was over. They both stood and Claire held out her hand. “Thank you very much for coming all the way here to talk to me, Luke. It was very considerate of you.”
He looked down at their clasped hands. Hers was slender, delicate and soft; his was large, thick and imposing. Despite the contrast, he sensed the unexpected strength that had helped her fight off two men in a dark parking lot.
“Not a problem.” He grinned again and said, “I could’ve lied and said I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by, but I thought you’d see past that one.”
She chuckled and pulled back her hand. “Well, the medical center is a bit away from the Army base...”
They started toward the hospital’s entrance. She intended to walk him out, but before they had covered much ground, he placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. “Um, Claire. One more thing.”
She turned to face him and her eyes climbed hesitantly up the considerable distance to meet his. She swallowed and said, “Yes.”
“Will you have dinner with me?”
Claire took a half step back and bit her lip. Luke could tell that her mind was racing, hastily trying to come up with an excuse—any reason she could use to plausibly but politely decline his invitation. He cringed inwardly. He really didn’t want to beg, but he was willing to do whatever it took. Claire’s lips parted and he knew she was going to say “no,” so he forestalled her. Very quietly, he added one word. “Please.”
* * *
IT WAS THE “PLEASE” that did it, Claire mused later. Well that and the random, funny and sometimes oddly sweet smiles that contrasted so markedly with his imposing presence. It was also his intensity and the concern he’d displayed by coming to see her, despite being almost dead on his feet. It was his sharp, knowing hazel eyes with the amber flecks, and it was his impossibly large hands; hands that could obviously be deadly, given their size and strength, but hands that felt gentle, strong and protective when holding hers.
Claire took a shallow breath. She couldn’t hide her apprehension as she searched his eyes. Her nod was very slight, and she said, “I need to go report to the charge nurses and finish charting. That shouldn’t take more than twenty or thirty minutes. Do you mind waiting?”
The smile that crossed his face dispelled any lingering doubts. He gestured toward the playroom with his head. “I saw the latest iteration of Super Mario on one of the computers. You think I can interest one of the kids in a game?”
Claire’s smile mirrored his. “Yes, I’m certain you can. But I’ve got to warn you, they’ll beat the daylights out of you. Those kids are brutal!”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
