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“A sundress.”
“Looks great on you,” I tell her, my tone a little flirty because I love the way she always rolls her eyes when I compliment her. It’s clear the woman hasn’t been treated right, but I ignore that part of my brain that screams I have no business trying to be the man that would.
“Come closer so I can get a better look.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she mutters, dropping her bag to the chair on the far side of the room. “If I walk closer, you’d be able to see up my dress.”
“Huh. I didn’t even consider that,” I lie. “Are you not wearing panties?”
I know the look of playful exasperation she throws over her shoulder is meant to be chastising, but it makes me smile wider.
“Are you sure you could do push-ups before?”
I chuckle. “Pretty damn certain.”
A thrill rushes up my spine when I see her eyes rake down my body. Her cheeks flush when she realizes she’s been caught.
“Did you think about the swim back?”
I turn to my back and look at her, confusion pulling my brows together.
“When you swim out from the beach, you have to conserve energy in order to make it back to shore.” She points at my supine position. “Did you consider you’d have to get off that floor?”
I raise my hand in her direction. “I figured I’d get a little help.”
Her grin grows. “Because you want to see if I’m wearing panties or not?”
I drop my hand, grimacing when I push myself into a sitting position.
“I wouldn’t really look under your dress without permission.”
I swallow as she crosses the room in my direction.
“You’re getting better,” she praises as she helps me to my feet.
“Haven’t used the wheelchair once today.”
“Very good. Now head into the bathroom. I’ll grab you some clean clothes for after your shower.”
“I took a shower earlier.” Just the thought of the energy another would require makes me cringe.
“And if you get in the bed all sweaty, I’ll have to change your sheets.” She presses her palm to her side. “Are you really going to make more work for me?”
Before I can answer her, a knock sounds at the door. It opens before either of us can answer it. Rachel, one of the other aides that usually works in the evenings, pokes her head in, her intentions becoming clear when she frowns at the sight of Sunshine standing near me.
“Just checking to see if you needed anything,” Rachel says, the lilt in her tone saying she’d help me with anything.
“We’re good. Sunshine is going to help me in the shower.”
Rachel nods before backing out of the room and pulling the door closed.
“Seriously,” she snaps, swatting at my chest with the back of her hand. “You’re going to get rumors started. You need to be careful around her. You know she plans her wedding on her breaks, and the only thing she hasn’t decided on is her groom.”
“I knew a couple women like that in the Corps,” I mutter as I slowly make my way toward the bathroom. “Maybe if there are rumors that we’re hooking up, she’ll leave me alone.”
She scoffs, reaching into the small built-in closet for a clean pair of sweats. “She doesn’t have a problem with trampling on others to get what she wants, and rumors like that will get me fired.”
“I don’t think Kincaid would fire you for showing me a little extra attention.”
“First off,” she says holding up a finger. “You make that sound incredibly gross, but more importantly, my day job would be in jeopardy.”
“Really?” I take a few more steps toward the bathroom, grateful for the conversation because it distracts her from how slowly I’m still moving.
“Getting involved with a patient is a huge no-no.”
“I can understand that if I were one of your old wrinkly patients.”
“Mr. Copeland has surprisingly soft skin for a ninety-three-year-old,” she teases. “But seriously, just be careful with the women around here. There are several who would love to get their hooks in a Cerberus member.”
“They wouldn’t be afraid to lose their jobs?”
I reach the bathroom door handle, trying to disguise my sharp, tired intake of breath under a scoff.
“Why would they need to worry if they have someone from the club taking care of them?”
“I take it you have no desire to be a kept woman?”
She steps around me, placing the folded clothes on the bench outside of the shower stall. I hate the sight of the shower chair in there, but I know I’ll be using it. I made it halfway through my first shower today before needing it, but I know after the meager amount of exercise I’ve done, I’ll be using it from the onset of this one.
“I’m not the type to depend on anyone for anything. I learned my lesson on that a long time ago.”
