“Something wrong?” he asked.

“Nope. I was just thinking that you look more like a lumberjack than a mechanic, especially with your beard.”

“Does it bother you?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I like it. You keep it trimmed and neat.” She wove her fingers into the coarse hair and rubbed her palm down one side. “I’ve never kissed anyone with a beard before. I had no idea it would be so good,” she said, and immediately looked away as if she hadn’t meant to say the words aloud.

“Did it tickle your nose?” he asked.

“A little. It’s not as prickly as I thought it would be.”

Sam didn’t say anything when her fingers explored his beard until they were in her room.

“You like?” he asked.

“Very much,” she said and grinned, before tearing her gaze away from him and pointing toward the other side of the room. “Get me my walker, okay?”

“Not tonight, babe, you’re tired.”

“We had a deal,” she hurried to remind him.

Still, Sam hesitated. “I don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

“I won’t.”

He wasn’t convinced.

“A deal is a deal. Now, how far do I need to walk before I get my reward? Don’t make it too easy for me, either.”

“Beth, no.”

“Please.”

Sam doubted he could refuse this woman anything.

“I want to show you what I can do.”

Frowning, Sam glanced down the long corridor. “To the nurses’ station and back.” It was only a few feet away. He didn’t want her collapsing.

“I can walk farther than that.”

“Do you want your reward or not?” he asked.

“Okay, okay,” she said with a laugh.

Sam helped her to her feet and noticed how she held the walker in a death grip. This was a bad idea and he regretted agreeing to it almost immediately.

Beth’s first few steps looked unsteady and were little more than a shuffling of her feet. On edge, Sam remained close to her side, at the ready in case her legs gave out or she needed assistance.

Her progress was slow and methodical. Each step was a determined effort.

“You’re doing great,” Sam told her.

She bit into her lower lip. “If you knew what I wanted for my reward you might want me to crash and burn.”

“Not happening, babe,” he promised. “This is far enough. Turn around.”

She paused and looked up at him. “Have I mentioned how much I like it when you call me that?”

“Babe?”

“Yeah.”

She hit him with another of her megawatt smiles and Sam was forced to look away before he did something they would both regret. “Time to head back to your room.”

Her legs looked like they were about to give out on her by the time she made it past the nurses’ station.

“Hi,” one of the nurses’ aides called out to him. “You can come play your guitar for me anytime you want.”

Sam ignored her as if she hadn’t spoken.

Beth faltered slightly and Sam’s arm automatically went around her waist. “You look beat,” he said.

She nodded. Sam glared at the aide, a pretty blonde who was about his own age. He didn’t appreciate that she was blatantly flirting with him, especially in front of Beth. She didn’t need that.

Although the distance wasn’t far, by the time Beth returned to her room, she was barely able to shuffle her feet. Sam was convinced she was close to collapsing and gripped hold of her waist. A gasp of relief escaped her as she sagged against him. Right away Sam lifted her into his arms and gently placed her on her bed.

Beth fell back against the pillows and released a deep sigh, briefly closing her eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded rather than responding verbally. He noticed that the muscles in her thighs and calves quivered with the strenuous effort.

“You should have listened to me when I told you to stop,” he chided, doing his best to hide how strongly seeing her in pain affected him.

“It will be worth it. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready for my reward.”

At this point he was willing to get her just about anything. “All right, what’s your desire, Your Highness?”

She stared at him, her eyes warm pools of longing. “What I want more than anything is for you to kiss me again.” She sounded breathless and her eyes locked onto his.

“A kiss?” Sam repeated, unable to suppress his delight. “I think I can manage that; I just don’t know that I’ll be able to stop with just one.”

Tired as she was, Beth laughed. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Chapter 12

Beth

Beth had spent most of the day thinking about the kiss she’d shared with Sam the night before. He’d claimed it’d been wonderful. That was for sure, and it fed her eagerness for more. She’d dreamed about him kissing her and was disappointed that it took him nearly a week. She understood his restraint. She was pathetic being in the hospital, hooked up to IVs and tubes. It seemed wrong for their first kiss to take place in such a clinical, antiseptic environment. The rehab center wasn’t much better, but she was past caring.

As soon as she mentioned she wanted him to kiss her again Sam’s gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered there. His eyes rounded and his beautiful mouth curved upward in a gentle smile. Oh yes, this was what she’d been waiting for, the look in his eyes that said more than an entire library of books. He wanted this, too, and was as impatient as she was.

Leaning forward, Sam slipped his hand around the back of her neck and eased her forward, his hold firm, determined. When he pressed his lips to hers, Beth released a sigh that felt as if it came straight from her center. She’d waited all day for this moment, and she wasn’t going to rush through it now.

His mouth was soft, gentle against hers, moist and warm. She’d been so enraptured by his first kiss that she’d barely paid attention to his beard. It tickled her now and she smiled slightly at the feel of it against the tender skin of her face. This was good. So good, and she was determined to hold on to every detail, cataloging them in her mind, wanting to put them to memory.

When Sam opened his mouth slightly, she followed his lead, and then it was Sam who groaned. She wasn’t sure how long they continued to kiss. It seemed all too brief, not nearly long enough to satisfy her or keep her from wanting more. With his mouth over hers, the tip of his tongue outlined her lips in a slow, sensual perusal. It was all Beth could manage not to melt in his arms.

When Sam eased away, she made a moaning protest and buried her face in his chest while she gathered her wits, which had completely deserted her. All she could think was wow. She was convinced that until Sam had kissed her she’d never really been kissed before. She didn’t want him to stop, but he had pulled back and his breathing seemed harsh and labored.

“I should go,” he said, gently releasing her. “You’re exhausted.”

Beth wanted to protest and stopped herself. He was right. Her day had been full and she was bone weary. She slowly lay back down so that her head was against the pillows. “Thank you,” she said, shocked at how low her voice was. “For everything.” She longed to tell him how much his kisses had meant to her but was unable to find the words. She had no idea kissing could be that wonderful or feel that good.

Sam hesitated, then took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her fingertips as though he had a difficult time leaving her. “I’ll be by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sure.”

“I’d come sooner but I’ve got sh— stuff I need to take care of.”

“Of course. Sam, please, I don’t want you to feel obligated to visit every day.” It was important he understand it wasn’t his duty to keep her entertained. Her stomach tightened at the thought that he’d felt seeing her was some unwritten requirement because he’d been at the scene of the accident.

He kissed the back of her hand. “Truth is, Beth, I don’t think I could stay away.”

It was his parting words that stayed in her mind the rest of the night. Sleep didn’t come easy. Every time Beth closed her eyes, she could almost feel Sam’s kiss against her lips. All that feeling and the emotion that went along with it overwhelmed her. She wondered how long it would be before he kissed her again, and she prayed it would be soon.