My foot slipped, and the next thing I knew I had lost my balance and gone over the side. A strong hand gripped my forearm and hauled me back up on the trail.
“Shit.” Axel bent over, looking at my knee. “You’re bleeding. Anything broken?”
“I don’t think so.” I touched my kneecap gingerly and winced.
“That’s it.” Axel tossed me over his shoulder like a ragdoll. I yelped and smacked his back.
“Put me down!”
“Sure. Just as soon as I get you back into the house where I can get a good look at your injury.”
“ I can walk,” I protested.
Axel ignored me and proceeded to keep me on his back all the way back to the house. I stared at the ground as he climbed the ladder, one of his big hands wrapped around my calves keeping me in place. I wiggled as we got into the house and he dropped me on the couch.
“Don’t move.” He pointed at me and went into the kitchen. He could at least have had the decency to be breathing hard.
I stared down at my knee and gasped. Blood was everywhere, soaking my sock and shoe. Axel came back with paper towels and a bowl of water. He wet the towel and dabbed at my knee. I hissed and gripped the cushion of the couch.
“Where’s your peroxide and stuff?” Axel cleaned the lower part of my leg.
“In the hallway by the bathroom.”
I grabbed one of the paper towels as Axel took off and cleaned around the worst parts of my leg. Blood was flowing freely from a long gash right across my kneecap. I applied pressure to it as Axel came back into the room. He pushed my hand aside and drenched a cotton ball with peroxide.
“You are not going to shove that on my open wound.” I fixed him with a firm look.
“Is that a bat?” Axel’s eyes widened.
“Where?” I turned on the couch and a scream ripped from my lips. Axel had taken that moment to spread the gash on my knee open and shove the cotton in.
I can’t believe I just fell for that.
“Asshole!” I hissed.
“I don’t think it’s going to need stitches, but I can glue it shut to keep dirt out.”
“Are you a medic, too?” I stared a hole through him.
“I have training. Yes.” Axel peered more closely at my knee.
I exhaled and closed my eyes. It just occurred to me what could have happened if Axel hadn’t been there. I opened my eyes to see Axel blowing on my knee. It was such an oddly maternal thing for him to do that my mouth fell open in surprise. Axel leaned back, his eyes meeting mine.
“Better?”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you…for saving me.”
“It’s my job.” Axel stood up and grabbed the bottle of liquid bandage off the coffee table. “I’m going to clean it out a little more, then close it up, okay?”
I nodded and bit my bottom lip. I think I almost heard a groan from Axel but another round of mind-numbing pain doused that thought. I gripped the arm of the couch as Axel thoroughly cleaned out my wound and then glued it shut. He helped me to my feet and I gripped his arm. We were inches apart and Axel’s other arm wrapped around my waist. My breath stopped as he leaned into me.
“Are you okay?”
The way his eyes searched mine…I thought I would melt right on the spot. I could see the stubble on his chin, the faint scar above his eyebrow. His long, blond lashes brushed his skin as he blinked. The heat from his body soaked into me and his scent washed over me.
Oh God. I was so screwed.
“Yes. Thank you.” I rasped. “We should…um…go.”
~*~
I was so glad to get Ransom’s house I practically ran to the front door. Axel was right on my heels as I bounded up the front steps and then almost tripped as my knee gave out. Axel caught me again and once again wrapped me up in his arms. The front door opened and I glanced over at a widely grinning Ransom.
I disentangled myself from Axel’s arms and shoved my brother out of the way.
“Hello, Mr. Blaze.” Ransom grinned at Axel.
“Ransom.” Axel lifted his chin and entered the house.
“Where are all these
“Shit.” Axel bent over, looking at my knee. “You’re bleeding. Anything broken?”
“I don’t think so.” I touched my kneecap gingerly and winced.
“That’s it.” Axel tossed me over his shoulder like a ragdoll. I yelped and smacked his back.
“Put me down!”
“Sure. Just as soon as I get you back into the house where I can get a good look at your injury.”
“ I can walk,” I protested.
Axel ignored me and proceeded to keep me on his back all the way back to the house. I stared at the ground as he climbed the ladder, one of his big hands wrapped around my calves keeping me in place. I wiggled as we got into the house and he dropped me on the couch.
“Don’t move.” He pointed at me and went into the kitchen. He could at least have had the decency to be breathing hard.
I stared down at my knee and gasped. Blood was everywhere, soaking my sock and shoe. Axel came back with paper towels and a bowl of water. He wet the towel and dabbed at my knee. I hissed and gripped the cushion of the couch.
“Where’s your peroxide and stuff?” Axel cleaned the lower part of my leg.
“In the hallway by the bathroom.”
I grabbed one of the paper towels as Axel took off and cleaned around the worst parts of my leg. Blood was flowing freely from a long gash right across my kneecap. I applied pressure to it as Axel came back into the room. He pushed my hand aside and drenched a cotton ball with peroxide.
“You are not going to shove that on my open wound.” I fixed him with a firm look.
“Is that a bat?” Axel’s eyes widened.
“Where?” I turned on the couch and a scream ripped from my lips. Axel had taken that moment to spread the gash on my knee open and shove the cotton in.
I can’t believe I just fell for that.
“Asshole!” I hissed.
“I don’t think it’s going to need stitches, but I can glue it shut to keep dirt out.”
“Are you a medic, too?” I stared a hole through him.
“I have training. Yes.” Axel peered more closely at my knee.
I exhaled and closed my eyes. It just occurred to me what could have happened if Axel hadn’t been there. I opened my eyes to see Axel blowing on my knee. It was such an oddly maternal thing for him to do that my mouth fell open in surprise. Axel leaned back, his eyes meeting mine.
“Better?”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you…for saving me.”
“It’s my job.” Axel stood up and grabbed the bottle of liquid bandage off the coffee table. “I’m going to clean it out a little more, then close it up, okay?”
I nodded and bit my bottom lip. I think I almost heard a groan from Axel but another round of mind-numbing pain doused that thought. I gripped the arm of the couch as Axel thoroughly cleaned out my wound and then glued it shut. He helped me to my feet and I gripped his arm. We were inches apart and Axel’s other arm wrapped around my waist. My breath stopped as he leaned into me.
“Are you okay?”
The way his eyes searched mine…I thought I would melt right on the spot. I could see the stubble on his chin, the faint scar above his eyebrow. His long, blond lashes brushed his skin as he blinked. The heat from his body soaked into me and his scent washed over me.
Oh God. I was so screwed.
“Yes. Thank you.” I rasped. “We should…um…go.”
~*~
I was so glad to get Ransom’s house I practically ran to the front door. Axel was right on my heels as I bounded up the front steps and then almost tripped as my knee gave out. Axel caught me again and once again wrapped me up in his arms. The front door opened and I glanced over at a widely grinning Ransom.
I disentangled myself from Axel’s arms and shoved my brother out of the way.
“Hello, Mr. Blaze.” Ransom grinned at Axel.
“Ransom.” Axel lifted his chin and entered the house.
“Where are all these
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