Read Online Whatever It Takes by Dixie Lee Brown - Free Book Online
Authors: Dixie Lee Brown
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flowed freely from the jagged cut.
Nate grabbed his first aid kit off the wall and knelt in front of her. “Let me take a look.”
“It’s just a scratch.” She held it out toward him anyway. Immediately, blood pooled on her hand, ran down her fingers, and dripped onto the floor.
“Damn. It’s bleeding pretty good. Definitely not a scratch.”
“Well, it’s not life-threatening.”
“That’s the good news.” Nate winked and then grinned when she smiled. “It’ll just take a minute to get you fixed up.” He slid his butt onto the concrete floor of the garage and opened the kit. Selecting a strip of gauze, he wrapped it around her finger, and held it tightly to stop the bleeding.
“I can do that.” Alex tried to push his hand out of the way and take over.
He stared her down. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.” She was about to bolt. He could feel it in the tense way she held herself. He sat beside her, his thigh leaning against hers. His closeness clearly made her nervous, and that was something he’d like to fix if possible.
“We should get going. Joe’s probably waiting for us.” Her gaze darted between Nate and the door.
“We’ve got plenty of time, Alex. What are you afraid of?” He unwrapped the gauze. The bleeding had stopped, and he searched in the kit for some antiseptic spray.
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Yeah? You said that the first day we met. I didn’t believe you then either.” He sprayed the wound and wrapped a bandage around it, but continued to hold her hand. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being afraid now and then.” He was ready for her and held on tightly when she tried to free her hand.
“Fear makes you weak. I won’t be weak again.” She tugged on her hand in earnest. “Stop that.”
“Not so fast. We need to have a little conversation.” He laced their fingers together and tipped her chin up until her eyes met his.
“About what?” Distrust was obvious in her furrowed brows.
“We’re going undercover as husband and wife. If you can’t stand for me to touch you, we’re not going to be very believable.” His thumb traced slow circles on the palm of her hand.
She trembled and tried to jerk out of his grasp again, but his fingers tightened around hers. “Lots of married couples don’t touch.” She snorted rudely. “If you think you’re going to manhandle me because of a pretend marriage, you’re seriously deluded.”
Nate shook his head. “I don’t manhandle women, sweetheart, but if I think our pretend marriage needs touching to be more believable, then I’m going to touch you. If it requires kissing to make it appear as though we’re madly in love, then I’ll kiss you—preferably without getting slapped.” He was pushing her on purpose. Maybe she hadn’t thought through what going undercover as a married couple would entail. Maybe she’d decide she wasn’t up for the job. Better she make that decision now than once they arrived in Nogales.
Her entire body leaned away from him, stopped from moving out of his reach only by the wall behind her. Her brown eyes darkened dangerously and went from distrust to trapped-and-ready-to-fight in the space of a heartbeat. She jerked on her hand again, and this time, Nate knew he might be pressing his luck if he didn’t let her go.
He leaned into her, though, and silently demanded she meet his gaze. “Decide, Alex.”
“Decide what?”
“If you can’t handle it, we might as well tell Joe right now that I’m going to need a new partner.”
Anger drew a flush to her cheeks, and he had a feeling the dam was about to burst.
Nate raised his hand to forestall her rant. “You know I’m right. Everything we do from now on is for Marco. We might have to do some things outside our comfort zones to make sure that kid survives. We’re partners, Alex, and you’ll have a say in everything we do, same as me. But, if it comes down to it and we need a quick
Nate grabbed his first aid kit off the wall and knelt in front of her. “Let me take a look.”
“It’s just a scratch.” She held it out toward him anyway. Immediately, blood pooled on her hand, ran down her fingers, and dripped onto the floor.
“Damn. It’s bleeding pretty good. Definitely not a scratch.”
“Well, it’s not life-threatening.”
“That’s the good news.” Nate winked and then grinned when she smiled. “It’ll just take a minute to get you fixed up.” He slid his butt onto the concrete floor of the garage and opened the kit. Selecting a strip of gauze, he wrapped it around her finger, and held it tightly to stop the bleeding.
“I can do that.” Alex tried to push his hand out of the way and take over.
He stared her down. “Just relax. Let me take care of you.” She was about to bolt. He could feel it in the tense way she held herself. He sat beside her, his thigh leaning against hers. His closeness clearly made her nervous, and that was something he’d like to fix if possible.
“We should get going. Joe’s probably waiting for us.” Her gaze darted between Nate and the door.
“We’ve got plenty of time, Alex. What are you afraid of?” He unwrapped the gauze. The bleeding had stopped, and he searched in the kit for some antiseptic spray.
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Yeah? You said that the first day we met. I didn’t believe you then either.” He sprayed the wound and wrapped a bandage around it, but continued to hold her hand. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being afraid now and then.” He was ready for her and held on tightly when she tried to free her hand.
“Fear makes you weak. I won’t be weak again.” She tugged on her hand in earnest. “Stop that.”
“Not so fast. We need to have a little conversation.” He laced their fingers together and tipped her chin up until her eyes met his.
“About what?” Distrust was obvious in her furrowed brows.
“We’re going undercover as husband and wife. If you can’t stand for me to touch you, we’re not going to be very believable.” His thumb traced slow circles on the palm of her hand.
She trembled and tried to jerk out of his grasp again, but his fingers tightened around hers. “Lots of married couples don’t touch.” She snorted rudely. “If you think you’re going to manhandle me because of a pretend marriage, you’re seriously deluded.”
Nate shook his head. “I don’t manhandle women, sweetheart, but if I think our pretend marriage needs touching to be more believable, then I’m going to touch you. If it requires kissing to make it appear as though we’re madly in love, then I’ll kiss you—preferably without getting slapped.” He was pushing her on purpose. Maybe she hadn’t thought through what going undercover as a married couple would entail. Maybe she’d decide she wasn’t up for the job. Better she make that decision now than once they arrived in Nogales.
Her entire body leaned away from him, stopped from moving out of his reach only by the wall behind her. Her brown eyes darkened dangerously and went from distrust to trapped-and-ready-to-fight in the space of a heartbeat. She jerked on her hand again, and this time, Nate knew he might be pressing his luck if he didn’t let her go.
He leaned into her, though, and silently demanded she meet his gaze. “Decide, Alex.”
“Decide what?”
“If you can’t handle it, we might as well tell Joe right now that I’m going to need a new partner.”
Anger drew a flush to her cheeks, and he had a feeling the dam was about to burst.
Nate raised his hand to forestall her rant. “You know I’m right. Everything we do from now on is for Marco. We might have to do some things outside our comfort zones to make sure that kid survives. We’re partners, Alex, and you’ll have a say in everything we do, same as me. But, if it comes down to it and we need a quick
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