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‘That’s actually a good idea.’
‘I know.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t have a sewing kit, but there’s a pair of scissors in the cabinet where the paracetamol was.’
He got them, then returned to his position on the floor and began carefully unpicking the stitches around her ankle.
Many times, in the still and secret darkness of the night, Estelle had allowed herself to imagine being undressed by James. However, none of those fantasies had involved him doing so with a pair of nail scissors. His gaze was focused on his task, so she allowed hers to drift over him. His hair was dark and thick and usually artfully and perfectly tousled. Now, it looked as if he’d run his hands through it in frustration. Estelle wanted to tease it back into place. She watched the movements of his muscles underneath his cashmere jumper and shirt. What would he look like naked?
‘You okay?’ he asked, glancing up.
‘Er, yes. Why?’
‘You shivered.’
‘Um…’
‘I’m nearly done, then you can get in the bath.’
‘Thank you.’
His smile was wide and open. It reminded Estelle of Leo, her youngest brother, who always seemed to get out of the right side of bed each morning.
James carefully worked the jodhpurs over her ankle. ‘There we go.’ He stood. ‘I’ll stay outside the door until you’re in.’
‘Are you going to leave?’ Seriously? Her voice sounded so needy and plaintive.
‘I’d like to stay, if that’s okay? Just to help you out?’
‘Of the bath?’ she squeaked.
He held his hands up as if stopping her question from going any further. ‘No! Just erm, around the house with anything you need.’
‘Oh. Yes, of course.’
‘Feed the dogs? And you, if you’ll trust me?’
‘That would be great. Thank you.’
He went to the door. ‘I’ll be right outside.’
‘Could you go downstairs instead?’
‘Why?’
‘I need to pee and I don’t want you listening.’
He grinned. ‘Okay. I’ll come and check on you in a few minutes.’
Estelle let out a happy sigh. She was relaxed and warm, her hair and skin clean, and her bad ankle propped up out of the bath on a packet of peas with another one on top. The pain had faded into the background and the swelling had already gone down considerably. She wasn’t sure what had happened to the real James Hunter-Savage, as his stupidly handsome body had been taken over by a maid-of-all-work. He’d prepared dinner for Chester and Joy, and by the sounds coming from downstairs, had also put clothes in the washing machine and vacuumed.
His footsteps sounded on the stairs.
‘How are you doing?’ he asked through the door.
‘Amazing, thank you.’ She yawned. ‘I’m actually feeling really tired all of a sudden.’
‘I found your first aid box, and it had bandages and witch hazel. As soon as you’re out of the bath, I’ll strap it up. There’s also Arnica which you should take to help with the bruising.’
