by Timms, Lexy
Elijah turned on the light beside the bed and leaned up against the headboard. The sheet barely covered his lower body. His stomach muscles flexed as he stretched and yawned. “Did I just catch you trying to sneak out of your own hotel room?”
She laughed. “Darn it! Why’d you have to wake up? You foiled my plan.”
He sniffed. “I feel so used and abused.”
She crawled across the bed and kissed his exaggerated but still sexy pouting lips. “Sorry, but I’m going to miss my flight if I don’t hurry.” She hopped off the bed and stuffed the few clothes inside the drawers into her suitcase.
“When are you back in town?”
“Two weeks.”
“Damn, I was hoping I might have changed your mind and had you wanting to come back next weekend.”
She smiled. “I would if I could. I’ve got stuff going on in Atlanta next weekend so I can’t make it back till the following weekend.”
“Two weeks and you’re running late now? Somehow my plan to leave you all hot, bothered and wanting got ruined. You deviously turned it all around.”
“I’m very sneaky.” She zipped her suitcase and pulled the handle up. “I seriously would love to stay but I’ve got a meeting at eleven-thirty. I can’t miss this flight.”
“No worries, mate.” He started to get out of bed.
Charity put her hand on his chest to stop him. The warmth of his skin tingled up her arm and her body responded instantly. “Why don’t you stay here and sleep? Check out isn’t until eleven. That’s over five hours of sleep if you want. Probably more than you get on a normal night.” Every doctor she knew worked on little to no sleep. They had to steal it when they could.
Elijah hesitated before leaning back against the pillows. “You’re right. It saves driving home and I have to be back at the hospital at noon.”
“I’ll even tuck you in.” She pulled the tousled comforter off the floor and laid it on the bed. The duvet hugged against his long, lean body as if it were trying to taunt her. “It’s tempting to crawl back in there with you.”
“There’s plenty of room. I’ll make it worth missing your flight.” He grinned mischievously.
She groaned. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a tease?”
“Never.”
She sat on the end of the bed and put her runners on. What should she say now? Thanks for the great time? Catch ya on the next round? Everything sounded cheap or stupid. She looked on the bright side of leaving; he wanted to see her again so this wasn’t a one night stand. She checked her watch. Rrgghh! She had to get going.
Elijah came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her hair. “Can I call you?”
She turned her head to kiss him. The kiss deepened and sent butterflies scattering everywhere inside her. She hated to pull away but had to. “Call, text, I promise to answer.”
“Fraudster. You said the same thing last week.” He groaned. “You are going to be the death of me.”
“It’s a good thing you’re a doctor then.” She kissed him one more time before regretfully heading to the door.
Chapter 3
Once back in Atlanta, Charity tried to focus on work. She had a ton of things to organize and take care of. She planned a massive Christmas Extravaganza for Forever Hope Hospital. Already into November, there were now less than two weeks before the event. She had to remind herself to focus on work, not Elijah.
The Extravaganza would only be one day, but it would focus on kids during the day session and adults on the evening. Speaking of focussing… she wouldn’t mind putting some attention on one particular adult.
She caught herself daydreaming again and wondered if Elijah might be thinking of her as well. He called her the night she had flown back. She had said hello and asked how he was doing. He started to reply and then had to let her go because of an emergency somewhere in the hospital he needed to rush to. They hadn’t talked since. That was four days ago. They had exchanged the odd text but it wasn’t the same as hearing that sexy accent of his.
The muffled ring of her cell phone caught her attention. She sat at her desk behind the computer and checked if the phone was hidden under the messy mounds of papers piling on both sides of the keyboard. She finally figured out, from the barely audible ring, that it lay in her purse. The ringing stopped by the time she pulled it out.
She checked the caller ID. Her father.
Did she need to call him back? She tapped the side of her phone with her thumb and tried to come up with a reasonable excuse to avoid him. The man had x-ray vision. As a teen she couldn’t get away with anything and he was hardly ever around. She rolled her eyes. He probably took one look at Elijah on Sunday or Monday and knew he’d been fooling around with his daughter. Elijah’s head was probably mounted on some lamppost outside the hospital as a warning.
Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. She needed to quit watching HBO. Plus her father would never blame his doctors. The phone buzzed to show she now had a message. She hit the speed-dial number to check it. Would Elijah have mentioned something to Simon or someone else at the hospital? And, if so, had word gotten round to her father? She could just imagine the judgement he’d pass down on her. She knew exactly what would happen. He’d be furious and accuse her of taking advantage of his staff. Like she was purposely trying to sabotage his hospital.
Phone on speaker, she had to enter her password and go through the automated voice telling her what buttons to press. She finally got to new messages and hit the play button.
Click!
Her bloomin’ father called, listened to her voice answer and then hung up! She hit redial and counted slowly to ten. Not really sure why she was annoyed, she focused on letting it go before he picked up.
“Dr. Thompson.”
“It’s me, Dad. I missed your call.”
“Charity!” Rustling paper sounded through the phone.
She realized he had her on speaker.
“Was there something you needed?”
She rested her forehead against the heel of her palm. He’d called her and she returned his call. “I missed your call. I thought I’d check if you needed something.” Their conversations for the past few years were always similar. Awkward and always somehow accusing.
“A bunch of packages arrived here yesterday addressed to you in care of me. I didn’t know if I should get my office assistant to post them to you.”
“It’s okay. They are samples of linens, napkins, and etcetera. Colors and material.”
“There are like five packages! Where do you want me to put them?”
She thought of one place but didn’t dare say it aloud, not even jokingly. “Do you have a storage or supply closet? I’ll be back next week so I can take care of it then.”
He sighed. “Fine.”
There was a long awkward pause. Charity finally gave in and broke it. “If there isn’t anything else, I should get going…”
“Have a good weekend and I’ll see you next week.”
“You, too.” She waited for him to hang up, knowing he wouldn’t say goodbye. Her phone vibrated again a moment later. She tucked it against her ear and shoulder as she flipped through emails on her computer. “What did you forget?”
“Pardon?”
Crap. It was Elijah, not her dad. “Sorry. I thought you were somebody else.”
“A boyfriend leave his wallet at your place?”
She was pretty sure he was joking, but thought she heard a hint of jealousy in his voice. She laughed. “I just got off the phone with my father. I highly doubt that man would leave his wallet at anyone’s place. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. Tired, actually. It’s been beyond busy. Chief of surgery doesn’t seem to give me a load of free time. I’ll have to start scheduling days off or I’ll find myself living here.”
“Ah, but you’re saving lives.”
“You’re saving Forever Hope Hospital. That’s basically the same thing. Do you get time off?”
>
“I do. In my spare time, I jet off to New York to plan parties for a control-freak father and try to sneak in a little secret time for me.”
“Secret time? I could use some of that now.” He yawned.
She smiled. “It sounds like you could use some more sleep.”
“That’s the problem. I’m working and I start thinking of you. I try and catch some Zs and I start dreaming about you. I do believe you’re starting to drive me crazy.”
“I haven’t done anything!”
“Neither have I!” He chuckled. “I think that’s the problem. There’s a little too much of nothing going on. My body and brain don’t function very well this way.”
Did that possibly mean Mr. Playboy was currently staying on the straight and narrow because of her? A life of celibacy … more like a week. She decided playing blonde was the best option here. “Lack of sleep will do that to you.”
“Guess I need to book a day or two off and just sleep. Would you care to join me?”
Her body tingled at the thought. “You’d be getting no sleep if I did.”
He didn’t reply. She imagined the same images running through her head were going through his.
“Why don’t you come up here now?”
She laughed. “My job has a lot of freedom to work when and where but I need to be here. I’ve got this massive Christmas thing going on in two weeks that needs to be organized. I’m coming up next weekend but it’s going to be like a dine-and-dash.”
“What do you mean?”
“There were no flights available next Friday so I’m heading up Saturday morning and then have to head back Sunday morning. It’s Thanksgiving weekend.”
“Oh crap. Already? You Americans and your Thanksgiving.”
“Hey.” She laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The craziest surgeries always happen Thanksgiving weekend. Some dumb-ass drunk decides he’s superman and tries to fly or something or some tiny, skinny lady goes to a Black Friday sale and gets in a fight with a four-hundred-pound woman.”
She laughed. “I take it you’ll be working all weekend then?”
“And then some.” He groaned. “So I won’t be seeing you next weekend?”
“To be honest, I’m having second thoughts about flying up now. It might tick my father off a bit but the idea of travelling with holidayers… nothing needs to be done so badly that it can’t wait a week.”
“Don’t you have some Christmas thing the next week?”
“Oh shoot, I forgot!”
“Charity Thompson!” he said with mock horror.
“Maybe it’s your fault,” she teased. “You’re too much of a distraction.”
“A good distraction, I hope?”
“A very good one.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
She knew she had a super goofy smile on her face. At least he couldn’t see her right now. “So I guess I’ll see you in almost three weeks then?”
“It seems that way.” The phone went muffled for a moment. “I have to go. Duty calls again.”
“I should get some work done too. I’ll speak to you later?”
“Definitely.”
Chapter 4
Charity sat in jeans, sneakers, and a black T-shirt across from Malcolm. She leaned back against the chair and swung her legs off the ottoman’s arm. The leather let her shift slightly to stay comfortable.
Malcolm pointed at her swinging legs and laughed. “You look like a sixteen-year-old kid.”
She grinned. “I feel like one. The Christmas Extravaganza is going to be a big success. I bet it’ll raise more than our goal. I was at the hall today and the place looks amazing. We’re about a week away and they are already decorating the room for us. Everything is a go.” The past two weeks had flown. The constant texting with Elijah might be one of the reasons she felt like a sixteen-year-old.
“Fantastic!” Malcolm folded his hands together and let his elbows rest on his desk. “I heard one of the nurses complaining there are no red, gold or green dresses, shoes or anything in town to buy. Seems everyone and their neighbour is planning on coming.”
Charity bounced her legs against the leather. “It’s been in the papers and all over the local radio stations. They’ve done a great job broadcasting it.”
“One of my outpatients asked me about it today.” Malcolm moved his hands to help him speak. “I’m not really sure what’s going on….” He paused. “I know I have to be there in the evening in my penguin suit. You’ve got a Santa Claus coming during the day.”
“Three, actually. Three-hour stints. All the toys have been donated and wrapped. That’ll be the kids’ part of the day, and then the parents will get to play in the evening.” She grinned. “We’ll also start plugging for the Valentine’s Dinner. That’s already underway as well.”
“That’s about two months away. Are people going to want to donate again so soon?”
“It’s totally different. The staff here at the hospital donate their time and treat a winner to dinner. It appeals to the single market or simply people who don’t want to be on their own for Valentine’s Day. I assume I can add you to the list?”
Malcolm straightened, his guard up. “What do I have to do? I’m not jumping out of a cake in a speedo or something terrible like that, am I?”
She laughed. “No, but that would be a real money maker! You’d be on the list that people can purchase a chair with. You treat someone to dinner, act as their Valentine’s. You might get a beautiful, single female, a housewife whose husband doesn’t take her out for dinner on Valentine’s, an eighty-year-old woman, maybe a guy. Just depends on who wants the chair.”
“I’m not too sure I’d be a good prize.”
She tilted her head and looked at Malcolm. “How can you say that?”
He shrugged. “I’m not so great at dinner conversation.”
“When I originally signed the contract, didn’t you say you would do anything for Forever Hope?” She looked at him slyly. “I thought I might need those words one day.”
“You are such a bugger!” Malcolm laughed. “Fine. I’ll do it, but I will get you back. Mark my words.”
Charity stood. “I’ll rue the day you do… and then get you back again.” She gathered her things. “I’ve got loads to organize before the weekend and it’ll be here before we know it. I’d better get my butt into action.”
“Have fun. If I can help you with anything, don’t be afraid to ask.”
She raised her eyebrows and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
“Scratch that. My politeness is going to get me into more trouble with you.”
She nodded. “You got that right!”
The week flew by as Charity finished organizing last-minute things. Planning two big things in one day was double the work, even if the two events were related. The day festivities were child-entertainment based so the decorations, food, drinks, and everything else were completely different to the evening.
She also had calls to make and the invitations to set up for her father’s gala. She planned to start spreading the word right after the holidays with proper invitations. She contacted the contractor and asked for photos of the location, hoping one of them could be used on the invite.
She spent all day Friday at the hall, making sure the presents arrived and everything was ready to go. She didn’t want to be doing extra things in the morning when she’d be busy all day and then pop home to change before the evening session. She got back home around seven.
She devoured her takeout and filled the bath with hot, bubbly water. She poured herself a glass of tonic water with lemon and relaxed into the steaming water. Heavenly. Her muscles relaxed and she let her thoughts drift. Too bad she didn’t have a reason to fly up to New York next week. She wouldn’t mind seeing Elijah. More of him, actually. Except she didn’t need to see the guy regarding the hall until the end of the month, or for at least another three weeks, and then it would be Ch
ristmas.
If she called Julie and asked if she wanted a girls’ weekend or night out, she could fly up. Julie would see right through her, but she’d just laugh and say, ‘I told you so.’
She normally took a few days off after a big event to recoup and let her brain have a break. She always worked better after a few days off. Her brainstorming seemed to play catch up and usually with great ideas.
Her phone began buzzing. She’d left it in her pants pocket when she had stripped down. She leaned over the tub and caught the leg of her pants. She checked the caller ID and hit the answer button.
“Julie!” She hit speaker phone and set the phone beside the tub.
“Hey, girlfriend!”
“You at home or still at work?”
Julie paused. “Where are you? I hear an echo.”
“I’m in the bath. I figured you wouldn’t care.”
Julie laughed. “You’d better be in the tub, not on the toilet. I love you but not that much.”
“You are definitely safe there. What’s up?” She wondered if she should try pulling the girls’-night-out-thing.
“Are you all set for tomorrow?”
“All organized.”
“Better you than me. I can’t imagine spending an entire day asking people for money and then asking them again in the evening.”
Charity laughed. “That’s not quite how it works. People come for a good time and they spend money. I don’t sit there at the door and ask them to drop cash in my hat.”
“So what are your plans? Are you staying at the hall and changing there for the evening?”
“Not if I can help it. I set it up so the kids’ session ends a couple of hours before the evening. That gives me an hour to set up or clean up and I can head back to my place for an hour to shower and change.”
“Smart girl. Are you going with anyone?”
What was Julie doing? Teasing her? “No date.” No one at the hospital would ask the event coordinator to come with them. “What are you up to this weekend?”
