Cat found her way back to the MacKenzie house with little trouble and deposited the Jeep back where she found it. The locks on the French door to her room were no challenge at all, so she let herself in and dropped down on the bed. Her body was covered in sweat from exertion and the blood was flowing a little freer at her thigh. She pulled the bandana from her head and tossed it aside. She might have overdone it a little.

She stripped the sweatpants from her body and was hobbling to the bathroom to try and repair the damage when the lights flipped on.

“I was wondering if you’d be back,” Thomas said. “You don’t seem like a complete idiot at first glance, but then again, what do I know? I’m just a doctor. Most people listen when I tell them to take it easy or they might make things worse. I guess you’re the exception to the rule.”

“I’m always the exception to the rule.” She threw a smile at him over her shoulder and froze. His shoulder was propped against the door that led to his office. His chest was bare, and she almost swallowed her tongue at the sight of tanned skin and a rippling six pack. His jeans were unbuttoned and sat low on his hips and his feet were bare. She had to force herself to act as if the sight of his didn’t make her lose her wits.

“Don’t be so uptight, Doc. I just stepped out on the deck for a few minutes for some fresh air. I’m on my way to the bathroom and then back to bed. I promise. Thanks for checking on me, but as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

Cat didn’t look to see if he’d left, but kept going towards her destination. She heard him mutter something that sounded something perilously close to bullshit, and all of a sudden his arm around her waist, supporting her weight.

“Dammit, I don’t need any help. Why can’t you leave me alone?”

“Sweetheart, leaving you alone has been the farthest thing from my mind since I saw your unconscious body in the front seat of your car. I think you’d better resign yourself to getting used to me.”

Cat gave him an aggravated look and wrapped her arm around him. They hobbled together into the spacious bathroom and he picked her up and sat her on the edge of the sink.

“Stay,” he ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

She leaned her head back against the mirror and closed her eyes. She was in a whole heap of trouble, and she had no idea had to get out of it. This wasn’t a situation she’d ever found herself in before. She’d been a professional thief for six years, ever since she’d gotten word her father was out of the picture for good, and until now she’d never been hurt or even close to being caught while on a job. And now all that had happened and more, and she was at the mercy of a small town doctor who made her want to molest every delectable inch of him. But worst of all, she needed his help. And she didn’t like being at anyone’s mercy.

The touch of gentle hands against her skin had her eyes snapping open. His head was even with her thighs and he raised the oversized sweatshirt above the bandage. The feel of his fingers against her bare flesh had her nipples tightening to peaks and her loins quickening with desire. The sting in her leg was overshadowed by the throbbing pulse of desire in her clit.

“The damage isn’t too bad,” he said. “I just need to clean it off and rebandage it.”

“I told you it wasn’t a big deal. Do you overreact with all your patients?”

“Just you, sweetheart.”

He cleaned the blood away and spread a topical pain killer along the stitches. After it was wrapped in fresh bandages Cat moved to get down off the counter. Having his face between her thighs was driving her crazy. She was soaking wet with desire, and since she wasn’t wearing panties all he’d have to do is look at the inside of her thighs to see the moisture there. It was beyond mortifying.

“Getting up so soon?” he asked.

His gaze was exactly where she’d been afraid it would be. His nostrils flared as he breathed her in and he touched his lips with the edge of his tongue. Cat moaned and her head dropped back against the mirror as he moved his fingers further up her thighs.