When Sean made a subtle grab for her as she stepped back, Grace sidestepped the attempt with ease. Lowering her voice so no one nearby could overhear, she tipped her head and gave him a warning look. “If I remember correctly, there isn’t much that doesn’t turn you on. But if that’s what it takes for you to obey the doctor’s orders, then consider me in charge.”
The way his gaze dropped to her mouth sent a stir of desire through her, despite his injuries. “Hmm. I have to admit, bossy looks good on you.”
The amusement dancing in his eyes made it impossible not to smile. “Nice to know.” She pointed toward the pharmacy counter, putting as much mock authority into the gesture as she could manage. “Now, get your meds and meet me next door.”
His low chuckle told her he saw right through her attempt at command. Still, he dipped his head in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”
Satisfied, Grace turned and headed toward the door, her smile lingering as she stepped outside. For the first time since Dan had interrupted the yoga class, the knot of fear inside her had loosened enough for something lighter to take its place.
Sean was bruised and sore. He would be miserable once the pain medication wore off. And he was going to fight every order she gave him over the next few days. The thought should have exhausted her.
Instead, it made her smile as she crossed to the pizza place next door, already planning exactly how she intended to keep Special Agent Sean Malone resting where he belonged.
By the time Sean’s prescription was ready, the steady ache in his shoulder had grown into a deep throb that pulsed with every movement. The rest of his body had begun to protest as well. Bruises he’d barely noticed at the hospital now made themselves known, each step sending fresh reminders of the impact through his ribs, hip, and legs.
The pharmacist set the white paper bag on the counter and slid it toward him.
“Make sure you take this with food. It can wreak havoc on your stomach. Do you have any questions about the drug?”
“No, thanks.”
Sean signed for the prescription, checked the box declining the consultation, and handed over the twenty dollars he had borrowed from Grace to cover the copay and the Tylenol.
The whole thing grated on him. He had left for his run with nothing but his house keys, phone, and his concealed weapon. Deputy Montgomery had secured the gun at the scene, and Sheriff Griffin had returned it when Sean was discharged from the ER, but everything else had fallen to Grace.
She had driven him to the pharmacy, covered the copay without hesitation, and overruled every halfhearted protest he had made about not needing the prescription filled. Sean was no stranger to people looking after him when circumstances called for it. His family had done it often enough over the years, and there had been a few women in his past who had fussed over him after an injury or a rough case.
This felt different.
Maybe it was the calm certainty in Grace’s voice when she told him what he needed. Maybe it was the way she slipped into caretaker mode without making him feel helpless. Whatever the reason, the part of him that hated being dependent warred with another part that found himself taking comfort in her quiet authority.
“Okay, then, have a nice day.”
The pharmacist’s bright smile earned little more than a grunt from Sean.
Bag in hand, he headed next door to the pizzeria, following the scent of baked dough and melted cheese. The warm, crowded shop buzzed with conversation from the noon-time customers and the clatter of pans behind the counter.
His mood soured the moment he spotted Grace at the register. The guy behind the counter was staring at her. Not glancing. Staring. And practically drooling.
Sean’s jaw clenched.
Dressed in tight yoga pants, a fitted tank, and the lightweight hoodie she had thrown on after class, Grace looked incredible. Her blond hair was twisted up at the back of her head, exposing the elegant line of her neck.
He could hardly blame the man’s interest. That did not mean he had to like it.
The pizzeria clerk was not the first. Sean had noticed more than enough male attention directed her way since the accident. The doctor. One of the hospital security guards. An orderly. The pharmacist. A handful of others who had looked with varying degrees of subtlety.
Jealousy was not an emotion he had dealt with in years, and the sharp scrape of it across his nerves caught him off guard. It was not Grace’s fault. She couldn’t help being beautiful. He just needed to keep reminding himself that men could look all they wanted. She was going home with him. The thought caused some of the irritation to fade.
As Grace accepted the pizza box, Sean slipped his good arm around her waist and guided her toward the door and out to the car.
Dan had promised to drop off a bag with clothes and toiletries after he closed the hardware store, leaving Sean with nothing to do but ride shotgun while Grace steered them toward her condo. Not that he minded.
The thought of spending the next few days at her place carried an appeal that had nothing to do with the doctor’s orders. Even before getting run down, he had spent more nights there than at the beach house. Most mornings, he had driven straight from her condo to the sheriff’s department, stopping by the cottage only when he needed clean clothes or something he had forgotten.
The arrangement had come together without discussion, as natural as breathing.
He shifted against the seat, trying to find a position that did not aggravate the growing ache spreading through his shoulder and ribs. The movement sent another pulse of discomfort through him, and he let his head rest against the window as his thoughts drifted back to Grace.
