Hot Docs On Call: His Christmas Wish. Susan Carlisle

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СКАЧАТЬ her react so differently from how she did to every other man she’d met? To do so would be like playing Russian roulette with the bullet being to end up like her mother. She was her own person, nothing like her parents.

      “You’re a stubborn woman, McKenzie.” He sounded as if that amused him more than upset him.

      “You’re a persistent man, Lance,” she drily retorted, trying to look busy so he’d take the hint and leave. She wanted out from under those eagle eyes that seemed to see right through her.

      Instead, he sat on the desk corner and laughed. “Just imagine what we could accomplish if we were on the same team.”

      “We aren’t enemies.” Maybe that was how she should regard him after that treacherous and oh-so-unforgettable kiss.

      His gaze held hers and sparked with something so intense McKenzie struggled to keep her breathing even.

      “But you aren’t willing to be more than my friend.”

      She wasn’t sure if he was making a comment or asking a question. Her gaze fell to her desk and she stared at a durable medical equipment request form she needed to sign for a patient’s portable oxygen tanks. Her insides shook and her vision blurred, making reading the form impossible. They did need to just be friends. And coworkers. Not lovers.

      “I didn’t say that.” McKenzie’s mouth fell open. What had she just said? She hadn’t meant to say anything and certainly not something that implied she’d be willing to share another kiss with him.

      She wouldn’t, would she?

      “You are willing?” He asked what was pounding through her head.

      “I didn’t say that either.” She winced. Poor man. She was probably confusing the heck out of him because she was confusing herself.

      Despite her wishy-washiness, he didn’t seem upset. Actually, he smiled as if he thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread. “You want to go get frozen yogurt tonight?”

      Totally caught off guard by his specific request, she blinked. “Frozen yogurt? With you?”

      Was he nuts? It was December and thirty or so degrees outside. They were having a serious conversation about their relationship and he’d invited her to go get frozen yogurt? Really? That was his idea of celebrating her good news?

      Why was she suddenly craving the cold dessert?

      “They’re donating twenty percent of their take to the Sherriff’s Toys for Tots fund tonight. We could sit, eat frozen yogurt. You could tell me about your half marathon on Saturday morning. I heard you won your age division.”

      Oh.

      “You wouldn’t say no to helping give kids toys for Christmas, would you?”

      No, she wouldn’t do that. “You should have gone into sales. Did I mention earlier that you were persistent?”

      “Did I mention how stubborn you were?”

      A smile played on her lips, then she admitted the truth. “I’ll be here until late, Lance. You should go without me, but I can swing by and pick up some frozen yogurt on my way home. That way the kids can get their Christmas toys.”

      His grin widened, his dimples digging in deep. “You think I won’t be here until late?”

      “I don’t know what you have going on,” she admitted. She always made a point to not know what Lance was up to. She hadn’t wanted to think about him, hadn’t wanted to let his handsome smile and charm get beneath her skin. So much for that. She could barely think of anything else.

      “We should correct that.”

      No, they shouldn’t.

      “Plus, I plan to go to the hospital to check on a patient.” Edith’s blood count had come back low enough that McKenzie really was concerned about a gastrointestinal bleed. Hopefully, the gastroenterologist would see her soon. Although she could pull up test results and such remotely from her office, she wanted to put eyes on her patient.

      “We could ride to the hospital together, then go get frozen yogurt afterward.”

      They could, but should they?

      “It might cause people to ask questions if we were seen at the hospital together so close on the tails of Saturday night.”

      “You think my kissing your hand in the lab hasn’t caused a few tongues to wag?”

      His kissing her hand had caused her tongue to wag when she’d returned his kiss on her front porch.

      A sweet kiss that hadn’t lasted nearly long enough.

      A passionate kiss that had made her want to wind her arms around him, pull him as close to her as she possibly could and kiss him until she’d had her fill.

      “We’re already the top story around the hospital. George has told everyone how I saved your life with mouth-to-mouth when you passed out.”

      Heat flushed her face. “You did not do mouth-to-mouth on me in the lab.”

      He arched a brow. “You sure? You are still alive.”

      Very alive. Intensely alive. Feeling more alive by the second beneath his gaze.

      “You owe me.” His eyes locked with hers. “Say yes.”

      Needing to break the contact, she rolled her eyes. “I don’t owe you.”

      He let out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re right. I’m the one who owes you. Let me make it up to you by taking you out for frozen yogurt.”

      Her brows made a V. “What do you owe me for?”

      “That kiss.”

      Her cheeks flushed hot and she stared at the durable medical equipment form again, still not able to focus on it. “You don’t owe me.”

      “Sure I do.”

      “Why?” She refused to glance up at him.

      “Because it was an amazing kiss.”

      It had been an amazing kiss.

      “If you said yes to going with me for frozen yogurt, I could repay you.”

      “With another kiss?”

      “Well, I had frozen yogurt in mind, but I like how you think a lot better.”

      When she didn’t immediately answer, he sat down on the edge of her desk and grinned down at her. “But I’m a compromising kind of guy. If you ask nicely, we could do both frozen yogurt and mouth-to-mouth.”

      McKenzie bit her lower lip. She wanted to say yes.

      Way more than she should.

      It was only frozen yogurt.

      And СКАЧАТЬ