What? While she’d been thinking about his hard bel y, he’d been thinking about her hair. “Are you high?”
He grinned. “Very.”
He was goofy from pain medication and helpless from his injury. She didn’t have an excuse for her mental wanderings.
“I stil think your hair is pretty.”
That was obviously the drugs talking. “Now, don’t say anything you’l be embarrassed about tomorrow.”
He brushed his thumb across the backs of her knuckles. “Why would I be embarrassed?”
“Because you don’t like me.”
“I like you.”
He lifted his good hand and slid his big warm palm across her shoulder to the side of her neck. Suddenly, he seemed neither goofy nor helpless.
“Sam.”
“You smel good. Like cupcakes.” He lowered his face and pressed his forehead into hers. “I like cupcakes.”
She gave a little laugh, and her fingers curled into his T-shirt. “You’ve never had my cupcakes.”
“Honey, I’ve had your cupcakes.” His fingers plowed through her hair, and he held the back of her head in his hand. Her voice sounded kind of breathy and strained when she said, “I didn’t mean that.”
By contrast, he didn’t sound breathy at al . “I did.”
“Dad?”
At the sound of Conner’s voice, Sam lifted his head, and Autumn jumped back. Her hand fel to her side.
“Yeah, buddy?” Sam ran his gaze over Autumn’s face and hair before his own hand dropped to his side.
“The doorbel rang.”
“It’s probably Howie. Go ahead and let him in.”
“What are you doing?” asked the little voice from the doorway.
“Chatting.” Autumn moved from behind Sam. “And I’m just helping your dad out of his splint so he can take a shower.”
“Oh.” He looked from one parent to the other. “Okay.” Then he turned on the heels of his little sneakers and disappeared.
“Who is Howie?” Autumn asked in an effort not to think. About abs and cupcakes and her son walking in and seeing… what? His mom and dad chatting? Yeah, chatting about cupcakes.
“One of the Chinooks’ trainers. He’s coming by today to check up on me and help with the sling.”
She looked up and across her shoulder at him. His shirt had slid back down his chest, but the marks of her finger stil wrinkled the cotton above his right pec. “So you didn’t even need me?”
“Sure I did. I knew he was coming, just not when. And I stink.”
He didn’t. She wished he did, though. Wished he stank so badly that she’d thought of bars of soap instead of licking his abs. “Wel , I’m sure he knows what he’s doing and can help you with your shirt better than I can.”
“Probably, but he doesn’t have your pretty hair.” He grinned. “And he doesn’t smel like cupcakes.”
“Sam?”
Autumn’s gaze shot to the doorway, and the stunning woman standing there like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Autumn recognized her immediately.