amusement, "It will be much faster."
When half the bowl was gone, Leah couldn't manage any more and Reilly set it aside, not forcing her to eat more than she wanted.
"How does your arm feel?" His dark head was tilted to one side, his gaze intently studying her.
Tentatively she moved her left arm, testing it carefully. It was sore, but without that aching throb. She smiled with relief.
"Much better," she nodded.
"You'd better let me have a look at it," he said. "I don't trust your opinion any more." The roguish glint in his eyes removed the sting from his comment.
Without any protest, Leah began unbuttoning her blouse. She was on the third button before she realized she wasn't wearing a bra. Red stained her cheeks a crimson hue as she darted a covert look at Reilly.
"Do you remember that when you were delirious with fever I undressed you to bathe you in the pool?" A black eyebrow arched briefly with question.
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons, neither undoing them nor buttoning them back up. "Yes, I remember." She averted her gaze.
"Your shoulders were chafed from the backpack, so I didn't put your bra back on," he explained.
"I see," she murmured, staring at her fingers clutching the blouse front.
His thumb and forefinger captured her chin and lifted her head to meet the gentle amusement dancing in his eyes. "So did I. Everything there was to see." Her flush deepened, as did his voice with mockery. "It's pointless to turn prudish now, don't you think?"
Leah's answer was to unbutton her blouse the rest of the way, heat flaming through her veins. While Reilly eased her left arm out of the sleeve, she discreetly shielded her breast with her hand. The blood pounded in her ear.
If he found her action amusing, he made no outward sign. Expertly and impersonally, he examined the wound and rebandaged it, helping her back into the blouse.
"This time I think it will heal," he announced, turning away while she rebuttoned the front. "I could wring your neck for not telling me it was bothering you."
"I thought it was healing," Leah defended self-consciously.
"From now on, let me be the judge." He picked up the bowl and rolled to his feet in one fluid moment, reminding her again of his animal grace. "You'd better get some more rest."
"I've been sleeping for days as it is. I think I should get up before I become permanently bedridden," she stated, fighting the waves of weakness as she tried to sit up.
"There's time enough to try your legs tonight, but you rest this afternoon," Reilly insisted.
She lacked the strength to get up on her own. She had to lie back down. Despite the hours of sleep she had had, she was soon dozing off again.
A purple dusk had settled overhead when she awoke, casting its violet color on the smooth water of the dammed pool. Chunks of meat sizzled on a spit above a low camp fire. Again Reilly's sixth sense alerted him to Leah's wide-awake state.
"The food is about ready," he stated. "Do you want to sit by the fire?"
"Yes," she answered emphatically.
When he had lifted her to her feet, Leah's long legs felt like quivering sticks of jelly beneath her. She wavered unsteadily toward the fire. She doubted she could have made it even that short distance if it hadn't been for the support of his steady hand at her waist.
Shakily, she sat cross-legged in front of the firs, realizing the full extent of her weakness. Even her hand trembled when she took the bowl of greens Reilly offered her.
"What is this?" she asked.
"I found some rushes growing on the far side of the pool," he answered, spooning the rest into his bowl. "They may be a bit stringy, but they're edible and nourishing."
Actually Leah thought the dish was quite tastyâdifferent and stringy as Reilly had warned, but otherwise good. But it was the tender white quail meat, roasted to perfection on the spit, that really aroused her appetite. She felt positively stuffed as she finished the last piece and licked her fingers in
When half the bowl was gone, Leah couldn't manage any more and Reilly set it aside, not forcing her to eat more than she wanted.
"How does your arm feel?" His dark head was tilted to one side, his gaze intently studying her.
Tentatively she moved her left arm, testing it carefully. It was sore, but without that aching throb. She smiled with relief.
"Much better," she nodded.
"You'd better let me have a look at it," he said. "I don't trust your opinion any more." The roguish glint in his eyes removed the sting from his comment.
Without any protest, Leah began unbuttoning her blouse. She was on the third button before she realized she wasn't wearing a bra. Red stained her cheeks a crimson hue as she darted a covert look at Reilly.
"Do you remember that when you were delirious with fever I undressed you to bathe you in the pool?" A black eyebrow arched briefly with question.
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons, neither undoing them nor buttoning them back up. "Yes, I remember." She averted her gaze.
"Your shoulders were chafed from the backpack, so I didn't put your bra back on," he explained.
"I see," she murmured, staring at her fingers clutching the blouse front.
His thumb and forefinger captured her chin and lifted her head to meet the gentle amusement dancing in his eyes. "So did I. Everything there was to see." Her flush deepened, as did his voice with mockery. "It's pointless to turn prudish now, don't you think?"
Leah's answer was to unbutton her blouse the rest of the way, heat flaming through her veins. While Reilly eased her left arm out of the sleeve, she discreetly shielded her breast with her hand. The blood pounded in her ear.
If he found her action amusing, he made no outward sign. Expertly and impersonally, he examined the wound and rebandaged it, helping her back into the blouse.
"This time I think it will heal," he announced, turning away while she rebuttoned the front. "I could wring your neck for not telling me it was bothering you."
"I thought it was healing," Leah defended self-consciously.
"From now on, let me be the judge." He picked up the bowl and rolled to his feet in one fluid moment, reminding her again of his animal grace. "You'd better get some more rest."
"I've been sleeping for days as it is. I think I should get up before I become permanently bedridden," she stated, fighting the waves of weakness as she tried to sit up.
"There's time enough to try your legs tonight, but you rest this afternoon," Reilly insisted.
She lacked the strength to get up on her own. She had to lie back down. Despite the hours of sleep she had had, she was soon dozing off again.
A purple dusk had settled overhead when she awoke, casting its violet color on the smooth water of the dammed pool. Chunks of meat sizzled on a spit above a low camp fire. Again Reilly's sixth sense alerted him to Leah's wide-awake state.
"The food is about ready," he stated. "Do you want to sit by the fire?"
"Yes," she answered emphatically.
When he had lifted her to her feet, Leah's long legs felt like quivering sticks of jelly beneath her. She wavered unsteadily toward the fire. She doubted she could have made it even that short distance if it hadn't been for the support of his steady hand at her waist.
Shakily, she sat cross-legged in front of the firs, realizing the full extent of her weakness. Even her hand trembled when she took the bowl of greens Reilly offered her.
"What is this?" she asked.
"I found some rushes growing on the far side of the pool," he answered, spooning the rest into his bowl. "They may be a bit stringy, but they're edible and nourishing."
Actually Leah thought the dish was quite tastyâdifferent and stringy as Reilly had warned, but otherwise good. But it was the tender white quail meat, roasted to perfection on the spit, that really aroused her appetite. She felt positively stuffed as she finished the last piece and licked her fingers in
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