Page 64 of Peak of Love

He held up the shoe and looked at her quizzically. “For someone who admits to being clumsy, these seem rather…”

“Stupid. I know,” she interjected while she grabbed it from him. “Please tell me how bad it is,” she demanded. And then added, “Thank you.”

He focused on the joint, feeling for swelling and running his fingers over the ligaments likely affected by a twist. “How does this feel?” he asked, looking at her face while he gently massaged a portion. She shrugged.

Then, he put pressure on the heel, and she squealed in pain. He made tsk, tsk sounds—mostly to make her bristle with impatience—before offering a diagnosis. “Yeah, you should get crutches tonight. Just to be sure. Nothing is broken. It’s probably a second-degree inversion sprain.”

“Really? I mean, are you sure I can’t rest it at home?”

“Jaya, trust me. You’ll want to get this looked at. If you don’t want to go to an emergency room, it isn’t too late to find an urgent care facility now, since it’s not even ten. I’ll take you,” he asserted.

“No, no. I’ll call a cab.”

Ignoring her completely, Sebastian lifted her and started walking. She protested by trying to wiggle out of the cradle of his arms. In response to his tightening hold and wryest expression, she stilled her movements.

“Put your arms around my neck before I drop you,” he ordered gruffly.

She sighed and did as she was told. “You left your winter jacket inside,” she observed worriedly, as if aware of his body for the first time.

“My car is around the corner. I’ll get my jacket tomorrow,” he answered. “How about you? Got everything you need?”

“Yeah, I do,” she said softly and then chortled.

“Now what?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the way her breasts, snug against his chest, jiggled slightly at every step.

“Can you imagine if I left my purse inside and you had to carry me in like this?”

“Yeah, imagine,” he said blandly, looking down at her face inches from his own.

He was struck by the absurdity of carrying a woman whose skin couldn’t be softer and tongue couldn’t be sharper.

“If someone saw us like this, I think I’d die,” she stated, and Sebastian told himself he didn’t mind the comment. Nope. Not one bit.