BareBottomGirl by Sarina Wilde Read Free Book Online Page A

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of his hand against her cheek.
    “Oh for God’s sake!” Greer snapped, desperate to distract
both men from her flushed cheeks. Yes, she was flushed. She’d just climaxed to
a very vivid fantasy of both of them. “It’s just a little cut. The knife
slipped while I was slicing a cucumber for the salad.”
    “Right after I commented that in cleaning the upstairs she
must have discovered you and I share a bed, since neither one of us made it
this morning.”
    Chas looked at her with those long-lashed blue eyes. His
expression radiated concern mixed with just a hint of wariness. “Is that a
problem?”
    Greer didn’t trust herself to speak. She just shook her
head.
    He grinned, his relief obvious. “That’s my girl. How about
you let me look at your finger now?”
    She laid her hand in his and watched as he unwrapped the
towel. Blood immediately welled. “See?” Greer said. “Just slap a bandage on,
and I’m good to go.”
    Her confidence faltered when Chas frowned.
    “Chas?” Liam growled. “What’s up?”
    Chas tilted his head just a bit as he wrapped the towel back
around it and pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” he told her, “but I need
to put a couple of stitches in this.”
    “Why?” Greer demanded. She had sudden visions of having to
go to an emergency room, and her head swam. As she swayed on the chair, Chas
steadied her.
    “What’s wrong, Greer?” Concern laced his tone.
    “I don’t have to see a doctor, do I?” As soon as it left her
mouth, she realized how stupid it sounded. Chas didn’t laugh, though. He
smoothed his finger along her cheek.
    “I can do it right here. You don’t have to go anywhere, but
you will have to see me. Can you handle that?”
    She nodded, relief pouring through her. “That’s okay.”
    Chas glanced at Liam. “Would you get my bag? It’s in my
office. Greer, you keep holding the towel on there. I’m going to scrub. When
Liam gets back, I’ll numb the area around the cut and take care of it. It’ll be
over before you know it.”
    “Are you sure you can’t just put a butterfly bandage on it?”
Greer didn’t want this to be a big deal. In only four days, she’d had a panic
attack in front of them and now she’d cut her finger badly enough she needed
stitches. Plus, she could tell from the look on Chas’ face he sensed there was
something underlying her aversion to medical facilities.
    He took a hand towel from the shelf next to the sink and
dried his hands. “It is a nice clean cut, and not deep, but it is right next to
your knuckle. Without a couple of stitches to hold everything in place, it won’t
heal cleanly, and it’ll leave a scar.”
    “Like that really matters.” Greer slammed her mouth shut and
closed her eyes, unable to even look at him.
    He touched her shoulder, so she looked at him. “I’ll leave
that comment alone for now, okay? But we’ll come back to it at some point.”
    “Don’t,” she whispered. “Just forget I said it. Put the
stitches in and let’s move on.”
    “Here.” Liam returned and once again the room shrank. He
frowned at them. “Look, not that I’m squeamish, but unless you need me here to
assist, Chas, I’m going to get cranking with dinner…”
    “That’s my job,” Greer interrupted. “I can do it.”
    Liam stroked her hair. “No. It was my fault. I startled you.”
    He left before she could say anything else. Chas opened his
bag, laid out what he needed then snapped on gloves.
    “Okay,” he said matter-of-factly. “What’s wrong?”
    She sighed. “I told you about my job history. I’ve had
really rotten luck, and it just seems to be starting again. I mean…first I have
the panic attack, now this, and,” she paused, “what am I really doing here?
There’s hardly any cleaning to do, and now Liam is out there cooking dinner.”
    Chas took her hand and unwrapped the towel without saying
anything at first. Finally, as he began cleaning her finger, he said, “You
couldn’t help