The Coast Road Home by Vickie McKeehan

Author:Vickie McKeehan [McKeehan, Vickie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-29T05:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

Sexual energy and tension lingered between them long after they got back to Gideon’s house. They ended up in the kitchen, sitting on barstools, shoulders touching, comfortable with each other.

While he ordered takeout, he had to keep reminding himself that she wasn’t ready for any kind of physical activity, let alone sex.

All Marley knew was that his advice about the house seemed to come from the heart. The two of them were building to something. She could feel the air charged with anticipation, bubbling just at the surface. It might’ve been her imagination, but he also seemed a little on the edgy side.

Since he’d already seen her naked—he’d pretty much undressed her in the ER—she had to believe that he found her somewhat attractive. The idea lowered the anxiety factor, reduced her inhibitions at being with someone for the first time. She felt different about him; different than those other guys she’d tried dating after her divorce.

After ending the call to Longboard’s, he deftly leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. “I had to get that out of the way at least.”

“Just to be upfront, if you hadn’t already seen me without my clothes, I’d be self-conscious right about now overthinking this next step.”

“I’m a medical doctor…” he pointed out, sounding like an ass. He changed his tone to a lighthearted approach. “Hey, I’m used to seeing the human form every day. Course it’s usually covered in blood.”

He ran a thumb down her cheek. Her honey-smooth skin was not as pale as it had been. Her bruises were looking better. She had more color in her face. Her eyes were bright and sharp. None of that sent him into lust the way her fragrance did. She smelled like vanilla with just a hint of spice.

Her brows knitted in a frown. “Was I?”

He hadn’t heard a word she’d said. His eyes had meandered down her body so that his mind had gone blank. “Were you what?”

“Covered in blood when the paramedics brought me in?”

“Oh. That.” He scratched his chin, trying to get his mind back on track. “You were. Yeah. Maybe I’m approaching this all wrong. This isn’t very romantic, is it? Plus, I don’t want you getting the impression that I hit on every female patient that comes through the door. I don’t.”

“I don’t think that.”

“Good, because you’re the first patient I’ve ever felt this way about. Quentin’s advising me not to…act on it.”

“Do you listen to Quentin often?”

“Hardly ever. But the purple bruising on your ribs isn’t something we should ignore.”

She looked up into his silvery-blue eyes and recognized need, maybe the beginnings of hard lust. “You shouldn’t worry about this being awkward. First thing Monday morning, I’ll make that appointment to see your counterpart, Dr. Blackwood, for all my…health issues. Maybe I can persuade him to remove the stitches.”

“You’re welcome to try.”

To put some distance between them, Marley stood up and went over to the grocery bag, began setting out the appetizers.

He wasn’t the only nervous one, Gideon noted as he watched her flit from cupboard to cabinet looking for dishes and glasses.

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