Free Her Greek Doctor's Proposal by Robin Gianna Page B

him carefully peel off the layers of gauze and wouldn’t admit for the world that she had to look away a couple times when she saw the long, raw slice in Becka’s calf that again oozed a trickle of blood.
    “Nice first-aid job, Ms. Evans,” he said, glancingup at her with a smile in his dark eyes. “I’m impressed.”
    “Thanks. Hope I don’t have to do it again.”
    His eyes crinkled at the corners as he held her gaze for a moment, and darned if her heart didn’t skip a beat before he turned to Becka. “I’m going to put a lidocaine-epinephrine mix all around the skin, then inject it with some painkillers before I wash it out. This part’s going to hurt, I’m sorry to say.”
    Laurel and Becka both watched him gently but efficiently smooth on a liquid with a cotton pad, all around the edges of the torn skin. When he was done, he looked up at Becka, his dark eyes sympathetic. “Going to inject the painkiller into the wound now, which isn’t going to feel good either. But then it’ll be nice and numb when I stitch it up. Okay?”
    Becka nodded, then gave a little crying gasp before she bit her lip hard as she had on the mountain. Laurel reached for the girl’s hand, not sure if she was comforting Becka or both of them, again thinking of her own sisters and how upset she’d be if they were in pain like this. She remembered many small boo-boos when they’d smothered her with grateful hugs and kisses after she’d patched them up, managing to smile at the sweet memories.
    She had to turn away a couple times as herepeatedly stuck the needle down into the open wound. “Will you think less of me if I say I’m glad my parents were archaeologists and didn’t groom me to be a doctor instead?”
    Andros glanced up at her with a smile. “Nothing would make me think less of you. And I have a feeling you’d be great at anything you put your mind to. Even medicine.” He set aside the needle and vial, and attached a hose to the faucet.
    “Thank God,” Becka said fervently. “That was awful.”
    “I know. That’s no fun, but you’re doing great.” He patted her knee. “Washing it out isn’t a picnic either, so hang in there for me.”
    He hosed down the angry wound, washing it thoroughly as he’d done with Laurel’s hand. She started to worry that poor Becka would bite right through her lip if she chomped on it any harder.
    “When Dr. Drakoulias had to wash out the cut on my hand, I thought he might drain the entire Gulf of Corinth before he was done,” she said, trying to distract the girl with a joke.
    Becka managed a little laugh, thankfully. “Maybe then they wouldn’t be able to catch any octopus to serve up at dinner, which Jason hounds me to eat every time. I can’t get why he loves them. Doesn’t he understand that those little suction cups weird me out?”
    “Laurel thinks octopus suckers are a delicacy,don’t you? Preferably washed down with ouzo.” Andros’s gaze lifted to hers for a brief moment, his dark eyes filled with that mischievous twinkle again as he winked.
    “A delicacy if you’re a whale or a Greek.”
    Andros grinned, and Becka laughed before the sound morphed into a pained yelp. “Sorry. Not much longer.”
    Laurel sent up a prayer of thanks that the washing out was finally over, except the stitching would probably be an ordeal for the poor girl, too. Andros leaned back to pat Becka’s shoulder this time. “The worst is over. Thankfully, right? The stitching is going to take a while because I need to do it in several layers. But believe it or not, it won’t hurt at all.”
    “Find that hard to believe,” Becka grumbled.
    “Can’t blame you. And I find it hard to believe you cut yourself this deeply with a trowel—that takes a special talent.” He smiled, and that adorable dimple poked into his cheek as he began to stitch.
    “Yeah, I have special talents all right. Clumsy ones.”
    His amused eyes met Laurel’s and she found her heart beating a little harder