Free Coming Home by Shirlee Busbee Page A

the thick mat of black hair that covered Jeb's chest and arrowed down across his lean midriff before disappearing into those tight jeans aroused a funny feeling inside of her. What would it feel like, she wondered, to be crushed against that hard, hair-covered chest? To her horror, her nipples swelled and her breasts ached, moisture pooling between her thighs. Holy Hannah! she thought half hysterically. This is nuts!
    She shook her head. Took a calming breath and said brightly, “I don't have much in the way of first-aid supplies, but here's some hydrogen peroxide—it'll do fine as a disinfectant until you get home.”
    Throwing the towel down on the counter, apparently unaware of Roxanne's reaction to his half-dressed state, Jeb said, “That'll do as pod asanything. It's not much of a cut.” He must have noticed something though, because he hesitated and said uncomfortably, “Uh, sorry about undressing. I didn't want to get my shirt wet.” He smiled crookedly. “I really splashed the water around.”
    “That's OK,” she said in that same bright tone. “Don't worry about it. Here, dab some of this on that cut and you can be on your way.” She thrust the bottle of hydrogen peroxide at him and then retreated, her gaze everywhere but on him.
    Puzzled, Jeb stared at her. She was skittish as a doe scenting the hounds and he couldn't think of one thing he'd done to cause her to react that way. Surely, she wasn't frightened of him? Shrugging into his shirt and leaving it unsnapped, he turned the situation over in his mind. What the hell was wrong with her? He shook his head. Women. Who knew what went on in their minds? And he sure as the devil wasn't going to solve that age-old question today.
    Pushing away the problem, he opened the bottle. “You have any cotton or anything I can use to put it on with?” he asked, looking around.
    “No. Use the corner of the towel.”
    She watched as he dabbed the corner of the towel with a liberal dose of the hydrogen peroxide. Putting the tip of the towel against the cut, he let out a yelp and jumped, banging his hip against the counter and sending the bottle of hydrogen peroxide flying. It landed on the floor by his feet and broke.
    Muttering a curse under his breath, he glanced down at the mess he'd made. “I'm usually not such a bull in a china store,” he said with a grimace. “What do you want me to use to clean it up? Got a broom?”
    He looked so embarrassed and uncomfortable that Roxanne smiled. “Sure,” she said. “I'll get it for you.”
    Broom and dustpan in hand, Jeb swept up the broken glass and most of the liquid. “Where do you want it?”
    “There's a wastepaper basket under the sink.”
    While Jeb dumped the mess into the wastepaper basket, Roxanne picked up the towel and squatting down began to wipe up what remained of the spilled hydrogen peroxide. Jeb turned around and looked down at her. Her head was bent and he had a wonderful view of that gorgeous neck of hers, especially that delicate spot where it joined her equally gorgeous shoulder. He decided then and there that he'd be hard-pressed to choose between her belly button and the area where her neck and shoulder joined as the place he'd like to taste first.
    Roxanne glanced up and her breath caught in her throat at the blatant sexuality in his gaze. Desire sizzled through her, her entire body humming with carnal longing. Nothing like this had ever happened to her. Not even in the midst of the mindless affair with Todd Spurling had she been so aware of a man, so needy to feel his mouth on hers, his body against her own. Nothing in her life compared to the hungry yearning that was tearing through her. Nothing.
    His eyes locked on hers, Jeb said huskily, “You know I always wanted a woman at my feet …” He reached out a hand to help her stand. He pulled her to her feet and into his embrace. “But I think,” he muttered against her mouth, losing the fight to resist her, “that in my arms is a much