The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [200]
He pulled into the driveway on the quiet suburban street just outside of Buckhorn County and turned off the ignition. The house was an older redbrick two-story with mature trees and a meticulously trimmed lawn. As he got out of the car, Gabe wondered if Elizabeth had done as ordered and stripped down. Was she naked right now? Maybe lounging in a soothing tub of cool water?
He shoved his hands into his pockets and climbed the outside stairwell to the upper floor at the side of the building. Miniblinds were pulled shut over the only full-size window. That was good, he thought, just in case she was naked.
Gabe rocked on his heels, took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer. Briefly he considered turning away in case she was asleep. But it was still early, not quite nine o’clock, so he knocked again, harder.
A muffled sound reached him from the other side of the door, and then he heard Lizzy call, “Who is it?”
She didn’t sound as if she’d just awakened, but she did sound wary. Probably she didn’t get that many callers, especially not at night.
He felt a curious satisfaction at that deduction. “It’s me, Red. Open up.”
There were more muffled sounds, and finally the door opened the tiniest bit. One big blue eye peeked at him through the crack in the door. “Gabe. What in the world are you doing here?”
Rather than answer that, because he had no answer, he said, “Did I wake you?”
“Oh. No, I was just…Is anything wrong?”
“Yeah.” He pushed against the door, and she hastily stepped out of the way. “I wanted to check…on…you.” Gabe stared. His gut clenched and his toes curled. Lizzy had her hair all piled up on top of her head, and she wore only a sheet wrapped around her breasts. Loosely. Very loosely. In fact, if it wasn’t for one small, tightly clenched fist, the sheet would have fallen. And good riddance, Gabe thought.
He shoved her front door shut with his heel. He knew he should say something, but he just kept staring.
Lizzy cleared her throat. “I was getting ready to put on some more of that ointment your brother gave me. It helps a lot, but it doesn’t last all that long.”
Gabe looked past her to the open kitchen nook. On the table sat a bowl of water and the tube of ointment Sawyer had given her. “I’ll help you.”
Her eyes flared wide. She shook her head, making that huge pile of hair threaten to topple. Her shoulders were bright pink, but just on the top, thank goodness. Most of her back, from what he could tell, was fine. But her breasts…Gabe swallowed. The sheet was white and damp in places around her chest; she must have been putting on cool compresses, he decided.
He was a man. He’d act like a man. Gabe put his arm around her sheet-covered waist and steered her toward the tiny kitchen. Her living room was minuscule, holding only a sofa, a single chair and some shelves. A thirteen-inch television was centered on the shelves and around that were some plants. The only other things in the spartan rented room were a few books and two photos. He’d check out the photos later, but for now he wanted to help ease her discomfort.
Her feet were bare and looked adorable peeking out from beneath the sheet. Pink, but adorable. Gabe looked at her breasts again, surreptitiously, so she wouldn’t notice. The tops of her breasts, from just beneath her collarbone to somewhere beneath that white sheet, were sunburned.
“Here, sit down.”
She remained standing. “Gabe, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of this myself.”
“But why should you when I can help? I know it can’t be easy to reach your shoulders.”
Her mouth twisted, her eyes downcast. Her long auburn lashes left shadows on her cheeks from the fluorescent light overhead. He wanted to kiss her.
“I’ll get dressed.”
“Don’t.”
She stared at him, unblinking.
“Please, Lizzy?” He kept his tone cajoling, soothing. “Sit down and let me help, okay? It’ll make me feel better, I promise.”
Still she hesitated, and finally she heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right.” She lowered herself carefully into the straight-back chair. “But if you hurt me,” she warned, “I’m going to be