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sleep-relaxed features. The velvet softness of his eyes when he had held her following her near-fall and her extremely erotic physical reaction to his touch haunted her. Then she again recalled the ice in those same eyes when he had accused her of lying and the arrogance in his manner when he had propositioned her. ‘It just can’t be true,’ she muttered, turning away and quickly fleeing the room. ‘It just can’t be. I can’t be in love with Brad Garwood!’
     

CHAPTER FIVE
    It was early the next morning when the loud clatter of falling metal brought Sara out of the realm of dark dreams and into a groggy state of consciousness. Pulling on her robe, she stumbled out into the kitchen to find Brad shirtless, clothed only in a pair of slacks, attempting to make coffee. He had obviously overcome his embarrassment, and suddenly she wished he hadn’t, as the desire to touch the smooth hard muscles of his back assailed her.
    ‘I didn’t have a firm enough grip and the can slipped. Sorry I woke you,’ he apologised as he picked up the fallen container and placed it between his arm and body while again attempting to prise off the lid. Because he was right-handed and because the injured wrist was the right one, he was operating under a handicap.
    ‘I’ll finish that,’ Sara insisted tightly, belting her robe and taking the coffee from him. Then, noticing his naked, \ swollen wrist, she plopped the can on the counter and glared up at him. ‘Where’s your bandage?’
    ‘I took it off to shower and couldn’t get it wrapped right,’ he replied, a touch of sheepishness in his expression.
    ‘Men!’ she muttered, fighting the tender chord his almost boyish response struck. Then, abandoning the coffee making, she ran upstairs to retrieve the long piece of elastic. When she returned, Brad was measuring the coffee into the pot. ‘I said I’d do that,’ she scowled.
    ‘I might as well work out a system now since I’ll have to do it for myself tonight,’ he threw over his shoulder.
    ‘No, you won’t. I’m going to stay a while longer.'
    This announcement of her intentions brought a sudden guardedness to his features as he turned to face her. ‘There’s no reason for you to change your plans on my account,’ he frowned. ‘I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.’
    Her pride wanted her to pack immediately and be on her way, but she could not bring herself to leave him in his present condition. A stronger force than pride would not allow a desertion. ‘No, you aren’t,’ she said stiffly. ‘Besides, I don’t relish moving three times in rapid succession. Staying here a couple of extra days will give me a chance to find a place of my own and I won’t have to move in with Helen and Steve and then move again.’
    ‘I suppose, under the circumstances, that would be the most practical solution for both of us,’ he conceded grudgingly.
    Unsuccessfully attempting to ignore the pain his less than agreeable attitude was causing, Sara indicated a chair at the kitchen table. ‘If you’ll please sit down, I’ll re-wrap your wrist.’
    ‘I didn’t mean to sound so out of sorts,’ he apologised tightly as he followed her instructions. ‘I do appreciate your concern.’
    Her jaw tightened at the hint of indulgence in his voice. ‘I don’t want to be a nuisance.’
    ‘You’re not a nuisance,’ he growled softly, then drew a sudden sharp breath of pain as she began manoeuvring the bandage around the swollen joint and hand.
    ‘Are you certain this isn’t broken?’ she questioned, feeling his pain as if it was her own.
    ‘The doctor said it wasn’t, and he should know. He took enough X-rays.’
    Although Brad did not complain, Sara read the pain in his eyes and when she finished, said, ‘I’ll go upstairs and get you one of those pain pills.’
    ‘No!’ he rejected the offer forcefully. ‘They make me feel groggy.’
    ‘You look tired. You should go back to bed,’ she suggested, all the time