“What? A rescue?” She laughed humorlessly, one part astonished and one part annoyed that he was doing it again and this thankfully chased her tears away. “In San Diego I could’ve fallen down my stairs and laid there dead for a year and no one would have even noticed.”

“You’re not in San Diego,” he said.

“No kidding.” She blew out a breath. “I’m starting to remember just how small this place is.”

“Admit it, you just missed me. But you don’t have to try so hard to get my attention, babe, you’ve already got it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good to know.”

“How did you fall?” he asked.

“Backward. Fast,” she quipped, not about to admit she’d been startled by a bunny. A baby bunny.

“Smart-ass.” He began to check her over. As in he put his hands all over her and ran them over her body. “You’re bleeding,” he said.

“I’ll buy you new sheets.”

“Shut up.” He frowned at her wrist and found another problem at her ankle, all while she attempted to keep her T-shirt covering as much of her as possible.

Then he pointed to her shirt. “Lose it.”

“Bite me.”

“Later,” he said. “I want to see your ribs.”

“How about my foot up your ass?”

He met her gaze, his own stubborn and unbending. “Me or a doctor, Lily.”

He’d do it, too, she had no doubt. He’d drag her kicking and screaming out of here if need be. So she sighed and very carefully lifted the T-shirt to just beneath her breasts. “See? I’m fine—”

She broke off, the air backing up in her lungs when he ran his hands very lightly over her rib cage, stopping when she managed to suck in a breath.

“Bruised, not broken I don’t think,” he said, his voice quiet and calm and clinically dispassionate, in direct opposition to his eyes. “Turn over.”

She bit out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, that’s going to happen nev—”

He rolled her over and pinned her there with a hand low on her back.

She sputtered and fought him, but then went utterly still when he ran his fingers up the back of one thigh, scooping the edge of her boy-cut panties up a cheek.

“Also bruised,” he said.

“That’s where I landed. No worries, I’m padded nicely.”

“Nicely is right,” he said, and he removed his hands from her.

She leapt off the bed, tugged down her shirt, and had to tighten her lips not to whimper at the fast movement. “Okay, thanks. Be sure to lock the door on your way—”

“Did you hit your head or lose consciousness at any time?”