The Doctor's Rebel Knight by Melanie Milburne Page A

of hisshorts. Her imagination did the rest and it made her heart race as a result.
    ‘Anything there?’ he asked, turning his back to her to inspect.
    Fran swept her gaze over his taut frame, marvelling again at the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist and hips. ‘Er…no…there’s nothing there…‘ she said over a ridge in her throat.
    He turned back to face her. ‘Do you think you could manage the pathway up to my place?’ he asked.
    Fran would never have admitted it even if she couldn’t. ‘Sure, but there’s no need to—’
    ‘Hey, I saved your sister’s dog,’ he said with that almost-there smile. ‘Doesn’t that mean you owe me in some way? Besides, you can dress my burn for me as you were indisposed earlier.’
    She pursed her lips, even though her stomach gave that little flutter of excitement again at being with him—alone. ‘I guess I do owe you something for Rufus’s sake…‘
    He scooped up his gear and, tucking it under one arm, reached for Rufus’s lead with the other. ‘Let me take him,’ he said. ‘You go first and then if you lose your footing I’ll be able to stop you from slipping all the way down.’
    ‘You make it sound quite perilous,’ Fran said as she made her way carefully over the rocks.
    He kept a few paces back, keeping Rufus well out of her way. ‘It’s just a bit rough and overgrown in spots but I don’t want to cut it back as it keeps trespassers away.’
    Fran was conscious of her limp as she started on the path, conscious, too, of the fact that Jacob had a clear and uninterrupted view of her behind all the way to the top. It was a little unnerving to think about a full-blooded man’s gaze on her, especiallyJacob’s. Something about him made her aware of her body in a way she hadn’t been in months. She had seen the way his eyes had swept over her on the beach, taking in her light skirt and close-fitting top. Her skin had felt as if he had touched her with those long calloused fingers, making every fine hair on her body stand up erect, like soldiers at drill practice.
    Lost in her thoughts, Fran planted her foot between two rocks but somehow caught the edge of one. She wobbled for a moment and just as she thought she was going to go down, Jacob’s hands settled on her waist.
    ‘Whoa there,’ he said, the warmth of his body behind her like a protective shield. ‘Take it easy.’
    Fran breathed in the scent of him, the earthy male scent that made the blood start to race in her veins. She had only to lean back and she would feel every hard plane of his body against hers. The temptation to do so was almost overwhelming, and if it hadn’t been for the steep incline and the presence of Rufus, Fran knew she might very well have given into it. ‘I—I’m fine…‘ she said a little breathlessly.
    His hands slowly released her. ‘It’s a bit clearer up ahead, not so many rocks.’
    Fran continued on, stopping at one point to look at a gecko that was making the most of the afternoon sun. ‘Have you seen any snakes along here?’ she asked.
    ‘One or two,’ he said. ‘More see you than you see them, of course. They can get pretty aggressive during the mating season in February, but only if you disturb them.’
    The bush opened up in front of them and Fran got her first full glimpse of Jacob’s house. It was a simple design, large windows and a wrap-around deck that would be perfect for lazy afternoons, sipping tea, relaxing and taking in the view.
    ‘Have you bought this or are you renting?’ she asked as he led the way inside.
    ‘I bought it,’ Jacob said. ‘Even if I move on at some point I figured it was too good a location to miss out on. My parents honeymooned in Pelican Bay thirty-five years ago. Back then there wasn’t even a general store. I think if my father hadn’t been killed they would have moved here to live in their retirement. My mother loved sitting out on the deck, listening to the birds. She even tamed a magpie