The rarity of a stolen moment alone sent a little, forbidden thrill up Tess’s spine, and she inhaled a long, deep pull of summer air. Her body loosened by another degree at the freshness of the smell, sending a sensation of pure goodness through her that she hadn’t felt in…God, who knew how long. A smile broke free over her face—not the kind dosed with sarcasm or dialed down to half-intensity because her eyes got too squinty otherwise, or her crow’s feet might show. Nope. Not today. No, this smile was like sleeping in on Sunday morning. Like a huge slice of chocolate cake. Like a religious-experience, toe-curling, name-screaming orgasm—no, two of them. Like—
“Well, that’s a sight that’ll stop a man in his tracks, right there.”
The lilting Irish brogue clotheslined Tess back to the ambulance bay in less than a blink, her whole body going rigid before she’d fully released the gasp in her throat. “Can I help you?”
The man belonging to the voice stepped toward her, which did not one fucking thing by way of slowing the slam of her heart. Muscle-packed body that was far more lithe than bulky. Bright, emerald-green eyes she’d swear were contacts, framed by long, black lashes she’d double-swear were fake. Tattoos—Tess swallowed hard—covering both arms, slipping up into the snug sleeves of his dark gray T-shirt with forbidden suggestion and the weirdest hint of familiarity, and wait…
“I’m lookin’ fer Connor Bradshaw,” the guy said, his sinful half-smile as sexy as the rest of him. “Big guy. Dark red hair. The woman behind the desk at his clinic, there”—he hooked a thumb over his shoulder without looking—“said he was here today. D’you know ’im?”
Those tattoos…those cheekbones that could probably cut glass…and he was asking for Connor, of all people…
Jesus Tapdancing Christ. This was the guy Connor had been in the Air Force with. The guy who was now a romance novel cover model.
The guy who headlined every last one of Tess’s dirtiest sexual fantasies.
“Oh, shit,” she blurted, clamping down on her lip as soon as the swear had escaped.
Irish didn’t seem to mind. “I take it you do know him, then.”
Tess opened her mouth to answer—PG13, this time—but he swayed on his feet, making her senses prick into alertness.
“Are you okay?” She scanned him from top to toes, this time medically. His face had flushed slightly, although that could be the whole it’s-June thing. His eyes seemed to have lost their focus for a second, because he gave up a slow blink, then another, his smile fading.
“What makes y’ask?”
The words sounded the slightest bit slurred, not quite a product of his accent, but not like he was drunk, either, and nope. Something was definitely not right.
“Because”—Tess took a step toward him, then another, to bring her within arm’s reach of the guy—“you’re flushed, and swaying. And sweating,” she added, now close enough to notice the light sheen on his forehead. Shit.
Irish quirked an inky black brow. “Y’don’t think it’s because I’m lookin’ at a pretty girl?”
“Nope.” Tess’s answer was swift and sure. She knew how to dodge a question with the best of them, and this guy was in full-on deflection mode. “But I’ll give you an A for effort.”
His smile came back, although this time, it was loaded with deference. “You got me. I just flew in from California, and forgot to eat, I s’pose. That’s all.”
Forgot to eat? Tess snorted. Who did that? Still, he looked far more composed now, his eyes clear and his smile back in place. Plus, it was kind of warm out here. Even she was sweating a little.
Girl, that’s so not the weather.
“Right,” Tess said, knocking the thought back and giving him one last perusal. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course. I’m just grand,” he replied.
And then he passed out in her arms.
Want to be the FIRST to know when Tess and Declan’s book, BEYOND JUST US, goes up for preorder? Make sure you CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter (which goes out once or twice a month only and is always chock-full of deals and exclusive offers). Newsletter subscribers will get EARLY ACCESS to the preorder links, and those who preorder will get a special exclusive scene that no one else will get to read. So really, don’t miss this—it is the ONLY way to get access to the early preorder! Even if you are already signed up for the newsletter, make sure you CLICK HERE to be sure you don’t miss out!
And remember Luke and Quinn, and Detective Isabella Walker? They have books, too, along with Charlie and Parker, and Jonah and Natalie. (In Too Deep, Skin Deep, Back to You, and Better Than Me) All books are standalone romances, and you can find them in reading order right here:
The Remington Medical Contemporary Standalones:
Back to You
Better Than Me
Between Me & You
Beyond Just Us (Tess’s book, coming soon!)
The Station Seventeen Engine series, all books stand alone:
Deep Trouble (prequel)
Skin Deep
Deep Check
Deep Burn
In Too Deep
Forever Deep (companion novella to Skin Deep)
Down Deep
The Line series:
Love On The Line
Drawing The Line
Outside The Lines
Pushing The Line
All four books available in a bundle: The Line Collection
The Cross Creek series (available in KU):
Crossing Hearts
Crossing the Line
Crossing Promises
Crossing Hope
Stand-alones:
Something Borrowed
Play Me
And don’t forget to come find Kimberly on Facebook, join her street team The Taste Testers, and follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Between Me & You: An Enemies to Lovers Workplace Romance (Remington Medical Book 3) Page 31