At this moment, Carol Sue knew her cousin was on the road to recovery. She breathed deeply for the first time in what seemed hours. Then the door opened. In walked Matt Granger, who stole her breath away all over again.

Matt took in the sight of the two women, not sure which one to address first. The coppery haired angel, whose eyes flashed fire at him, or the patient who opened her eyes wider at his entry.

"Are you family?" Carol Sue asked him sourly.

"Are you?" he returned, eager to get her alone.

Lynn slowly turned her head toward him. "We’re cousins. I’m glad you came. I’m sorry I had to leave last evening. You seem a nice guy."

She eased her head back and he placed a hand over hers. Cool, she felt so cool. Same as last evening. He wondered if she were getting enough vitamins. But hell, that was the least of her worries now. "I heard on the radio about you and what had happened. I came to offer any help I can give. Please ask, promise?"

Lynn curled her finger for him to come closer. He leaned over, turning his head to catch her words. "You can apologize to my cousin," she said weakly. "She likes you."

With that Lynn fell back to sleep. Matt slowly lifted his eyes to those watching him intently from across the bed. They glimmered, but didn’t want him delving where he didn’t belong. He straightened.

"What did she say?" Carol Sue asked in a quiet, no-nonsense tone.

He figured she deserved the truth. "She asked me to apologize to you."

"Thank you. I agree. Was that all?"

Matt considered himself a generous man. And the classy lady in the bed was her cousin. But Carol Sue didn’t need to know everything. "No, the rest is classified."

She turned to the door. "I’m leaving," she said softly so as not to awaken Lynn. "Nice to see you again."

Matt grimaced. Nice to see me again. Right. No way would she make a scene here, nor would he probably ever again with her. But he had to say, "You want to try that last part again, with feeling?"

Carol Sue sighed deeply. He was asking for it, and she decided to call his blessed bluff. Lynn was zonked out and no one would ever know. She walked directly over to him at the bottom of the bed and eased her arms around his neck.

Stretching upward on her toes, she pressed her lips against his slightly stubbled cheek. Not nearly as quickly, she moved back and said, "Nice to see you again. And goodbye."

Matt raised his hands. "Hold it, please. Right there’ll do."

In an equally swift move, he gathered her in his arms. Supporting her head with his palm, he breathed the fire of passion right smack back at her. He didn’t care if she wiggled in his arms, then went rather limp. But he did care when she opened her mouth a trifle and let him in. A fury spilled from her. Not for nipping her, but from need. A deep desire that matched his own. No woman, absolutely none, could kiss like this.

"Excuse me?" sounded in front of him.

Matt reluctantly opened his eyes and looked square in the face of a cop. Carol Sue’s eyes were still closed. He lifted his mouth away from hers.

Damn, what a development this was. Just his luck. Her boyfriend, he assumed, since he looked like the officer she’d hugged in the street late the other night. The cousin, struggling for her life. The beautiful pastry chef, who tasted so sweet. And him. All of them jammed here in the hushed ICU, with monitors that pinged. One big happy family. Why he ever let Carol Sue challenge him right now would remain a mystery.

Carol Sue struggled to reconstitute herself and gazed over her shoulder.

"Hi, Bill," she whispered, normalcy flowing back into her.

He nodded at her and rasped to Matt, "Hey, Pal, your two and a half minutes are up. And why are you kissing my cousin?"

Matt released her. Cousin? "Returning a favor for a favor," he said, relieved. "With a little harmless good-bye peck. Good to meet you, Officer." He supported Carol Sue’s elbow with his hand and steered her out of the room.

"Would you walk with me to the elevator?" he asked, heading that way.

Carol Sue didn’t have the strength to protest. Her sugar level must have dropped, since she still hadn’t a bite to eat this morning. That and Matt skillfully delivered onepotent, energy-drawing kiss. Yet, another impropriety that she needed to discuss with him. Although, not here in the hallway. So the elevator, if empty, offered a perfect place.

"Certainly," she agreed demurely.

The doors closed behind them. "You’re really steamed, aren’t you?" he began.

Carol Sue leaned against the brushed brass railing and looked up at the recessed lights. Any place was better than gazing into those commanding blue eyes of his. Instead of railing at him, she remained silent. Impetuous, she knew, but he needed to know that she wasn’t easy.

"That’s what I thought," he said, as the door opened at four. Two people got on.

"You made a fool of me last night," she said despite their presence.

He eyed her and pushed his hand into his pocket. She was levying another challenge. He figured she didn’t think he’d create a scene by arguing with her in front of other people in the elevator. She thought wrong, only because he remembered the deal he’d made with himself. No more public scenes with Carol Sue Morgan.

So Matt let her stew. That is, until the elevator stopped at the second floor where the people got off. The doors closed and he pushed B3 to take them down to that level of the underground parking area.

"For that I truly apologize," he said. "You pushed some buttons and I reacted inappropriately. But it won’t happen again."

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "You kissed me upstairs, and that was no good-bye peck."

"For that, I don’t apologize. Furthermore, I hope it’s not really good-bye. I still want to talk to you about some business. If you’re up for it, that is." He hoped the last sentence would entice her. "How about over lunch?"