Read Online Her Favorite Temptation by Sarah Mayberry - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Mayberry
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the elevator, trying to find her phone in her bag with one hand while hitting the button for the ground floor with the other. The doors had barely slid closed before they bounced open again and Will stepped in.
She hadn’t seen him since the night she’d confronted him in the hallway, but that didn’t stop the dart of awareness that raced through her. Then she registered how pale he was and took an involuntary step forward.
“You look terrible,” she said.
It wasn’t only his skin tone. His eyes were dull, his hair lank. He looked as though he’d lost weight, too, his clothes hanging on him subtly.
He held up a hand, warding her off. “I’d keep my distance if I was you. I’m on the tail end of the mother of all flus, and believe me, you don’t want to catch it.”
“How long have you been sick?”
“Coming up to a week. More than long enough,” he said grimly.
“Have you seen someone? It’s easy to pick up a secondary infection when your immune system is already battling something else,” she said, concerned.
“I’m all hooked up, don’t worry, Dr. Mathews.” Even as he said it, he swayed on his feet a little.
“Wow. I’m not sure you should be going out.”
“Just going to the pharmacy up the road to get more supplies.”
She frowned, then made a split-second decision and held out her hand. “Give me your prescription and I’ll bring it to you.” Her parents wouldn’t mind waiting for a few minutes when she told them it was for a good cause, and he looked done in before he’d even left the building.
He smiled faintly. “I can walk a few hundred meters, Leah.”
“You look like death warmed up. Seriously, tell me what you need and I’ll pick it up.”
“No way. You’ve obviously got a hot date or something. I’m not getting in the way of that.” His gaze slid down her body, lingering gratifyingly on her breasts and hips and legs. “Nice dress, by the way. Really nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a birthday party, not a date. And stop trying to distract me. Hand over your script.”
“You don’t need to look after me.” He sounded both bemused and amused.
“Look me in the eye and tell me how long it took you to muster the energy to leave the apartment.”
They’d arrived at the ground floor and they walked into the foyer together, arguing every step of the way.
“There was no mustering required. In fact, it was good to get dressed for the first time in days.”
She felt a stab of guilt that he’d been feeling so low and she’d had no clue. Given the length and extent of their relationship, she was aware that her guilt was both inappropriate and unwarranted, but she’d suffered through the flu last year and knew that being sick on your own was the absolute pits.
“Fine. I’ll walk with you, then, so I can call an ambulance when you hit the deck.”
“Wow. You are stubborn. ”
She didn’t bother dignifying that with a response, instead striding ahead of him to see if her parents were waiting. They were, her father’s white Mercedes shamelessly occupying the no-standing zone in front of the building. She approached and tapped on her mother’s window, gesturing for her to open it.
“Hi. Sorry to do this to you, but I need to help my neighbor. He’s got a bad dose of something and I want to make sure he gets home from the pharmacy okay. I won’t be five minutes.”
Her father leaned forward so he could see past Leah to where Will stood on the sidewalk. “Flu?” he guessed. “There’s a nasty strain around this year. The practice has been overwhelmed by it.”
“He should have phoned the pharmacy. They would have delivered his prescription for him,” her mother said practically.
“Great idea, but he thinks he knows best,” Leah said. “Five minutes, okay?”
“Tell him to jump in, we’ll drive him,” her father offered.
“Thanks, Dad, but it’s literally around the corner,” Leah said. “Plus he won’t let you do that. He’s
She hadn’t seen him since the night she’d confronted him in the hallway, but that didn’t stop the dart of awareness that raced through her. Then she registered how pale he was and took an involuntary step forward.
“You look terrible,” she said.
It wasn’t only his skin tone. His eyes were dull, his hair lank. He looked as though he’d lost weight, too, his clothes hanging on him subtly.
He held up a hand, warding her off. “I’d keep my distance if I was you. I’m on the tail end of the mother of all flus, and believe me, you don’t want to catch it.”
“How long have you been sick?”
“Coming up to a week. More than long enough,” he said grimly.
“Have you seen someone? It’s easy to pick up a secondary infection when your immune system is already battling something else,” she said, concerned.
“I’m all hooked up, don’t worry, Dr. Mathews.” Even as he said it, he swayed on his feet a little.
“Wow. I’m not sure you should be going out.”
“Just going to the pharmacy up the road to get more supplies.”
She frowned, then made a split-second decision and held out her hand. “Give me your prescription and I’ll bring it to you.” Her parents wouldn’t mind waiting for a few minutes when she told them it was for a good cause, and he looked done in before he’d even left the building.
He smiled faintly. “I can walk a few hundred meters, Leah.”
“You look like death warmed up. Seriously, tell me what you need and I’ll pick it up.”
“No way. You’ve obviously got a hot date or something. I’m not getting in the way of that.” His gaze slid down her body, lingering gratifyingly on her breasts and hips and legs. “Nice dress, by the way. Really nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a birthday party, not a date. And stop trying to distract me. Hand over your script.”
“You don’t need to look after me.” He sounded both bemused and amused.
“Look me in the eye and tell me how long it took you to muster the energy to leave the apartment.”
They’d arrived at the ground floor and they walked into the foyer together, arguing every step of the way.
“There was no mustering required. In fact, it was good to get dressed for the first time in days.”
She felt a stab of guilt that he’d been feeling so low and she’d had no clue. Given the length and extent of their relationship, she was aware that her guilt was both inappropriate and unwarranted, but she’d suffered through the flu last year and knew that being sick on your own was the absolute pits.
“Fine. I’ll walk with you, then, so I can call an ambulance when you hit the deck.”
“Wow. You are stubborn. ”
She didn’t bother dignifying that with a response, instead striding ahead of him to see if her parents were waiting. They were, her father’s white Mercedes shamelessly occupying the no-standing zone in front of the building. She approached and tapped on her mother’s window, gesturing for her to open it.
“Hi. Sorry to do this to you, but I need to help my neighbor. He’s got a bad dose of something and I want to make sure he gets home from the pharmacy okay. I won’t be five minutes.”
Her father leaned forward so he could see past Leah to where Will stood on the sidewalk. “Flu?” he guessed. “There’s a nasty strain around this year. The practice has been overwhelmed by it.”
“He should have phoned the pharmacy. They would have delivered his prescription for him,” her mother said practically.
“Great idea, but he thinks he knows best,” Leah said. “Five minutes, okay?”
“Tell him to jump in, we’ll drive him,” her father offered.
“Thanks, Dad, but it’s literally around the corner,” Leah said. “Plus he won’t let you do that. He’s
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