CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LUCAS WOKE JUST as light began streaking into the room. A room he’d never seen bathed in the colors of sunrise.
Emily’s bedroom.
She’d let him stay the night after they’d had sex.
He frowned. Actually, she’d let him stay even though they hadn’t had sex. Emotionally and physically exhausted from Kevin’s surgery, then death, he’d lain down meaning to catch only a few minutes of shut-eye to get a second wind and he’d passed out.
Occasionally, a patient got beneath his skin and just got to him. The boy and the utter loss in his parents’ eyes when he’d met with them had done so. He’d wanted to be the hero, to repair what he’d known going in might not be fixable. He’d failed and that hadn’t been an easy pill to swallow.
Why hadn’t Emily awakened him and sent him home?
It was what he’d have expected. Only, she hadn’t. She’d crawled into the bed next to him and at some point they’d gotten under the covers. Currently, her backside was spooned up against him and he held her close.
He took a deep breath, catching a faint whiff of vanilla.
Emily.
His Emily.
He kissed the top of her head and realized there was nowhere in the world he’d rather be than holding her.
His ex-wife.
Closing his eyes, he buried his face in her hair and held her close. He wasn’t scheduled with patients today, wasn’t on call at the hospital. Emily had worked the past three days. She should be off today, too.
If she’d let him, he’d spend the day with her doing whatever she wanted to do.
Until then, he’d count his blessings.
* * *
Even on her days off work, Emily tended to wake bright and early. This morning had been different. She’d been snuggled against a hard male body and she’d slept hours later than she usually did.
Then again, so had Lucas.
She twisted around to look at him. His eyes were closed, but she wasn’t sure if he was asleep or awake.
“Good morning, Emily.”
Awake. Heat infused her face. “Morning.”
His eyes opened and he smiled and whatever embarrassment she’d been feeling at getting caught looking at him disappeared.
“Sorry I passed out on you last night.”
“I guess you were tired.”
“I guess I was. Thank you for not throwing me out.”
“We both know it was probably a mistake in letting you stay.”
“How do you figure?”
“Sleeping together is too intimate.”
“Sex isn’t?”