The Boss and Nurse Albright (10 page)

“Oh, Jason, you don’t have to do that.”

“You said so yourself, this survey is very important to the clinic, and the sooner we complete it the better,” he said.

“But what about your weekend off?”

“I’ve got to see my hospitalized patients in the morning, but I’m free in the afternoon, if squirt here can hold her horses.”

Gina looked to Claire to help her figure out what that meant. “Dr. Rogers will take you to the park after you eat lunch,” she said.

“Better yet,” Jason said, “I’ll take you to lunch, too.”

Gina looked at Claire again, excitement brewing in her eyes. “Yay! Da park.”

“Yay, the park,” Claire said, as she clapped her hands along with Gina. Now all she had to do was figure out a way to get him to stay for dinner.

C
LAIRE
brushed her hair and put the finishing touches to her make-up on Saturday afternoon. Though she’d worn her new aqua-blue blouse, she threw on her favorite threadbare jeans to give the impression she hadn’t planned everything, down to the slivered almonds on fresh steamed green beans.

Not only had Jason agreed to take Gina to the park, but to the zoo, too. The Santa Barbara Zoo was a small and perfect place for a pint-sized person to visit.

Claire knew the last thing Jason wanted was to be pitied, and she didn’t pity him. She hurt for him; she’d seen the fallout from his misfortune and wanted to offer her friendship. He deserved to salvage his life from the tragedy that had annihilated his family.

The fact that his mere presence gave her crazy thoughts about kissing and touching was something she’d have to deal with another time. Her emotionally unavailable ex-husband had cured her of ever wanting to get involved with a man who’d withhold his heart, for whatever reason, noble or not. And when a man did that, wasn’t that the first step toward making it easier to walk
away when things got tough? No matter how much her body reacted to Jason, she would guard her heart from any more pain.

The man deserved a friend. And he’d done a very big favor for her today.

The dinner was a chance to get to know Jason better and to ease him back into the world of the living, hopefully without him even realizing it. She had a big job on her hands, but her famous beef stroganoff and made-from-scratch apple pie should do wonders to break through some of his barriers.

The way to a man’s heart, as the old saying goes…

No! Not his heart. She brushed the thought from her mind.

The doorbell alerted Claire that, even though she didn’t feel quite ready for them, Gina and Jason had arrived home. She took a deep breath, hoping she could pull off her well-planned faux spur-of-the-moment dinner.

“Dock-to Wah-durs took me to the zooooo!” Gina hugged Claire’s knees and squealed. “I saw Gemina! Her neck is hurt.” She went into a play-by-play description of the giraffe with the crooked neck who was twenty-one-years old, then talked about all the animals she’d seen and imitated the sounds they made. Jason stood quietly as he closed the door, watching Gina’s delight with a serious expression.

Claire met his gaze and she could see a hint of sadness. “The zoo was one of Hanna’s favorite places,” he said in a guarded tone.

Claire’s shoulders slumped and she fought the urge to hug him.

“Something smells fantastic,” he said, in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

“Oh, it’s just one of those candles that smell like homemade apple pie,” she said, picking up Gina and delivering a huge kiss to her cheek. “And the other candle just happens to smell like beef stroganoff.”

He sniffed the air. “Amazing. And you’ve got a fresh baked rolls candle, too?”

She blurted a laugh, then grew serious. “Actually, I was hoping I could repay you with a home-cooked meal for bringing me food and fixing me breakfast when I was sick, and especially for helping me out today.”

“I’d have to be nuts not to take you up on that,” he said, his mouth creasing into a pleased smile.

She mentally blew out a breath, since it was highly likely that Jason could have been insulted about being bamboozled into dinner. Or he could have made plans for his Saturday night, and all of her cooking efforts would have been for naught. Even hermits had
some
friends.

Claire poured and handed Jason a glass of merlot while she put the finishing touches on the meal. After setting up Gina at the table in her booster seat, they all sat in the small dining room adjacent to the living room. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d used this dining set. She’d bought it when married to Charles, but since the divorce and moving into the bungalow, she’d hardly ever had guests.

Jason ate with gusto and paid numerous compliments about her cooking skills. It made her want to snap her fingers and dance in her chair. He also had a second glass of wine, and this time she joined him with her first.
Surprisingly, he offered to do the dishes while she bathed Gina. All set for bed in her blanket sleeper, Gina hugged her new best friend goodnight. Though he’d been attentive enough to Gina during dinner, Claire saw Jason stiffen with the hug. And when Gina kissed his cheek, he flinched ever so slightly. Claire read Gina’s favorite story in the bedroom to give Jason some time to himself, and the child fell immediately to sleep.

Claire stopped off in the bathroom to fluff her hair and put a bit more lip gloss on. Jason was a colleague. A friend, she reminded herself, but she thought about the goodlooking, suntanned man sitting in her living room and a shiver ran through her. Who was she kidding?

“I hope you don’t mind, but I started a fire,” he said, putting a second log in the fireplace when she returned.

Claire had only lived here for six months, and had rarely used the rugged rock fireplace. The golden glow and crackling fire made her already-small living room feel even cozier. He sat on the couch, and it occurred to her that it would be odd to sit in the chair all the way across the room, so she sat next to him. Then jumped back up.

“Oh, I should put on some decaf or tea to have with our pie.”

He clasped her wrist and tugged her back down. “I need more time to digest that fantastic dinner first.”

She landed a bit closer to him than she’d intended, but didn’t move. The fire made her want to snuggle with someone. With Jason. Crazy thoughts. She’d blame the merlot.

Claire suspected Jason’s gesture with the fire was a signal. Maybe he was reaching out to her. She protected
herself with professionalism and went off on a safe and chatty tangent about all of the lame excuses their clinic patients had come up with for not returning their surveys. And if laughing proved he enjoyed listening to her, he must have. Good. They’d slipped back into a familiar level of comfort.

Jason told her about all of Gina’s reactions to the animals at the zoo, though she sensed it was out of obligation. And he mentioned how she’d kept wishing her mommy were there. Claire had the urge to wake her daughter up and kiss her back to sleep. Jason must have noticed the depth of her love for her daughter, because when she ventured to look into his eyes they were steady and full of kindness, and they set off a warm implosion in her chest. She wasn’t prepared for the reaction and pulled inward.

She noticed something else, too. His gaze had clouded over with nostalgia, and it occurred to Claire how hard it must have been for him today, and she quickly regretted putting him through it.

“I think some coffee and pie are in order,” Jason said, obviously sensing her shift in mood.

Hair had slipped across his forehead again, and the fire had warmed up the room enough for him to take off his sport jacket. She’d remembered his well-developed arms from the first day she’d met him, but tonight they looked particularly strong, and her resistance was suddenly weak. He followed her into the kitchen.

She’d made a huge mistake forcing him to spend the evening with her. He’d relaxed and she’d coiled tighter than a tangled Slinky. Her fumbling fingers proved he’d
taken her out of her comfort zone. He seemed to watch her every move, and her cheeks heated up at the thought. Could she be anymore clumsy?

“I make a galley-chowder that will knock your socks off,” he said with a broad smile. “That is if you like clams.”

Grateful he’d tried to lighten the mood, she nodded. “Love chowder,” she said, slicing the pie while the coffee-maker trickled steaming brown liquid into the glass pot.

“I’ll have to invite you aboard sometime.”

She almost cut a jagged line. Could she consider the invitation a date? Nah. Friends hung out on boats together. She handed him both pieces of pie, and followed behind with the mugs of coffee. They settled in front of the fireplace and sipped and ate and Jason made appreciative noises over the deliciousness of the apple pie. All of her efforts had paid off.

“This is the best crust I’ve ever had,” he said. When he noticed she’d left a portion of hers on the plate he lifted his brows and reached for it. “You mind?” Without waiting for her answer, he popped it into his mouth.

It occurred to Claire that she’d never seen Jason act more naturally. He’d spent an afternoon with her daughter and survived. Now he seemed playful and content, probably from the carbohydrate overload, but still, it was progress.

She fell back into the cushions and put her feet up on the coffee table. “I’m so full I could pop.” He watched her with amusement.

“I like that blouse,” he said, totally taking her by surprise. “It suits you.”

With cheeks on fire, as if she was a schoolgirl, she glanced at him, then at her hands. “Thanks.”

Perhaps it was her sudden discomfort, but Jason touched her hand and stood. “I should probably be going,” he said.

Her uneasiness had rubbed off on him. She regretted it. “Pipsqueak wore you out, eh?” she said, wanting to keep things light, and wishing she could rewind the moments that had changed his mood.

“Gina’s a pistol. I get a real kick out of her,” he said. “I’m kind of glad things worked out the way they did.” He stopped mid-stride and looked deeply into her eyes. “There’s something special about seeing the world through a kid’s eyes. I’ve missed that.”

Jason’s nearness confused her. She hadn’t expected to turn into a shrinking violet under his scrutiny. Empathy had driven her to ask him to dinner. She’d accomplished her goal on that count, and he’d come out of his cave a little more tonight—an added benefit. She could pat herself on the back for making progress with him. But his penetrating gray eyes sent her straight back to last Friday night in his car. How many times had she relived those kisses this week?

Swept up by the moment, she reacted on impulse and kissed him goodnight. It was only a light peck on the lips, but more than a
friend
would give.

Jason seemed surprised at first, but he kissed her back, even put his hands on her waist to pull her closer. He tasted like nutmeg and sweetened apples. She wrapped her arms around his neck and soon they picked up where they’d left off before. There was no telling
with Jason how long before he’d come to his senses and back out. So far so good. He’d found her tongue again and this time the sound effects were coming from
his
throat. She had to be delusional if she really thought she could keep theirs a friendship.

His hand discovered the skin beneath her blouse, and his warm touch sent tingles up her back. She kissed him frantically, afraid he’d change his mind again, and greed to touch him made her squeeze the muscles across his shoulders and arms. She traced light breathy kisses along his jaw and his grip tightened on her hip, the other hand edging closer to her bra.

He walked her backwards, and they managed to find the couch without breaking another of his deep kisses. He eased her against the sofa cushions with feathery lips down her neck. Her pulse flittered in her throat.

Jason pulled back to look at her, and she worried he would stop like he had before, but she saw the fire in his eyes. She hadn’t imagined their
mutual
attraction after all. They’d been tugging and pulling on each other’s libido since their first meeting, the day they’d yelled at each other. Maybe they could make this work. He was turned on and gorgeous and she made a snap decision to make love with him if he wanted her. From the hungry look in his eyes, he definitely wanted her. Now.

The fire crackled in the background and cast a bedroom glow over his face. His long fingers worked quickly to unbutton her blouse. He stopped briefly to look with obvious admiration at her lacy bra. Before she realized it, he’d undone the front clasp and released her. His hands caressed her breasts with near worshipful
tenderness. His eyes briefly closed as his thumbs lightly swept across her nipples, and he swallowed before kissing the pebbled tips of first one and then the other. He wouldn’t dare turn back now.

Claire savored the exquisite feel of his mouth on her breast. She couldn’t believe how quickly she felt ready for him. She wanted to feel every part of him, and unbuttoned his shirt. They kissed again, ravenous kisses. She slid her hands under his shirt to pull it off, and was surprised to find smooth skin with little chest hair. She couldn’t wait to see the rest of him.

Hot as the fire flaming across the room, she lifted his shirt above his head, and he eased her blouse and bra off her shoulders. Though nervous about what might happen, she gave herself to the moment and smiled, and he drew her flush to his chest. It felt like heaven to brush his skin with her breasts, to breathe his heated scent. He kissed her shoulder and toward the back of her neck, sending chills fanning across her skin. Every touch made her long for another. She tasted his faintly salty neck, slid her tongue along its surface, heard a sound deep in his throat and watched gooseflesh rise on his skin. She had him now, and savored every sensation awakening inside her. Tightening, heating, melting, pooling. She hadn’t wanted to be with a man since her divorce. With only a few kisses, Jason had chased away every precaution.

She kissed his muscled chest, then lifted her chin to find his mouth again, but something had changed. The magnetic heat and longing she’d felt in the last moment had been tempered in the next.
Not again
. His tight embrace loosened, then went limp.

She wanted to scream,
no!
but kept kissing him, though he’d quit kissing back. Just like the other night. His warm lips had turned to rubber bands. She couldn’t go through another rejection from him. Either he wanted her or he didn’t.

He disengaged from her, rested his head on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

She’d sent mixed messages all night. She’d convinced herself she’d only wanted to share a friendly dinner with him, but whenever they got together things seemed to happen. He was obviously as confused as she was.

“Jason, we’ve got to talk about this.”

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”