Hot Docs On Call: His Christmas Wish. Susan Carlisle
“Don’t do that,” she ordered, frowning. Mostly she frowned to keep her face preoccupied because instantly, on looking at him, she had a flashback to the last time she’d seen him.
On her front porch when he’d kissed her and completely rewired her circuitry.
That had to be it because she didn’t fantasize about men or kisses or things way beyond kisses, yet that’s exactly what she’d done more often than she’d like to admit since Friday night.
“Sorry.” He studied her a little too closely for her liking. “I didn’t realize I’d startle you or I would have made some noise when walking up.”
She stepped into her office and he followed, stomping his feet with each step.
She rolled her eyes.
“So your tests are all negative?”
She nodded without looking at him because looking at him did funny things to her insides.
“Thank goodness.” He sounded as relieved as she’d felt. “The mayor’s too?”
She nodded again.
“That is great news.”
She set her laptop down on her desk then faced him. “Was there something you needed?”
He shook his head. “I was checking to see if you’d heard anything on your labs.”
She waved the phone she still held. “Perfect timing.”
He waggled his brows. “We should go celebrate.”
Not bothering to hide her surprise, she eyed him. “Why?”
“Because you got great news that deserves celebrating.”
She needed to look away from those baby blues, needed to not think about his amazing smile that dug dimples into his cheeks, needed to not stare at his magical lips that had put her under some kind of spell.
“My great news doesn’t involve you,” she reminded him, not doing any of the things she’d just told herself to do.
“Sure it does. I was there, remember?”
How could she ever forget? Which was the problem. So much about that night plagued her mind. Lance acting so protective of her as he’d driven her to the hospital and stayed during her blood draw. Lance taking her home. Lance kissing her.
Lance. Lance. Lance.
Yeah, he had definitely put her under a spell. Under his kiss.
Her cheeks heated at the memory and she hoped he couldn’t read her mind. Her gaze met his and, Lord, she’d swear he could, that he knew exactly where her thoughts were.
Don’t think of that kiss. Don’t think of that kiss. Just don’t think at all.
“My news doesn’t involve you,” she repeated, reminding herself that she worked with him. She wasn’t like her father who’d drag any willing member of the opposite sex into his office for who knew what? A relationship with Lance would be nothing short of disastrous in the long run.
Plus, there was how she couldn’t get him out of her head. What kind of stupid would she be if she risked getting further involved with someone who made 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