“Where is it?” Gina, who had stopped long enough to ask her question, jumped up and down again. Fortunately, her curiosity about her mother’s bed partner had been overshadowed by the present, though in the future she vowed to be much more discreet.
Claire sent Gina off to the living room to retrieve the giraffe from the couch, then glanced at Jason. “What should we do?”
He pecked her on the lips, threw back the covers and slid into his jeans before Gina could find him in all his gorgeous male glory. “I’ll make breakfast. That’s what we’ll do.”
Gina came galloping down the hall. “It’s Gemina! It’s Gemina!”
“That’s right, squirt, it’s Gemina,” he said.
After a surprisingly relaxed morning together, Jason left to make his hospital rounds with a promise to call Claire later. Somewhere after the coffee and before the French toast, she felt a subtle shift in his demeanor, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what had occurred. She hoped he didn’t regret what they’d done. He kissed her goodbye, but Gina giggled and commented, “You kissing, Mommy,” and Jason cut the cool kiss short.
Claire went about her usual Saturday chores, though nothing was remotely the same from the last time she’d cleaned her house. Last weekend she’d been confused and frustrated by Jason’s unpredictable behavior, and this weekend he’d left her both aroused and sated, happy and concerned. Why did life have to be so confusing?
Her body hadn’t hummed this much since puberty, and she’d risked total openness with Jason last night. If he rejected her now, it might tear her to the core, but she’d survive. Because she’d held something back.
Her heart.
She had to.
Claire was in charge of her feelings and she’d guard them, because of Gina. Her baby had already gotten attached to “Dock-to Wah-durs” and Claire couldn’t bear the thought of Gina getting her heart broken.
Driving home to change his clothes before checking in on his list of hospitalized patients, Jason got hit by a tailwind. He’d broken through a huge barrier with Claire, and the results had been amazing. Claire was everything in a lover he’d missed. The long legs, high small breasts, and curves in all the right places were definitely a plus, but something else made the difference when they’d made love. She was open, responsive, and assertive. Just thinking about her made his body react.
He felt alive today. He’d come out of his coma. The sensations that had rippled through him last night had cleared his head. Rippled? More like white water rafting, he thought with another grin erupting.
The beach looked whiter, the water clearer, and the sky endlessly blue. And, for someone who’d never given a damn about palm trees, today, their existence added the perfect touch to his picturesque city. Was this what he’d been missing out on? He continued to grin and thought about Claire in several appealing positions, and almost turned his car around.
Yet something else held him back, and it came in a tiny pink package. The breakfast scene in the kitchen had felt too much like old times with his family. He’d managed to separate Claire from Jessica—they were very different in stature, appearance, personality, demeanor, well, just about everything. But each glance at Gina reminded him of Hanna and the injustice of her life being stolen. Gina’s big blue eyes, and the innocence they reflected, tore at his heart and kept the old wounds raw and jagged. She was easy enough to be around, with a good disposition in general, but he had found himself recoiling from her as the morning had gone on. He couldn’t help it.
As he drove past the harbor, Jason spotted his boat down the dock. “I can’t quit thinking about Hanna when I’m around Gina,” he muttered as he pushed the gas for a green light.
He needed to think of a way for him and Claire to be together all by themselves. And that realization made him aware of an old and constant companion—guilt.
That evening, Jason showed up at Claire’s house with Chinese takeout, and a kids’ DVD for Gina. After eating dinner, Claire and Jason snuggled and kissed while Gina sat rapt, watching Pinocchio.
As the hour drew on, Claire expected Jason to stay and make love to her again. Instead, he got up to leave. “I’ve got an early day sailing tomorrow. Hey, would you like to come out with me?”
She knew his passion for sailing. She also knew the sun was deadly for her Lupus. And what about Gina? “Too much sun can set off a flare.”
He anchored his hand under her chin and drew her close enough to kiss. After a slow, warm and teasing taste of what he could do to her, he broke it off. “That’s why they make broad-brimmed hats and thirty block sunscreen.”
She fought off her schoolgirlish reaction to him. They’d explored every part of each other last night; what was there to feel shy about? “You’ve got a point, but maybe another time? I don’t have anyone to watch Gina tomorrow.” She didn’t want to hit him over the head with it, but she definitely wanted to give him a hint about including her daughter, who’d never been sailing, either.
“Next weekend. Just you and me.” He reached for her hands. “Come away with me.” He lifted a brow and the tempting glint in his eyes seemed irresistible.
She brushed away the hair from across his brow and the plethora of thoughts and questions racing through her mind: Do I dare let go and run with this man? Is it a mistake to get involved with my boss? Has he really had a breakthrough? Will he pull back again? What about Gina? “OK.”
He kissed her again, slower this time. They folded into each other and shared lingering, inviting kisses. He breathed deep and glanced toward her bedroom. She smiled and rested her forehead to his, clearly on the same wavelength.
“I’d better go,” he whispered.
Surprised by the contradiction, she took a chance. “You can stay if you want to.”
“You know I do, but…” he said, avoiding her eyes.
She could feel him retreating. She tried to put herself in his position. It had been four years since he’d lost everything. He was finally venturing back into life. Another night of passionate lovemaking might be too overwhelming. She’d let him define his own re-entry.
“I’ve got a lot of stuff to do tomorrow,” he said.
“I understand,” she said, her emotions contradicting her words. The best she could do was try to understand.
One step forward, two steps back, Jason thought as he drove up the coast past the small college and toward home. He could have been making love to Claire right this minute, but he’d taken the coward’s route and left. He didn’t want her to think he was using her, and he’d been out of the loop for so long, he hadn’t a clue what a guy did in a situation like this. If he went with his feelings he’d be making love to Claire right now, but he’d put on the brakes. Something told him to slow down.
With Claire, he wouldn’t just be dating her, he’d be involved with Gina, too. He’d made it over one hurdle, only to stumble on the next. Claire was a package deal, and though her daughter was as cute as a button, the double whammy of moving beyond being a devout widower into a relationship, and having to be a father of sorts, too…well, it boggled his mind and messed with his mojo.
He’d been in a pleasant light state of sleep that morning, slowly feeling his body come alive—in one part in particular—when the earthquake named Gina had rocked and rolled into the bedroom. He’d been thinking about making love to Claire again, but Gina had changed his plans. Fortunately, they’d made love a couple of times last night. He may have been out of practice but, with Claire’s amazing help, he’d quickly gotten into the swing of things. And they’d been damn good together. A satisfied smile stretched across his face, then quickly faded.
Gina popped into his thoughts again. The little one had a father. He wouldn’t be stepping into anyone’s shoes. It was Hanna, his precious girl, who tugged at his memory and gazed at him with her huge brown eyes. He’d finally made peace with Jessica and his desire for Claire, but who would have guessed that losing his child would be the hardest thing to let go of?
Don’t
forget me, Daddy.
He’d never forget her.
Never.
Monday at work, Claire worried she and Jason were a bit obvious when they grinned at each other like fools, and when she turned four shades of red, while he went directly into bedroom eyes mode right in front of Gaby. But it was the first time they’d seen each other since Saturday, and they’d happened to meet up at the receptionist’s desk. How could one day away from each other seem like a week?
He’d called her Sunday night when he’d arrived home from sailing. After they’d chatted for a while, something that seemed effortless and as if he’d been gone for weeks with so much to catch up on, they’d made plans to eat lunch together. And, if it was another beautiful spring day, they’d eat under the ash tree. She’d fixed her special chicken salad with sliced grapes, celery, walnuts and cinnamon, and had brought chocolate chip cookies because she’d remembered they were his favorite.
Later that day all the nurses, even René, made a double take out the kitchen window as she and Jason sat on the bench under the tree, laughing and eating together.
The late spring weather was inviting and warm enough for Claire to leave her lab coat in her office. She wore a fuchsia-colored top and, around her neck, several strings of tiny beads in various shades of purple. She’d applied vanilla and spice body lotion, and had used the curling iron on her hair. He’d made her feel pretty again, not like the unattractive, chronically ill woman her husband had seen. She wanted to impress Jason, to keep him looking at her as if she were the prettiest girl in the room and, judging by Jason’s continuous enamored gaze as they ate, she’d achieved her goal.
Nibbling on a walnut, she smiled a Mona Lisa smile and thought about her new guy and her great job, and how life was definitely looking up.
“Do you remember the first week you started here?” he asked.
Quickly swimming out of her thoughts, she nodded. “Of course.”
“The day you ate your lunch out here and thought a bee had flown into your hair?”
She stopped mid-chew. He’d given her a beekeeper’s hat after that day. It was the first sign she’d had that the guy had a sense of humor, but his gesture had rankled her and made her feel embarrassed.
There was an impish glint in his gaze. “I saw the whole thing,” he said, a smile tickling at one edge of his mouth, soon spreading to the other side.
She cuffed him on the arm as her face grew hot. “How embarrassing. Why do you have to bring it up again?”
“I thought it was cute. Enchanting. I knew you’d be someone special to me right then, because you could make me laugh, make me feel things, but I kept myself in denial for as long as I could.”
Were these wonderful confessions coming from the closed off man she knew Jason Rogers to be? Touched by his openness, she squeezed his arm. She wanted to blurt out her “special” feelings for him, too, but being at work and realizing people might be watching, and so early in the relationship, she opted to keep it light.
And to add a little spice. “You weren’t exactly the easiest man to work with, you know,” she said.
“And you came off a little ditzy.” He grinned and popped a whole cookie into his mouth.
Claire tried to be insulted, but Jason’s cockeyed and charming expression defused her reaction. She liked the new swagger to his style. It turned her on.
After he’d swallowed, he glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen window, where Gaby and the nurses had huddled around the sink as if washing dishes, a poor excuse to spy on them. He turned back to Claire and leaned forward. “Why don’t we really give them something to talk about?”
He took her by the hand and led her around the other side of the enormous tree trunk and, once safely out of their view, he did what she’d been hoping he’d do ever since she’d seen him that morning. He kissed her.
The week at the clinic sped by with manageable patients, no medical surprises, and a kindling heat in Claire’s belly to make love with Jason again. He’d apparently wanted to make sure she’d go sailing with him by holding off on getting skin to skin until the weekend. With her awakened physical desire for Jason, against her better judgment, she agreed to try the wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves and sunscreen method for dealing with the sun on his sailboat. She also hoped for an overcast sky.
Thursday afternoon, Claire got word that Mrs. Densmore was being discharged from the hospital. She’d have a home health aid around the clock the first few days, and nurses visiting a couple of times a week, but Claire felt compelled to accompany her home and make sure everything was in proper order.
When she arrived at the hospital ward, she came prepared to be sent to the business office and, with her credit card in hand, hoping she’d have enough to pay the balance for whatever had accrued, she marched down the hall.
“She’s all set to go,” the nurse in charge of Mrs Densmore said.
“Don’t I need to sign my life away?” Claire asked.
The seasoned nurse studied the discharge papers and raised a graying brow. “Everything’s been taken care of by Dr. Rogers.”
Claire paused. As she accompanied the nurses’ aide rolling her landlady out to the car, she thought about Jason and how he’d paid the medical bills. The thought edged her one step closer to falling in love with him.
Charles had agreed to take Gina for the weekend, and, after dropping her daughter off Friday evening, Claire nervously finished packing her bags as Jason knocked at her door.
“We’ll eat and sleep on board tonight,” he said, “then tomorrow after dawn we’ll set sail.” He brushed her lips in greeting. “You taste great.” He kissed her again, and every spark imaginable jumped between them. “And you feel even better.”
Relieved that he hadn’t forgotten how great they were together, a laugh tumbled from her chest. “This has been the second longest week of my life.”
“And what would be the first?”
“My first week at the clinic, having to face the world’s biggest grump everyday.” She smiled playfully.
“Don’t have a clue who you’re talking about,” he said, and made a sweeping glance from her head to toes, as though conjuring up a great idea.
Before she knew it, they’d forgotten all about dinner and had landed back in her bed for a send-off session of lovemaking.
Could life get any sweeter?
Hours later, in the cabin below deck, Jason wrapped his arm around Claire as they snuggled together in the cozy bunk bed. The undulations of the harbor water gently rocked them toward sleep. Claire was the only other woman he’d ever brought here. He glanced out the cabin porthole and into the clear night sky to catch a glimpse of the waxing gibbous moon. It glistened on the water, and Jason knew in his gut he’d done the right thing by asking her to come with him.
“I’ve missed this.” He hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but the words had popped out regardless.
Claire furrowed her brow, as if the phrase wasn’t what she’d hoped to hear.
Earlier he’d given her a tour of the narrow chambers he called home while at sea. He’d replaced the cabin sole with teak wood for added warmth the summer before the train wreck. The mahogany cabinets and brass fixtures were original and gave the cabin its authentic nautical feel. The galley, complete with stainless steel sinks and stove, was well planned without an inch of wasted space. Every item was secured in place. The leather upholstered booth with thickly varnished wood table could easily seat four for meals. He proudly kept his boat in shipshape by spending most weekends either cleaning or sailing, as an excuse to avoid the rest of his life.
It had made him smile when he saw the genuine awe and excitement on Claire’s face as she’d explored the smaller cabin and head. He’d always prided himself on being completely contained on Hanna’s Haven, even after his world had come to an end.
And yes, he’d missed sharing it with someone. He was glad it was Claire.
Jason studied her face by the moonlight. She had slipped off to sle
ep. Her lashes were long, and the tiny tension lines between her brows that always seemed to be there at work, had disappeared. He dipped his head and gently kissed her forehead, then held her a little closer.
The next morning he gave Claire a short lesson on what she could do to help him and, being a quick study, she caught right on. They set sail on a glassy-smooth sea. She gave no sign of being seasick after sleeping on the boat, but he still suggested she take a pill to fight off any potential nausea from rough patches at sea.
The success of their trip would depend on an invisible and ever varying force—the wind. And the success of their relationship would depend on another invisible force—his desire to finally break free and move on in his life. Was he there yet? He had a feeling this weekend would give him the answer.
Claire wore loose white pants and a bright yellow zip-neck, long-sleeved crew shirt with one of his old sailing jackets as she re-emerged from the galley Saturday morning. She brought two seaworthy mugs of coffee with her. The crisp morning air bit through his windbreaker and had quickly woken him up. But not until Claire had delivered his coffee and slipped under his free arm, as he manned the tiller, did he feel alive. He smiled as her hair flapped beneath her baseball cap with the extra-wide brim. It hid her eyes, and he wanted to take it off so he could see them, but knew it protected her from the sun’s harmful rays.
She was beautiful, and tightened the sinews of his chest just by gazing into his eyes and dropping sweet, reassuring kisses on his lips. Each one made him eager for another. The day was bright and the sea ebbed and flowed beneath the boat. It was a fine day for sailing.
“Do you have your sunscreen on?”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” she said.
Just before noon he navigated through an amazing section of ocean, the dolphin feeding grounds. Hundreds of the mammals leapt and frolicked around their boat. Pods had joined together in aggregates to fish and play, and several of them seemed to chase the sailboat. Their powerful flukes propelled them through the teal-blue water in a most entertaining way. Claire laughed and gasped at their antics, and exclaimed she’d never seen anything like it in her life, and Jason played along, challenging the dolphins to try to catch him. They shared a smile followed by a kiss, and Jason thought the day was close to perfect.
The Boss and Nurse Albright Page 12
