instead of going to his family?
“You could call your brother. Rick’s a policeman. He can help. He can protect you.”
“I don’t want his protection. I take care of myself.”
“You didn’t do so well tonight. You want to tell me how this happened?”
He sighed. “Peroxide and aspirin first.”
Juliana collected what she’d need. When she returned to the kitchen, Charlie had removed his black T-shirt. Her heart sped up at the sight of his firm chest . . . until she saw the drop of blood sliding down his arm.
“Hold that over the sink.” She dropped her items on the counter.
Reaching into the cupboard above the stove, she located a bottle of Jose Cuervo. She poured a full shot and dumped two aspirins in her hand. She held them out to Charlie, who now stood at the sink.
“Cuervo. You don’t mess around.” His eyes were blue once more. He downed the pills and the contents of the shot glass in one gulp then coughed. “Damn good stuff.”
“Need more?”
“I’m good for the moment.”
“In the movies they pour booze onto the wound,” she said.
“They use whiskey in the movies.”
She held up the bottle to read the label. “This has got a pretty high alcohol content.”
“That’d be wasting good liquor. Use the cheap stuff.” He nodded toward the bottles of rubbing alcohol and peroxide.
“You want a bullet to bite down on?” she asked.
“No gun. And this one went all the way through.”
“I could call my dad. He could help you.”
Charlie shook his head. “He’d want to know why I came to you.”
Juliana cocked her head. “Why did you?”
“It was the only place I could think of.”
She thought he was only telling part of the truth. “It’s late. If you’re going to scream when I pour peroxide on your arm I’d prefer you bite on a towel or something.”
Charlie clutched his chest. “You wound me, and I’m already wounded. You call my manhood into question . . . ”
They both looked at his crotch. Juliana frowned. He didn’t have a hard-on.
“Well, that’s a disappointment,” Charlie said to his groin. Then he lifted his head and gave her a sheepish look. “Anyway, men don’t scream—”
“
You
might.”
“They yell,” he overrode her words.
“I think you need a gag.”
“I want to present the correct manly impression here.”
“Don’t worry about that. After the last few nights, I couldn’t possibly think you’re not a man.”
Charlie’s smile was downright smug. “In that case, I’ll take a towel.”
She held his arm over the sink and poured alcohol on the wounds. Charlie jerked and his yell was muffled in the towel. She hated hurting him. Then she pressed the peroxide into both wounds. When he set the towel aside, he was breathing hard, his head hanging. She poured him another shot of Cuervo and wrapped his shaking fingers around it. He tossed it back in one gulp.
“You’re trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me,” he said.
“Charlie, you’re so easy all I have to do is look at you and you get a hard-on.”
“Only with you.”
She wished that were true. “I’ll do the best I can with these bandages, but I’ll have to go to the store and buy bigger ones.”
“Okay.”
“What, no argument?” She stuck big Band-Aids over the holes.
He winced. “No energy at the moment. I’m gonna need to lie down.”
“Almost done.” She grabbed an Ace bandage from the table. His brown contacts were in a little contact case. That reminded her he still hadn’t told her why he’d been at Montgomery’s house in disguise although she feared she knew. Later. Right now she had to finish this. She wrapped the Ace around his bicep. “That’ll have to do.”
Juliana led him to her bedroom, and he lay down on her bed. He was as docile as a lamb.
“Would you please strip me?” he asked.
Well, maybe a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She shrugged. She’d seen him naked before. She pulled off his black sneakers, unsnapped and
“You could call your brother. Rick’s a policeman. He can help. He can protect you.”
“I don’t want his protection. I take care of myself.”
“You didn’t do so well tonight. You want to tell me how this happened?”
He sighed. “Peroxide and aspirin first.”
Juliana collected what she’d need. When she returned to the kitchen, Charlie had removed his black T-shirt. Her heart sped up at the sight of his firm chest . . . until she saw the drop of blood sliding down his arm.
“Hold that over the sink.” She dropped her items on the counter.
Reaching into the cupboard above the stove, she located a bottle of Jose Cuervo. She poured a full shot and dumped two aspirins in her hand. She held them out to Charlie, who now stood at the sink.
“Cuervo. You don’t mess around.” His eyes were blue once more. He downed the pills and the contents of the shot glass in one gulp then coughed. “Damn good stuff.”
“Need more?”
“I’m good for the moment.”
“In the movies they pour booze onto the wound,” she said.
“They use whiskey in the movies.”
She held up the bottle to read the label. “This has got a pretty high alcohol content.”
“That’d be wasting good liquor. Use the cheap stuff.” He nodded toward the bottles of rubbing alcohol and peroxide.
“You want a bullet to bite down on?” she asked.
“No gun. And this one went all the way through.”
“I could call my dad. He could help you.”
Charlie shook his head. “He’d want to know why I came to you.”
Juliana cocked her head. “Why did you?”
“It was the only place I could think of.”
She thought he was only telling part of the truth. “It’s late. If you’re going to scream when I pour peroxide on your arm I’d prefer you bite on a towel or something.”
Charlie clutched his chest. “You wound me, and I’m already wounded. You call my manhood into question . . . ”
They both looked at his crotch. Juliana frowned. He didn’t have a hard-on.
“Well, that’s a disappointment,” Charlie said to his groin. Then he lifted his head and gave her a sheepish look. “Anyway, men don’t scream—”
“
You
might.”
“They yell,” he overrode her words.
“I think you need a gag.”
“I want to present the correct manly impression here.”
“Don’t worry about that. After the last few nights, I couldn’t possibly think you’re not a man.”
Charlie’s smile was downright smug. “In that case, I’ll take a towel.”
She held his arm over the sink and poured alcohol on the wounds. Charlie jerked and his yell was muffled in the towel. She hated hurting him. Then she pressed the peroxide into both wounds. When he set the towel aside, he was breathing hard, his head hanging. She poured him another shot of Cuervo and wrapped his shaking fingers around it. He tossed it back in one gulp.
“You’re trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me,” he said.
“Charlie, you’re so easy all I have to do is look at you and you get a hard-on.”
“Only with you.”
She wished that were true. “I’ll do the best I can with these bandages, but I’ll have to go to the store and buy bigger ones.”
“Okay.”
“What, no argument?” She stuck big Band-Aids over the holes.
He winced. “No energy at the moment. I’m gonna need to lie down.”
“Almost done.” She grabbed an Ace bandage from the table. His brown contacts were in a little contact case. That reminded her he still hadn’t told her why he’d been at Montgomery’s house in disguise although she feared she knew. Later. Right now she had to finish this. She wrapped the Ace around his bicep. “That’ll have to do.”
Juliana led him to her bedroom, and he lay down on her bed. He was as docile as a lamb.
“Would you please strip me?” he asked.
Well, maybe a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She shrugged. She’d seen him naked before. She pulled off his black sneakers, unsnapped and
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