Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy. HelenKay Dimon

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СКАЧАТЬ remember my name. Why don’t you believe me?”

      He threw the balled-up towel on the counter. “Maybe because you’re lying.”

      She gasped.

      Her acting needed some work, but he appreciated the effort. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re doing a convincing job, but the I-don’t-remember thing is getting old.”

      She waved her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, one that came very close to giving him the finger. When she did it a second time, he figured she was giving him the finger.

      “Think whatever you want,” she said as she curled her bare toes into his bath mat.

      He couldn’t figure out if she was cold or trying to hide her shocking pink nail polish. “Right. The amnesia. Any other disease or afflictions you’re pretending to have? Just so I’m prepared.”

      The stain on her cheeks deepened. “For a supposed police officer you don’t seem all that concerned about the fact I nearly drowned.”

      That thought sobered him. Despite everything else, trouble barked at her heels. “If you tell me how you got in the water, I can help. I can’t do anything until you level with me.”

      “I have.”

      “Look, Fern—”

      She lost some of her cool and started shouting. Even stomped one of those bare feet against the small carpet square. “Stop calling me that.”

      “It could be your name.”

      “It’s not.”

      Tweaking her temper came easy. “You’re saying you know what your name isn’t?”

      “That’s right.”

      He’d received medical training. Knew how to identify injuries. “Did you read that in a book?”

      “When?”

      “Whenever you dreamed up this story.”

      “I was too busy drinking in buckets of saltwater and swimming for my life to read or dream anything.”

      “Touché.” He grabbed his shield off the counter. “Let’s go.”

      “I’m done showering, thanks.”

      “To my bedroom.” He reached for her elbow.

      She backed away and evaded his grasp. “Look, I’m not—”

      “Not for that.” The thought of a mutual and hot “that” had been hovering at the back of his mind ever since he stepped into the shower and felt her soft skin pressing against him.

      Not about her. About any woman. Now that she’d brought the idea out into the open, he wouldn’t be able to block it again until he found a woman to scratch that itch. Preferably one who could tell the truth for more than three minutes at a time.

      “We’re going to change,” he said.

      “If by that you mean change into someone less annoying, I’m all for it.” She motioned for him to go first.

      He figured the biting remarks were a defense mechanism. Either that or her entire personality consisted of sarcasm. “You need to stay in my line of sight.”

      “I’m still not interested,” she grumbled.

      “Me either.”

      “Right.” She shot a bug-eyed glance at his zipper.

      As far as he was concerned, she needed to keep his pants out of this. And stop looking. That type of encouragement he did not need.

      He exhaled again to let her know his frustration, hoping this time she would get the hint. “I’m in wet jeans. Not comfortable. I need to get out of them and into something else so we can figure out what to do with you.”

      “You’re not doing anything with me.”

      “I’m going to gag you in a minute.” This time he caught her elbow before she could move away. “Since you strike me as a runner, you’re coming with me.”

      He started to guide her down the short hallway. After two steps, her sharp intake of breath stopped him. “What’s wrong now?”

      She leaned down to rub her leg through the robe. “You make it sound as if I complain all the time.”

      “That’s been my experience so far.”

      “Yeah, well, my knee hurts. Pain makes me grumpy.”

      Damn, she was hurt. “What happened?”

      “I don’t know.”

      He watched her massage her leg. “How can you not know?”

      This time she was the one who sighed. “I was in that water for heaven knows how long. Maybe an animal bit me.”

      “Animal?”

      “Fish? Mammal? Big-toothed water predator? Whatever crawls around in the water.”

      “Since you still have a leg, we can rule out shark. Not sure what crawling creatures you’re referring to, but let me see.” He dropped to his knees to inspect the injury. His fingertips barely touched the robe before she snapped the terry cloth back and away from his hands.

      “I don’t think so.” She said a few other words, all profane and none in sentence form.

      “What has gotten into you?”

      “You.”

      This would teach him to rescue a woman in need. “What did I do?”

      “Stand up. Now.” She grabbed the edges of the robe and pulled the material tight against her legs in a big bunch. One hand clamped against the material at her breasts; the other held the wad around her knees. The contortion shielded every inch of bare skin except her neck, calves and feet.

      The lack of trust irked him. “I’m a professional.”

      “Uh-huh. Get up.”

      “I’m trying to help you.”

      “Nice try.” She waved a finger—this time not her middle one—in his face.

      “You could have a serious injury. Something that requires immediate attention.” He doubted that. More likely a sprain, but he should check it out to be sure. Maybe get her to a clinic or the emergency room.

      “You’ve seen and felt enough. No more freebies. Thanks anyway.” A dull red stained her cheekbones.

      “What if—”

      “No.”

      He blew out a breath. “I’ve seen you naked.”

      “That’s СКАЧАТЬ