"Stay still," Cynthia insisted, sternly. "And stop squirming. I thought you were a Marine."

"No one whipped me in the Marines," Bass retorted over his sholder.

"Poor baby," she snapped. "Stop moving. You'd think the big bad dictator could take a little pain."

"This is more than a little pain," Bass insisted. "I was whipped."

"You still are." Cynthia bit her lip as the words came out but Bass laughed his agreement. "Anyway, the point is you got out alive."

"Got back you," he smiled.

"Stop teasing," she murmured.

"I'm not," Bass replied quietly.

She taped the last bandage down and kissed it. "All done."

"You know you're not supposed to kiss my raw back," he said.

"It was on the bandages, stupid," she teased.

"Hey, people don't' get to just talk to me like that," Bass replied with a smile.

"And just what are you going to do about it?" Cynthia teased.

Bass kissed her. "That." He pulled her into his arms. "You've been careful, haven't you? Not eating the oranges or anything?"

"What do you think I am, stupid? I don't touch anything the patriots endorse. I can do that much at least."

"I think you're brilliant," Bass murmured, kissing her hair. "I think the only stupid thing is your crap taste in men."

"You realize I'm warming your bed these days right?"

"That's why I said it."

Cynthia squeezed him. "I think you're the best decision I ever made," she told him. "Now rest here. I'll bring you some food." She wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. "Damn Miles for making you ride all that way with your back like that."

"It was worth it for you to take care of me."

Cynthia smiled down at her things as she got up. But she didn't say anything. Bass would know anyway. And he'd wring it from her tonight as he always did. She didn't need to tell him now. It would only raise his ego. She took her tray and headed out. Connor was there. "So you're my new step mom," he said, looking her over.

"First off, only your father gets to look at me that way. Second, I don't know who you were in Mexico but you're no better than anyone else here so stop acting like you have the right to act like we're your servants or something. Finally, your father would have crossed the world a thousand times over if he thought he could find you but Miles hid you. So stop blaming Bass for things he couldn't control. He gets enough of that from everyone else."

Connor blinked at her. "They told me I had to step quietly around you. They were wrong about that. You're not as fragile as you look, Ms. Cynthia."

"No. I'm not." Cynthia squared her shoulders and moved past him. "If you'll excuse me, someone around here should make sure your father gets fed."