“That’s not a real smile. I have to change that.” Rounding the table, Eric takes my hand, bringing me to my feet. He pulls me in to a quick kiss, and then his fingers caress the side of my boob over my robe.
“Is this also an attempt to make me laugh?” I inquire, now smiling for real.
“Nah, this is me being a pervert, looking for every excuse to feel you up.”
“Mmm… Someone’s naughty,” I murmur.
“Hey, we both still have a lot of sexual tension bottled up inside. It’s for everyone’s benefit if we work it out before we go out into the world again.”
He twirls a strand of my hair around his fingers, his lips brushing my cheek seductively.
“So, this is for the good of everyone else?”
“Exactly,” he answers.
“Liar,” I whisper. “This is very irresponsible of us, you know. You have to be at work, and I have to be at the hospital.”
“Pippa.” His tone changes from playful to serious in a split second, startling me. Licking his lips, Eric cups my face between his hands, watching me straight in the eyes. “You make me want things I shouldn’t want. Things I haven’t allowed myself to want.”
“Like what?” I whisper.
“Like wanting to be irresponsible. If I could, I’d lock myself up with you inside this apartment for days.”
“I’m that irresistible, huh?” I joke.
“You are. You’re warm and funny, and I can’t get enough of you.”
“Let’s be irrespon
sible for one more hour,” I say, giving in to his kiss. His lips are everywhere: on my mouth, my neck, descending further down.
As sensations overcome me, drowning all reason, one thought stands out. This man is worming his way into my heart, one kiss, one touch, and one tickling session at a time.
Chapter Fourteen
Pippa
I was expecting to find Sebastian and Blake sitting in silence outside my dad’s room at the hospital, allowing him to rest. Instead, the entire family is camping inside the room, talking loudly. Christopher is here as well. Right, so much for spending time with him in shifts.
Dad is sitting on his bed with Mom at his side. He looks pale, tired, and very grumpy. Almost everything in the room is white, but the color doesn’t seem as austere as it did yesterday, though the smell still bothers me.
“I won’t stay here for an entire week, no matter what that snotty know-it-all in the white coat says.”
My dad has had a deep distrust of doctors for as long as I can remember. It’s anyone’s guess why, but I have a hunch it’s because he doesn’t like to take orders, and a doctor’s word is law.
“That know-it-all happens to be the best surgeon on this coast,” Sebastian deadpans. “You’re staying whatever time he’s saying plus one day, to be on the safe side.”
“You won’t—” Dad begins, but stops as Sebastian holds his hand up.
“With all due respect, Dad, you scared us, and this is not up for discussion. You’ll stay here for as long as the doctors want you to.”
“I’m strong as a bull,” Dad says.
“And as stubborn,” I say under my breath, then raise my voice so it’s audible above all the chatter. “Hey, why don’t you all go back to your business and leave me with Dad? It’s my shift now.”
Alice gives me a particularly smug look as she ushers everyone out.
“How did your morning shift go?” she whispers knowingly.