Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 42745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
By the time we reach the elevator, I’m too aware of him. The way his hand is holding mine and the way he keeps his face straight ahead, like if he looks at me he’s not going to be able to stop himself.
The doors to the elevator open, and we step inside.
The second they close, I look at him. “Penn?”
He doesn’t answer. He just keeps holding my hand.
The elevator starts to move, and I watch the numbers change above the doors. I should tell him he can’t just drag me through the hospital every time he gets jealous, but I don’t, because there’s a part of me that is enjoying this.
When the doors open on his floor, he leads me down the hallway. He’s still quiet, and the closer we get to his office, the harder my heart starts to pound.
We pass Nurse Jenner at the desk. Her eyes drop to our joined hands then back up.
Penn doesn’t even look at her.
He opens his office door and waits for me to go in first. The second I step inside, he follows, closes the door, and locks it.
I turn around, my back almost touching his desk. “What’s going on?”
Penn faces me, and the look in his eyes makes me suck in a breath. “I just need to do something.”
Before I can ask what, he crosses the room. He cups my face in both hands and kisses me like he’s been starving for it.
The second his mouth touches mine, I gasp.
He takes advantage, deepening the kiss, and my hands grab the front of his lab coat because my knees are suddenly not as steady as they were a second ago.
This isn’t a soft kiss. It’s the kind of kiss that claims.
And God help me, I kiss him back because I’ve missed this too.
Penn walks me backward until my hips hit the edge of his desk and his hands slide down my sides to my hips.
He breaks the kiss only long enough to breathe against my mouth. “You were sitting close to him.”
My eyes flutter open. “What?”
“Knox.” His voice is low and rough. “You were sitting close to him.”
I stare at him for half a second before it hits me, and a smile pulls at my mouth before I can stop it. “You’re jealous.”
His eyes lock on mine, and he doesn’t even deny it. “Damn right I am.”
“Penn.”
“I know I have no right,” he says, but his hands tighten on my hips. “I know that. But I hated it.”
I lift my chin. “Hated what?”
“Seeing him beside you.”
“He’s my coworker.”
“I know.”
“He’s married.”
“I don’t care.”
A laugh slips out of me, and his eyes darken. “You think this is funny?”
“No.” I shake my head, but I’m still smiling a little. “Maybe. A little.”
He steps closer, pressing me back against the desk. “I’m glad you’re amused.”
“I kind of am.”
His mouth lowers to my jaw, and my smile disappears.
“I didn’t like it,” he says against my skin.
I hold on to his coat.
He shakes his head like he’s trying to get an image out. “I didn’t like seeing another man sitting where I should be sitting.” His mouth moves to my neck. “I didn’t like the way he looked comfortable beside you.”
“He’s harmless.”
“That doesn’t make me want to kill him less.”
I suck in a breath. “Penn.”
“I know.” He lifts his head and looks at me. “I know. I’m being unreasonable.”
“Yes.”
His eyes flare. “I’m still jealous.”
“I noticed.”
His gaze drops to my mouth. “Tell me to stop.”
I should. We’re at work, I have a patient in thirty minutes, we still have a mountain of things between us that a kiss isn’t going to fix, and I know what he’s hiding now.
But just as soon as I think about what he’s hiding from me, I soften to him.
I put my hand on his chest. “This doesn’t fix everything.”
His expression changes, and some of the heat in his eyes turns into pain. “I know.”
I nod. “You can’t kiss me like this every time you don’t know what to say.”
He agrees with me. “I know that too.”
I tilt my head. “Do you?”
He nods.
I search his face, trying to figure out if this is another way for him to avoid talking or if he really is just as desperate as I feel. Maybe it’s both.
He lowers his forehead to mine. “I miss you.”
My body heats. “I’m right here.”
“No.” His voice cracks a little on the word. “Not the way you were before.”
That hurts, but I know it’s true. I’m not sure I’ll be back to the way I was until he comes clean with everything. “You changed that,” I whisper.
His eyes close. “I know.”
For a moment, neither of us moves. Then his hand slides under the hem of my scrub top, his palm warm against my skin.
“Tell me to stop,” he says again.
But I don’t. Instead, I lift my hand to the back of his neck and pull his mouth back to mine.