Wash

“You just went out with her once?”

He nodded, then shook his head. “Maybe twice.”

He slept with her, probably once at the hospital. She grinned but held back the laugh. “And she’s stalking you now?”

“The girl’s a piece of work! She shows up when I’m finishing a surgery, or leaving work, or bloody coming out of the toilets. It’s like she’s tagged me with a tracking device.”

Charity stopped for a red light. “She’s a nurse? On sixth floor?” She tried to remember if there were any super pretty ones she’d noticed the few times she had passed the nurses’ station. Hadn’t several of them been talking about him last weekend?

“Not on sixth. She works on third. The maternity floor.”

She laughed and tried to stop when he shot her a pretend dirty look. “Seriously? Come on. Maternity? You’re just making it too easy for me to tease you.”

He gave her a smug nod. “You’re still treating, right? ‘Cause now I’m ordering appetizers, foreign bottled beer, the most expensive dinner on the menu, and a dessert I’m not even going to touch!”

She turned again and let her foot off the gas to slow slightly. She pointed out the passenger window and her hand brushed across his chest. It sent a warm sensation back toward her. “That’s where we are going to have the gala.”

Elijah leaned forward to look out the window. “It looks closed.”

“It is right now. The guy who bought the place said it’ll be finished in about three months, four tops. We’ll be the first rental when it’s complete. Wait till you see it.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Your father was quite adamant that you were going to do something special. Something one-of-a-kind. He–”

“Seriously? He said that?” She cut him off, surprised her father would actually say something nice about her to others.

“He did. Now everyone is volunteering to help out. Half the hospital didn’t even know Dr. Thompson had a daughter.”

“Did you know?”

He nodded. “Your dad has a framed picture of the three of you on his desk.”

Charity stared at the road ahead. She hadn’t noticed the picture when she dropped the phone

off. Then again, she hadn’t been looking for it. She wondered when the photo had been taken.

She parked the car and pointed just up the road on the other side of the street. “The place where we’re eating is a house turned into a restaurant. I think the owners live upstairs actually.”

“I’ve driven on this road a hundred times and never noticed a restaurant sign.”

“Wait till you try the food. You’ll be ordering takeout once a week.”

Charity got out and walked around the car to the sidewalk. Elijah was waiting for her. They walked together and stopped at the intersection for the light to change.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Elijah muttered as he glared at the ground.

“What?” she asked, glancing around.

“To our left, about to cross the street, is stalker-nurse.”

Charity looked and saw a pretty redhead coming toward them, a determined look on her face. Charity didn’t want the night ruined. A crazy idea popped in her head. “You’re about to owe me dinner.” She stepped closer to Elijah just as his head came up. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips hard against his. Her eyes closed on instinct and her lips softened against his. He froze a moment before he started kissing her back.

His hands slipped inside her coat and their warmth seeped through her shirt and burned against her skin. Her lips parted and his tongue brushed against hers. It sent mixed signals to her brain.

She heard an angry harrumph behind her. Just to be safe she pressed closer to Elijah and kissed him harder. It took Charity a few moments longer than she thought it would to pull away. Slightly out of breath, she leaned her forehead against his and whispered, “Is she gone?”

Elijah’s shoulders rose and fell as his eyes searched hers a moment before glancing behind her. “She’s stomping down the road.” He chuckled. “I mean it. She’s literally stomping her feet. I think she’s pretty pissed.”

Charity straightened and turned to watch the girl. “I don’t think she’s going to be bugging you anymore. Just check your food and coffee for poison.”