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Julie stepped into the office and closed the door with her elbow. “I shouldn’t have carried on like I did,” she said with a grimace. “I’m sorry. You have enough to deal with.”
“It’s okay.” Eric slowly began to relax. Julie wasn’t going to make another argument to become a decoy. She wasn’t going to attempt to seduce him. He admitted he was slightly disappointed in that, but it was for the best.
Everything was all right now. Julie had finally come to her senses. “I want you to know that I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings,” he said.
“I understand.” Julie placed the water and aspirin packet next to his phone. She rested her hip against the edge of his desk, her leg almost grazing his. “You’re protecting me.”
Eric frowned. Did her mouth tighten with annoyance? Nah. It was a trick of the light.
“If you want to work on the case, I can have you help out with audio,” Eric said. He knew she wanted to feel as if she were part of the team. It was the best compromise he could offer.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Julie crossed her legs and he heard the rasp of fabric. The turquoise wrap dress tightened against her hips and thighs, emphasizing her curves. He couldn’t help but notice her legs were bare and smooth.
Julie tilted her head. “You haven’t been getting enough sleep, have you?”
Her question gave him a start. He didn’t need a lot of sleep, but lately he had been spending more nights in the office than usual. “What makes you say that?”
Julie leaned closer. The V of her neckline gaped slightly, offering a glimpse of cleavage. “You look
really pale.”
“I do?” He dragged his gaze from her neckline.
She reached out and flattened her hand against his forehead. Every muscle in his body locked in response. “I don’t think you have a fever,” she said softly.
Her hand felt good. It was warm and gentle. He imagined what it would be like if she stroked him with those hands. She could torment him with a light touch.
“I can’t tell,” she said.
“What?” He blinked as he tried to refocus. “Can’t tell what?”
“If you have a fever. Hold on.” To his surprise, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his forehead. His heart lurched at the touch of her lips against his skin.
She was so close. Too close. Eric swiped his tongue along his mouth as he stared at her throat. He wanted to lick every inch of it, and then he would brand her with a love bite so everyone would know she was his.
He shouldn’t think like that. Julie wasn’t his and never would be. Eric closed his eyes, but that didn’t help. He caught a hint of her scent. It was warm and sweet like cinnamon. He found it difficult to swallow.
“No, no fever,” she said and cupped his face with both hands. He opened his eyes just in time to see Julie peer at him intently.
He wondered what she saw. Was she scared by the darkness in his eyes? She should be. She should be running far away. Didn’t she know that he could pounce at any moment?
“Do you hurt anywhere?”
“Hurt?” he repeated. She had a tender expression that twisted him up inside.
“Any aching?”
Oh, hell, yeah. He was beginning to ache. Eric shifted in his seat. “Were you a nurse in a former life?”
There was a mysterious, almost bittersweet smile. “At one time I thought about it, but I decided I don’t like hanging around hospitals.”
“I know the feeling.” When he was on enforced bed rest from his knife injury he almost went stir-crazy.
“I saw how nicely the doctors sewed you up.” She reached out and brushed her fingertips along the side of his ribs.
He remembered how he’d woken up that morning. Half-naked with Julie, soft and warm underneath him. She had fit snugly against him. The memory made him rock hard.
“You probably haven’t fully recovered.” She continued to caress his scar, almost absently. “You should rest more.”
He scowled at her suggestion. “I’ve been resting for the past six weeks.”
“No, you haven’t,” she disagreed softly. “You’ve been working night and day to help Perry. I admire that about you. Not many guys would take the time to help their godfathers.”
“It’s the least I could do.” He was uncomfortable by the admiring gleam in her eyes. He wasn’t a hero because he was helping a friend. “Perry took care of me plenty of times when I was growing up.”
