Nodding, he reached back into the bag and removed a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Holding out the bottle, he squirted a generous dollop into her hand then another into his own.
“Thank you for doing this, but are you sure it’s okay for us to be away from the medical station this long? I’ll admit I’m feeling a little guilty.”
He smiled a smile that said he understood and didn’t judge her anxiety. “Alexis has my number and instructions to call if it gets busy. We could be back in twenty minutes tops.”
Interesting.
“Alexis, huh? Was she in on this?”
“Not really. I just asked if she minded holding the fort down while I stole you away for a while. I think she approved.”
“I like her more and more.”
“She’s okay,” he conceded, not sounding overly concerned one way or the other as he dug around in the backpack.
“For a beautiful cardiologist who volunteers to help raise awareness and funds for children with cancer.”
“Well, yeah, at least she has that going for her.” His tone was teasing. He pulled out a zipper-closed plastic bag that had napkins, et cetera, in it. “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
Something in the way she answered must have keyed him into what she was feeling because he paused from digging more items out of the backpack, and he glanced at her. “Yeah?”
She nodded.
He scratched his head. “What am I doing?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. What are you doing?”
“Not what I want to be doing.”
She fought the urge to lick her lips because they definitely felt dry. “Which is?”
“Touching you.”
No more suppressing her tongue after that comment. She moistened her lips.
“Well.” She stared straight into his eyes. “Today is your lucky day because if you act now, you can touch me.”
He arched a brow. “If I act later?”
“You can touch me, then, too.”
* * *
Trace touched.
Just a light brush of his fingertip over her cheek that he continued down her throat, toying at her T-shirt collar.
But, oh, what a touch.
Despite the September heat, goose bumps prickled her skin and caused his to do the same.
She was looking at him. He could feel her gaze hot on his face, but his stayed in tune with the trail his finger was blazing; he was mesmerized by what his touch was doing to her flesh.
More than just his finger, because now he brushed his hand down her arm, light, feathery, surreal as the sun dappled on the ground around them, giving a magical feel as the wind blew, gently swaying the tree limbs above them and kissing their skin with the breeze.
Lower down her arm he moved until he touched her hand. He traced each finger, noting her short, clean nails. She wore no jewelry other than a pair of small diamond stud earrings, something he’d noticed four years ago, as well. He’d bet anything the earrings were the same ones she’d had on then, that she wore them continuously. Had they been a gift from someone? A family member or a former man in her life?