Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Kathy Carmichael
wouldn't help a paper cut, much less the large bruise Alec now sported.
No way he'd let her put such sweet-smelling stuff on him. With a shrug, she pulled out a few leaves from a packet of herbs she found on the counter, crushed them a little more, and added the powder to the ointment. It smelled minty now, and more masculine.
"What do you think, Tommy? It's better, isn't it?" The cat took a sniff and answered with a loud purr. Diedra smiled and nodded, and sincerely hoped the herbs wouldn't affect the recipe. But it was going outside his body, not inside, so it should be okay.
She brought the small white bowl to him and got down on her knees. He drew up his pant leg and she looked from it to the bowl. The vacuum seemed safe enough for the moment, but something else might spring to life or drop on their heads. Perhaps she'd best stand on the other side of the room.
With a sigh, she asked, "Do you want to put it on yourself?"
"Hand it over."
She gave him the bowl and moved back several feet.
He applied the salve.
She heard a poof.
The room was instantly blanketed with a thick, gray cloud. They both coughed and waved at the air, but it was dense with smoke.
"Did you leave a burner on or something?"
"No." She got to her feet. Could this be a chemical reaction involving the unknown herb?
She'd never mixed anything flammable before. Well, not since that time in high school science class, but that was a long time ago and didn't involve herbs.
After the explosion nearly destroyed the chemistry lab, she'd tried to explain to an irate school principal that she'd only substituted one little chemical. Her story hadn't gone down well. She suspected her explanation this time wouldn't fare much better. "I'll go open the door."
"Good idea. I don't see a fire anywhere, do you?"
"Who can see anything in this mess?" She opened the door and waved it back and forth for a few minutes until the smoke dissipated.
"Hey, Diedra, this stuff's good. The swelling's already going down."
"That's great." She walked back toward him and caught sight of his face. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, my heavens!"
Alec looked behind him. "Is there a fire?"
"No fire." Diedra felt a little frantic. "Oh, this time you'll really never forgive me."
He strode toward her and she began to giggle. How could she not? Was she hysterical? He kept coming and she bit her lip, trying to look serious but failing miserably. He backed her into the counter. She took one glance at the tight line of his lips and her laughter died.
"What have you done now?" He patted his suit. "You didn't set me on fire, did you?"
"Nooo." She licked her finger and touched the tip of his elegant nose with it. She rubbed harder. If he looked upset now, how would he react when he found out? "Alec, it really wasn't my fault. I'm sure you had it before you came. Really."
"If you don't tell me what you're talking about, right this instant, you'll live to regret it." He definitely wasn't happy with her, but she couldn't help liking the way his clenched jaw muscles ticked. She was such a basket case when it came to him.
Diedra grabbed his arm and dragged him into the back room. She pointed at the mirror. "Look."
He smoothed his hair before stepping forward to examine himself. His hand froze and she thought his eyes might pop out of his face. "What the hell is this?"
"You mean those bumps all over your face? I don't know, Alec. Honest." She twisted her hands. "The ointment smelled too sweet. I didn't think those leaves could be poisonous."
"Are you saying you poisoned me?"
"No." She scrunched her eyes again, before peeking at him. Of course he'd have an allergic reaction to any ointment she gave him. A five-year-old could have predicted it. "I'm just saying I might have given you polka dots."
"Then get rid of them."
"But, Alec, I don't know how! And besides, if it was the ointment, wouldn't your leg be spotted?"
They both looked at his leg. Small red spots were visible. Diedra
No way he'd let her put such sweet-smelling stuff on him. With a shrug, she pulled out a few leaves from a packet of herbs she found on the counter, crushed them a little more, and added the powder to the ointment. It smelled minty now, and more masculine.
"What do you think, Tommy? It's better, isn't it?" The cat took a sniff and answered with a loud purr. Diedra smiled and nodded, and sincerely hoped the herbs wouldn't affect the recipe. But it was going outside his body, not inside, so it should be okay.
She brought the small white bowl to him and got down on her knees. He drew up his pant leg and she looked from it to the bowl. The vacuum seemed safe enough for the moment, but something else might spring to life or drop on their heads. Perhaps she'd best stand on the other side of the room.
With a sigh, she asked, "Do you want to put it on yourself?"
"Hand it over."
She gave him the bowl and moved back several feet.
He applied the salve.
She heard a poof.
The room was instantly blanketed with a thick, gray cloud. They both coughed and waved at the air, but it was dense with smoke.
"Did you leave a burner on or something?"
"No." She got to her feet. Could this be a chemical reaction involving the unknown herb?
She'd never mixed anything flammable before. Well, not since that time in high school science class, but that was a long time ago and didn't involve herbs.
After the explosion nearly destroyed the chemistry lab, she'd tried to explain to an irate school principal that she'd only substituted one little chemical. Her story hadn't gone down well. She suspected her explanation this time wouldn't fare much better. "I'll go open the door."
"Good idea. I don't see a fire anywhere, do you?"
"Who can see anything in this mess?" She opened the door and waved it back and forth for a few minutes until the smoke dissipated.
"Hey, Diedra, this stuff's good. The swelling's already going down."
"That's great." She walked back toward him and caught sight of his face. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, my heavens!"
Alec looked behind him. "Is there a fire?"
"No fire." Diedra felt a little frantic. "Oh, this time you'll really never forgive me."
He strode toward her and she began to giggle. How could she not? Was she hysterical? He kept coming and she bit her lip, trying to look serious but failing miserably. He backed her into the counter. She took one glance at the tight line of his lips and her laughter died.
"What have you done now?" He patted his suit. "You didn't set me on fire, did you?"
"Nooo." She licked her finger and touched the tip of his elegant nose with it. She rubbed harder. If he looked upset now, how would he react when he found out? "Alec, it really wasn't my fault. I'm sure you had it before you came. Really."
"If you don't tell me what you're talking about, right this instant, you'll live to regret it." He definitely wasn't happy with her, but she couldn't help liking the way his clenched jaw muscles ticked. She was such a basket case when it came to him.
Diedra grabbed his arm and dragged him into the back room. She pointed at the mirror. "Look."
He smoothed his hair before stepping forward to examine himself. His hand froze and she thought his eyes might pop out of his face. "What the hell is this?"
"You mean those bumps all over your face? I don't know, Alec. Honest." She twisted her hands. "The ointment smelled too sweet. I didn't think those leaves could be poisonous."
"Are you saying you poisoned me?"
"No." She scrunched her eyes again, before peeking at him. Of course he'd have an allergic reaction to any ointment she gave him. A five-year-old could have predicted it. "I'm just saying I might have given you polka dots."
"Then get rid of them."
"But, Alec, I don't know how! And besides, if it was the ointment, wouldn't your leg be spotted?"
They both looked at his leg. Small red spots were visible. Diedra
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