conversation they’d had last night between bouts of bedcentric aerobics , and she couldn’t hold back a tiny, contented sigh. He chuckled, and a thrill went through her at the shared moment. “I hope to follow that up with a kiss sometime in the near future.”
A startled laugh escaped, and her voice was on the loud side when she said, “You’re outrageous.” Though I wouldn’t say no to another luscious kiss from your delectable mouth.
“Yes, but I got you to laugh.”
“We’re almost there,” Nate said from between clenched teeth.
She picked at a worn thread on her jeans . Stephen had gotten her to forget for a brief moment about the stressful events that lay in front of her. “We’re at the hospital. Why don’t I call you later? I’ve got your number now.”
“You certainly do.” The words sounded like a confession torn from him. The vehicle entered the garage and the phone cut in and out. The only other words she made out were, “Use it.” Then the line went completely dead.
With a sigh, she hit End.
“I thought you weren’t dating anyone .” Nate hurled the words at her like he was accusing her of some heinous crime. After putting the Land Rover over the line so that it took up two spaces, he slammed into Park. The vehicle jerked to a stop.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. Opening her eyes again, she faced Nate’s profile. “Not that I have to explain my love life to you, but I met him recently.”
He twisted in his seat and regarded her through narrowed eyes. “You two sounded pretty cozy for having just met.”
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Seriously? You of all people shouldn’t say those words to me.” They were similar, if not the very same, words she’d hurled at him when he’d brought up the blonde beach bimbo. She jerked open the door and slid out then slammed the heavy metal shut.
He met her behind the vehicle. “I wasn’t judging. We’re all allowed our little affairs.”
She rocked on her heels . What did that mean? Was he saying if they got back together he wouldn’t care if she slept with other men? Was he expecting the same consideration in return? Unbelievable.
“ How very open-minded of you.” She didn’t bother disguising the heavy sarcasm dripping from her voice as she slid her phone into her back pocket. “Now, can you get my luggage?”
He frowned. “How will you get home?”
She stared at him. “Um, my mom?”
His lips compressed into a thin line while he shook his head. “I played chauffer. Surely you didn’t expect her to drive herself?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. And double damn. She shoved her fists in the front pockets of her jeans and headed toward the hospital. This was going to be a long evening, and nowhere near as enjoyable as the previous one.
~ * ~
SEVEN
Rachel struggled awake from complete exhaustion. Sweeping out a hand, her knuckles knocked into the nightstand with a loud rap that punctuated a ring of her phone. She didn’t do ringtones. With a curse, she fought the lethargy weighing her limbs and rolled over. She levered upward on an elbow and grabbed her phone with her other hand. After sliding her thumb over the lock-code sequence, she raised it to her ear. “Hello?” she croaked.
“Did I wake you?”
At the sound of Stephen’s voice, waves of warm fuzzies washed through her, chasing away the worst of the fog and infusing her with a small jolt of energy. She flopped backward. The fluffy pillows cradled her, and she wished they were Stephen’s arms instead. “Yeah. I meant to call you, but I laid down for a minute, and the next thing I know, my phone’s ringing.”
“I almost didn’t call . It’s what, midnight there?” Concern tightened his voice. “But I was worried about your dad. You.”
She glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand beside her old bed in her parents’ house. “Looks like, but don’t worry. I have some work I need to
A startled laugh escaped, and her voice was on the loud side when she said, “You’re outrageous.” Though I wouldn’t say no to another luscious kiss from your delectable mouth.
“Yes, but I got you to laugh.”
“We’re almost there,” Nate said from between clenched teeth.
She picked at a worn thread on her jeans . Stephen had gotten her to forget for a brief moment about the stressful events that lay in front of her. “We’re at the hospital. Why don’t I call you later? I’ve got your number now.”
“You certainly do.” The words sounded like a confession torn from him. The vehicle entered the garage and the phone cut in and out. The only other words she made out were, “Use it.” Then the line went completely dead.
With a sigh, she hit End.
“I thought you weren’t dating anyone .” Nate hurled the words at her like he was accusing her of some heinous crime. After putting the Land Rover over the line so that it took up two spaces, he slammed into Park. The vehicle jerked to a stop.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. Opening her eyes again, she faced Nate’s profile. “Not that I have to explain my love life to you, but I met him recently.”
He twisted in his seat and regarded her through narrowed eyes. “You two sounded pretty cozy for having just met.”
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Seriously? You of all people shouldn’t say those words to me.” They were similar, if not the very same, words she’d hurled at him when he’d brought up the blonde beach bimbo. She jerked open the door and slid out then slammed the heavy metal shut.
He met her behind the vehicle. “I wasn’t judging. We’re all allowed our little affairs.”
She rocked on her heels . What did that mean? Was he saying if they got back together he wouldn’t care if she slept with other men? Was he expecting the same consideration in return? Unbelievable.
“ How very open-minded of you.” She didn’t bother disguising the heavy sarcasm dripping from her voice as she slid her phone into her back pocket. “Now, can you get my luggage?”
He frowned. “How will you get home?”
She stared at him. “Um, my mom?”
His lips compressed into a thin line while he shook his head. “I played chauffer. Surely you didn’t expect her to drive herself?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. And double damn. She shoved her fists in the front pockets of her jeans and headed toward the hospital. This was going to be a long evening, and nowhere near as enjoyable as the previous one.
~ * ~
SEVEN
Rachel struggled awake from complete exhaustion. Sweeping out a hand, her knuckles knocked into the nightstand with a loud rap that punctuated a ring of her phone. She didn’t do ringtones. With a curse, she fought the lethargy weighing her limbs and rolled over. She levered upward on an elbow and grabbed her phone with her other hand. After sliding her thumb over the lock-code sequence, she raised it to her ear. “Hello?” she croaked.
“Did I wake you?”
At the sound of Stephen’s voice, waves of warm fuzzies washed through her, chasing away the worst of the fog and infusing her with a small jolt of energy. She flopped backward. The fluffy pillows cradled her, and she wished they were Stephen’s arms instead. “Yeah. I meant to call you, but I laid down for a minute, and the next thing I know, my phone’s ringing.”
“I almost didn’t call . It’s what, midnight there?” Concern tightened his voice. “But I was worried about your dad. You.”
She glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand beside her old bed in her parents’ house. “Looks like, but don’t worry. I have some work I need to
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