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Sweetheart. The man had just plucked my last nerve.
The question was also loaded, his tone exacerbating the slight fake southern drawl he’d used. I chose to ignore his sexual banter. I doubted it would be his last.
“Get down on your back. We’re going to do some stretching exercises. I suggest you get yourself a similar mat to make this easier when you exercise on your own. You’ll need to stretch several times a day.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Oh, yes, it will.”
Even if I have to hogtie you in order to make that happen.
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“So I’ve been told.” The man’s stubbornness defied all comprehension. “Do you not want to get better? Are you happy being the big grump, refusing to come out of your house?”
“Yeah, maybe I am.”
“Unbelievable,” I muttered. How many buttons was he planning on pushing?
“Lady. You can leave if you don’t like it.”
What an asshole. The upturned corners of his lips told me in no uncertain terms he was enjoying every minute of this.
I pointed to the mat, keeping a stern schoolteacher expression on my face.
Snorting, he kept his hard glare for a few seconds before doing what I asked. The moment he laid down, my eyes fell to the thick bulge between his legs. Shit. He was still fully aroused.
Get your mind out of the gutter. He’s a patient. There are rules.
To hell with the rules.
I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing then dropped down onto my knees next to him. At least his nastiness would keep me from doing anything stupid. “Take a deep breath. It’s important you breathe as you exercise. I’m going to lift your uninjured leg to test your extension abilities.”
“Talk English,nurse. Some of us are idiots.”
“I need to test your abilities to know how to provide the best care. You’re not an idiot, Snake. In fact, you have a genius IQ. You were trained in some of the most dangerous work in the Marines, which means your skills could allow you to do anything you wanted.” Shit. Why had I spouted that off to him?
“In other words, why am I wasting my life away doing nothing. Right? You’re just a shrink in disguise. To hell with that.”
“You’re also an arrogant pain in the ass with a God complex. You refuse to care about anybody other than yourself, which is going to leave you old and lonely. And quite frankly? From what I’ve seen, that’s exactly what you deserve.” A single bead of perspiration dared to slip down my temple, which of course he noticed, grinning like some delinquent kid in a candy store ready to tear the place apart. But it was obvious he didn’t respond to compliments. I had no problem dishing out exactly what he was looking for as long as it made him angry enough to show off. I jerked my hands away, chastising my behavior.
“Do I make you nervous, sweetheart?”
“Crocodiles make me nervous, Corporal. Wolves in heat make me nervous. You just piss me off.” My frustration was growing. If I could hear it in my voice, so could he. It was providing far too much satisfaction for him.
At least my snarky comments garnered me a natural grin. “I assure you that I have sharp teeth, Ms. Garrington, and I ain’t doing this.”
When he dared to try to get up a second time, I planted my palm on his chest, straddling his legs. “You will not fight me or so help me God, I will make you suffer.”
For the first time, a full smile crossed his face, his eyes twinkling. “I’d like to see you try, lady.” In a flash, he rolled me over, straddling me, his muscular thighs pressing against my hips. When he yanked my arms over my head, a moment of sheer terror roared into my system, a single vision almost creating panic.
But I managed to stop it, grasping that even as difficult as Corporal Garcia intended on being, he wasn’t a monster.
Just a man suffering from PTSD.
And a jerk determined to throw me off my game.
“Get your hands off me,” I hissed, although there was no conviction in my voice. From this vantage point, I was able to bask in his glorious body, drinking in his musky essence. The citrusy scent was traveling far too deep into my system, exciting every nerve ending.
