Page 31 of Protect and Serve

“That’s what she said.”

“Well, she doesn’t. To be honest, Claire doesn’t care for the idea of having a babysitter. But if it’s you, she might not complain. Besides, I trust you.”

Damn. That was a low blow.

“I know nothing untoward will happen if you give me your word.”

Untoward? What was this, the 18th century? The woman was sick, shaken. What kind of man would even think about seducing a woman just out of the hospital? The thought annoyed the crap out of him. Enough to make him want to push back. “What makes you think something as flimsy as a promise would make me behave?”

“Because you are a man of honor.”

Well hell. Cody wasn’t pulling any punches.

“All right. I’ll stay with her—”

“Thank you—”

“And I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“Excellent—”

“But if she starts feeling better, all bets are off.”

“Jesus.” Cody slapped his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to hear that.”

“I just don’t want you complaining later if things don’t work out the way they did in your fantasy.”

“My fantasy?”

“The one where your sister lives in a tower and only kisses men who can climb up her hair.”

Cody stared at him in silence for a very long moment, and then he said, “Well, yeah. Claire’s hair is too short for that.”

It was probably as close as Cody would come to admitting that it was time for him to stop being so overprotective of Claire and let her make her own decisions.

It wasn’t much in the grand scheme of things but he’d take it.

With that settled, Cody finally deigned to show Charlie up the stairs. Claire’s room was actually a suite up on the third floor where the family had their private lodgings in the B&B. It was decorated in frilly blues and greens and everything he would expect of Claire. The sight of her in that four-poster bed made his heart thunder, and not just because he had a quick flash of a fantasy involving those four posters. She looked wan and fragile as well.

She leaned against the pillows, talking to Porsche, but when she saw him, she trailed off, smiled and lifted a hand.

He sat next to her on the bed—ignoring her brother’s growl—and took her hand. It was clammy.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Her smile was weak. “Like I’ve been rode hard and put away wet.”

And yeah, not the best analogy, given his rising ardor. Funny how just seeing her—even in this condition—made him twitchy. It was a good thing he’d added that codicil to his promise, because with the way he felt about her, he doubted he could remain stalwart for two whole days.

“Thank you for taking me to the hospital,” she said.

He snorted a laugh. What else would he have done? “I did consider leaving you on the floor.”

Her lips quirked. “That would have been okay too.”

“I’m so sorry this happened. And on our first date.”

“Well, it’s a first date I will never forget.”