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“My ribs, I think.”

“Hmm. Maybe you should…”

Before she could finish the sentence, Theo pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

Fuck.

Phoebe had seen Theo naked before, but it took her breath away every damn time. Especially with him so close. So close and so vulnerable and looking at her like that, like he might lose control at any minute.

“Uh … right … okay.” She spun in a little circle trying to gather her thoughts and remember what the hell she was supposed to do now.

Theo smirked.

“I need to get a few things,” she said, racing from the room to gather her supplies and cool the hell down.

Theo was injured.

Fee was practicing her skills and her recipes for her work.

That was what was happening here.

She would not let herself believe it was anything else. Not after all this time with nothing. All this time of Theo pushing her away.

Theo was her friend, and she was going to help him.

She grabbed her newly made jar of arnica ointment and a vial of rosemary essential oil from the wooden shelves she’d just added to her kitchen and took a deep breath before returning to the living room.

She could do this.

“Here we go,” she said, putting the oil down on the coffee table and unscrewing the lid of the ointment. “I think this will work well for your face. Uh … may I?”

She stepped closer, and Theo grinned. Even with the bruises and cuts he was pretty.

“Have at it,” he said.

“I … uh … I’ll just…”

Theo widened his legs, and she stepped cautiously between his thighs. He kept up his cocky grin, but she could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He didn’t know how to handle this thing between them either.

Neither of them ever had.

She scooped a bit of ointment out with her fingertips.

“Be gentle, Fee,” he rasped as she swiped the cream along his cheekbone.

His hands were on his knees, and she wished he’d put them on her hips again. She wished he’d keep her in place, because she felt like she might drift away.

“I will.”

She dabbed the homemade mixture on his cheeks and above his brow bone where the bruising was the worst and Theo’s eyes fluttered closed. Her fingers trembled as they ghosted over his skin.

“You’re good at this,” he murmured.

“Thanks.” She pushed a few curls from his forehead with her clean hand, wanting to touch him just a little bit more, unable to resist.

He sighed.

“That should help with the pain.”