Part 6 (2/2)
”You don't look comfortable. Go and bathe. Here, take the blanket.” He began to pull it off.
”No!” she half yelled, putting both her hands up. ”I don't need it just yet.” Seeing him half naked while he was wounded and unconscious was one thing, seeing him half naked her mouth dried up whilst very much awake was another entirely.
He paused, letting the blanket go. ”Okay. Just say the word and it's yours.”
She nodded. ”Maybe after breakfast.”
He gave a nod. ”I need to ask a favor.” He pulled a face, looking pained.
”Sure.” She could hear the uncertainty in her own voice.
”I need you to help me get to the mouth of the cave.”
”Right now?”
”Yeah, right now would be good.”
”Um, ok. I thought you couldn't s.h.i.+ft and I'm not sure that moving around will be good for you at the moment,” she frowned, not liking the idea at all.
He gave his head a scratch. ”I don't really have a choice. Dragon s.h.i.+fters have huge bladders but mine is getting seriously full. I need to go to the bathroom.”
Flip! Of course he did. He might be a dragon s.h.i.+fter but he still had the same bodily functions as anyone else. Duh! She felt like slapping a hand to her forehead. ”Right! Sure. I can help out. You'll need to excuse the BO though.”
”BO?” He raised his brows looking clueless.
”BO stands for body odor.”
”I like your BO, so don't worry about it.”
Tammy had to giggle.
”Did I say that wrong?”
She nodded. ”Yeah. When someone refers to BO, it means that they think they stink. So by you saying that you like my BO means that you like the way I stink.”
”I like the way you smell. You don't stink.” He winked at her.
”You're nuts,” she shook her head. ”How can you like the scent of my perspiration? It's not normal.”
”It's very normal. You like the way I smell.”
”I do not,” she said too quickly. ”That would be just as nuts.”
”Why were you sniffing me last night then?” he smirked. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d smirked!
”No, I ...” she nipped her bottom lip and squeezed lightly. ”You were supposed to be sleeping. You were sleeping dammit.”
”s.h.i.+fters sleep with one eye open. You sniffed me and by that little sigh you gave I'd say that you liked it.” His smirk grew bigger. What an a.s.shat! He was loving every minute.
She shook her head. ”I was checking to see if you needed a sponge bath.” She tapped her nose. ”You know, checking your level of BO.”
He nodded, looking smug. ”What was the sigh for then?”
”I was upset to learn that you did need one and rather badly.” She shook her head, slowly trying to look put out. ”I sighed out of frustration because it's the last thing I feel like doing. I wasn't even going to mention it.” She shook her head. ”I didn't want to embarra.s.s you.”
”I'm not embarra.s.sed. If I stink then I need a bath,” he shrugged.
”Sure, once you've ... you know ...” she gestured to the front of the cave. ”I'll help you to the pool.” She glanced to the back of the cave.
Thunder shook his head, looking serious. ”I'll be lucky to make it to the front and then back again. h.e.l.l, I'll be lucky if I stand upright long enough to p.i.s.s. I'll take that sponge bath you so kindly offered.”
”I didn't offer you a sponge bath. I said you needed one.” The thought of was.h.i.+ng him from head to toe left her feeling a little out of breath.”
”You said you would care for me and get me anything I needed.”
Oh G.o.d! He wasn't going to make her do that. No way! He would be an absolute p.r.i.c.k if he ...
Thunder burst out laughing, the laugh turned into a low groan. ”That hurts. You should see your face. I'm only joking. We both know that you think I smell good. As awesome as a bath sounds, particularly a sponge bath, it can wait. I'm sure I'll be strong enough to bathe tomorrow.”
Tammy couldn't help but smile. ”You're an a.s.shole.”
Thunder frowned and grit his teeth for a few seconds. ”An a.s.shole who's about to wet the bed,” his voice sounded strained.
”Oh, s.h.i.+t, sorry!” She rushed over to him. Thunder pulled himself into a sitting position. He moved slowly and carefully. A sheen appeared on his forehead from the strain it took. The sheet pooled around his waist. ”What do you need me to do?” Her heart-rate went up and her hands felt a bit sweaty.
”You have a deer in the headlights look,” Thunder gave a half smile, he was breathing heavily. How was it that he looked so d.a.m.ned good despite being out of breath? For one, his chest was a thing of utter beauty. Those abs were impressive. They were let me glide my tongue along that ridge impressive. Stop!
Okay so he was hot, insanely good-looking ... no need to get all weak in the knees and gaga over him. He was too darned hunky. Liable to break her heart. Stomp all over the pieces and move on in an instant. He might seem nice, they all seemed nice. He had charming down pat, as well. A sure sign that he was not nice. You've been there and you have the t-s.h.i.+rt. Stop ogling him. Stop!
”I've never played at nurse before. You're a big guy, I'm not sure how much help I can be.”
”Give me a hand. Help me up and then maybe keep me from falling over.”
”Okay.” She nodded, pus.h.i.+ng out a breath.
”Okay then.” He put out both his hands and she took them. Warm and calloused. Big, generous hands. Really nice hands. He squeezed hers, bringing her back. ”You ready?”
She nodded, bending at the knee so that she could take his weight better. ”Oh and, Tamara ...”
”You can call me Tammy.” Why did she say that? He was going to get the wrong idea. ”My friends call me that,” she put emphasis on the word 'friends'.
He looked her in the eye with those mesmerizing purple irises. Stop! She needed to find herself a life raft already. There would be no drowning in those babies. He licked his lower lip. Don't look! Don't! Arghh! She b.l.o.o.d.y looked. At his tongue, dammit ... and just like that his smirk was back. ”Tammy.”
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