LITMIR.BIZ

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whispered, “I don’t think we should be listening to this.”

      “If we leave now we’ll interrupt.” Did he have to breathe so hot and heavy with every response? She tried to ignore the warm flush spreading along the right side of her face, down her neck to her chest. “And they’ll know we’re here.”

      Alex said, “I couldn’t take it anymore, the verbal and physical abuse. You were so young and your dad loved you so much. If I’d had any idea he would turn on you after I left, I would have stayed. I promise you that.”

      “A lot of good that did me then,” Cade said, sounding worn out. “And it means little to me now.”

      “There’s nothing I can do to change what happened other than to apologize. I know it doesn’t change anything, but from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. For leaving. For everything you had to endure because I wasn’t there to protect you or help you.”

      Scarlet whispered, “How horrible for both of them.”

      Lewis nodded. “Now you understand why I didn’t want to interrupt?”

      She nodded. When no one spoke Scarlet peeked around the corner. Both men stood there not looking at each other. Then Alex said, “Can we get past it?” He held out his hand.

      Cade looked at it.

      Scarlet wanted to scream, “Take it. He’s your brother for heaven’s sake.” Oh how she’d wished for a sibling growing up.

      Eventually Cade shook his brother’s hand, and Alex took the opportunity to pull him into a hug. “I love you,” he said.

      Cade didn’t reply, but he did pat Alex on the back.

      When the men broke apart, they turned and started to walk in her direction. Scarlet ducked back into their hiding spot, sucked in a breath, and tried to blend in with the wall. “They’re coming this way.”

      Lewis jumped to action, moving her into the corner, pressing her back into the wall with the front of his body flush against hers.

      Okay. Not a bad plan. She’d be well hidden. But what about—?

      Her brain ceased to function when he lifted her chin, lowered his head, and set his soft, moist lips on hers.

      Just for show, she rationalized, to create a plausible reason for them to be there. In an effort to up the realism of their fictitious interlude she slid her hands up and clasped her fingers behind his neck.

      Just playing her part.

      His lips separated and his tongue ventured out to explore the seam of her mouth. Looking for entry? Only one way to know for sure, Scarlet created a slim smidgeon of an opening, purely for investigative purposes to see what he’d do.

      And hello, Lewis thrust his tongue into her mouth, over and over. Something about the taste made her mouth water, made her body ready, made her want—

      He closed his arms around her, deepened the kiss and thrust his hips.

      Whoa. Holy hard-on. This was realism run amok. At work.

      Scarlet forced her head to the side, breaking the kiss. “We can’t.”

      He released her instantly but didn’t move. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the quiet. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

      “You guess?” She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back, needing air, but not feeling steady enough to move away from the support of the wall.

      He looked down at her and ran a thumb along her lower lip. “You look like you’ve been thoroughly kissed,” he said with the small smile of a man re-living the experience in his mind.

      “Perfect,” she snapped, losing patience. “When I’m on my way to meet up with your daughter. What were you thinking?” Scarlet took a tissue from the pack in her pocket and tried to wipe away the remnants of their kiss.

      “Well at first I was thinking about hiding you and giving us an excuse to be tucked away in our little nook.” He reached out to touch her cheek. “But you felt so good. And I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long.”

      She swatted his hand away. “We’ve known each other for all of eight days and every interaction we’ve had has revolved around your daughter or work. Exactly how long could you possibly have wanted to kiss me?”

      “Day three,” he answered without hesitation. “In the cafeteria, when you closed your eyes to imagine me in my underwear.”

      “I was pretending,” she lied.

      “No you weren’t.” He grinned.

      So sure of himself and his appeal. The haze of arousal cleared. Beneath his respected physician, nice guy, good father façade the fire of his womanizing sex-seeker still burned at his core. “Waiting five whole days to kiss a woman you’ve only recently met must have required quite a bit of restraint for someone like you.”

      “Someone 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

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