Free Saved by the Single Dad by Annie Claydon Page A

across her scalp. His leg pressed against her side as he leaned over her.
    Maybe there was just a bit of sensuality about this. Along with all the nurturing and the warmth—the things that she reckoned it was okay to take from Jack. Cass dismissed the thought. It was what it was and she was too tired, too much in need to question it.
    Then the warm water running over her head and finally a rub with a towel. Cass opened her eyes, sitting up straight.
    â€˜Better now?’
    â€˜Much. Thank you.’ She rubbed at her hair and he handed her a comb. She winced as the teeth passed over the abraded skin at her temple.
    â€˜Let’s have a look at that.’ He didn’t wait for her to either agree or disagree, just did it. Gentle fingers probed and then he reached for the plastic bag again. ‘I think you’ll live. I’ll put some antiseptic on it, though.’
    The antiseptic stung for a moment but even that was refreshing. Jack had a lightness of touch that set her nerve endings quivering, but that would have to remain her little secret.
    â€˜Do something for me?’ He raised one eyebrow and she smiled.
    â€˜What do you want?’
    A slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Then he sat down opposite her and carefully removed a haphazardly applied piece of plaster from his arm. Underneath, the skin was red raw, a fragment of wood protruding. Cass caught her breath. He must have ignored the injury, the splinter driving deeper into his skin as he’d worked, and it was going to hurt to get it out now.
    â€˜Do you have a pair of tweezers?’
    He leaned over, producing a pair from the bag, but when Cass reached for them he closed his hand over them, holding it against his chest. ‘Gently does it, eh? I know you lot.’
    â€˜My lot?’ Cass grinned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean? I’ll have you know I’m medically trained.’ All firefighters were.
    â€˜It’s supposed to mean that you don’t have to throw me over your shoulder and carry me out of here first. Then tip me in a heap on the ground and start pumping on my chest.’
    â€˜Think I couldn’t? I have a technique, you know.’ The truth was that she could just about manage it. He’d have much less trouble lifting her.
    He was shaking his head, laughing. ‘That’s exactly what I’m worried about.’
    He handed her the tweezers and pushed the bottle of antiseptic towards her. Cass positioned his arm on the vanity top and bent over it, looking carefully. He made no sound but the muscles in his arm twitched when she laid her finger close to the wound.
    â€˜You really should have a local anaesthetic for this.’
    â€˜Nah. Better to just get it over with. I’ve only got the strong stuff in the medical bag.’
    And he was saving that in case someone else needed it. Cass gripped his wrist tight to steady his arm and drew out the first piece of the splinter. She was going to have to fish a little for the second piece, which had been driven deep into his arm.
    She so hated hurting him but he was trusting her to have the nerve to do it. Trusting that her hand wouldn’t shake and make things a whole lot worse. She steadied herself and pressed the tweezers into the raw skin, trying not to hear his sudden intake of breath.
    â€˜Sorry...’ She had nothing to make the pain any better and Cass fought the urge to dip her head and kiss it away.
    â€˜That’s okay. Got it all?’
    Cass carefully examined the wound. ‘Yes, I think so. Can’t see anything else.’
    â€˜Antiseptic, then.’
    She applied a generous measure, making sure that the wound was disinfected. ‘Are your tetanus shots up to date?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Then we’re nearly done.’ Cass leaned forward, stripping off his T-shirt, and Jack chuckled.
    â€˜What now? Is this all part of the technique too?’
    â€˜Just making sure there’s