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She put her B-cup push-up bra back on the minute he’d finished shooting the film. He probably thought her a prude and that was why his flirting had come to a quick halt.
“Good news,” he said, coming back into the room. “The X-rays don’t show any breaks.”
“I told you I was fine.” Thank goodness she’d been right. There had been small niggles of doubt when she moved certain ways and sharp pain had stabbed her chest wall. “Just sore.”
“If that soreness doesn’t ease in a few days, I should order a CT scan. Sometimes rib fractures don’t show as well on X-ray, especially non-displaced ones.”
“We both know that even if my ribs had been broken all you’d do is bind my chest and tell me to give it time.” She gave him a bright smile. “I’ll be fine.”
“I suspect you will.” He studied her, his expression serious and not a hundred percent convinced. “You want me to write something for pain?”
“I wouldn’t take it even if you did.” She couldn’t imagine many circumstances in which she’d take pain medications. She’d seen one colleague too many end up with addiction problems.
“You might regret that decision later tonight.”
“I won’t.” Feeling the pain would remind her that she was alive, that Levi had come to her rescue, saved her life.
“You’re one tough cookie, Madison.”
Her insides melted at her name rolling off his lips. “I try, Dr. Fielding.”
“I asked you to call me Levi.” His gaze lingered on her mouth long enough to make the pit of her stomach dip to her toes and boomerang back like an overstretched rubber band.
“That you did.” She tried not to read too much into his look, but failed miserably. How could she not when he looked as if he was wondering what kissing her would be like? When she really wanted him to kiss her? She lowered her gaze to his lips, hoped she conveyed that she wanted him to lean in, to touch his mouth to hers. “Levi.”
Not leaning in or touching his lips to hers, he cleared his throat and glanced at his watch. “There’s still another hour at the picnic if you want to go back.”
“No, thanks.” She shook her head. ?
??Going back to work tomorrow and dealing with all the embarrassing commotion of having choked will be soon enough.”
“Did you get to eat?” he surprised her by asking, his gaze flicking to hers.
“No.” She’d poured a drink, taken that fateful gulp that had gone down the wrong pipe, and had never made it to prepare a plate of food. “I’ll grab something later.” She gave a self-derisive smile as her gaze met his, held. “Maybe this time I won’t get choked.”
“I didn’t finish and I’m starved.” He rubbed his belly, emphasizing his point. Or was it those flat abs she wanted to lick he was emphasizing? She had to stop looking at Levi like human eye candy. She had to. Or did she? Maybe that was how playgirls saw the opposite sex? After all, he was delicious on the eyes, sugary sweet and made her want to go into a Levi-induced diabetic coma.
“You want to grab a pizza before I drop you off?”
She wanted to grab a lot more than pizza.
“You’d miss the rest of the picnic.” Now, why had she pointed that out? Why hadn’t she just said, “Yes, take me now, I’m yours, but don’t go messing with my heart because it’s off limits”?
“Oh, no, not that,” he teased.
A hot flush spread across her cheeks.
“Pizza sounds wonderful.” Reminding herself that him asking her to eat meant nothing, absolutely nothing except that he probably wanted to make sure she didn’t choke on her food again. Madison managed not to melt at his feet, managed to keep her hands to herself. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind, Madison,” he said in an all-too-serious voice, then blew it by adding, “Just ask anyone who knows me. They’ll tell you what a naughty boy I am.”
There he went with that flirty tone again. And with the eyes. Those eyes screamed with pure male naughtiness.
Dr. Levi Fielding was definitely flirting with her. Question was why hadn’t he all along when she hadn’t hidden her interest? Currently, he was looking at her as if they’d been typed and crossed and were a perfect match.
Based on his supposed history with women, his interest wouldn’t last long. She’d wanted his attention from the moment they’d met. Why not soak up every morsel and enjoy whatever the day brought? Just so long as she remembered she was a player, too, one who kept her heart locked away, what could spending time with Levi hurt? Wasn’t that what she wanted, after all?
And, really, it wasn’t as if she had the strength to say no. Not with her oxygen-depleted brain and all.
