Tender Loving Care

Not until today. Just the thought of undressing his powerful body was enough to send sparks skittering through her, but he was her patient and he was in pain. There’d be time to remember the look and feel of his body when she was at her next assignment.

“No. We also think about ways to torture innocent people. I need you to cooperate.”

He nodded wearily.

Biting her lower lip, Melissa leaned forward and started unfastening his shirt. As she worked the small buttons, she could feel his breath on her face. Each puff of air made her fingers stumble slightly before resuming their task. The fabric parted obligingly and exposed a well-muscled chest covered with rich dark hair. The pattern continued down his flat stomach, only to disappear into the waistband of his jeans.

When she finished with the buttons, he shrugged out of the shirt, then untied his athletic shoes, pulled them off and afterward, the socks.

“Can you stand?” she asked.

“I think so.” He pushed up from the bed. She put out a hand to steady him and he grabbed the support. “Thanks. Maybe I should do the jeans myself.”

She eyed the button fly. “Good idea.”

Don’t stare, she told herself. He mustn’t know you’re at all interested. But then she remembered that Logan couldn’t see her.

Her gaze was drawn to his well-formed hands. Long fingers quickly popped the buttons through the denim. He pushed the jeans past his hips, then sat on the bed. Melissa tried not to look at the tight-fitting white briefs.

“Lie down,” she said softly. She took one of the damp cloths and brushed it across his face and chest. He shivered as the compress cooled his skin and washed away the film of perspiration.

On her tour of the house, she’d left several bottles of pills on the nightstand. She opened one container and shook out two painkillers. After he’d swallowed the medication, she pulled the sheet and blanket up to his shoulders and brushed the hair away from his forehead. The welts on his face could wait for treatment.

“Try to sleep now, Logan. I’ll check in at regular intervals. Wendi said I could take the room next door. Is that all right with you?”

“That’s fine.”

She pulled her hand away, but he caught her wrist. His thumb brushed back and forth against the sensitive inner flesh.

“I could get used to this kind of treatment, Melissa.”

She tried to laugh, but the only sound that came out was a slight croak. She cleared her throat. “That’s what they all say, the first day. I’ll be a holy terror by the end of the week.”

The medicine was beginning to work, and she saw the muscles in his face relax. “Yeah, sure. I’m really scared,” he murmured, then released her hand.

Long after she’d left the room, the inside of her wrist tingled from his touch.

Chapter Two

Three hours later, Melissa crept back into Logan’s room. The past few times she’d checked on him he’d been sleeping soundly, but now it seemed as though he were starting to get restless.

The bedroom was large, with stark white walls and a deep blue carpet. Massive pieces of furniture, from the four-poster bed to the two matching armoires, proclaimed the territory as belonging to a man. A chair rail, in the same rich mahogany as the rest of the furniture, bisected the walls. Opposite the door was a white brick fireplace, flanked by two leather wing chairs. The only incongruous note was the French Impressionist paintings hanging on the walls.

The armoire to the left of the bed contained stereo equipment. She glanced at the CDs scattered on the table and picked up the sound track to The Phantom of the Opera. When the opening bars of music began to softly fill the room, Melissa moved to the bed.

Logan stirred, then rolled onto his back.

“Hi,” she said, stepping closer to him. “How do you feel?”

“You don’t want to know.” He touched his fingers to the bandage around his eyes. His color was no longer gray.

She perched on the edge of the mattress and pulled his hand into her lap. The literature she’d been reading about the newly blind had said that they need a lot of physical contact with the world around them. Feelings of panic and disorientation weren’t uncommon. Even though Logan’s eyesight would be fine once the bandages were off, it was her job to deal with his emotional well-being. She clasped the strong fingers within her own.

The contact felt nice…too nice. It’s just a job, she reminded herself.

“Are you in pain?”

“Not if you don’t count anything above the shoulders.” Logan pulled his hand away and raised himself to a sitting position. The sheet fell to his waist, exposing the expanse of his chest. Dark hair, curling across well-formed muscles cried out to be touched, or at the very least, admired. His fingers returned, tentatively searching for hers.

Melissa swallowed and tried to think of something to say. “Are you hungry?” The staff nurse had told her he hadn’t eaten any lunch and very little breakfast.

“I think so, but I’d like to wash up. I can still smell the hospital.”

“No problem. Only it’s too soon for a bath or shower. You mustn’t get the bandages wet.”

“You are bossy, aren’t you?”

“I prefer to think of myself as having well-developed leadership qualities.”

He grinned. The overhead light cast shadows on the hollows of his cheeks. “Like I said. Bossy.”

She pulled back the sheets, then waited until he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He was very masculine…and virtually naked. Long legs stretched on forever; the lean muscles were covered by hair as dark as that clinging to his chest. The tight briefs around his middle only outlined the…uh…maleness below. Why did he have to be so damned good-looking?

“I think I might be able to find my way,” Logan said, turning toward the hall. “I occasionally make this journey in the dark.”

“Suit yourself.” She let him walk two steps and bang his shin on the end of the bed.

“Ow. Why didn’t you warn me?”

“Would you have listened?” she asked, filling her voice with as much sweetness as possible.

He bent down and rubbed his leg. “I will from now on. Lead the way.”

Melissa put his hand on her arm and counted out the steps to the bathroom. When they reached the door, she flipped on the light.

“Why did you do that?” he asked.

“What?”

“Turn on the light. Are you planning to watch?”

The outrage in his voice started her lips twitching. “It’s just this weird thing I do. When I walk into a dark room I reach for the light. Call me crazy. And as for watching…honey, you haven’t got anything I ain’t seen.”

“We’ll discuss that another time. Just give me a shove in the general direction and leave me in peace.”

“Two steps forward. The sink is to the right. I’ve left out your toothbrush, with toothpaste, and there’s a towel next to it.”

He turned to her. “Is there anything you haven’t thought of?”