Read Online Future Investment: (Taboo Romance Series) (Forbidden Fruit Book 2) by Ali Parker - Free Book Online
Authors: Ali Parker
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pressing my fingers absently to Elizabeth's back. I hadn't meant to. It was natural to want to guide her around. Her stiffening caused me to jerk my hand back.
"Forgive me," I whispered. "Old habits."
"It's okay." She glanced over her shoulder, and from the angle I got of her pretty face, I could have sworn I saw a hint of the lust that I'd been experiencing for the last week. Surely not, but I coveted the idea of it all the same.
We had dessert in the kitchen, followed by Elizabeth, Peter, and me cleaning things up. We talked about the good old days as Elizabeth laughed and asked questions, egging us on. Peter left just after we finished cleaning up, and I walked Elizabeth to the door and opened it.
"Tonight was fun." I explored her expression, wanting to see a hint of the desire that I could have sworn brushed by her earlier. I couldn't make the first move, but damn if I didn't want to. I'd have to hold myself back if nothing else.
"It was. I loved all the stories of your first few years at the hospital." Her expression changed a little, and it left me wanting to push her.
"What? You have something you want to know?" I pressed my shoulder against the door frame and shoved my hand in my pocket. The need to reach out and touch her was almost consuming. It was something I'd yet to experience in my nearly-forty years.
"Are you lonely?" Her brows pulled in tight, making her impossibly beautiful. "I mean, I'm not asking so I can fill that hole, spot, er..."
I laughed. "Yes. It's lonely at times, but I married my career a long time ago. I love it with every part of me. Saving lives is who I am."
"Thank you." Her cheeks turned pink. "I think I'm headed down that same path."
"I hope not, for your sake. Besides, Parks was lamenting earlier over your boyfriend. You're already headed in the right direction. People need relationships." I was digging and I hated myself for doing it.
"Parks is ridiculous, but I'm going to enjoy becoming friends with him." She shook her head. "Only friends."
"Yes. You have to be careful of him." I shifted and she stepped outside as if sensing that the conversation was drawing to a close. I didn't have a confirmation on her dating anyone, but she'd done that on purpose. I wasn't giving her nearly enough credit.
"Thanks again for tonight. I enjoyed it." She turned to go, and I called out to her.
"Elizabeth."
She glanced back, her face captivating me. "Yes?"
"I think we're going to be great friends as we continue down this path, so remember that I'm a resource to you. If you need something…"
"Thanks, Dr. Crawford." She smiled and turned, leaving me to stare after her.
Not only had she saved me from where the conversation was headed, but had set us back to being mentor and student. I appreciated it, and yet despised the shutdown. It was deserved, though. I'd made it quite clear in my office a few days back that I wasn't interested in anything with anyone, not even her.
"Not even an extended conversation." I rolled my eyes at myself and closed the door after she got in her car and pulled out of my driveway. "Such an asshole at times."
No wonder I was alone.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth
Stephanie woke me the next morning before my alarm by pouncing on my bed. "Get up! You promised to stay up last night so we could talk, and your ass was out cold on the couch."
I pushed at her, groaned, and pulled my covers over my head. I was having a dream where Aiden wasn't a friend, but a lover. He had just taken a handful of my hair and was feeding me his cock when Stephanie interrupted.
"Get out. I was at the good part of the dream. Shit." I rolled over and playfully humped the bed, accentuating my words with my thrusts. "He. Was. Almost. There."
"Gross." She hit me in the head with a pillow and got off the bed. "Get up. I made muffins."
"You can't cook. Why do you torture me by trying?" I sat up in time to take a pillow to the face.
"Shut up and come in here. I have a plan, but I need your
"Forgive me," I whispered. "Old habits."
"It's okay." She glanced over her shoulder, and from the angle I got of her pretty face, I could have sworn I saw a hint of the lust that I'd been experiencing for the last week. Surely not, but I coveted the idea of it all the same.
We had dessert in the kitchen, followed by Elizabeth, Peter, and me cleaning things up. We talked about the good old days as Elizabeth laughed and asked questions, egging us on. Peter left just after we finished cleaning up, and I walked Elizabeth to the door and opened it.
"Tonight was fun." I explored her expression, wanting to see a hint of the desire that I could have sworn brushed by her earlier. I couldn't make the first move, but damn if I didn't want to. I'd have to hold myself back if nothing else.
"It was. I loved all the stories of your first few years at the hospital." Her expression changed a little, and it left me wanting to push her.
"What? You have something you want to know?" I pressed my shoulder against the door frame and shoved my hand in my pocket. The need to reach out and touch her was almost consuming. It was something I'd yet to experience in my nearly-forty years.
"Are you lonely?" Her brows pulled in tight, making her impossibly beautiful. "I mean, I'm not asking so I can fill that hole, spot, er..."
I laughed. "Yes. It's lonely at times, but I married my career a long time ago. I love it with every part of me. Saving lives is who I am."
"Thank you." Her cheeks turned pink. "I think I'm headed down that same path."
"I hope not, for your sake. Besides, Parks was lamenting earlier over your boyfriend. You're already headed in the right direction. People need relationships." I was digging and I hated myself for doing it.
"Parks is ridiculous, but I'm going to enjoy becoming friends with him." She shook her head. "Only friends."
"Yes. You have to be careful of him." I shifted and she stepped outside as if sensing that the conversation was drawing to a close. I didn't have a confirmation on her dating anyone, but she'd done that on purpose. I wasn't giving her nearly enough credit.
"Thanks again for tonight. I enjoyed it." She turned to go, and I called out to her.
"Elizabeth."
She glanced back, her face captivating me. "Yes?"
"I think we're going to be great friends as we continue down this path, so remember that I'm a resource to you. If you need something…"
"Thanks, Dr. Crawford." She smiled and turned, leaving me to stare after her.
Not only had she saved me from where the conversation was headed, but had set us back to being mentor and student. I appreciated it, and yet despised the shutdown. It was deserved, though. I'd made it quite clear in my office a few days back that I wasn't interested in anything with anyone, not even her.
"Not even an extended conversation." I rolled my eyes at myself and closed the door after she got in her car and pulled out of my driveway. "Such an asshole at times."
No wonder I was alone.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth
Stephanie woke me the next morning before my alarm by pouncing on my bed. "Get up! You promised to stay up last night so we could talk, and your ass was out cold on the couch."
I pushed at her, groaned, and pulled my covers over my head. I was having a dream where Aiden wasn't a friend, but a lover. He had just taken a handful of my hair and was feeding me his cock when Stephanie interrupted.
"Get out. I was at the good part of the dream. Shit." I rolled over and playfully humped the bed, accentuating my words with my thrusts. "He. Was. Almost. There."
"Gross." She hit me in the head with a pillow and got off the bed. "Get up. I made muffins."
"You can't cook. Why do you torture me by trying?" I sat up in time to take a pillow to the face.
"Shut up and come in here. I have a plan, but I need your
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