Page 72 of Hold Me Instead
Her back bumped her desk, and she sat, opening her legs to keep him close. She flicked her tongue playfully at his. The groan that escapedhim was guttural, and the strokes of his tongue made her whimper. He gripped her, and when she wrapped a leg around him, he pressed his pelvis into her instinctively, wanting to hear that sound again.
Her hands grasped his shoulders, slid up his neck to cradle his jaw. It was then he remembered his earlier plan:Don’t mess with Charlie, the woman who wouldn’t want a one-night stand.
The woman he didn’t want for only one night.
He released her, stumbled back a step, their lips the last to break contact.
It should end here. They’d satisfied their curiosity, now they could move on. He was about to say as much when the quick knock on the door startled them both. He leaped farther from her, and she hopped into her chair.
“Yes?” Charlie asked as Sheila opened the door.
“Room two is ready for you. And room one for you, Dr. Lee.”
“Thank you,” they replied together.
His eyes darted back to Charlie’s as the tech closed the door. They stared at each other as rain pelted the window, cocooning them from the outside world.
“We should get to it,” he said abruptly. Later. They could talk later.
But he wouldn’t stop thinking about her.
***
He didn’tintentionallyavoid her for the rest of the day. It just happened.
Or so he told himself.
The afternoon powered on, fueled by the intensity of their make-out session. Routine checkups were interspersed with a feverish kitten and a dog finding poison ivy on a hike, but nothing fully distracted him from that kiss. They’d both been aching for it, that much was clear—they were practically climbing into each other.
But the panic on her face after initiating the kiss told him she’d been concerned about making the first move, and it reminded him she wasn’t the type to go around kissing guys. His insistence on keeping her firmly outside the “one-night stand” camp was warranted. Charlie Harris deserved care and attention from someone who’d be there for her every day. Definitely not a man who’d be leaving in a few short weeks.
A frustrated breath shot out of him as he finished sorting the days’ files. It was best to let them cool off, have space to really think about what happened, what it meant.
His phone buzzed on the desk, announcing a text.
Sandra:Heads up, it’s chaos over here.
Zachary raised his eyebrow.
Zachary:It’s always chaos at your house.
Sandra:No,Mom and Dad’s.Stopped on my way home to check on them,and it’s…
Zachary:…
Sandra:Just tread carefully when you stop by tonight.
Fuck. Being told to rest was already a struggle for his dad, but being told he couldn’t work, possibly ever? It was a life sentence.
Zachary:How long will you be there?
Sandra:Trying my damnedest to get out the door,but Mom needs help.He’s having a rough day.
Zachary:I’ll head out in five.
Sandra:K.I’ll prob still be here.Maybe forcing Dad to FaceTime the kids while I ply Mom with wine.
Zachary:Sounds like good counseling tricks.
