“Thank you,” she whispered as he picked up her hand and clicked the bracelet into place around her wrist.
“You’re pretty special, you know.” His hands slid under the hem of her sweatshirt and circled her stomach, brushing his thumbs lightly back and forth across the sensitive skin there. Then his hands rose higher and cupped her breasts, kneading gently and making her groan and wiggle closer.
“Stephen,” she moaned.
He laughed again. “You know we can't really have sex right now. Seriously, you were shot. I know you’re feeling good right now, but that’s only because the paramedics pumped you full of all the good stuff. That’s not going to last. Pretty soon you're going to crash.”
He was right.
Paisley knew that.
But there was something so irresistible about him.
It was because she knew that their lives were forever intertwined from now on out.
She was his, and he was hers.
“We can do something though,” she begged.
Stephen laughed; she could never get enough of hearing that sound. “Are you always like this?”
“No, not really,” she answered honestly.
“Then I guess I better take advantage of it while it lasts.” His fingers left her breasts and found their way past her waistband and inside her panties, finally hitting the spot she had been waiting for him to touch basically since they met.
He rubbed and stroked and teased, then slid inside her.
It felt so good.
Unbelievably, otherworldly good.
She came screaming his name.
“It doesn’t seem fair that I get all the fun,” she said when she could form a coherent thought again. “Especially since you clearly don’t want to be left out,” she said with a glance at his lap.
Stephen opened his mouth to no doubt remind her that she’d been shot, but she pre-empted any objections by crushing her mouth to his.
She tore her mouth away only long enough to unzip his pants, shove aside his boxers, and sink down onto him, taking him inside her in one fluid motion.
Paisley felt her lips being drawn back to his like they were magnets attracting one another.
She needed more of him. She could never get enough. Luckily, she had the whole rest of their lives to get her fill of Detective Stephen Evans.
About the Author
Jane has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance?! She has several series including the complete Detective Parker Bell series, the Count to Ten series, the Christmas Romantic Suspense series, and the Flashes of Fate series of novelettes.
When she’s not writing, Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, a 200+ collection of teddy bears, and her favorite color is pink. She has the world’s two sweetest and prettiest Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
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Resisting You
Suzanne Jenkins
Chapter One
In operating room number twelve, Kendall Williams was bent over the patient while tying off bleeding vessels for the last hour. The splash guard protecting her eyes slowly covered with fog, but the case was almost over.
“Kevin, you close, please,” she said to the resident after she ensured that the surgical field was dry. “I can’t see.”
Taking a step away from the table, she thanked the staff. “Great job, everyone. Thank you for a good day.”
She pulled her gown and gloves off in one maneuver before stepping out in the hall to get that mask off. Stopping by the staff lounge for a cup of coffee on her way to the dictation room, she was greeted by nurses and doctors on break.
“Hey, Dr. Williams,” they chorused.
“Hey, everyone,” she answered, laughing.
After coffee and dictation, she was free to go home. Her few patients left in the hospital would be seen by residents later in the day. Stripping off her scrubs, she re-dressed in what she referred to as her doctor clothes, a classic, understated sweater and slim trousers, both wool. When she got home, she’d change into yoga pants and a sweatshirt.
Surprised when she left the hospital, the first snow of the year was falling. As she held her face up to the sky, the cool flakes felt wonderful on her skin after having a mask on all day. She was unprepared for snow, however, and carefully tiptoed through the snow with expensive heels on her feet. She had to open the back of her SUV to find the scraper.
“Boy, I didn’t expect this!”
Kendall looked up as anesthesiologist Roy Cramer walked to his car parked next to hers.
“I didn’t either,” she said. “I don’t even have my heat on at home yet.”
“I just turned my air-conditioning off last weekend,” he said. “You have time for a drink?”
“Um, not today, Roy, but thanks anyway.”
“Well, how about a cup of coffee? We haven’t had a chance to talk in a while. I feel like you’re avoiding me.”
“You know, I just had a cup,” she said, hesitating. She had to work with the guy every day and thought placating him wouldn’t hurt, she hoped. “But I guess another one won’t kill me. It’s Friday night, right?”
Newly divorced Roy Cramer had had his eye on Kendall Williams, and although she’d refused the coffee date before, he persisted, often teasing her inappropriately in front of the staff or even during surgery about her refusal to date him.
“Right! Friday night. Maybe you’ll finally consent to a movie and dinner later.”
“Aw, not tonight, Roy. I’m exhausted. And my doggie is probably crossing her legs. The dog sitter was by around lunch.”
He stood there in the snow with a hopeful look on his face.
“Okay, I guess coffee I can do.”
They went to a local coffee shop, where he insisted on paying. “Don’t worry, I won’t expect anything in return,” he said, laughing. “I have a feeling coffee is all you’ll ever consent to, anyway.”
They took their paper cups over to a vacant booth at the window and sat down, watching the snow come down.
“I’m sorry, Roy. How long have we worked together? I’m not going to have an OR romance with anyone. And anyway, I like your ex-wife too much.”
“I hear ya,” he said, morose.
“Are we going to have this conversation every time we’re together?”
“No, I’m sorry. It was a rough day. Carla is dating someone already.”
“You should be dating, too. Just not me. Try internet dating, Roy.”
“Ugh. But I guess I should.”
“I’ll help you set up your profile. It’ll be fun!”
“Why aren’t you doing it?” Roy asked.
“It’s not something I need in my life right now.”
“Are you a lesbian?” he asked seriously.
“Ha! No, Roy, although it’s inappropriate of you to ask me that. Why aren’t you dating?”
“I hate it,” Roy said. “But I’m lonely.”
“It’s biblical,” she replied. “It’s not good for man to be alone.”
“What about woman? Why is it okay for you to be alone?”
“Probably because then we don’t have to take care of another human being. It’s why I never wanted to have children. I don’t see myself capable of keeping a baby alive.”
Roy hooted, slapping his thigh. “You’re one of the top surgeons in Philly! I think you’ll be okay as a mom.”
“Yuck. No desire,” Kendall answered, her nostrils flaring. “Cleaning up after the dog is my limit. And if I don’t get home fast, that’s exactly what I’ll have to do.” She stood up and reached for her coat. “Have a nice weekend, Roy. Hang in there. I’ll send you links for the dating sites I’m familiar with, and you can start working on your profile.”
“Oh, so you didn’t mean we could get together to work on it?”
“Correct. You at your house and me at mine.”
He sighed, but chuckled. “I thought I could manipulate you there for a moment.”
“I know, but that’s okay.” They walked out together and paused at her car. “I’ll see you Monday. Have a nice weekend.”
She ducked around to the driver’s side before he could try to kiss her cheek, waving as she slid into the seat.
The drive home was nice, early enough that traffic wasn’t bad, but the four miles across town still took almost twenty-five minutes with visibility near zero due to the falling snow. She lived in a single-family house on a busy main street in Mount Airy, and she loved the hubbub of traffic, the bus stop, the train coming up the hill.
The snowfall had increased in the hour since she’d left work, and by the time she got home, she had to put her car into four-wheel drive to get up the steep driveway. The first thing she did was let the dog out, and then she put boots, her heavy coat, a hat and mittens on to start shoveling. The long daunting driveway could be a problem if she didn’t keep up with it.
Dolly, the dog, jumped in the snow, lifting her head to bite it as it fell into her mouth from the sky. Kendall took shovelfuls and threw it in the air for her to jump at, and her laughter and the dog’s barking got the attention of her neighbors, who soon came out with their shovels.
“Dr. Williams, can I help you?”
She turned to see Mark Strong walking up the driveway. A neighborhood boy, well, not a boy anymore, but he had been a boy when she’d moved in after accepting a job with a surgical group in North Philadelphia. Mark was intrigued with having a surgeon for a neighbor. He was in college now, home for break.
“Sure, Mark, if you’d like. I need the help. When did you get home?”
“This morning,” he said. “I’m already getting bored.”
“Oh no. Well, shovel away if it will help. I’ll pay you, too.”
“No, I’m not taking your money,” he said.
“What year are you in? Time is going so fast.”
“Senior, believe it or not. It’s not going fast for me, however.”
They laughed, working side by side. In an hour, the sun down and streetlights on, her entire driveway was clear except for a light dusting of snow that continued to fall.
“Wow, thank you so much,” she said. “Come in and let me pay you.”
“I’ll come in, but not for pay. However, I’d kill for something to drink.”
“Great! Dolly, come!” The slender black lab mix zoomed by with a whoosh. “She wants her dinner. So do I. Will you have dinner with me?”
“I’d love to. I’ll text my mother so she doesn’t come looking for me.”
“Oh, maybe the first night home they’ll expect you to eat at home,” she said.
“I don’t think so. No one is home from work yet.”
“Let’s get some coffee, then,” she said. “Or do you want a beer?”
“Coffee’s great for now. I’ll have the beer later,” he replied, hoping to plant the seed that they’d spend the evening together.
She moved around the kitchen, and he watched how graceful she was, imagining her doing surgery with the same fluid movements with which she made coffee.
“You’re so graceful,” Mark said with the confidence of the young.
“I am?” she asked, frowning. “Unless I’m at the OR table, I usually feel like a klutz.”
“I don’t see that at all.”
“I guess I should think about dinner,” she said, wanting to change the subject. Unfamiliar feelings of attraction for the neighborhood boy cruised through her body. “If you’re sure your family won’t mind.”
“I’m sure,” he replied. “They probably forgot I was coming home, if I know my mother.”
“Friday night I order in,” she said. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a stack of menus and chose one, handing it off to him. “You pick. I’m stuck in a meatball hoagie rut.”
“Ha! That’s the best kind of rut to be in,” he said. “I’ll have a chicken parm sandwich.”
“Delish! I’ll have a meatball sub this time.”
They laughed, easy camaraderie between old acquaintances, with a hint of flirtation brewing underneath.
“Do you want me to build a fire?” Mark asked, pointing to the cold fireplace. He stood on the slate floor with his legs apart, the stance both intimidating and intoxicating.
“Okay, that would be great,” Kendall replied, sweating a little bit after shoveling snow. “I’ll be right back.”
She realized she was still wearing the same clothes she had gone to work in. Quickly washing her face and changing into yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she normally wouldn’t think to primp for Mark. But tonight she grabbed lipstick and drew a brush through her long blond hair. When she came out, a fire had caught hold, sending soft light out into the room.
“You look great,” he said admiringly.
She pulled her sweatshirt down, hoping her yoga pants weren’t too tight.
“Wow, that’s so nice,” she said, ignoring his compliment and pointing to the fire. “I haven’t had a fire in a long time.”
“Why not?” Mark asked, curious. “This is a beautiful room.”
“I never sit in here,” she replied. “When I get home from work, after Dolly and I eat and I do my chores, I usually make it to bed to read for a while, and then I’m out like a light.”
“I know that drill, only I go from the door to my bed,” he said. “I was hoping after graduation that would change.”
“Oh, it will for you. You’ll find a job and probably move downtown, find a girl and get married. You’ll be too busy to go from the door to the bed.”
“I’m not sure about that,” he replied. “I’ve sort of made up my mind I’m not interested in having kids, and most women want that as part of marriage. What about you?”
“I never wanted children,” she said, hoping her confession didn’t sound too selfish. “I don’t know how people do it. It’s a lifetime commitment. More than having a dog.”
They laughed at that, Mark agreeing that a dog was a lifetime commitment, too.
“Do you want to get married someday?” he asked, staring at her. “I mean, since we’re laying bare our souls.”
“Ha! No, I think I might be getting too old for marriage. I’m thirty-eight, never been married. Most single men my age are divorced or as set in their ways as I am. Not interested in either group.”
“Why does he have to be your age?”
She laughed. “Older guys are worse. They want someone to take care of them or run marathons with them. No. And younger aren’t interested. Remember, men these days always go younger.”
“That’s not true! What about cougars?”
She laughed, slapping her thigh. “I’m not sure I fit the profile of a cougar.”
“It doesn’t have to be negative. Forget the urban dictionary definition,” he said. “If you date a younger guy, you’re a cougar. Younger men who are looking for a woman who has her shit together would find you very attractive, if you don’t mind me saying.” He blushed and giggled. “I hope you’re not going to kick me out.”
“Naw, you’d have to say much worse than that. Anyway, I’m not sure how attractive I’d find someone to whom I could be their mother.”
“Ha! I’m twenty-two and you’re thirty-eight.”
“So I could be your mother! You’re not talking about you and me anyway,�
� she said, flustered. “Where’s our food?”
She looked around the room like a meatball sub would appear any second, her discomfort at her faux pas growing. Of course he wasn’t talking about her. What was wrong with her? And then he started to talk again, his voice soft, husky, and sexy. He leaned forward a little, still crouching in front of the fire. She had to force herself to look away from his body.
“I like you, Dr. Williams. I’m glad we’re friends. When I got home this morning, the first thing I thought of was how I could finagle to come here to see you and not have it be awkward, and then the snow started. If that wasn’t an answer from the universe, I’m not sure what is.”
“So you’re responsible for the snow,” she said, smiling. The doorbell rang. “Saved by the bell!”
He got up from the hearth and followed her out into the hallway. “Let me buy our dinner,” he said. “I know I’m just a poor college student…”
Mark stood so close to her, she thought she felt heat come off his body, and waves of something—not chills exactly, but something more pleasurable—went through her body. She took a step forward so he wasn’t so close.
“I’ll get it this time. You shoveled my driveway.”
They took the food back into the den to eat. “Do you want more coffee or that beer?”
“I’ll take the beer,” he said.
In the kitchen getting their drinks, she fumbled around, her nerves getting the best of her. “Pull it together, Williams,” she mumbled.
They ate the sandwiches and talked more about what they wanted from life. The entire time Kendall was more than aware of Mark’s physicality, the distraction overwhelming.
“You’re at the top of your game,” he said. “That must be so thrilling to have reached your goal and to set out to do it every day.”
Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances Page 95
