Officer, Surgeon...Gentleman!

Sending her a wry smile, he did as she asked, explaining to the man sitting on the table what he planned to do in step-by-step detail.

“I’m going to disinfect the cut and surrounding skin first. Then I’ll numb the area with anesthetic. Once you’re numb, I’m going to use skin glue to close the laceration.”

“Glue?” the man questioned.

“It’s special glue made for closing certain types of cuts. When used appropriately there’s less scarring. Plus, there won’t be a need for you to return to have sutures removed.”

The soldier shrugged. “Ain’t never had to return to no doctor to have stitches took out. Been doing it myself since I was a kid.”

“Had a lot of accidents over the years?”

“A few,” the man admitted, grinning. “A few fights, too.”

When he was ready, Amelia held the edges of the wound perfectly closed while Cole ran the glue applicator over the area, creating a purplish clear coat over the cut and sealing the wound.

When they were finished, it was too late to return to the hotel.

“Not exactly the way we envisioned spending the night together,” she mused when they stood outside her bunk-room door.

“We’re starting a pattern here that I can’t say I like,” he teased, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing each of her fingers.

“Agreed.” She laughed, feeling like a kid on her first date.

“I wish I could stay with you tonight, Amelia.” He squeezed her hand, held on tightly. “I would if I could.”

“Maybe next time.” But even as she said it, she wanted him to tell her to hell with rules, to hell with everything but them. Which was crazy. She didn’t really want him to tell her that. They had too much to lose to risk if they were caught.

“Maybe.”

She looked up into his eyes, wondering if he’d at least sneak a good-night kiss. But he straightened to his full height, gave a shake of his head.

“Good night, Amelia.”

“Good night, Cole.” Reluctantly, she watched him turn and go, disappointed and hoping they hadn’t missed their window of opportunity forever.

Okay, so maybe covertly blowing a kiss at Cole when no one was looking wasn’t exactly playing fair, or even mature, but Amelia couldn’t resist it.

Since Singapore they’d walked a fine line between flirting and keeping enough distance to not end both their careers. With every day that passed it was getting a little more difficult to recall the reasons why her career mattered so much more than being with Cole.

Giving a wry shake of his head, he slyly winked back from across the sick ward. The flash of desire she’d seen in his eyes, the possessiveness, caused happiness to blossom inside her. Pure, deep-down happiness.

The only blight on her happiness was the fact that, despite the looks, the stolen touches, the fact they both wanted each other desperately, they’d played by the rules and hadn’t slept together yet. Somehow.

Which was good, because if they had done there would be hell to pay. They couldn’t, she knew they couldn’t, but, oh, how she wanted to.

God, she wanted him, wasn’t sure how much more she could stand.

“Dr Stanley,” she said in her most professional voice, flashing her most innocent expression, “could I see you in the medical office for a few moments, please? I need your advice on the last patient I saw.”

Another spark shone in those blue eyes. This one caused her stomach to somersault.

“I’ll be right there, Dr Stockton.”

He was, closing the door behind him because he’d known. Known she needed to touch him.

“We can’t do this,” he told her even as he pulled her to him.

“I know.” She smiled against his mouth, flattening her palms against his chest, relishing the strength she found there. “I just needed to touch you.”