palm.
“I think she's interested,” he whispered near her ear, “but get the feeling she's still going to hold back. I wish I knew why.”
Janice traced a pearl button on his shirt with the tip of her finger. Without lifting her head from his chest, she surprised herself by saying, “Have you ever wanted anything so much that it frightened you?”
“Wanting someone beyond reason doesn't allow room for fear.”
“There's always fear.”
He placed a finger beneath her chin and tipped her face up until her gaze met his. “Not when the feelings are mutual . . . the desires the same.”
Janice closed her eyes as he gently caressed her cheek. “We just met. We don't know each other.”
“I know I haven't been able to get you off my mind since I found you parked outside my house last week.”
She knew the feeling. Janice ran a hand down his muscular arm. It would be so simple to tilt her head and rest it against his impossibly wide shoulder, her face nestled against his warm neck. “But you don't know if I meet your standards.”
He captured her hands and laced his fingers with hers but maintained contact with their bodies pressed together from her shoulders down, his feet on either side of hers, thigh to thigh. “I know what we just shared was a quality kiss. I know you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
“You can't know if I'm an admirable person. You don't know me well enough.”
He pressed their entwined hands to the small of her back and intensified the contact of their bodies. She arched her back. “Saving lives on a daily basis makes that one pretty much automatic.”
“It doesn't happen everyday. There are some I can't save.”
“But you keep trying. And there's the fact that you work holidays so that your married partners can be with their families. That's admirable. Of course, that would change if you had a family of your own.”
She started to point out that she'd still have to take her turn, but he short-circuited her thoughts by brushing his lips against hers in a slow, seductive slide that fired her already revved up pulse.
“Say you'll come for Christmas.”
The tip of his tongue traced the seam of her mouth. She caught it between her teeth, then swirled her tongue around it. He moaned and buried a hand in her hair. She felt her barrette pop open, heard it bounce against the floor as her hair tumbled around her shoulders. She angled her fingers into the thick hair at his temples and he deepened the kiss, but the sound of Janice's beeper startled them apart.
“I'm sorry.” She stepped out of the circle of his arms, shaken and more than a little weak. Pushing her hair back, she picked her purse up off the floor and retrieved her pager, then checked the number on the display. “May I use your phone?”
He ran a thumb along his tempting lower lip. “It's by the refrigerator.”
As Janice walked away from him, she tried to ignore the feeling of loss produced by just a few empty feet between them. What would walking away from him forever feel like? She shook the thought away, then punched in the familiar number to the doctor's lounge at the hospital and waited.
“Holliday.”
“Hi, Mark,” Janice said. “What's up?”
“Sorry to bother you, Janice. I know you're off this weekend.”
“That's all right. What do you need?”
“It's Eve Carlisle. She's taken a downward turn. I don't think she'll make it through the night. Thought you'd want to know.”
“I'm nearly two hours away. Can I make it?”
“It's hard to say. She's been asking for you. I think if I tell her you're coming, she might hang on.”
“Thanks for calling, Mark. I'll be there as soon as possible.”
“Drive carefully.”
Janice hung the phone up and turned to Blake.
“Emergency?”
“In a way.” She didn't miss the look of annoyance that passed across his face. She was used to that. She'd dated several men, one in particular, who'd expected her to put him first. When they saw that wouldn't be
“I think she's interested,” he whispered near her ear, “but get the feeling she's still going to hold back. I wish I knew why.”
Janice traced a pearl button on his shirt with the tip of her finger. Without lifting her head from his chest, she surprised herself by saying, “Have you ever wanted anything so much that it frightened you?”
“Wanting someone beyond reason doesn't allow room for fear.”
“There's always fear.”
He placed a finger beneath her chin and tipped her face up until her gaze met his. “Not when the feelings are mutual . . . the desires the same.”
Janice closed her eyes as he gently caressed her cheek. “We just met. We don't know each other.”
“I know I haven't been able to get you off my mind since I found you parked outside my house last week.”
She knew the feeling. Janice ran a hand down his muscular arm. It would be so simple to tilt her head and rest it against his impossibly wide shoulder, her face nestled against his warm neck. “But you don't know if I meet your standards.”
He captured her hands and laced his fingers with hers but maintained contact with their bodies pressed together from her shoulders down, his feet on either side of hers, thigh to thigh. “I know what we just shared was a quality kiss. I know you enjoyed it as much as I did.”
“You can't know if I'm an admirable person. You don't know me well enough.”
He pressed their entwined hands to the small of her back and intensified the contact of their bodies. She arched her back. “Saving lives on a daily basis makes that one pretty much automatic.”
“It doesn't happen everyday. There are some I can't save.”
“But you keep trying. And there's the fact that you work holidays so that your married partners can be with their families. That's admirable. Of course, that would change if you had a family of your own.”
She started to point out that she'd still have to take her turn, but he short-circuited her thoughts by brushing his lips against hers in a slow, seductive slide that fired her already revved up pulse.
“Say you'll come for Christmas.”
The tip of his tongue traced the seam of her mouth. She caught it between her teeth, then swirled her tongue around it. He moaned and buried a hand in her hair. She felt her barrette pop open, heard it bounce against the floor as her hair tumbled around her shoulders. She angled her fingers into the thick hair at his temples and he deepened the kiss, but the sound of Janice's beeper startled them apart.
“I'm sorry.” She stepped out of the circle of his arms, shaken and more than a little weak. Pushing her hair back, she picked her purse up off the floor and retrieved her pager, then checked the number on the display. “May I use your phone?”
He ran a thumb along his tempting lower lip. “It's by the refrigerator.”
As Janice walked away from him, she tried to ignore the feeling of loss produced by just a few empty feet between them. What would walking away from him forever feel like? She shook the thought away, then punched in the familiar number to the doctor's lounge at the hospital and waited.
“Holliday.”
“Hi, Mark,” Janice said. “What's up?”
“Sorry to bother you, Janice. I know you're off this weekend.”
“That's all right. What do you need?”
“It's Eve Carlisle. She's taken a downward turn. I don't think she'll make it through the night. Thought you'd want to know.”
“I'm nearly two hours away. Can I make it?”
“It's hard to say. She's been asking for you. I think if I tell her you're coming, she might hang on.”
“Thanks for calling, Mark. I'll be there as soon as possible.”
“Drive carefully.”
Janice hung the phone up and turned to Blake.
“Emergency?”
“In a way.” She didn't miss the look of annoyance that passed across his face. She was used to that. She'd dated several men, one in particular, who'd expected her to put him first. When they saw that wouldn't be
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