Dr. White's Baby Wish

by Sue MacKay

  One step and he was there, right in front of her, only inches separating them. ‘Harper.’ His hand lifted to her cheek, his finger tracing a delicate line down to her mouth, along her lips, then down over her chin, where he applied gentle pressure to tilt her head back. ‘Harper,’ he whispered close to her mouth, before his lips covered hers softly.

  Her mouth opened under his, letting his tongue in to taste her, to allow her to taste him. She’d been reliving that first kiss all week, and it hadn’t come close to the real thing. Soft went to possessive and demanding and their tongues danced around each other’s; her heart rate shot through the roof while her body folded in against the hard wall of muscle that was Cody. His hands held her head. Her hands splayed over his forearms. His chest pressed against her breasts which ached where her nipples pushed against him.

  ‘Oops, sorry. Warning—incoming patient.’ Karin’s voice slammed into the haze that Cody’s kiss had brought over her. The curtain brackets slid noisily over the bar as Karin left them alone.

  Harper stilled and pulled her mouth away from that kiss so slowly it took a while to notice she was no longer touching his lips. She sank onto the bed behind her, her legs no longer capable of doing what they were supposed to. Her eyes felt enormous, probably looking like headlights on a car.

  Cody looked just as shocked. Or was that pleased with himself? His eyes had caught the same wide, staring bug hers had. That beautiful mouth that had devoured hers was curving up into a smile that had her heart beating even harder, more than she’d have thought possible. Could she be in danger of a cardiac malfunction?

  She stared up at this man who turned her world upside down as easily as most men pulled on their pants in the morning. ‘Wow.’

  He grinned. Then a low laugh erupted from him. ‘Yeah, wow.’ His hand cupped her face, his thumb tracing her lips. ‘Guess we’d better act like we’re working.’

  ‘There is a patient on the way.’

  ‘There is.’

  ‘He or she will need this bed.’

  ‘And your doctoring skills and my nursing ones.’ His smile widened.

  ‘Did that really just happen? At work?’ Where anyone could’ve burst in on them? Thank goodness it’d been Karin.

  ‘Yep.’

  Damn. Wow. Hell. What now? They’d stepped over the mark and there’d be no going back. Or if they tried to it wouldn’t be easy to return to their former ‘doctor and nurse’ relationship. Huh? You haven’t strictly had that for a week now.

  Cody dropped his hand and stepped back. ‘You’re over-thinking it. Don’t,’ he warned before pushing the curtain open and looking out for their patient.

  He was right. As always. ‘That drink at the pub?’

  He stilled, his hand gripping a bunch of curtain. He didn’t say a word, merely waited.

  ‘Think we can leave our vehicles here for the night and have more than one glass?’ And maybe get back to kissing at some point. She’d sell her soul for another of those mind-blowing, knee-bending kisses.

  His smile was slow, sexy and full of promise. At least, that was how she interpreted it. ‘That’s what taxis are for.’

  ‘Right, in here.’ Karin’s voice was raised and there was a pause before she brought her patient in.

  Harper tried not to look at her but it wasn’t easy. Finally deciding to get it over with, she locked eyes with the registrar, as though to say, So what? You caught us kissing. Big deal. A massive deal, in fact. But Karin didn’t need to know that.

  ‘Well, well, well,’ the registrar muttered so only she heard. ‘What was it you said last week? “Not interested”, I think. Hate to see you in action when you are.’

  ‘Shut it, Karin,’ Harper growled, or tried to, but only managed to splutter on a laugh.

  ‘My lips are sealed. Unlike someone else’s.’ She winked and turned to the teenager she’d shown into the cubicle. ‘Tell me about this abdominal pain. When did it start?’

  *

  Cody stayed with Karin as she diagnosed probable appendicitis when the girl admitted to pains in her right side. He drew some bloods for a CBC and CRP which would confirm if there was an inflammation of the appendix. He sat with the girl when she had a crying spell at the thought of ‘going under the knife’, as she put it.

  All the while Harper cruised through his mind, never leaving, always reminding him of that kiss and how much he wanted to follow up on it. Just as he had on Sunday and all week since. Sheesh. A kiss was a kiss, but Harper’s kisses were something else. Off the planet. Mind-shattering. Body-crunching. Full of promise. I have to have her. As soon as possible.

  The thermometer he’d read after taking the girl’s temperature hit the floor and shattered. His neck cricked at the sudden hard movement he made in response.

  You what?

  Have to take Harper to bed. Today, tonight.

  This was not meant to happen. They were supposed to remain professional, with a little bit of friendship added in for good measure after all they’d been through together.

  So why did I kiss her?

  What choice did he have? As if he could’ve ignored that look in her eyes or dodged that welcoming, delicious mouth that had tormented him since their first kiss.

  ‘Nurse Brand, you going to sweep up that glass today?’ Karin was grinning from across the bed.

  Dropping his head forward, he stared at the mess at his feet. Shoving a hand through his hair, he felt his gut tighten in disbelief. What an idiot. ‘On my way to the cleaning cupboard.’

  Karin poked her head out of the curtains to whisper after him as he left, ‘I think Dr White is in Cubicle One, which is on the way to that cupboard.’ Laughter laced the registrar’s voice and grated on Cody’s nerves.

  ‘We’d prefer it if you could keep what you saw to yourself,’ he ground out through clenched teeth.

  ‘Relax, Cody. No one will learn anything from me. But you do realise everyone’s already watching the pair of you? We might still be getting to know you, but the same can’t be said for Harper.’

  ‘Meaning?’

  ‘That she’s acting different these days. More out there and less control-freak mode.’

  Really? Because of him? That’d be…wonderful. Cody swore under his breath. ‘Has anyone considered she’s still coming to terms with last Friday’s incident and is having some major moments where it all comes back to her in full colour?’

  Consternation flicked across Karin’s face. ‘I thought she was handling it amazingly well.’ Then she lightened up again. ‘I still think you’re cheering her up immensely.’

  ‘I need a broom.’ He stomped off, not sure whether he should be happy or annoyed about that last comment. Having Harper happy because of him—yes, he could go with that. Wanted to. He thought about her all the time. It seemed that, whether he was ready or not, he was stepping out into the risk pool because he more than liked her.

  Which brought him right back to kissing Harper. Amazing. It definitely needed repeating. He paused at Cubicle One. The curtain was open and it would be rude to ignore the doctor standing beside the bed. Especially as she was looking straight out at him. ‘Hey,’ he said. ‘You okay?’

  ‘More than,’ she responded in a hurry, and glanced at her watch. ‘One hour and five.’

  ‘That’s for ever,’ he muttered and headed away. If he’d thought working with Harper prior to that kiss had been hard, he hadn’t had a clue. Kissing her outside of work was one thing, but now the department was no longer a no-go zone. Now… Now he wanted to haul her back into his arms and kiss her until she melted against him; kiss her senseless; kiss her until they were hauling off clothes and getting skin to skin. Hot, slick skin to hot, slick skin. Definitely not to be done in the department.

  But there were other places.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE PUB WAS CROWDED, even out in the garden bar. ‘It’s only just gone three-thirty,’ Cody grumped as he placed a laden tray on the table, where eight of the day shift sat in various s
tates of relaxation.

  ‘It’s twenty-six degrees outside, the drinks are cold and there’s a one-day cricket game on the screen. Where else would anyone want to be?’ Harper asked before sipping the Pinot Gris he’d bought her.

  ‘You prefer your sport from a chair, don’t you?’

  ‘Safer that way. You’ve seen what happened to my knees at tennis. There’s also a bruise on my thigh from a misdirected cricket ball last Sunday.’

  ‘Not misdirected at all. You were supposed to catch it.’

  Sitting on the bench seat beside her, he stretched his legs under the table, then shuffled his butt to move closer. Feeling her length against his leg, he sighed with pleasure. What could be better than this? Taking her to bed.

  Jerking sideways, he shook the table, which sent waves of beer and wine slopping over the tops of the glasses and earned him a bunch of wisecracks from everyone. Everyone except Harper. She just stared at him with a half-smile on that mouth he wanted to claim, and a very knowing gleam in her eyes.

  ‘I shouted the round. I’m allowed to knock things sideways. Okay, guys?’ He grinned around at them all and picked up his beer. ‘Cheers.’ And stop staring at me like I’ve grown another head, or as if I might’ve got too close to Harper. He swallowed beer too fast, gasped and had to suffer the mortification of being slapped on the back by her.

  ‘Harder, Harper. Give him what for. Cheeky so-and-so needs keeping in line.’

  ‘Go, girl. Bang him between the shoulder blades. Yep, that’s good.’

  Bang him? Wrong phrase, Jess.

  Harper must have picked up on the unintentional innuendo because she sat back in a hurry. ‘Just trying to help a man in need.’ She was rubbing her palms together, slowly, as if feeling something. Was she sensing his muscles under her hand?

  In need? He certainly was. His glass slammed onto the table. Wishful thinking, buddy. He glanced at her face. Or maybe not. Looking around the table, he cringed as he met the steady and amused looks from each and every damned one of their colleagues. ‘Who’s up for a game of darts?’ he asked and stood up abruptly.

  The invitation is not extended to you, Harper.

  Considering her lack of co-ordination when it came to anything sporty, he doubted she’d want to be throwing a sharp dart anywhere, so everyone was safe. Except him. He needed her to remain on that bench, drinking her wine and pretending he wasn’t here. Then these knuckleheads might get on with their afternoon without stirring things up for Harper or him.

  ‘I will.’ Jess picked up her beer and followed him inside to the board. ‘You any good at this?’

  ‘Yeah, a little.’ Champion of the local pub in Invercargill for three years running.

  ‘Then we’ve got ourselves a game.’ Jess laughed as she picked up the darts and handed him a set.

  He’d go easy on her to start. He held a coin ready to toss. ‘Heads or tails?’

  Forty minutes later, he shook his head at Jess and said, ‘My shout. You play a mean game.’ She’d beaten his hide, well and truly. He saw Harper heading out from the bathroom. ‘You want another wine?’

  ‘Please. Outside again?’ Harper asked. ‘It’s a little cooler out there. Though with the after-work crowd arriving it’s getting crowded.’

  ‘We could go find somewhere quieter,’ he suggested hopefully after giving the order to the barman.

  ‘Haven’t you been trying to divert everyone’s attention off us this past three-quarters of an hour?’ Harper’s smile twisted his gut.

  ‘You’re right. Okay, back into the fray.’

  ‘I’m enjoying this.’ She slipped her arm through his.

  Instinctively he squeezed his arm to bring her hand hard against his ribs. Then gulped. ‘Don’t,’ he said quietly.

  Jerking her hand free she muttered, ‘Sorry, don’t know what I was thinking.’

  ‘I think you do, but we are supposed to be acting like colleagues, nothing else.’ Harper had to be the sensible one. He was beyond it.

  A group of suits pushed past them, knocking Harper sideways. Catching her around the waist to prevent her falling, he growled, ‘Watch where you’re going, guys,’ and got glared at for his trouble.

  ‘Says who?’ asked one smart-ass as he gave Cody the once-over and obviously found him wanting, probably because he wasn’t togged up in a white shirt and business suit.

  Harper slipped her hand into his and tugged him sideways. ‘Leave them.’ She took a long drink from her glass and placed it back on the counter, took his drink from him and put that beside hers. Then she headed for the main entrance, pulling him along with her.

  ‘Where might we be going?’

  ‘Your place or mine?’ Harper grinned, though apprehension did cross her eyes briefly. ‘I’m over pretending we want to be here, playing nice.’

  What? ‘Just like that?’ Had he heard right? ‘You’re sure?’

  Twisting her head to one side, she eyed him coolly. ‘You have to ask?’

  ‘Just checking.’ He’d hate to get it wrong. ‘Your apartment. It’s closer.’ Barely, but the sudden tightening making itself felt in his boxers needed dealing with—fast.

  The sun blinded him when they staggered outside. A taxi was dropping off more punters and he waved furiously to get the driver’s attention. Bundling Harper inside, he rattled off her address to the driver and sat back against her, draping his arm over her shoulders. What had just happened? One moment they were agreeing they had to be sensible around the others and then, wham, they were in a cab heading for Harper’s apartment. Can you drive this thing any faster, mate? I’m getting a little worked up back here.

  Harper laid her head on his shoulder, lifted it almost immediately and turned so she could place her mouth on his. ‘It’s not too late to tell me this is a crazy idea and that we should stop.’

  It had been too late hours ago. From the moment he’d leaned in to steal a kiss in Cubicle Four, it’d been all over. They’d always been going to follow through after that. Not that in a million years he’d thought they’d be heading for Harper’s apartment quite this soon.

  When the taxi turned into her street, his heart rate shot through the stratosphere. Nearly there. Then the fun could really start.

  Suddenly Harper sat up straight and cried out to the driver, ‘Turn around. We need to go somewhere else. Cody, what’s your address?’

  Cody felt he’d been punched in the gut. ‘What? Why? We’re here.’ And I can’t wait much longer to tear your clothes off and hold your naked body against mine, and…

  ‘Suzanne and Steve are in my apartment. We can’t stop here.’

  Too late. The taxi was slowing against the kerb right at the end of the path that led to Harper’s open front door where Suzanne was turning to look their way.

  Cody began hauling the brakes on his desire. It seemed they weren’t about to get naked together. Not here, anyway.

  Harper said, ‘I totally forgot they’d be here. They’re going to an awards dinner in the city and didn’t want to drive home after.’ Her look was imploring. ‘Give the driver your address. Now.’

  Cody pulled back from her a little. ‘You can’t drive away without stopping in. Suzanne’s seen us pull up. She’s going to be upset if you don’t at least say hello.’

  Harper pulled a face. ‘Talk about throwing cold water on the moment. Please take me to your place.’

  The driver was watching them through the rear-view mirror, the grin on his face suggesting he was completely up to date with the situation.

  ‘Shortly.’ He reached across Harper to open her door. ‘Your sister is looking mighty puzzled at the moment.’

  Harper’s face shut down. ‘Why didn’t you just tell the driver where to go? I don’t need to see my sister right now.’ She didn’t move at all.

  ‘Are you ashamed to be seen with me?’ Because, if she was, he was gone. Right now. To hell with how he felt about her or how much he wanted her.

  ‘What?’ Stunned didn’t begin to describe
her face. ‘No.’ Then louder. ‘No.’ Then a shout. ‘No. Not at all.’

  Relief poured through him. ‘Then what’s this about?’

  ‘You know what they’re like. They’ll give me grief for days. The phone calls won’t stop. The texts will get cheekier.’

  ‘From what I’ve seen of your family, you all tease each other mercilessly over absolutely everything. You and I together for a night isn’t something out of the ordinary.’ Yes, it was, for a totally different reason. ‘What I mean is, it’s no different to them teasing you about that pathetic toss of the ball at the wickets last Sunday.’

  Harper’s mouth lifted a little from the flat line she’d been holding it in. ‘I guess you’re right.’ Shoving the door wide, she slid out. ‘Be right back.’

  ‘What are you going to say?’ he called after her. Beyond her, he saw Steve join his wife.

  ‘I’ve come to get my toothbrush.’

  Cody cursed. ‘Keep the meter running,’ he told the driver, grateful that his excitement had backed off enough not to be obvious to everyone. ‘Be right back.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Harper asked as he caught up to her.

  ‘Getting the toothpaste.’ He wasn’t going sit in the car while she talked to her family. That would make him look gutless or rude, and he was neither. Nor was he ashamed of whatever he and Harper were going to get up to tonight.

  Harper rewarded him with a grin before acknowledging her family. ‘Hey, guys, thought you’d be downing cocktails at that swanky hotel already.’

  ‘Obviously.’ Suzanne smirked. ‘Nothing gets underway for another hour, but if you’d like us to get out of your way then I’m sure we can find somewhere to fill in time. Hi, Cody. Good to see you again,’ she purred with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  Jeez. Maybe he should’ve stayed in the taxi. ‘Same back to you both.’

  Harper slipped between them and headed down the hall, calling over her shoulder, ‘Just grabbing a couple of things.’

  Like what? Cody wondered, considering they’d headed this way to get undressed, not dressed up.

  ‘Not staying for a drink, then?’ Suzanne called after her.