Sweet? “Fighting is never a good idea!”

Rowdy patted her hand. “Sorry, she’s had a rough night.”

At the breaking point, Avery opened her mouth to blast everyone in the room, but all she got out was “I—” before Rowdy kissed her.

With both nurses watching.

It wasn’t a wimpy little kiss. Nope. It was a hot, damp, tongue and teasing show of possession. Whew. Her insides went liquid and her anger melted away.

Rowdy finally let her up for air, kissing her lips once more, her nose and then her forehead.

Avery wavered on her feet. Stupidly, as if that explained his behavior, she said, “I’m, ah, the bartender.”

Rowdy, blast him, grinned. “Yes, you are.”

Amused, the nurses finished cleaning him up and asking their questions, then left when the doctor finally came in.

Avery needed to sit, but Rowdy still held her hand. On the off chance he actually needed her, she locked her knees, did some deep breathing to send oxygen to her muddled brain and reminded herself, over and over again, that regardless of how Rowdy acted, he was injured and needed to keep the lust in check.

His...and her own.

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE FEMALE DOCTOR, probably in her early forties, model thin and very attractive, wasn’t amused that Rowdy kept Avery so close. Not as support, Avery soon realized, but so that he could play kissy face and act outrageous in a dozen other ways.

Was it a defense mechanism? Was he in more pain than he let on?

The doctor pulled on rubber gloves and took a seat behind him. For the longest time she was silent, until finally she murmured, “You’ve been in a lot of fights?”

Rowdy toyed with Avery’s hair, twining one long tress around his finger. “A few.”

Somehow, being injured didn’t detract from Rowdy’s devastating good looks, or his ability to seduce. His body... Well, she’d seen plenty of men shirtless, but none of them looked like him. His chest, his shoulders, those incredible abs...

Fortunately, the doctor didn’t seem to notice or care. She, at least, was all business. After accessing the wound, she studied his broad back with a frown. “Some of these scars are pretty old.”

Scars? Avery started to move around so she could see for herself.

Rowdy kept her from doing so. “Old, and unimportant.” He glanced back at the doctor. “How soon can I get out of here?”

The doctor wasn’t put off by his brusque question. “You’ll need quite a few stitches. With luck, I won’t leave you with another scar.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“To me,” the doctor said, “it does.”

In short order, he got a tetanus shot and something to numb the area.

While the doctor put in the stitches, Avery watched Rowdy’s face.

“If you’re waiting for me to faint,” he told her, “you can relax. I don’t feel a thing.” He tried to draw her in for another kiss.

She tried to avoid it, but he didn’t make it easy.

While glaring at Avery as if it were her fault, the doctor said, “This would be a whole lot easier if you’d sit still.”

Freeing herself, Avery said in her sternest voice, “Behave.”

And wonder of wonders, he did.

As the doctor finished up, she went over his instructions as she wrote them. “I don’t want you to shower for at least twenty-four hours. When you do shower, make it quick so that you don’t soak your stitches. You can remove the bandage and have someone—” here she stared at Avery again “—reapply the antibiotic ointment.”

Rowdy gave Avery a wolfish smile.

The doctor pretended not to see it. “Keep it wrapped for three days, and then, if it’s comfortable for you, you can leave the bandages off.” She looked up. “I don’t suppose you have a desk job?”

“He owns his own bar,” Avery told her, more than willing to brag on him. “He works every part of it. Lots of physical activity.”

She sighed. “Well, I’d tell you to take it easy for at least a week, but somehow I don’t think you’ll listen.” She came to stand in front of them, put her hands on her hips and said with strict insistence, “Three days.”

“Three days of what?” Rowdy asked.

“Three days of you not overdoing it. No running, no heavy lifting.” She tipped her head forward in an “are you listening to me” pose. “Nothing that will put stress on your injury. Understand?”

Rowdy didn’t answer, so Avery did. “I’ll see that he’s more careful.”

“Yes, well, I have a feeling he’ll try to talk you around.” The doctor raised a brow. “Don’t let him.”

Good grief, did she mean sex? Avery went hot. “I have no say over that!”

With a huff, Rowdy pulled her closer. “You have the most say.”

The unspoken words at least for right now rang in her head.

The doctor saved Avery from having to reply. “You’re going to be uncomfortable. I’m giving you a script for pain meds, but they might make you sleepy. No driving, no drinking and no operating heavy machinery when you take them.”

“Not a problem.”

“If you can get by with aspirin during the day, I’d recommend saving the stronger stuff for when you go to bed.” She turned to Avery. “You’ll be helping to care for him?”

Rowdy watched her, saying nothing, so Avery gave a quick nod. “Yes.” And I’ll do my best not to take advantage of his weakened condition.