She ignored his fingers against hers as she clasped the cup, falling forward when he pulled it back closer against his body. Cate steadied herself, but not before Jack caught hold of her wrist with his other hand. He was so different to Charlie. Charlie would never have broken a rule, would have followed every protocol to the letter, whether it was war related or ensuring that they always had a suitable chaperone with them when they went out together. It had made her feel safe, that he was a decent man who followed the rules. But Jack . . . Well, she didn’t expect Jack to do anything by the rule book, especially if it came to them being alone.

“Gotcha,” Jack whispered, his face far too close to hers.

“Let go of me,” she hissed, trying to sound cross with him and glancing up to make sure Lilly hadn’t returned. The last thing she needed was her friend thinking she was disrespecting Charlie’s memory. “You know it’s forbidden for patients to touch the nurses.”

His fingers slowly left her skin and she righted herself, checking to see if anyone had noticed their little exchange. But there was no stern-faced matron or surly over-tired surgeon waiting to give her a telling-off.

“I was only trying to steady myself, ma’am.” His grin was all kinds of trouble.

“That’s not the way to my affections, if that’s what you’re trying to do,” she scolded, crossing her arms over her chest. “You forget that I have brothers, so I’m well versed in dealing with rascals like you.”

“Rascals, huh?” he laughed. “You do realize I’m stuck in this bed with nothing to do other than watch you walk through the room, right? If we’d met elsewhere, I’d be courting you with flowers and showering you with attention, but somehow I have to impress you from this bed, and it’s not exactly easy.”

“Stop it,” she said, her face heating to what she was certain must be a shade of dark pink. Part of her had thought he was only showing interest in her because he was bored, not in a million years that he would actually be interested if they weren’t stuck in the middle of nowhere. “It’s just that you haven’t seen any other women for so long, you suddenly don’t know what to do with yourself. Your affection for me will pass the moment you’re on a ship out of here.”

“Really?” he murmured back, one eyebrow raised in such a comical fashion she couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, to me you’re like a ray of sunshine amongst the grey, Cate. I doubt I’ll ever forget about my pretty little guardian angel until my last breath.”