“Let me help you,” Sable said from the doorway.
“I got it. I’ve been shot before. I have nine lives.” Hunter flashed a grin.
Her hand grasped his undamaged arm. “Please.”
He paused. “All right.” He turned down the lid on the commode and sat down.
“Take off your shirt,” Sable instructed as she doused a washcloth with warm water.
Hunter pulled the shirt over his head and revealed his firm chest. Blood stained his sandy-colored skin and the blond hairs on his forearm.
Sable started cleaning his arm and around the cut. “Why do you do this?”
“Do what?” So close to him in the small bathroom, his voice rumbled in her ears.
“You’re good at what you do, but you risk your life to protect people all the time, right? How can you constantly jeopardize your own safety?”
“You’re one to talk.”
She looked up at him briefly before setting the bloody rag on the counter and picking up a cotton swab. “Normally, being a thief isn’t so dangerous.”
He watched her work for a bit. “It’s exciting. It’s in my blood. I’ve been this way since I was sixteen. I got into trouble and an organization helped me get on the right path.”
“Men like you…” Sable shook her head, tossing the bloody cotton in the trash. “Never mind.”
“Men like me? Daredevils?” he prodded.
“Yes, daredevils. And players.”
“What’s wrong with us? Daredevils are fun. Players make the best lovers.” Amusement filled his voice.
She wrapped his arm with gauze, keeping her eyes trained on the task and avoiding his eyes. “Players also break hearts.”
“Only if you give them your heart,” Hunter said in a low voice.
That was a warning if she ever heard one. Sable smoothed a hand over the bandage. “There.” She briefly washed her hands while he continued to watch her.
When she finished, she stepped back, but Hunter caught her shirt and held her in place. She didn’t want to look at him but couldn’t resist lifting her gaze.
“You want to give me your heart, Sable?”
The thinning of the air made breathing difficult. “I’m not that foolish.”
Hunter’s light-colored eyes scoured her face. Then he stood, fisting her shirt in his hand and hauling her closer. Sable let out a soft gasp. The breath leaving her nostrils trembled and stuttered as much as her beating heart.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
She swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
He cocked his head, gaze dropping to her parted lips. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for the longest. You gonna let me kiss you, Sable?” he asked huskily.
He didn’t wait for an answer.
He dipped his head, and her lips fell open wider before his mouth touched hers. Their mouths crashed together, guttural moans leaping from their throats and filling the small bathroom.
