Page 2 of Prescription for Sin

“If you’ve enough breath to mock me, your lungs are perfectly sound.” She withdrew the stethoscope.

His obvious appreciation of her quick thinking made her cheeks warm, but she maintained her professional mask. This man was dangerous in ways that had nothing to do with his injuries and everything to do with how her pulse quickened when his dark eyes held hers.

“These wounds need proper tending,” she said briskly, forcing herself to focus on the lacerations rather than the play of muscles beneath his skin. “You’ll require stitches and monitoring for fever.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them: "Remarkable. The definition of your serratus anterior is quite extraordinary."

She noticed the. man shift uncomfortably under her scrutiny, and a slight flush crept into her cheeks.

“Might I suggest we relocate this medical examination somewhere warmer? I believe certain vital parts are at risk of requiring amputation from the cold alone.”

She straightened, professional mask firmly back in place. “I need you to urinate.”

His brows furrowed together. “I generally prefer dinner first, but as you’ve already seen me in my all together…” He swayed slightly. “Though I fear I must first address the matter of shelter.”

“We shall catch a hackney and go to the police station,” she said.

“No,” he said firmly.

“Why ever not? You ought to report those blackguards who meant to kill you.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. I am a…fugitive.”

Alarmed, Emma clutched the scalpel in her pocket. “Fugitive? What crimes have you committed?”

He hesitated, then murmured quietly, “Sodomy.”

“Oh.” Emma blinked, medical curiosity warring with common sense. “That’s…unfortunate.”

“Your gift for understatement is remarkable.” Despite his trembling, a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “Though at present, my more pressing concern is avoiding death by freezing.”

“Where is your lodging?”

“Nowhere, currently. My funds were…redistributed amongst our departed friends.”

Emma sighed, watching him shiver. She was accustomed to taking in strays, but they usually weren’t virile young men with criminal charges. Still, her medical instincts rebelled at the thought of leaving an injured patient to freeze.

“You may recover at my house,” she heard herself say. The hospital beds were full of cholera patients, and there was no reason to tax the nurses further.

His head snapped up. “Truly?”

“Yes. However”—she fixed him with her sternest gaze—“whoever you are, know that I’m much more skilled with knives and ropes than those fools. Try anything untoward, and you will find chunks missing from your body.”

“After witnessing your performance with those ruffians, I wouldn’t dare risk incurring your wrath.” He attempted a bow, wobbling slightly.

Emma couldn’t quite suppress her smile as she hastily divested herself of her coat and offered it to him. As he fumbled to tie the sleeves around his waist, she gently brushed his hands aside, positioning herself behind him to secure the garment with deft fingers.

Though well-versed in the intricacies of the male form through her professional endeavours, Emma found herself quite unprepared for the visceral reaction elicited by this particular specimen. The broad expanse of his back, adorned with sinews that spoke of strength and vitality, captured her attention. Her gaze, unbidden, travelled lower, noting the taut curves of his buttocks, free of injuries, so finely formed as to rival the sculptures of antiquity. The muscles within rippled as he shifted, stirring within her a most unfamiliar sensation—a curious blend of admiration and something altogether more primal.

“Have you forgotten how to tie a knot, Miss?” The amusement in his voice was plain.

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk entirely too much for a man at death’s door?” she asked, tying the coat with force.

“Frequently. Though usually I’m wearing considerably more clothing at the time.”

“Are you able to walk?”

“With assistance.” His smile held pain but also something warmer that made her stomach flutter. “I find myself entirely at your mercy, Miss…?”