“That’s…I like…” she couldn’t say the words. She wanted to curl her fingers around him, to explore his length. But she wasn’t sure if she would hurt him. Nor could she say the words to finish her sentence because she was…her mind was fuzzy. With need? No, need was a bit too tame for what she was feeling right now.
The elevator opened up and Roxanne jerked her hand back quickly, embarrassed to be caught touching a man in such a way.
Abe wasn’t as upset about being caught with her touching him, which was evident by his deep, husky laughter when he followed her into the empty elevator. “Relax,” he ordered softly as he pulled her into his arms. With a sharp nip to her earlobe, he whispered into her ear, “The way we were angled, no one would have seen. I promise I’ll never put you into a compromising situation. Not in private, when we’re out, and, when we’re back at the hospital, we’ll just be co-workers. I understand that your career is important to you. Just as mine is to me. I don’t want anyone or anything to interfere in something that is just between the two of us.”
She relaxed, grateful that he understood. “Thank you!” she replied, the words coming out sounding soft and…even to her ears, they sounded sexy.
His arms tightened around hers for a short moment, then the elevator doors opened up and he released her. Although, when they were walking through the lobby, he put a hand to the small of her back. Roxanne wanted to smile at his touch. Abe made her feel…special. His touch wasn’t dirty or nasty. Even better, with Abe touching her like this, she couldn’t hear her mother’s harsh warnings of hellish consequences.
Abe politely opened the door to his Mercedes for her, watching as she stepped into the passenger seat. Her dress was just as conservative as anything she might have worn to work, but for some reason, she was walking differently tonight. Not as stiffly or…something. Was it just because they were out of the hospital? No, that wasn’t it. She’d been pretty stiff earlier today.
He wasn’t sure what had changed in her, but he liked it. The softness only enhanced her beauty.
And the dress? When he’d first seen her, he wanted to roar with frustration. The dress might not show a lot of skin and it wasn’t tight, but the soft, pink material made Roxane look soft and touchable. Hence, why he could barely keep his hands off of her.
As he walked around the vehicle to the driver’s side, he marveled at the change in her. She was so soft and curvy and, hell, touchable, all he wanted to do was strip away the conservative material and discover what was underneath. He accepted that she probably wasn’t wearing sexy, barely-there underwear. But even the thought of plain, cotton panties and bras sounded pretty hot to him right now.
Hell, anything with Roxy in it would be white-hot sexy right now.
He couldn’t figure out what it was about her that turned him on so much. Even more, this afternoon after he’d dropped her and the cat off at her apartment, he’d realized that it was so much more than just wanting Roxy sexually. When he’d walked into his house that afternoon, Abe had listened to the silence. It was too quiet. After having been around Roxy most of yesterday and today, all he’d wanted to do was turn around and head back to her place.
Only through sheer willpower did he restrain himself from driving back to her apartment. Instead, he showered and changed into this suit, made reservations at his favorite restaurant, and then, because he still had two hours to kill before he could pick her up, he went into the hospital and checked on a few of his patients. Thankfully, their recovery was coming along well and the nurses were taking good care of them.
Somehow, he kept up with his end of the conversation until they arrived at the restaurant. There, he drove right up to the front and handed his keys to the valet, then came around to the other side of the car. He was too late to help Roxy out of the car, but he was able to enjoy the voyeuristic pleasure of watching her step out of the vehicle. She had long, sexy legs that were strong and muscular. He’d asked her if she was a runner before, but she’d only changed the subject and discussed the surgical schedule and supply needs, informed him about a replacement machine that she’d ordered because the technician in the surgery the previous day had mentioned a concern.
“So, how’s your new roommate?” he asked, teasingly.
The waiter arrived with the bottle of wine Abe had ordered and he grew impatient with the interruption. He should have brought her back to his place and cooked for her. There wouldn’t have been any interruptions and he could talk to her while he cooked.
But the issue of a bed nearby would be a problem. Which was why they were here instead of at his house. Until he she was comfortable with a more intimate relationship and he got her into a bed so that he could get his fill of her, he needed to steer clear of any private spaces with horizontal surfaces.
When the wine was poured and their orders taken, he looked across the table at her. And then, because he couldn’t stop himself, he reached across and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, relieved when she didn’t pull away.
“So, the cat?”
She smiled and, even in the candlelight, Abe noticed her sweet blush.
“I renamed him Satan as soon as I opened the cat carrier and he hissed at me, then hid under the couch.”
Abe laughed, shaking his head. “What do you think your mother did to him?”
She shrugged and he felt her turn her hand over, tickling his skin slightly. Damn, he liked her touching him like this! Or any way, he thought.
“I had that same thought when I found him sitting on my dresser just before you arrived. He’d hidden from me for most of the afternoon, but then he was there. Not close or anything,” she laughed, shaking her head. “But he didn’t dive under the furniture. So yeah, I suspect that he is just as desperate for…” her eyes widened and she stopped talking.
Abe knew what she hadn’t said. “Just as desperate for affection as you are?” he finished for her.
She stared, then shrugged one shoulder as if to say that she wasn’t admitting to anything, but nor was she denying his statement either.
“All humans need touch,” he told her.
“Is that why you touch your patients? I’ve noticed that you touch them on their hands or forearms a lot while talking to them.”
He smiled slightly. “I like the fact that you’ve been watching me, Roxy,” he said, his voice deepening again. Thankfully, the table hid his reaction to the idea of her looking at him surreptitiously. “In answer to your question, yes. But also, when I touch them, they seem to relax slightly. I read an article that touching someone’s hand or shoulder increases their trust in the person touching them. Some of my patients are in so much pain, I need them to listen to me and know that I’m going to take care of them. I need them to trust me.”
“That’s nice,” she replied, the coldness inside of her melting a little more. “I admire doctors who listen to their patients instead of just going with what they think is right. Doctor Munroe is like that.”
Abe grumbled slightly. “He’s a good doctor, but I disagree with his bedside manner.”
She grinned and the glow to her eyes felt like a kick to his stomach. She was so damn beautiful!
“Doctor Munroe is jealous of you.”
That surprised him because he’d always thought the older man, who had white hair and a hot temper, didn’t even know that he was around. Doctor Jeff Munroe was about thirty years older than Abe and tended to ignore everyone, grumbling his way through the hallway. He really was a brilliant surgeon though, so Abe just steered clear of him. Jeff had seen Abe’s tattoo in the doctor’s locker room one morning during a rare shift change when they were both on duty and had grumbled about “the younger generation” and something else that Abe simply ignored.
“Why do you say that?” he asked, curious about her perspective.
“Because he grumbles about you all the time, asks me what you’re doing, questions the surgeries that you have scheduled.” She shrugged, toying with her wine glass. “I don’t
tell him anything that he doesn’t need to know, which also frustrates him. But every time I give him vague answers, he just walks away, grumbling.”
“The man isn’t very happy, is he?”
“I don’t think so,” she agreed.
“How about some dessert?” he asked when the waiter took their plates away. He didn’t want the meal to end because he was enjoying her company so much.
“No,” she waved the offer away and fiddled with the linen napkin over her lap. “Thank you but dinner was amazing!”
“Then how about a walk along the river?” he suggested.
She tilted her head, smiling at his suggestion and again, his stomach tightened with need. No, not just need but…something more. Something more intense.
The river walk was a long sidewalk along both sides of the river. “Why don’t you spend a bit of your inheritance and travel somewhere?” he asked, taking her hand and leading her down the brick sidewalk.
“I suppose because every time I start to think about traveling, I hear my mother’s voice in my head telling me how frivolous travel is and how frivolity is a sure path to hell.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, you need some help, honey,” he told her and pulled her close. “Where would you go if you could go anywhere?” he asked.
Roxanne leaned against him and he hugged her close, painfully aware of her breasts pressing against his chest.
“Iceland,” she replied without hesitation.
“Not Paris or Rome?”
She shook her head and he felt her soft hair brush against his chin. “No. I’m sure that those cities are beautiful, but I’d like to visit places that aren’t as touristy. And yeah, I know that Iceland has some pretty touristy things, such as The Blue Lagoon, but I’ve read it isn’t nearly as crowded as the cities in Europe.”
“What about Hawaii?”
She tilted her head, considering that option. “Hawaii would be nice, but I don’t think I could take the flight. Isn’t it something like twelve hours?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t remember how long it took when we went there when I was a kid. But that was years ago, so I’m pretty sure that plane travel has changed since then.”
“Probably,” she laughed. “Where else have you visited?”
They started walking again and Abe told her about the various cities he’d visited with his family as a kid, plus the places he’d gone on his own during the summers between college semesters. She listened attentively, asking questions, and he enjoyed telling her about the various cities, wondering if she’d go with him some day. Looking down at her as she asked about Cannes and Paris, he knew that he wanted to show her all of those places, see the joy on her face when she saw the beauty of Montmartre or the Eiffel Tower.
In order to stop his thoughts about the things he wanted to share with her, he distracted himself by kissing her. And she distracted him by sliding her hands up his chest. Just the simplest touch from her made his mind go blank. Damn, he was in trouble!
Pulling back, he took her hand. “I should get you back to your apartment before I decide that the bench behind you is a suitable substitute for a bed,” he warned.
Then he threw back his head, laughing when she turned and looked at the bench as if assessing if she agreed with him.
Chapter 6
Her cell phone ringing woke her out of an exhausted sleep and she glared at the device, frustrated that her powers of telepathy weren’t strong enough to make the caller hang up.
Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she looked around, spotting Satan perched at the corner of her bed. Even as she shifted, he moved closer to the edge, watching her over his shoulder as if anticipating the moment when he would be ordered off the bed.
“It’s okay sweety,” Roxanne said softly. “You can sleep on the bed with me.”
“Is that an open invitation?” a deep voice asked in her ear.
Roxanne jerked slightly, realizing that she’d answered the phone and Abe was teasing her. “Uh, what’s up?” she asked.
He laughed and the sound sent shivers down her spine, sparking her mind and body awake better than an espresso.
“Do you own a pair of jeans and a sexy tee-shirt?” he asked.
That stalled any retort she might have eventually thought up. “Uhh…”
He chuckled again. “Okay, do you own a pair of jeans?”
“Yes, but they aren’t very sexy. They are practical and…”
“Honey, you have no idea how sexy your conservative clothes look on you, do you?”
“Not really,” she retorted honestly.
“Can you be ready in a half hour?”
She leaned back, comfortably surrounded by her pillows. Satan was still watching her cautiously, still on the edge of her bed. “What for?”
“How about a picnic?”
She immediately sat up and Satan leapt off of the bed, disappearing out her bedroom door.
“A picnic?”
“Yeah,” he teased. “You know, a meal outdoors?”
“I know what a picnic is,” she rolled her eyes, grinning. Why did she like that he teased her when only a few days ago, it irritated her?
“So, will you be ready?”
“I think a picnic this afternoon would be lovely. Thank you for inviting me.”
They rung off and she jumped out of the bed, startling the cat who had just wandered back into the room. “Sorry, sweety,” she whispered to the cat who ducked under the bed, nervous but thankfully not hissing.
She jumped into the shower, hurrying through her morning routine. Roxanne couldn’t believe how eager she was to see Abe again. Especially when she’d gone out of her way to avoid him for so long. Everything about him used to irritate her.
But she’d gotten to know him better over the past few days and knew him to be a kind, sexy man…with a tattoo. Darn it, why did the tattoo keep coming back to her? A week ago, she never would have thought that a man with body art was particularly interesting.
Maybe it wasn’t the tattoo but the man?
She stepped out of the shower and…froze. Satan was sitting on the counter. As soon as Roxanne pulled back the shower curtain, the cat crouched, but he didn’t run away. He lifted his paw as if he were trying to catch the wisps of steam from her shower.
Cute, Roxanne thought and grabbed a towel.
She rushed out of the bathroom and pulled on her jeans, applied makeup, and dried her hair. But this time, when she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, it wasn’t as tight as normal. At work, she pinned her hair up tight, not wanting it to fall during the day. By the time she got home every night, her scalp ached.
“Not today, kitty!” she chirped to Satan as he followed her into the bedroom.
She poured cat food into the bowl for him, gave him fresh water, and cleaned out his cat box. “Are you going to be okay alone today?” she asked the cat. “Will you let me pet you today?”
Shockingly, the cat inched closer, bowing his head ever so slightly. Was that kitty talk for permission to touch? She bent down and rubbed her hand over the soft black fur. A moment later, Satan was a black streak as he dashed under the sofa.
With a sigh, Roxanne shrugged. “We’ll figure it out, honey,” she told the invisible cat, then grabbed her keys and purse, walking out the door.
A few minutes later, she stepped out of the elevator in time to see a huge man on a motorcycle pull up right outside of the front door. She knew immediately that it was Abe because her body began to tingle with awareness.
When he took his helmet off and turned to watch her step out of the building, she almost stumbled over her own feet.
“You look beautiful,” he said as he swung his strong leg over the bike. Without warning, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Roxanne was prepared for a kiss, but not for this kind of kiss! It stole her breath away and she hoped it would never end!
After kissing her thoroughly, Abe lifted his head and looked down at her. “You didn’
t sleep well,” he observed, feeling a sense of rightness now that she was in his arms.
“No. Not really.”
He nodded. “Good. Neither did I.”
“Maybe you should stop kissing me like that,” she suggested, smiling when he wrinkled his nose at her and handed her the extra helmet.
“Fat chance,” he grumbled and bent down to kiss her again, but only briefly this time. “Put on your helmet. I’m eager to get going so that I can get you alone.”
She giggled, feeling young and carefree. She hadn’t felt like this in…ever! Her mother had been such a heavy weight on her that she’d never known what it was like to feel carefree. There was always something to do, something to make better or work harder. Or she had too many jobs so that she could pay her way through school.
With a laugh, she pulled the helmet down over her hair, glad that she hadn’t pinned it up. The helmet would have ruined a fancy style so the ponytail had been a good choice.
He got back onto the bike and she swung her leg over as well, then put her hands on his waist.
He looked over his shoulder at her. “You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that, honey,” he warned, then gunned the engine. As soon as he accelerated, she let out a whoosh of air, and clung to him more tightly. By the time they were out of the city, she had her arms wrapped around his waist as she watched the scenery whisk by.
Riding a motorcycle was exhilarating! Amazing! She drove a conservative, inexpensive sedan with no bells or whistles. Even the Mercedes last night had been wonderful and she’d enjoyed the smooth sleekness of the expensive car. But this…! This was wonderful!
He drove into the mountains and she learned to lean into the turns. When she leaned closer, she seemed to anticipate which way he was going to lean and she followed his lead. She had no idea where they were going, nor did she care. It was wonderful to be up here with him, the sunshine warm against her back and holding tight to a sexy man with his tattoos on full display. What would her mother think of her now?
Abe wanted to continue riding, feeling her pressed up against him, but a man could only take so much. Feeling her inner thighs against his hips and her breasts against his back was more than he could endure without pulling over to the side of the road and making love to her right there. So after an hour, he pulled off to a small parking area and turned off the engine.
Over Heated (On the Wild Side Book 3) Page 6
