Unknown by Unknown

kiss on the cheek, while studying her dubiously. ‘You call me if you need any help.’
    ‘I’m sure I can manage,’ she stated briskly, shoving him outside and waving him on his way.
    ‘Brad should have another one of those pain pills in ten minutes,’ he called back as he climbed into his car.
    Waving to say she had heard, Sara closed the door and started back upstairs. Stopping before she reached the first landing, she returned to the kitchen to make a couple of fresh ice bags to take with her.
    A few minutes later when she went into Brad’s bedroom, he appeared to still be asleep, but the moment she approached the bed, his eyes opened.
    ‘I’m sorry if I woke you,’ she apologised, her voice sounding much calmer than she felt as a sense of intimacy permeated the room.
    ‘Where’s Steve?’ he scowled.
    ‘I sent him home to his wife and children,’ she replied matter-of-factly, refusing to be intimidated. ‘I may not be an expert on first aid, but I can give you a couple of pills and arrange ice packs.’
    ‘What about the vandals?’
    ‘They left without doing any damage,’ she told him coolly. ‘And now it’s time for you to have a pill, then I’m going to change the ice bags.’
    As he levered himself up on his good arm, the sheet fell away from his chest exposing an expanse of tanned muscular flesh. Retrieving the covering, he pulled it back up around himself.
    ‘I am an artist. I have seen the male torso before,’ Sara chided, though she had to admit that this particular male torso stimulated a curiously exciting reaction within her which had not been engendered by any of the other male bodies to which she had been exposed.
    ‘Let’s just say that I’m the modest type,’ Brad muttered, taking the pill from her and washing it down with a drink of water. ‘Now you go to bed like a good girl and let me get some rest.’
    ‘After I change the ice bags on your wrist,’ she stipulated. From the linen closet she extracted a hand towel and after replacing the old ice packs with the new, wrapped the ice-encased wrist in the towel. ‘I’m sorry, if this hurts,’ she said, catching a glimpse of the pain in his eyes. ‘Just finish,’ he requested tightly.
    Biting her lip, she fought back a strong urge to kiss the swollen wrist, just like her grandmother and mother had always kissed her childhood injures ‘to make them better’. Then chiding herself for the foolish notion, she asked, ‘Do you have any safety pins or targe rubber bands?’
    ‘Rubber bands in the desk in my workroom,’ Brad answered shortly.
    Returning a couple of minutes later with two large rubber bands, Sara slid them over the towel to hold it and the ice in place. ‘How does that feel? Is it too tight?’ she questioned anxiously as his jaw hardened against the pain.
    ‘It feels fine. Now will you please go to bed,’ he requested.
    ‘I’m only trying to be helpful,’ she snapped, giving in to the anger that was building inside her in response to his obvious dislike of having her nurse him.
    ‘And I appreciate your help, but I do want to get some rest.’ His manner was less hostile coupled with an increasing drowsiness.
    Sara regretted letting her temper get the better of her again. The man was injured and in pain. It was only natural that he would be irritable. ‘I know,’ she said softly, letting her voice say she was sorry for her fit of temper. ‘I’ll be going now.’
    He was already nearly asleep, and she guessed that the effect of the pill would last until morning. The bottle had cautioned the user not to take more than one every six hours.
    Back in her own room, she changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed, but sleep would not come. She kept thinking about her premonition and what her mother had said. Finally, giving in to an uncontrollable urge, she left her bed and after pulling on a robe went upstairs and entered Brad’s bedroom. Walking stealthily over to the bed, she gazed down on his