by Audra North
He pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Her heart fluttered and sang at the sweet gesture.
That. That was what was wrong. Small intimacies like kissing her hair or holding her hand or letting her put her feet on his legs to warm them when the air conditioner had kicked on in the night and she’d gotten cold. Those things turned incredible, world-rocking, hotter-than-hot just sex into more than just sex.
And yet, they’d agreed that this was so very temporary.
So why did it feel like the start of something long-term?
Maybe you should ask him. You know, be frank and forthright and all those other things that you keep blathering on about.
She looked up at him from the circle of his arms, thrilled and confused and completely turned around by the smile in his eyes as he looked back at her.
“Are you—do you want to drive in with me today?”
Chicken.
He shook his head. “Actually, I have to go back to my place for a bit and get a change of clothes first, catch up on e-mail, that kind of thing. I’ll probably show up a little before lunchtime. Is that okay?”
So late? It disappointed her, but not because she’d expected him to work eight to five like regular staff. After all, Kate was only supposed to help out half-time. But what really disappointed her was that she’d have to spend a few hours apart from him. They only had a week together, and she wanted as much of him during this week as she could get.
Oh, God. You’re falling for him. Don’t fall for him.
Not. Good.
And definitely for the best if he came late today. She nodded. “Sure, no problem. I’ll see you later, then?”
“Absolutely.” He pulled away and headed for the door, where he gave her one last kiss before leaving.
As soon as the door shut behind him, she sighed at herself. Why hadn’t she asked him why he was doing all those sweet things?
On the other hand, a few sweet gestures here and there didn’t really change anything. Last night, Greg had gotten uncomfortable when she’d pushed too far into personal territory. He clearly wasn’t investing in anything in this week.
And that included investing in her.
Her relationship with Eddie had been the same way. He’d given nothing to it. But at least, this time around, she knew what she was getting into from the start. And another difference between Eddie and Greg? The sex with Greg was phenomenal. He’d left her limp and sore but ready for more. It was exactly what she wanted. What she needed.
At the end of his week off, he’d leave and they’d both go on with their separate lives. They were both getting what they wanted.
Everything was going to be fine.
…
She had just finished the morning in orientation with the two new residents of New Beginnings and was updating their files in her office when Greg arrived.
“They called lunch already.” He leaned against the door frame and smiled at her. “You shouldn’t skip meals.”
She tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him even as she covered a yawn.
His smile deepened. “Tired?”
She took in his long legs, accentuated by the dark jeans he was wearing. She had run her own legs over his last night as they had lain on her bed and he’d taken her slowly, gently, until she’d exploded. She gave a contented sigh. “Yeah.”
“How tired?” His eyes were twinkling.
“Um, very? But in the best possible way,” she added. For a moment, she wondered if maybe she had dreamed the entire night. But, no, that soreness between her legs could only have come from one thing. “Why are you asking?”
He dipped his head down and looked at her through his lashes, and she grinned when understanding dawned. “Are you trying to figure out if we’re going to get together again tonight?”
“I don’t want to impose…” His words were modest, but his expression was so full of satisfaction, like he already knew that she was going to say yes, that she burst out laughing.
“Oh, fine. I mean, of course. I was planning on it. We have a deal, after all. But I have to get some more sleep, or I’ll start looking so bad that I’ll scare the residents.”
He smirked at her. “Well then, we’ll have to get an early start, won’t we? And I promise I’ll leave afterward so that I don’t keep you up.”
That put a damper on her mood. After last night, she’d expected him to stay over every time. The idea that they’d have sex and then he’d leave made her feel cheap. Used.
But you’re using him, too, remember?
She ignored the feeling that something was off, and gave a sharp nod, instead. “I can leave at five o’clock.”
“I’m setting my watch right now.”
He smiled, and she couldn’t help smiling back at him. They stayed that way for a moment, and something in her heart squeezed, hard. In the next instant, though, he was moving into her office, the tender look wiped from his face.
He arched a brow and pitched his voice low. “Really, you should eat. I’ll bring you a tray. There’s watermelon.” His mouth curved around the words, rolling them out toward her and making her nipples peak at the memory of the way he’d shaped that mouth around her breasts last night.
“How is it possible that you make everything sound suggestive?” It certainly felt that way, given how she was practically panting.
“It’s a talent. Although I think it says more about the way your mind works than mine.”
Her cheeks heated, and she looked down at the stack of large white sheets on her desk. “Touché,” she mumbled.
He leaned over, tracking her gaze and spotting the stickers. “Blank stickers? What are they for?”
Now here was something she could talk about without blushing. Something she was proud of, in fact. “Occasionally, we gain a resident who we think might have difficulty adjusting to life in a facility with all strangers. Last year, I tried printing up these big, easy-to-remove stickers with photos of the people, places, or things that they love. New residents are given twenty stickers that they’re allowed to put anywhere in the home for up to a month, so any time they might feel lonely or afraid, they can look at the picture and find some reassurance in a positive memory. And it gives them something to talk about with the others. Makes it easier to make friends.”
For a moment, he studied her, then whistled. “I wondered about that when I saw a few in the rec room yesterday. It’s a great idea. Has it worked?”
She laughed. “Too well. We had to impose the one-month rule because the walls were beginning to look like a collage. This group gets along well, not just because they’re all great people, but because we encourage them to get to know one another. To appreciate one another for all the things they’ve experienced.”
“What a great idea. You know, for some of my heart patients, they’re so touch and go for a long time after surgery that some of them aren’t allowed to have visitors at first. And even after they are allowed visitors, they still don’t get to go home for a while, but they spend a lot of time wandering the recovery floor. I don’t know about stickers, because we can’t let people stick things on any surface, but maybe something like a bulletin board with photos might be a good way to help them…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Sorry. I was getting lost in thought. It’s brilliant, is what I wanted to say.”
She beamed. “Thanks. I have to admit that I’m pretty proud of it. More than I should be, probably.”
“No. You should be proud. And not just because of this idea with the stickers. Your residents are happy and cohesive, and that says a lot about the way you run things. It shows that you’re smart, thoughtful, and innovative. Those are qualities to be proud of.”
Oh.
It had been a long time since someone had said such nice things to her. Babka had always been the one to encourage her and tell her she was going to make something of herself, but since the older woman’s death, Carrie hadn’t had that kind of su
pport in her life.
She took a deep breath. She had to remind herself that Greg was just a fling—a handsome, sexy fling. Still, his compliment had fulfilled something in her that she hadn’t even known she’d been craving. She dipped her head shyly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He pointed his thumb at the hallway behind him. “Hey, why don’t you come with me to the dining room?”
Oh. She wanted to. She really wanted to, but—
“I can’t. I have to follow up about some of the residents’ oxygen tanks that were supposed to have been delivered already. We had two new residents come in this morning and everything—well, it’s been hectic. You must know how that goes.”
She’d meant to put him at ease, to reassure him that she wasn’t getting any ideas about them, but for some reason he visibly tensed.
He stepped back. “No big deal. I’ll get you a tray and then you tell me what you need today.”
Before she could say “Thank you” yet again, he was out the door.
Chapter Eight
Greg headed down the hall toward the dining room, trying to shrug off the lingering feeling of disappointment from Carrie’s rejection. It was strange how bothered he was by her refusal to join him for lunch, because she’d been right. They both had intense work schedules—his was exactly why he’d proposed this temporary thing between them in the first place. He needed to relax for the week, sex was relaxing, and he found her attractive.
No, more than attractive. Hot. Sexy. The hottest, sexiest woman he’d ever known, and last night she’d proven as flexible as he’d suspected she’d be. Greg couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face. Who would have thought, just a few days ago, that he would be in a place like this, with a woman like her? She was a fantastic woman whom he enjoyed talking to. She made him so…alive.
And the sex was unbelievable.
This was exactly what he had needed for his time off. He didn’t need another doctor analyzing him or prescribing things. He needed to spend a little time with Carrie and whatever magic she seemed to be working on him.
When he entered the dining room, Maureen winked and waved him over to where she and three other ladies were sitting.
A chorus of “Good afternoon, Dr. Stanton,” greeted him when he neared. It sounded so well rehearsed that he immediately knew something was up.
“Good afternoon, ladies. How are all of you today?”
“Oh, we’re all right.” Maureen waved her hand in dismissal. “You, on the other hand, are looking exceptionally well. Seen Carrie lately?”
The group tittered, and Greg smiled in genuine amusement. Maureen’s lack of subtlety was endearing. He couldn’t resist teasing her. “Not since yesterday, no. Is she here today?” He managed to keep a straight face when he said it, but Maureen’s look of surprise was too much. He couldn’t hold his laughter in. “I’m kidding. I saw her a few minutes ago. I knew you were fishing for information.”
For a moment, Maureen pouted, but she recovered almost immediately. “Fine, so I was fishing. When are you going to propose?”
June swatted Maureen’s arm. “Enough, Maureen. You’re embarrassing him.”
Actually, he’d been enjoying the good-natured ribbing, but it was probably for the best to change the subject. He was only here for a few more days. Carrie had to continue working with them after he left, and he didn’t want to cause problems in her working relationships.
One woman, her dark skin relatively smooth and youthful-looking despite her hunched posture, shuffled by then and stopped and took his hand.
“Dr. Stanton, do you remember me?”
A smooth-skinned face contorted in pain. The harsh lights of the operating room. Emergency bypass. Over eighty years old. Risky.
The image hit him hard, throwing him for a moment. It was hard to reconcile the memory he had with this smiling, relaxed woman holding his hand. But yes, he remembered her.
“Mrs. Greene?”
Her answering laugh was rich and warm. “I knew you were a smart one. And not just because you saved my life a few months back. I’m glad you were working the other night when they brought Rosie in. She was my best friend here, you know.”
God. Rosie. He hesitated for a moment, fearing the panic that would come rolling in next, making him shake and gasp. But seconds ticked by and…nothing.
He cleared his throat. “I do—I wish I could have done more.” The words still felt heavy, but not because he had to force them out. This time, it was simply the heaviness of disappointment.
Her hand squeezed his. “You did your best for Rosie and for me, too. You fought for me, and I know you fought for her. That’s already enough. The world doesn’t often look at old people as valuable, but you fought for us. And that makes a difference.”
Before Greg could respond, though, June got his attention to introduce him to two new residents, Candace and Lydia.
Mrs. Greene chuckled and let go of Greg’s hand and walked on.
The two new residents looked comfortable, as though they had lived here for years. And the only person he knew who could work that kind of miracle was his Carrie.
Your Carrie? Now you sound like Maureen.
He shook away the thought. He was probably getting a little carried away this week, letting the residents’ teasing influence his own thoughts. It meant nothing.
He frowned a little at that. Well, maybe not nothing. But it was definitely only temporary. Hadn’t he just been thinking that? No matter how good it made him feel, it wouldn’t—couldn’t—last.
After a few minutes of chatting, he excused himself and grabbed a tray, waving as he walked out. He returned to Carrie’s office, only to find her on the phone, talking about oxygen tanks and supplier contracts, but she waved and puckered her lips exaggeratedly, making him chuckle. She pointed to a manila folder on the far side of the desk, gesturing for him to open it, and what he found inside made him smile. It was a sheet of the blank stickers he’d noticed earlier, but some of them had pictures printed on them. A stethoscope. A chessboard. A photo of two women and two men who looked like siblings. And a— “A copy machine?”
He looked up her in question, forgetting that she was on the phone, but she grinned at him and gestured again. He picked up the sheet of stickers and found more papers underneath, a Post-it stuck to the top one that read 65 copies of each, collated. Fold into thirds. Do a good job, and I’ll reward you later.
He was pretty sure it would be the greatest reward ever given for making copies. Maybe the greatest reward he’d ever earned, including his medical degree. He tucked the manila folder under his arm and winked at her, then headed down to the copy room, whistling.
Chapter Nine
Tomorrow was the last day.
It bothered Greg that he couldn’t stop thinking about Carrie. Feeling things for her. Even last night, he’d caught himself doing things he’d never intended to do. Like pushing her hair back from her face so that he could look into her eyes as he slid in and out of her. Or whispering to her, as she dozed next to him, that she was brilliant and fun and special. Things that he couldn’t say to her when she was awake, because during the days, she always found some way to remind him that this was only temporary, that they were both busy.
But they were almost out of time, and even though this week had left him relaxed and ready to get back to work, it had also left him feeling reluctant to end things completely.
He tried to brush it off. Most likely it was because being here at New Beginnings and spending his nights with Carrie was like living in another world. He couldn’t take any of it back with him when he returned to his regular life, so his mind was probably trying to find ways to keep that going in some way.
Of course. In the light of day, he could almost believe that he wasn’t actually feeling as much for her as it seemed. Greg nodded to Arkady and took the seat right across from Robert. “So. Ready to get your ass whipped at chess today, old man?”
Robert chuckled. “They’ll
be cleaning you off the floor when I’m done with you, little boy.”
Arkady piped in. “And then the winner of your game can play me.”
Robert and Greg looked at one another.
Greg’s face said, I’m not trash talking with a Russian Chess Champion, but Robert grinned. “I’m honored that I’ll be playing against you, Arkady.”
Bastard.
By the time they finished lunch and got the chessboard set up, Carrie had emerged from her office and was speaking with Candace and Lydia.
Robert stared at Greg across the board. “When are you going to marry her?”
He didn’t pretend not to know who Robert was talking about. “We’re not getting married. We’re having fun.”
Robert snorted. “I’m sure you’re having fun. Look at her. She’s a stunner. But you like her, too. I’ve been around a few more years than you, and I know the beginnings of love when I see it. Better snatch her up quick and get some babies in that woman, or someone else is going to beat you to it. Maybe even me.”
The beginnings of love?
Greg throat constricted. That’s not what this was. This was a week together. Less than that. Sure, he liked Carrie. But love?
Robert saw the skeptical look on Greg’s face. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, Doc. You practically go blind to everything else whenever she’s in the room.”
Blind to everything else whenever she’s in the room? How was this even possible? He barely knew her. Sure, they’d shared a few chats in the ER waiting room. And maybe he’d realized months ago that she was one of the few people who could make him laugh even after a long, hard day of pain and struggle. He knew how dedicated she was to her residents, staying in the waiting room all night if she had to, to be sure they had a familiar face nearby as soon as they came out of any procedure. He knew that she’d only been on an airplane once in her life. She’d told him that in one of their first conversations, when a resident who had been an airline pilot was brought in. He knew that she only liked the fruit salad from the cafeteria when it was summertime and they put watermelon in it. That she made a mean pierogi.