Page 41 of The Fighter
“Yes, I would like you to clean my wound.”
This time his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard again. “Alright, but if I touch you…”
Already knowing what he was going to say, I cut him off. “Don’t worry, Leo. I won’t tell Magni or my dad.”
“I’m only going to clean your wound.”
“Yes.”
In a slow movement, he nodded his head before taking a deep breath and touching my leg. I stood completely still, suppressing the warnings in my head and enjoying the thrill of seeing Leo separate the torn edges of the textile and assess the scratch on my inner thigh. “You’re still bleeding a little.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.” He pushed me back a little to create space for him to get up from the bed and move to his bathroom. “Why were you climbing my fence anyway?”
“Because you didn’t answer the door and I thought you might have gone to bed.”
A moment later, Leo stood in the doorway with a first-aid kit in his hand. “And what was so urgent that you couldn’t tell me tomorrow?”
“Oh, like I just said, you know…” I bit my lip. “Just that I wasn’t mad at you…” I avoided his eyes and flushed red, hoping he would buy my obvious lie.
Walking back to the bed, Leo kept his eyes on me. “Try again. You don’t break into a man’s house without a good reason. Did you snoop through my drawers?” His eyes fell briefly on the nightstand where my tank top was hidden.
“No, of course not.”
“Hmm, admit it, Raven, you were looking for your research?”
“Why would I come here for that? You have it at the station, don’t you?” I gave him a sincere look.
Leo pointed to the bed. “Sit down and let me look at your leg.”
I watched him kneel down in front of me and use both his hands to tear my pants open even more.
“Ehm, Raven, I hate to ask you this, but would you mind spreading your legs a little for me?” Leo gave me another charming smile and again my insides did a somersault. A strong urge to reach out and touch him spread like wildfire inside me.
Don’t do it, my sensible voice warned and made me lean back on my elbows to create distance and keep myself from touching him.
“Like this?” I spread my legs and held my breath a little when he nodded.
“I’m just going to lift your leg so I can see it better with the light.” With a hand under my knee, Leo raised my thigh up and began cleaning the wound with his other hand.
“I can hold my leg up so you can use both hands.”
“Thank you, it’s a bit difficult with the fabric getting in the way.”
“Do you want me to take off my pants?”
His eyes widened, but then he regained his composure and cleared his throat. “Ehm, sure… maybe that would make it easier to see the wound.”
It spoke to my sense of adventure that I’d never been in a situation like this, and from the way Leo touched me with gentle hands, I felt in control. With a small smile, I looked into his brown eyes and raised my hips up from the bed. “Pull.”
He hesitated only for a second before he hooked his fingers into the waistline of my soft pants and peeled them off me.
“How did that feel?” I giggled a little. “It’s the first time you’ve undressed a woman, isn’t it?”
Leo’s ears and neck were red, and he dried his forehead like he was sweating.
“You look hot, Leo. Why don’t you lose that thick sweater? This might take a while.”
