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“The rough bark did the damage. It was a glancing blow. Hurt like hell. Definitely rang my bell. But at least I didn’t get a bad concussion and have to stay in the hospital overnight.”

She softly kissed his cheek. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

He slid his hand along her waist to her back and pulled her close. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“It’s not about that. I care about you. And seeing you like this... it kills me.” She leaned in and kissed his hurt shoulder next to the edge of the bandage, then she gently started to unroll the gauze.

He stared down at her and brushed his hand over her hair. Before she knew it, the bun she’d twisted all her hair into came loose and it all fell down her back. His fingers combed through it.

She pulled the thick gauze pads off the long line of stitches and hissed again. “This looks really bad.”

“The saw blade got caught up on the jacket I was wearing. It could have been a hell of a lot worse.”

“Why weren’t you wearing your leather jacket? That would have protected you.”

He stared down at her. “You’re not even going to ask about my being attacked with a saw?”

She raised a brow at his tone. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

He sighed. “That’s as much as I can tell you right now.”

“And you can’t tell me why you changed jackets.” It seemed odd.

Another frustrated sigh. “No.”

“Well, now I know basically how you got hurt. I’d like to know why, but you’re not going to tell me that either.”

“I’m sorry.” Those two words held a lot of exhaustion.

“You warned me that your life wasn’t your own right now.”

“It’s not. And having you here is a risk. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She held up her arm showing off her own bandagedwound, a small wince, indicating the movement hurt. “Things happen.”

He hated that she was in pain. “That was an accident. Right? Rick wasn’t trying to hurt you.” He eyed her, looking for any sign she’d downplayed or lied about what happened.

“I slipped and fell.”

His gaze narrowed. “Because of him, but an accident all the same. What happened to me was no accident. What could happen to you because of me wouldn’t be an accident.” He ran his hand over his head and winced when he hit the wound without thinking. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I want to be here.” She put her foot down. “I came here to take care of you, and that’s what I’m going to do. So go shower, we’ll eat, and you’ll tell me something real about you that has nothing to do with any of the stuff you can’t tell me.”

“Why?” He seemed genuinely bewildered.

She glared at him. “So we can get to know each other better.”

“No. Why are you putting up with this?”

She walked right up to him, went up on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him like neither of them were in pain and frustrated by the situation and everything that mattered was in her arms.

He immediately wrapped her up close, like he didn’t want her to get away.

She was right where she wanted to be when she slid her tongue along his, tasted his desire as well as felt it pressed to her belly. She lost herself in the kiss, him, the moment, then pulled back and stared into his lust-hazed eyes. “Does that answer your question?”

“I don’t remember what I asked. But I know you’re the answer to everything for me.”

She looked at him in wonder. “You say that to me, and I believe it, and I don’t even know your name.”