by Lexy Timms
Charity tossed an ice cube at him. “I was the maid of honor at your wedding! You’re like a brother!”
As Simon and Julie continued to tease each other, Elijah moved closer to Charity and slipped an around her waist. He pulled her close against him. His lips teased her neck and ear as he spoke. “Where to next, gorgeous?”
Chapter 15
“Home.” Julie squeezed between Charity and Elijah. “I’m drunk. I can’t drive. We need to get a taxi.”
Simon grinned from the other side of the table. He had the pitcher of spiced rum and was pouring three glasses. “Ignore my wife. She just needs a girlie drink with a load of sugar to pick her up.”
Julie pouted.
Charity leaned over and grabbed one of the glasses Simon offered. “Juls, put the lip away. I’ll go get you a pretty drink.” She patted her friend’s shoulder. “We’re just getting started. I want to dance some more.”
As she turned to head to the bar, Elijah grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers in hers. “Every guy in this bar wants to hit on you after watching you dance. No way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
She laughed and set her glass down on a table as they passed it. She wanted one free hand and wasn’t about to let go of Elijah’s. “No one noticed me and Julie until that jerk fell over.”
Simon came up behind them. “Sorry, guys, but Julie isn’t feeling so hot. She’s headed outside. I gotta go after her.”
Charity stood on her toes to get a better view of the exit. Julie stood leaning against the wall, her hand over her eyes, trying to find Simon.
“We’re coming, too,” Elijah said. “She should get some fresh air.”
They moved through the crowd and found Julie drinking a bottle of water. “The bouncer gave it to me.” She wiped her mouth with a shaky hand. “Kind of embarrassing. The guy knows I’m a doctor because I treated his niece. Can we go?”
Simon put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Let’s get you home.”
Charity and Elijah followed without saying anything. Charity suddenly felt awkward beside him. The tenderness between Julie and Simon reminded her of what she wished she had. Drinks and flirting couldn’t come close to even pretending that sweet connection was there.
Outside Elijah hailed a taxi. Charity crawled in the back with Julie and Simon. Elijah got into the front of the cab. He gave the driver Simon and Julie’s address.
Julie, her head lying on Simon’s shoulder, spoke without opening her eyes. “Charity’s hotel is on the way… drop her off first.”
Charity told the taxi driver the hotel name and sat back to stare out the window. Elijah chatted politely with the driver about the weather and sports. Charity paid no attention to the conversation; she just listened to Elijah’s accent roll up and down as he spoke.
“Do you stay at this hotel every time?” Elijah glanced back to look at her.
“I do.”
“Why not at your father’s house?”
Julie harrumphed. “That’s a long story. Dr. Thompson’s a great doctor, lousy dad.”
“Juls!” Simon shook his head and mouthed “Sorry” to Charity.
“Don’t worry. It’s kinda hard not to notice that we aren’t going to win father-daughter of the year award.”
Thank goodness they pulled into the hotel. She handed Simon money for the taxi. He rolled his eyes and pushed it back at her. “I don’t want that.”
Elijah stepped out and opened the door for her. “I’ll be right back, just let me walk her inside.”
“Bye, Juls, Simon. It was fun.”
“We’ll do it again, but I’m not mixing drinks next time!” Julie said as Elijah closed the cab door.
Elijah walked her inside and at the elevator he asked, “What floor are you on?”
“Second, right above the pool. I get the same room every time.” She smiled when the elevator door slid open and they stepped on. “I usually just take the stairs at the end of the hall. My room’s right across from it.”
Elijah’s eyebrows rose. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You seemed like you really wanted to take the elevator.”
The doors opened and she led the way down the hall to her room. “I had fun tonight.”
“So did I.” His tongue ran across his lips as he pressed them together. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?” His fingers rubbed his forehead. “Shoot, I’m on call tomorrow at the hospital.”
“Maybe I’ll see you there. I need to sit behind my computer and get some work done.”
His eyes lit up. “Why don’t you do it in my office? I’ll be in and out and I promise I won’t be a bother.”
“That sounds… nice.” She rummaged through her purse and pulled out her room key-card. “You should—”
Elijah’s lips pressed against hers as she looked up from her bag. They were soft and left hers much too quickly. “Text me tomorrow when you wake up,” he whispered.
Charity nodded but didn’t say anything; she didn’t trust her voice. Inside the room, she leaned against the door and fanned her face with the room key-card. She heard the stairwell door open and close.
She wanted to text him now and then all night. What would be even better, she could crawl into bed and call him, then fall asleep to the sound of his voice.
Chapter 16
Charity, of all things, slept in the next morning. She never did that. Ever. It was almost eleven by the time she made it to the hospital. She stopped at a bakery her mother used to go to on the way and bought a plate of treats and three coffees. Her father wasn’t in his office and neither was Elijah. He left a note on the door to say he was in surgery and for her to use whatever she needed.
She stepped in the room and closed the door behind her, inhaling deeply. She could smell his cologne in the room and she momentarily closed her eyes.
Today she needed to work. Not fantasize about the chief.
She reopened the door and walked over to Elijah’s desk. She wrote a note for her father on a Post-It to say if he needed her, she’d be across the hall. Then she sat down at Elijah’s desk with her laptop. His office was similar to her dad’s. A large mahogany desk, black leather chair for him, and chairs. The far wall had interesting stone inlayed. It almost looked like a waterfall with no water. Across from the door, just under the window, was a table. The pieces of artwork on the walls were abstract. She walked around the room to see if they were signed. It was hard to make out the signatures, but she had a feeling they were from New Zealand.
She sat back down at Elijah’s desk and opened her computer. As it loaded, she changed her mind and stood. She should be working on the table under the window so Elijah could work at his when he came back. She dragged one of the ottoman-type chairs over to the table and then carried her computer.
In between Internet searching and e-mailing companies she had worked with prior, she finished her coffee. Elijah came in just as she did a basketball shot with the empty cup.
“Score!” He laughed. “Nice shot!”
She laughed and dropped back against her chair, feeling a little shy and unsure if she should hug him, kiss him, or shake his hand. “How’d surgery go?”
“Really good. Put a broken femur back together. The guy fell off his roof cleaning his eaves and broke it.”
“Well done.”
He pointed to his desk. “You can sit there, you know.”
“I didn’t want to kick you out of your spot.”
“I don’t mind sharing.” He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Do you work everyday?” She had wondered that last night while lying in her bed.
“Not always.” He rubbed his neck. “But I am here a lot. I don’t mind.”
No family to come home to. “Is my father here all the time, too?”
Elijah tilted his head as he considered his answer. “I think the hospital is his home now.”
And his family. He still had a huge house and a daughter, but both
seemed irrelevant now. She sighed. “I think I know what you mean.”
“Hel-lo?” Charity’s father called from across the hall. He stood in Elijah’s doorway a moment later. “You can work in my office if you’d like a desk, Charity.”
Behind him, Elijah pointed to himself and then his desk. He mouthed, “I offered.”
“Thanks, but this is great.”
Her dad noticed the tray of baked goods on the table by her. “Are those from today?”
“I brought them in a bit ago. There’s coffee for both of you. Just not sure how hot it is.”
Both men came over and started eating the cookies. As they snacked, they talked about patients and procedures. Charity politely tuned out and went back to work on her laptop. The rest of the day continued in a similar manner. Elijah would come in, snack on whatever Charity had set on the table, and then scoot out again when his pager went off. Her father would do the same thing. He seemed to show up minutes after Elijah would walk into the room.
The heat between Elijah and her seemed to hit a simmering level. Inside of Charity it felt like it would boil over at any moment. It didn’t, and by the end of the day, she had caught up on everything she needed to do. Elijah was in surgery and she did not plan on sitting in his office waiting for him.
She packed her things back into her briefcase and left him a note that said she promised to text him this week. She underlined the word promise twice. In the hall, she tried her dad’s door. It was locked. She could call him tomorrow morning.
On the way back to the hotel, she stopped and bought a bottle of red wine and a set of wine glasses. Plastic cups from the hotel would not suffice, she wanted to relax and enjoy a glass or two.
Chapter 17
Charity poured herself a glass of red wine and settled on the couch. She set her phone facedown on the coffee table and picked up her glass. She took a sip and then pressed the tip of her finger against her lips. What was Elijah doing right now? Did she ever cross his mind? Instead of taking another drink, she set the glass down and checked her phone.
Nothing.
Should she text him?
“Just leave it alone,” she mumbled, quickly setting the phone back down. She savoured the sip she had hesitated on. A few moments later she reached for her phone again and started to text a message. Halfway through, she deleted it. She got up and set the phone by the TV cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind.
She walked to the window and stared vacantly through the glass, seeing more of the room’s reflection than outside. Images of Elijah ran through her head. The day they met in the elevator, dinner later that night, his piercing blue eyes looking so surprised when she had kissed him to save him from the crazy lady, and how handsome he had looked the night after on the hospital balcony. His face with its tender lips, high cheekbones, and that scruff which always seemed to be playing sexy on his face; all it wouldn’t leave her head.
After she finished her glass of wine, she grabbed the bottle to pour another. Maybe burying her thoughts into a liter of Merlot would put her thoughts to rest. Her phone’s little red light flicked to say there was a message. She raced over and hit the screen with a slightly shaky finger. From nerves or excitement, she couldn’t tell.
Julie.
Her heart dropped as she exhaled a disappointed breath. Julie just texting to ask if she wanted to come over for dinner tonight.
Charity didn’t. She’d rather be alone tonight.
Pacing the room was apparently next on her to do list. She stopped abruptly when an idea hit her.
No text. No more phone.
She walked to the closet and pulled out a sleeveless black dress she’d recently purchased. It was body hugging with enough of a V-cut to show a bit of breast. The skirt front hung short and the back ran longer with the hem just touching the top of her calves. It was the closest thing she had to sexy. She refreshed her makeup and went with a gloss lipstick instead of the red she always wore. Her hair had spent the day tied up in a bun and as she pulled it out, for once it actually cooperated and fell against her shoulders in a wavy, windswept way.
She stared at the mirror’s reflection before slipping on a pair of black heels and grabbing her purse and keys. She slipped her coat over her arm, planning on putting it on as she left the hotel.
With purposeful steps she walked to the door. She pulled it open and stopped short.
There stood Elijah. The look of surprise left almost as soon as it showed, replaced instead with the same desired longing Charity had burning inside of her. His mouth hung just slightly open, like he wanted to say something but didn’t know what. Those bright blue eyes stared intently into hers.
She couldn’t move. Her breath lost itself after she sucked in a quiet gasp. How could he have known she was going to see him?
He stepped to her, his lips crushing against hers as his arms wrapped around to pull her tighter against him. Nothing tasted sweeter than his tongue finding its way into her mouth. Her hips pressed into him, trying to get closer.
Somehow they ended up just inside her room, Elijah turning them so the door wouldn’t hit them as it closed. Charity’s fingers crushed into his hair, tracing down his neck and onto his shoulders. She could feel her fingernails dig hard into the leather of his jacket, as if they had a mind of their own. Somehow her coat had slipped from her arm and lay tangled up between their feet.
Elijah pressed her up against the wall, their kisses growing more frantic. Charity pulled his coat down over his arms and it dropped to the floor. Her eyes had closed the moment his lips had touched hers. She had no idea what he wore but the material of his short-sleeved shirt was soft and thin against his skin.
His thumb traced along her cheekbone as his other hand splayed along her ribcage, just millimetres from her breast. He groaned; a hungry, lustful moan deep inside his throat.
It made Charity smile. She loved the sound.
Elijah pulled away slightly but continued to kiss her. His lips parted hers slightly as he began to whisper in a husky voice, “Are you… enjoying… my torment?”
She leaned her head back against the wall and opened her eyes. Inches away from that sexy face, she wondered how she had held out this long. He wore a charcoal grey shirt that nearly made her moan when she pictured what he would look like without it on. Just black jeans with his belt and boots. Her eyes closed voluntarily; no willpower could have stopped them. She swallowed hard.
His lips brushed against hers. They still held their fire, but the need was less intense, like a slow dance.
Charity’s fingers found their way again at the back of Elijah’s hair. The warm tremor deep inside her belly could only be relieved by pressing her hips against his. It helped, but only a moment before the tremor begged for more. She could feel every inch of his hard body against hers. The warmness inside only grew hotter.
A terrified scream from the hallway split the air.
Elijah stiffened at the first scream.
A woman screamed again, crying, “Help! Someone please help me!”
Elijah sprang immediately for the door. Charity followed close behind, unsure of what she would see.
The shrieking woman lay kneeling on the floor beside a man about ten doors down from them. They must have just come from the hotel pool. She wore a yellow terrycloth robe and couldn’t be more than ten years older than Charity. The man on the floor lay on his back, arms and legs sprawled like he’d just dropped.
Elijah raced over, his voice calm and steady as he spoke to the woman. “I’m a doctor. Ma’am, what happened?” His head turned and he brought his ear close to the man’s nose and mouth.
Charity noticed the tattoo on his arm. Half of it lay hidden under the sleeve of his shirt but she knew exactly what the design was. Caduces. The medical symbol with wings and the rod of Asclepius, at least that’s how she knew it. There were loads of different versions. She blinked and focused on the prone, unmoving man.
Elijah stared the man’s chest. “What happened?”
he repeated.
The woman hiccupped. “We-we just went f-for a swim. Tim was eating almonds—”
“Is he allergic?” Charity asked. She put her arm on the woman’s shoulder, trying to offer some kind of comfort.
“No. He eats them all the time. I was telling him some joke and he started laughing.” As she spoke, Elijah opened Tim’s mouth, looked inside and then stuck his finger inside to sweep it. “His eyes went big and I th-think he started choking. Then he fell down.” The woman started whimpering.
“I don’t see anything.” Elijah spoke quietly. Charity didn’t know if he spoke to them or to himself. His hands checked the man’s throat momentarily before he rolled the man on his side. “Help me sit him up.”
Charity rushed to his side as the wife leaned back against wall, her eyes huge. They sat him up and Charity stabilized his neck as Elijah tried the Heimlich several times.
“It’s not working.” Charity checked the man’s mouth and saw nothing. Med school natural tactics were kicking back in, but even though she knew what would happen next, she wasn’t prepared.
“Go back to the room. Call nine-one-one, Charity,” Elijah said. He continued working on Tim. “Inside my coat is a pen, I need it. It’s a silver one.”
She ran to the room, grabbing his coat off the floor and then swiping her phone off the TV stand. She searched the inside chest pocket first. The heavy pen was there. When she pulled it out, she realized the silver pen was also a first aid kit. Under the cap was a sharp knife.
Opening the room door, she leaned into the bathroom and grabbed a straw sitting on the counter she hadn’t used. She raced back down the hall, kicking her shoes off as she ran. She dropped beside Elijah and pulled the cap off the pen, handing it to him handle first.
When the wife saw the blade, she started crying hysterically. “What are you doing? You’re going to kill him!”