine when her stomach growled.

“Have a seat.” He nodded at the kitchen nook table. “I’ll bring you a plate.”

Ordinarily she would have insisted on helping, but in this case she did as he told her and seated herself at the round oak table. It wasn’t long before he was setting in front of her a plate with two four-inch round pancakes, two strips of bacon, and a good-sized portion of scrambled eggs.

“If that’s too much, you don’t have to eat all of it,” he said. “By the same token, if you’re still hungry when you finish, there’s plenty more.”

Carilyn picked up a forkful of eggs and found them to be delicious and her stomach more than happy to receive them. She poured maple syrup on her pancakes. “This is great.”

He chewed and swallowed a bite of bacon. “Other than the headache, how are you doing?”

---