Leah Martyn – Weekend With The Best Man (страница 7)

‘Why?’ Dan frowned. ‘Because I think I should take you straight back to Hopeton and get your neck X-rayed.’

‘Oh, Dan...please, no.’ Lindsey squeezed her eyes tightly shut in rebuttal. ‘I’ll be fine, honestly.’

‘You can’t know that for sure, Lindsey.’ He seemed unconvinced. ‘But I had a feeling you’d be stubborn so I managed to snaffle a collar from the paramedics.’

‘No collars.’ Lindsey was adamant. ‘Look, it’s whiplash, resulting in a bit of muscle strain. I have some massage oil that works miracles. I’ll attend to it the minute I get to where I’m going.’

Dan quirked a brow. ‘And where is that?’

‘Milldale. Home.’

‘Home,’ Dan repeated. ‘I thought you lived in Hopeton.’

‘I do, for work. But home for me is Lark Hill, the vineyard where my parents live. Where I grew up. I’m starting a bit of leave.’

It took Dan only a few seconds to process all this. She still had some way to drive to Milldale before she could get relief for her neck pain. Was she fit to drive? Was her car even drivable? He came to a decision. He was a doctor, for God’s sake. He could treat her. Here and now. ‘Do you have your miracle oil with you?’

Lindsey looked uncertain. ‘Of course I have it with me.’

‘In your luggage?’ Dan was slowly opening the driver’s door. ‘Tell me where to look and I’ll massage it in for you. The sooner it’s done, the sooner some relief will kick in for you.’

Lindsey’s hands clutched the collar of his coat, pulling it higher as if to ward off the idea. She couldn’t let him do that. It was too intimate...too...everything. She moistened her lips. ‘If you get me the oil, I can rub it on myself.’

He snorted. ‘And how high can you lift your arms without it hurting?’

Emotions began clogging Lindsey’s throat. If she was honest, she was aching all over and suffering the aftermath of shock. It would be so lovely to let go of all her scruples and let Dan take care of her. ‘My car keys are still in the ignition.’

‘And your luggage in the boot?’ Dan swung one leg out of the car.

Lindsey managed a small nod. ‘Just bring my beauty case. It’s black with—’

‘Lindsey, relax,’ Dan broke in gently. ‘I know what a beauty case looks like. I’ll find it.’

* * *

Lindsey closed her eyes. He’d told her to relax so she’d try. He’d taken over anyway. And right at the moment the idea sounded heaven-sent.

Dan was back. Not only did he have her beauty case but he’d brought along her shoulder bag as well. And her long woolly cardigan was draped over his forearm.

‘You’ve thought of everything.’ Lindsey managed a trapped smile.

‘And I have something for your neck pain as well.’

‘What are they?’ She looked dubiously at the foil-wrapped tablets he handed her.

‘They’re standard painkillers,’ Dan said. ‘Nothing to send you off to la-la land.’ He watched as she broke open the foil and then handed her a bottle of water. When she’d swallowed the tablets, he asked, ‘Now, how are we going to do this?’

Lindsey blinked. He was obviously referring to her massage. She unzipped her beauty case and handed him the bottle of oil. ‘I could probably just manoeuvre myself so my back’s to you,’ she said throatily.

‘Or we could fold back the rear seat so you could lie down.’

‘That’s not necessary.’ Lindsey was firm. ‘Just take your jacket back, Dan, and I’ll get my shirt off.’

Dan’s eyes widened. His heart gave a sideways skip. ‘OK...’

Lindsey undid the buttons and shrugged off the loose-fitting shirt to reveal a snug little vest top beneath. She sent him an innocent look. ‘What?’

‘Nothing.’

She managed a soft chuckle. ‘Had you going there, didn’t I, Daniel?’

‘A guy can live in hope,’ he countered, his mouth lifting at the corners. ‘Now, give me that oil and we’ll get started.’

Lindsey felt her body relax its tension as Dan’s fingers began the gentle kneading of her neck muscles. It felt good, so good, and she wanted it to go on for ever...

Dan let his hands drift over the smooth column of her neck and then tease out the tense muscles at its base, almost hypnotised by the feel of her satin-smooth skin under his hands. ‘It’s Dante, by the way.’

‘Really?’ Lindsey’s voice went high in disbelief.

‘Really.’

‘From the Italian poet of the Middle Ages?’

‘At least you have the origin right,’ he said. ‘My sisters used to tell everyone I’d been named after a middle-aged poet.’

‘Oh, poor you. Were you teased a lot?’

‘Sometimes I felt like quietly enrolling at another school.’

‘I think Dante suits you.’

‘Hmm.’ Dan was noncommittal.

‘Is your mother a romantic, then?’

‘No.’ He sounded amused. ‘It’s an old family name. Apparently, it was just my turn to be lumbered with it.’

‘That’s pathetic,’ Lindsey said mildly. ‘It makes you different...special.’

He didn’t reply.

‘How does that feel now?’

Lindsey heard the guarded tone in his voice. Had her remark embarrassed him? Probably. And she wouldn’t have continued with the banter if she hadn’t been feeling so relaxed with him. Her mistake. ‘It’s much better, thanks. I’ll be OK now.’ She swivelled round to face the front again.

‘If you’re sure?’ Dan recapped the bottle of oil and handed it back to her.

‘I’m fine.’ She stowed the bottle back in her beauty case then reached for her cardigan and shrugged it on.

Well, he’d stuffed that up. Dan locked his hands around the steering wheel and looked blindly out into the night. He’d stomped all over her light remarks and shut down. Now she’d be back to thinking he was some kind of unsociable cretin. God, he felt like an infant trying to stand upright and walk.

His jaw tightened. He had to fix things. ‘I’ve...made things awkward again, haven’t I?’

Her throat constricted. ‘I wasn’t coming on to you.’

‘I know that. You were being sweet and funny...’ He paused painfully.

‘I’ve—been out of circulation for a while.’

Lindsey glanced at him, taking in his body language. Obviously, he’d been through something that had knocked him sideways. Something it was taking him time to get past. She felt a river of empathy run out to him. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ As soon as she’d said the trite words Lindsey wished them back. Whatever it was that was bugging him, he’d probably talked about it until he was blue in the face. ‘Sorry, scratch that.’

He blew out a controlled sigh. ‘It’s just stuff that’s a bit hard to...revisit.’

‘I get that, Dan,’ she said softly.

His head swung towards her. Even in the subdued lighting in the car, the force of his undivided attention was like a mini-riot inside her. They breathed through several beats of silence. Until... Dan bent, his lips grazing hers. It was the lightest of kisses but heady with the taste of promise. For a long moment they stared at each other. ‘That was a bit...’ Lindsey’s voice faded.

‘Unexpected?’ Dan moved closer, so close she had to tilt her head up to look at him. So close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. ‘Nice, though?’

His softly spoken question danced across her nerves, creating a new wave of warmth to cascade through her. She nodded, words simply escaping her.

Dan stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers, his body drenched in emotions he’d almost forgotten.

A gossamer-thin thread of awareness seemed to shimmer between them, until they drew back slowly from each other, breaking the spell.

Lindsey began pulling her cardigan more tightly around her. ‘Um, do you think we could find a hot drink somewhere?’

‘Oh, God—sorry!’ Dan hit the heel of his hand on his forehead. ‘You’re probably still shocky. I’m an idiot—’