With Jude.
Her mother’s voice rang in her head, warning she was being taken in, but Sarah ignored the warning. Her mother had never known a man of the caliber of Jude, not by far. As long as Sarah kept in mind that neither she nor Jude wanted a long-term commitment, everything would be fine.
For the second night in a row, Jude kissed her goodnight outside her apartment door, shoved her inside, and shut the door with him on the other side.
It took her all of thirty seconds to come to terms with the fact that he’d done nothing more than kiss her goodnight again. If that’s what you could call it when she snapped out of her shock and flung her door open.
To do what she wasn’t sure had he been out in the hallway still.
He wasn’t.
He had gone inside his apartment.
For the briefest moment she considered beating on his door, demanding he let her in.
Didn’t he know she was subtly sexy tonight for a reason? For him?
Instead, she stared at his closed door a moment, then went back into her apartment, confused that she was the only woman Jude didn’t seem willing to sleep with despite her attempt at being irresistible. Go figure.
He hadn’t bothered to make plans to see her again.
But she knew he would, that they would see each other again, because they weren’t through with each other.
Far, far from it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
WAS JUDE WORKING? Sarah wondered for the hundredth time that day. Or was he at home? Or doing whatever it was he did on his days off from the fire department? Probably do-gooder things like helping the needy and starting scholarship programs for public servants or—
“Dr. Grayson, the CT results are back on the abdominal pain in Trauma Six,” Shelley said, pulling Sarah’s thoughts back to the here and now.
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” She finished charting despite her distraction, then clicked open the CT results.
Gallstones. Which was consistent with the man’s right upper quadrant pain radiating to his shoulder blade, nausea, vomiting, and significantly elevated liver enzymes.
The rest of her shift passed in a busy blur. She didn’t have time to pull out her phone to check her messages until right before leaving the hospital.
Excitement hit when she saw the message from Jude. Did she want to have dinner with him at his place?
Yes. Yes, she did.
At his place. Tonight must be the night.
Only it wasn’t.
Oh, she had an amazing time with him. First, she’d shared the wonderful meal he’d prepared. Then, snuggled up next to him on his sofa looking out at the city they loved, she’d told him a little about her childhood, about her determination to excel, and the academic scholarships that had funded much of her education.
But when their sofa kisses had heated up to the point Sarah had wanted to rip off his shirt and get up close and personal with Mr. December, he’d pulled back. Quickly thereafter, he’d walked her to her apartment on the grounds they both had to work the following day.
As if that had ever slowed him down in the past.
The next night was similar, almost to the point Sarah found it humorous when she found herself yet again alone on the inside of her apartment door.
* * *
The next night Jude questioned his will power when Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands.
Literally.