Libby rushed back to find Chance propped against the wall. He needed to lean on her as he used one crutch to hobble his way to the French doors. Once inside, Libby helped him onto the bed and then headed for the kitchen to shut off the oven.
One mouthful of chicken confirmed her fear—it was as dry as paper. Once again she’d ruined dinner.
She hurried back to check on Chance. He was lying still as she entered the bedroom, but he turned toward her. She could see the pain in the grimaced lines of his face. Her eyes burned with tears.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his cheek. She wanted so much to make it better for him, and she had only made it worse.
“I’m all right, Libby. Just some pain, is all.”
“I’m so sorry, Chance. You should be resting, and everything I do seems to force you to step on that foot.”
“Things happen. It’s okay.” His lids were lowered, his smile sexy. “You could make it better, you know.”
“What do you need?” If she could do something to ease his discomfort, she would do it.
“Lean closer and I’ll tell you,” he said. His gaze centered on her eyes, but her whole body seemed encompassed in some heat-filled haze. She leaned in.
“What?” She swallowed hard.
“Kiss me.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth.
She sucked in a breath and with it the shivery pheromones that seemed to swirl around her like a fall breeze.
“I know you want to,” he said
She did. The way he was staring at her mouth made her want to.
“How do you know?”
“It’s in your eyes.” But he wasn’t looking at her eyes.
“My eyes? That’s how you can tell I want to kiss you?”
He slowly raised his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were sending her a hot, lustful message of pure need.
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, grazing her temple. She couldn’t breathe.
Should she refuse? Should she respond? She couldn’t think of something to say.
His fingers stroked her face, first the jaw, then the cheek, then that special spot right behind her ear as his palm cupped her chin. His warm touch was a sweet caress that sent little tickles right to her belly.
She shouldn’t, but she no longer cared about consequences. She’d be leaving in the morning. So what did it matter? She leaned closer.
His firm lips met her mouth as his hand held her face. The kiss was hot, deep, and divinely scintillating. Shivers ran through her body, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. He took the kiss deeper, made it hotter, made her whole body feel like it was ready to explode. Made her want to explode.
When it was over, he leaned back, and this time his gaze was hotter, steamier, filled with sex.
“No fair,” he said lazily.
“What’s no fair?” The way he’d kissed her and made her want to jump his bones? That was definitely no fair.
“Kissing a man when he’s in no condition to take advantage of it.”
“Do you want to take advantage of it?” Because she was this close to letting him.
“Do it again and I’ll show you.”
She was tempted. Looking at him stretched out on the bed, she was very tempted. But this was surely a path to nowhere. He wasn’t interested in a relationship beyond sex. Not with her. He’d been clear about that. And besides, he really wasn’t in any shape to take advantage, not without a great deal of pain.
She’d caused him enough of that already—physical and emotional. He may forgive her for the physical pain she’d caused, but never the emotional, however much he wanted her.
“I better see about dinner,” she said, rising from the bed. It was then that she spotted the open pill bottle on the nightstand. Well, that explained a lot.
The kitchen would be a safer bet.
Rather than serving another failed attempt at cooking, Libby decided to make scrambled eggs and bacon. When she brought it into Chance’s bedroom, he was asleep. One more disaster to add to her growing list.
Tomorrow she would pack her bags and leave. There was no use staying when she was doing more harm than good. Coming here had been a mistake, with one exception. She was now certain she still loved Chance Cochran. And perhaps that would do the most harm of all.
Chapter 10
“I need you to take me to the doctor.”
Those were the first words out of Chance’s mouth when Libby went to check on him the next morning.
“I thought your appointment wasn’t until next week.”