A Nurse to Tame the ER Doc

“Amy who?” he teased, brushing his lips across her forehead.

Smiling from the inside out, Taylor laughed.

“Come on,” he told her. “Let’s dance.”

They danced. And sang. And got caught up with the partying crowd around them. One band led into another.

Never in her life had Taylor let herself go and just let the music take over who she was and move her body. Never had she laughed so much, felt so much like she belonged to the beating rhythm of the crowd.

On a high, Taylor flopped down on their blanket and stared up at the night sky with awe and amazement at herself, at the music, at the fun crowd, at Jack.

Rolling over, she pulled her cellphone from her bag. “It’s after midnight.”

Lying down beside her, Jack asked, “You have somewhere you need to be?”

“Not particularly, but we’ve been up since before four this morning,” she reminded him.

“You tired?”

“Maybe a little,” she said, knowing he had to be exhausted. Just because she felt energized it didn’t mean he wasn’t tired. Not that he looked it but, still, she needed to be respectful of the fact that for him this wasn’t all new and sparkly.

“Ready to go back to the campsite?” he asked.

She wasn’t really, but logic said she should. “Whenever you are.”

His gaze narrowed then he shook his head. “If you’re up for it, we’ll stick around for the next band.”

* * *

It was almost three when they made it to their tents.

Taylor had wondered how they’d do this. If Jack would kiss her goodnight or if she’d kiss him again, and they’d go from there.

Other than when she’d kissed him earlier and his having kissed her forehead and hand a couple of times, they hadn’t kissed, not really kissed, since the night before.

But rather than kiss her outside her tent, he squeezed her hand and whispered goodnight.

It had been, Taylor thought as she watched him go into his tent. A very good night.

The best night.

But it could have been better, a voice shouted in her mind.

It could have been a night where she invited Jack into her tent so she could kiss him as many times and ways as she wanted.

Because, despite her vow that she was fine without a man, she definitely wanted this one.

CHAPTER SIX

THE HEAT WOKE Taylor earlier than she’d planned. Using baby wipes, she cleaned the stickiness off her skin as best as she could, then climbed out of her tent.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Morning.” She glanced toward Jack’s tent, then smiled at the man who’d starred in her dreams. His hair was in its usual loosely pulled-back style. His T-shirt advertised a music festival she’d never heard of and his shorts were more colorful than her dress from the night before. He should look ridiculous, but instead he looked relaxed and gorgeous and perfect.

“Breakfast?” he offered. “I saved some.”

She joined him beneath his canopy tent and took his offering. Eggs, bacon, and a couple of slices of buttered toast. The man knew how to camp.