Slade grabbed a dry dish towel from the top of the counter and wrapped it around her palm, applying pressure as Jazz took the knife from her other hand.

It all happened so fast. Blinking in disbelief, she watched as Slade eased the towel back from her hand several minutes later to reveal a shallow, bloody gash.

“This is all your fault,” she said, glaring at Jazz as he pushed Slade’s hand back, checked the wound, then folded it over again to apply firmer pressure.

“Sure it is,” he agreed with completely false regret.

“If you hadn’t been staring at me like a hungry mongrel,” she all but hissed, trying to pull her hand from his grip.

“Stay still, darlin’,” he demanded gently, ignoring the insult while retaining his grip. “Slade and Jessie went for bandages, we’ll have you all fixed up in just a few minutes.”

“It takes both of them to get a friggin’ Band-Aid?” she snapped. It could take hours if they managed to become distracted with each other. Just what she needed.

“This will take a bit more than a Band-Aid,” he promised, peeling the edge of the cloth back again to check for bleeding. “I think you need stitches.”

Blood was still seeping from the cut, staining Jessie’s dish towel as Kenni stared at it in disgust.

“It doesn’t need stitches.” She couldn’t believe she’d done something so damned stupid. “Just give me a stupid bandage.” A big one maybe.

She knew better than to let herself become so distracted while wielding a blade of any kind. It was one the first things Gunny had taught her when he’d put one in her hand.

“Scared of needles?” he asked, surprise reflecting in his voice as he stared down at her.

“Yeah, terrified.” She deliberately didn’t look at him as she lied to him.

If she was scared of needles, she would have been in trouble that first night when a bullet had lodged in her shoulder as her uncle raced from a burning hotel with her. She’d learned the next day the hell of having the bullet cut from her flesh with no anesthesia, no hospital support staff or doctor’s care. Just Gunny’s knife, the whiskey he’d made her drink first and his hoarse voice apologizing as she screamed in agony.

The memory flashed through her head, causing her to inhale roughly before pushing the memory back just as quickly. She didn’t need stitches and she didn’t need Jazz babying her.

“I said I was fine.” A quick jerk of her hand and she was free, putting several feet between them as she checked the wound herself.

“Damn, you are the meanest woman I know,” he retorted as he moved behind her and picked up the cloth before looking over her shoulder at her palm. “What would it take to get you to chill out?”

“What would it take to make you stop staring at me like you’re trying to dissect me?” she countered as she bit back a curse at the pain radiating from her palm. “I’m going to have to stop accepting Jessie’s invitations because you’re making me uncomfortable.”

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t work, but the threat was worth a try.

“Yeah, she’ll let you get away with that this month just as easily as you got away with it last month,” he snorted as she rolled her eyes in disgust. Jessie and her big mouth. “Keep your hand under the water while I rinse the dish towel in the laundry room. I don’t need her yelling at me because you’re still bleeding or because I threw the towel on the floor.”

Turning sideways, she shot his back a glare as he disappeared into the laundry room. Moments later the sound of water running and the strong scent of bleach assured her that at least she didn’t have to worry about DNA lying around.

Not that Slade seemed suspicious of anything. From the day Jessie had introduced Kenni to Slade, he’d just seemed to accept her. She was Jessie’s friend and it was that simple.

Not that she thought anything could be that simple with Slade Colter. No doubt he’d checked the background she’d submitted when applying for the teaching position. Kenni was confident it would hold up unless Slade went personally to the California university where Annie Mayes had attained her teaching degree. That might present a problem.

And it might not.

“Let me see.” Jazz pulled her hand from the water as Jessie and Slade moved back into the kitchen carrying a first-aid kit.

“It’s fine.” She tried to jerk her hand from his grip again, only to find he was just as determined to hold on to it.

“Stay still for a change,” he growled as Jessie moved to her side. “Let me bandage your hand and Jessie can finish the salad so we can eat sometime tonight.”

Let him do it? The very thought was shocking. How long had it been since anyone, even Gunny, had helped bandage a wound for her? Gunny made her do it unless she simply couldn’t reach it and the damage was too severe to go untreated.

“That means it’s time to put on the steaks,” Slade announced as he moved to the fridge for the platter of steaks Jessie had been marinating.

“This is ridiculous.” Eyeing her friend as she handed over the first-aid box to Jazz, Kenni let herself be pushed into the kitchen chair as Jazz pulled another close enough to prop Kenni’s hand against his knee.

“You can’t ignore a cut. What if it gets infected? That’s dangerous, Annie,” he assured her, but there was a sparkle of amused fun in his blue eyes that had her frowning back at him.

“You’re so enjoying this,” Kenni accused him.

“Of course I am.” The playful smile on his lips dared her to join in and tease him in return. “Knowing it irritates you just makes me enjoy it more, too.”

She knew better but still it was so hard to hold herself back. She wanted nothing more than to see which of them could push the other the farthest.

Dangerous. So very dangerous.

Instead she ducked her head, watching as he carefully coated the wound with an antibiotic ointment before applying gauze and taping it in place. He bandaged the area efficiently, careful not to apply too much pressure to the reddened skin while ensuring it was properly taken care of.

Hell, all she needed was one of the big Band-Aids. It really wasn’t that severe.

“There you go. See how well I can take care of these little things, Annie?” Lifting his head he stared into her eyes, lashes lowered, the drowsy arousal in his blue gaze causing her to swallow tightly.

“Stop trying to seduce me, Jazz,” she ordered, her own voice low, hoping Jessie couldn’t overhear the conversation. “I don’t have time for you and I sure as hell don’t want to be hurt by you.”

Black brows lowered heavily as he frowned back at her, his expression was no longer teasing. Deep sapphire eyes were somber now and far too intent to ignore. “I’d never hurt you, Annie.”

He would pleasure her until she was screaming from it. He would make her ache for more, beg for more, until she was screaming his name in desperation. Then the day would come, and it wouldn’t take long, that it would be over. She would be without his touch, his smile, and his laughter, and everything bright in the world would dim.

“You would destroy me,” she whispered, knowing it was true. “I’m not one of those women you can seduce and then remain friends with, so please don’t try because we’d both regret it.”

His lips parted, though whether it was to agree or object she didn’t know.

“Steaks are almost ready,” Slade called out. “You have the rest of it, Jessie?”

“Salad’s finished and the rest is in the fridge,” she called back to him. “I’m just waiting for Jazz to finish playing Doctor Feel Good so I can set the table.”

Doctor Feel Good? Give her a break.

“All done.” Jazz moved so quickly he actually surprised her. “And I’m starved. I’ll help Slade get the steaks in.”

*   *   *

Beautiful, beautiful little liar.

She was so fucking good. So good that Jazz didn’t know whether to be pissed off or amused. What she didn’t know was the fact that her secrets were going to be busted. He would make damned sure of it.