Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Read Online Free Page B

on his face. He reached for the edges of the bedclothes and grasped them, slowly pulling them down past his naval. A narrow, south-heading line of red-gold hairs was revealed. Mia instantly got that he was threatening to throw off the bedclothes. He was buck naked underneath, of course. It wasn’t like she was bashful or anything. In fact, at any other time, she probably wouldn’t mind seeing what he had. However, now was so not the time. She didn’t want to lose control of her patient.
    Mia hurried to end the call. “A bad hamburger. Whatever. Look, I’ve got to go puke.”
    “Eeew! Okay, bye!”
    Mia snapped the phone shut. Sternly, she leveled her finger at him. “ You’re the one who said no hospital! You’re the one that got a fever! You’re the one who couldn’t be left by himself, oh no! So I had to lie and take off from work. Stop being such a big baby! Stay in that bed! Got it?”
    “Got it.” His intensely blue eyes glittered like deep lake water struck by bright sunlight. He looked mulish, but he settled against the pillows and pulled the bedclothes back up to his gorgeous chest. Watching that nice flat belly disappear, Mia sighed regretfully. He growled at her. “Who’s Marty—Martin?”
    “Just my best girlfriend in the whole, whole world! Marti hates her real name—probably because her mom is the only one who calls her Martina.” Mia shot a stern look at him as she picked up the water pitcher and poured another glass of water. She palmed a couple of aspirin and handed the glass and the aspirin to him. “I don’t like fibbing to Marti or to my boss. You better appreciate it.”
    He was quiet for a second while taking the aspirin, but he was watching her with eagle eyes. He put the empty glass on the bedside table beside the water pitcher. “You said you had to puke.”
    “I needed to get off the phone quick.” Mia frowned down at him. “You’ve been trouble from the get-go, do you know that? Men make the very worst patients! Now, get some more rest! You’ve still got a little fever. I don’t want to lie any more than I have to, to cover your pretty ass.”
    He didn’t grin, but she could see the rise of laughter in his eyes. “You’re the boss.”
    “Yeah, hotshot, I am.” Mia marched out of the bedroom, mumbling under her breath.
    It was a long day. Mia filled in the time by cleaning the apartment and catching up on the laundry and cooking. It was actually kind of fun. It was almost like a mini vacation because she didn’t have to hurry through everything just to get out the door. She sniffed appreciatively. Her place smelled all lemony fresh, even under the aroma of homemade chicken soup. What was good for the soul was good for the body, too. Especially if it had extra garlic.
    Her patient was docile. She only had to scold him once, when he had stumbled into the wall on the way back from the bathroom. She had heard the hard bang and rushed into the bedroom in time to help him safely back into the bed. After she had gotten over her fright and finished giving him a piece of her mind, Mia thought it was a shame that he’d been covered up with the blue-and-orange-and-pink beach towel.

    * * * *

    Actually, he didn’t mind staying in the comfortable bed. He felt inordinately tired, so he knew he was still in pretty bad physical shape. He could feel the dying flames of the fever still licking his bones dry. Yet from time to time, he caught himself shivering with chill under the warm covers.
    He had been very, very lucky. He could have bled to death overnight. That shallow cave might have ended up becoming his tomb. Instead, a brave, smart woman had rescued him and patched him up.
    Experimentally, he lifted and rotated his wounded arm. He was rewarded with a spasm of fiery pain, so he didn’t do it again. Instead, he concentrated on getting better.
    He ate when the woman gave him something to eat. He let her take his pulse and his temperature. He made no complaint, even though he