like me?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. Amused.
“Yes.” She took out her hairband and started to redo her ponytail. “Someone used to having sex with a woman within hours of meeting her.”
He laughed. “If only it were that easy.”
It was easy. For him. His good looks, charm, and a smooth confidence combined to form a lethal concoction that wreaked havoc on a woman’s good sense. On her good sense. “You disgust me.” She lunged back into the hallway.
“Stop.” He said, holding on to her arm. “I’m sorry. I got carried away. But don’t go getting all holier-than-thou. You enjoyed my kiss.” He leaned in. “Don’t try to deny it.”
No one was that good a liar.
He let out a breath. “Did I blow any chance of you helping me with one more thing for Jessie?” he asked seriously. “Of us maybe being friends?”
“Of course I will do what I can to help you with Jessie,” she said. “She’s a good kid and doesn’t deserve to suffer for the transgressions of her father.”
He smiled, not at all offended by her remark. “Thank you for that,” he said.
“I’ll defer decision on the friends issue until I see how you do at keeping your lips to yourself when we’re together.” Because as each day passed with no progress in locating Holly’s family, Scarlet became more determined to keep baby Joey out of the hands of strangers and more excited about the idea of raising the tiny girl as her own. And as a single woman it would be hard enough to get approval to foster and hopefully adopt Joey. She couldn’t chance rumors of an illicit association with a known hospital player, tarnishing her stellar reputation.
“Deal.” He held out his hand.
But she kind of didn’t want to touch him since her body was just starting to return to normal.
“Don’t be a coward.” His smile was all dare.
She shook his hand.
His skin smooth and warm. His grip powerful.
Stop it!
“During our long talk the other night,” he said, seeming unaware of how the simple act of him touching her hand affected her. “Jessie told me she’s not happy sleeping in the loft.”
She’d mentioned that to Scarlet, too. “It has no door. And it’s the guestroom.” Jess had shared that it felt like he was keeping her there temporarily until he figured out what to do with her.
“It was the guestroom before Jessie came to live with me. I put her up there because the loft has a bed in it.”
Made perfect sense.
“But I want her to know she has a permanent place in my home with her very own bedroom and her very own door. I was hoping you’d help me make it happen while she’s away. As a surprise for when she comes home.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Scarlet said.
“If you’d discreetly find out what colors she likes and what her ideal bedroom would look like, maybe, if you have some time over the weekend, we could go shopping and you could come back to my place and help me put it all together.”
“Right,” she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster. And to add to her overall ‘don’t for one minute think I’m going to fall for your scheme’ body language, she crossed her arms over her chest, cocked her head and gave him ‘the look’. “Like I’m going to go over to your condo when Jessie isn’t there.” Not. Especially after that kiss. Only an insane woman would do that.
“I’d treat you to lunch.” His eyes met hers. “And a nice dinner.”
“So I’d feel indebted to you,” she said, shaking her head. “Not gonna work.”
“I will be the perfect gentleman.” He held up his right hand, again, as if that somehow made his words more believable. “Absolutely no kissing. I promise.”
“You know I think that holding up your right hand thing only works in court. And only when your left hand is resting on a bible.”
He smiled.
“And aren’t you supposed to be working all weekend?” she asked. “Isn’t that the reason you’re sending Jess on vacation without you?”
He turned away and let out a breath. “Call me a bad person, a bad parent. But I’m smart enough to know when I’ve reached my limit. I need a break from parenting so bad I lied, to my parents and my daughter.” His eyes met hers. “I will not apologize for taking a few much needed days for myself.”
“All parents deserve a break, Lewis,” Scarlet said, touching his arm to let him know she understood.
He covered her hand with his. “Please,” he said. “Will you help me?”
Scarlet was tempted to say she had to work all weekend.
“Perfect gentleman. I promise,” he said. Then he snapped his fingers. “Let’s go to the chapel. I’m sure I can find a bible in there.”
Scarlet smiled.
“Say you’ll help me.” Lewis tilted his head and made an innocent face. “For Jessie, who should not suffer for my transgressions.”
And Scarlet understood how he’d so successfully charmed so many women out of their panties. But after the year Jessie had endured, she deserved a beautiful bedroom in her father’s house. Scarlet was a grown woman, she could handle him for a few hours. “Fine. Call me after she leaves,” Scarlet said. “And we’ll set up a time to meet.”
“Thank you,” he said.
She looked at her watch. “If I don’t get back to my unit soon they’ll send out a search party.” Who would find her alone with a handsome doctor, in a quiet, cozy corridor, with a pair of swollen, red, thoroughly kissed lips.
She smoothed her hair, stepped back and spread her arms wide. “Presentable?”
He looked her up and down. “Perfect.” He did the same. “Me?”
Scarlet scanned his person, making sure to spend a little extra time on the most noticeably aroused part of him to enjoy a moment of satisfaction from her role in that arousal. “Button your lab coat.”
He did then he bent to pick up his now cold cup of coffee that he must have set down in the corner of their hiding spot at some point.
“I’ll pump Jessie for decorating ideas,” she said.
With a nod and a wave Lewis turned toward the ER and Scarlet headed in the opposite direction to see if Jessie was still waiting for her in the cafeteria.
* * *
Lewis walked back to the emergency department feeling out of sorts. In forty-eight hours he’d be dropping Jessie off at his parents’ house up in Westchester County,
