Oh, God, how had she done without this for so long?
But the answer was immediately clear in her head. Because she’d never had this. Never once in the past had she ever felt this desperate, almost animal urgency to be with a man. Never once had she wanted a man the way she wanted Josh.
She felt the skilful sweep of his tongue and responded instantly, matching his greed with her own frantic urgency. There was no holding back. She wanted, needed, every bit as much as he clearly did.
‘Kat…’ He groaned her name and slid a hand down the back of her scrub suit, his fingers seeking and finding.
She cried out at the intimacy of his touch and clutched at his shoulders, her whole body shivering and trembling against his as excitement consumed her. His touch was wickedly good and she felt the heat build low in her pelvis.
He dragged his mouth from hers with obvious difficulty, his breathing uneven and his blue eyes hazy as his hands returned to her waist. ‘We can’t do this here. We need to find a room with a lock.’
She stared at him stupidly. A lock?
And then reality descended on her with all the brutality of a cold shower. Her eyes shifted from his handsome face, from the heat burning in his blue eyes and took in the bright lights, the metal and chrome and the sheer starkness of their surroundings.
They were in Resus and they’d all but made love on the trolley.
She closed her eyes, appalled and totally embarrassed.
What had happened to both of them? Neither of them had given any thought to their surroundings, to the fact that anyone could have come in and caught them. She gave a whimper of horror at the thought of what might have happened.
How could she have allowed it?
She squirmed with mortification as she acknowledged the truth. That she hadn’t just allowed it, she’d encouraged it.
‘This is crazy.’ She dragged herself out of his arms, wondering why it felt like the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. ‘I can’t believe we just did that.’
‘We didn’t do anything.’ His smile bordered on the regretful and he raked long fingers through his dark hair. ‘Unfortunately.’
‘How can you say that?’ She was pink with embarrassment, her eyes on the door. What if someone had come in? What if someone had caught them? ‘We were kissing! In the middle of Resus! In broad daylight!’
He gave her a sexy grin. ‘I can switch the lights off if it would make you feel more comfortable.’
She glared at him, her equilibrium disturbed by his smile and his nearness. ‘That’s not funny.’
His smile faded slowly and his gaze burned into hers. ‘Actually, for once I agree with you. None of this is funny.’ His voice was soft and he placed an arm either side of her, preventing her escape. ‘I can’t sleep at night and my concentration is failing. So what are we going to do about it, Dr O’Brien?’ His voice was still husky with passion and she felt her body respond instantly.
‘Nothing.’ There was panic in her tone. ‘Absolutely nothing.’ Her fingers fumbled and shook as she straightened her clothes. ‘We’re going to forget this ever happened.’ She tried to move away but he didn’t budge, his arms like iron bars between her and escape.
‘You think that’s possible?’
No. ‘Yes.’ She lifted her chin. It had to be possible. ‘Of course it’s possible. We just have to make an effort and—’ She broke off and smoothed her hair, thoroughly flustered. ‘We just have to distract ourselves and think about something else.’
‘Think about something else.’ His gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered. ‘Sweetheart, I’ve been thinking of nothing but you since the day I saw you on the beach dressed in that amazing wetsuit. And then when I saw you in your nightdress…’
His words made her breathing stop and she closed her eyes briefly. ‘Josh, please. We both know this isn’t going to work. We have to be grown-up about it. I’m trying. You have to try, too.’
‘Why’s that?’ His voice was rough and masculine. ‘Give me one good reason why.’
Her eyes flew to his. ‘You know why.’ Did he have to look at her like that? It made it almost impossible to breathe, let alone think. ‘Because I have Archie.’
He had very dark eyelashes, she noticed absently. And the contrast with the blue of his eyes was amazing.
Those blue eyes lifted back to hers. ‘And is Archie enough?’
She swallowed. Up until now, yes. ‘I come with a son. I’m not a single woman, Josh.’ She said it to remind herself as much as him. ‘I have a little boy and he figures in every decision I make. That’s the way it has to be and that’s the way I want it to be.’ She wouldn’t have it any other way. She adored her son.
‘But surely you’re entitled to a part of your life that doesn’t include him?’ Josh was looking at her now, his blue gaze disturbingly intent. ‘Married couples with children aren’t just parents, are they? They’re still a pair, a couple. They’re still allowed a relationship with each other.’