Chapter Nine
L ee’s heart scampered while her brain reminded her to breathe. When was the last time someone had cared about her well-being? Hugged her? Touched her in a way that made her feel safe and supported? Oh sure, her mom and dad gave her hugs at the airport when she left for this assignment, but truth be told their arms were full of disappointment.
Mav pulling her into an embrace? Ever since she’d met him at the highway crash, a part of her wanted to know what it would feel like to press against that broad chest. Did his arms feel as strong as they appeared?
It’s too soon , a little voice in her head piped up.
Unprofessional , another internal voice said.
You misjudged a man before , she reminded herself.
One hug won’t hurt , she argued, craving the human touch and release of stress along with the man.
What did she know about him? Mav seemed like a normal guy who worked hard and wanted to help others. Nothing he’d done suggested he would play games or use her for some ulterior motive. Did he feel sorry for her, like, hey, here’s the new doctor all shaky after a sketchy clinical situation ? Maybe he simply wanted to prop her up so she survived this locums assignment—in the interest of patient care.
She studied his earnest sky-blue gaze and didn’t read pity there. The firm press of his mouth into a determined line tempted her to ease forward, make a connection, allow herself to lean on someone for a moment.
That act took trust—not in Maverick but in herself.
“Apologies.” He grimaced. “Just letting you know I’m here, Lee. Nothing more than that.” Out of the corner of her vision, his hand on the couch opened as he stretched fingers toward her. Then he rolled the hand into a fist and dropped it on his thigh. “Sorry if my saying so wasn’t appropriate.” Disappointment dropped the tone of his voice, and he pushed to his feet with a creak of pleather and a stiff shush of his uniform fabric.
“No, I’m…” What was she? Lee was a Southern woman desperate to feel warmth in the Arctic. The chilliness had nothing to do with geography and everything to do with her past and her present colliding in front of her. “Yes. Sure.”
“Yes, what?”
She swallowed a hard lump. “I’d appreciate that hug. Professionally speaking.”
He held his arms a few inches away from his body, hands open. Other than that, he didn’t move.
Lee stood. Her line of sight fell right at the vee of his navy EMS button-down shirt. The muscles of his neck tensed and relaxed. He remained still.
She had to take the first step. Ask for what she needed. Take the support offered.
Trust that he wouldn’t hurt her.
Trust herself.
Lee stepped up, her feet fitting between his shoulder-width spaced ones.
Heat poured off of him. She inhaled his scent of cold, fresh air and a hint of spruce trees.
Mav didn’t move. One of his hands shook.
“It’s okay?” she breathed, not able to meet his gaze.
His chest rose and fell in front of her. “Very okay.”
Sliding her arms around his waist, she rested her cheek against his upper chest. With a deep hum, Mav closed a circle behind her, lightly pressing his palms against her stiff spine. The rapid thud of his heart under her ear rivaled her own heart rate.
After a full minute—or was it an hour?—the joints in her body loosened and she relaxed into him, breathing in his warm scent. Under her fingers, his hard back muscles bunched up tight—strength held in check, like an engine revved but remaining in neutral.
It had been far too long since she’d leaned on someone. Too long since she enjoyed simple human connection. Tears prickled her eyes, and she suppressed a sniffle.
“Lee.” His low voice transmitted from his sternum into her cheekbone.
Solid. Warm. His broad chest felt like a safe shelter in a blizzard. His arms telegraphed support. His lips…
His lips?
Another shift of his embrace and a dip of his head preceded a whispery brush of his mouth against her hairline. He did it again. Wonderful sparks of pleasure followed the path of his lips down to her temple.
She pulled back to look up at his sky-blue eyes that had darkened. Pupillary dilation. Signaled interest.
She licked her lips.
How dark had her eyes become?
Lee raised her head, so his lips fell on her cheek in front of her ear. A frisson of excitement zipped down through her chest and settled low in her pelvis.
Maverick used his chin to ease her head farther to the side and then gave her earlobe a gentle lick. The sensation and his breath feathering her skin triggered delicious warmth that radiated out from deep inside of her.
“Oh.” She exhaled, curling fingers into fists on his back.
He slid one hand up to bury his fingers in her hair and cup the back of her head. Then he tugged, and an answering pull pulsed between her legs. Was this truly happening? Lee was waking up, like she’d hibernated in a numb state for months and months and finally rejoined the world. Is this okay? she checked in with her innermost self.
Not only okay but welcome. She wanted more of whatever this was.
No. It wasn’t the actions she craved but the person.
Maverick swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Muscles of his arms and chest bunched and shifted around her. “Um, not to be too—” The cords of his neck shifted again, as if forming words took effort. He stared at her lips. Licked his own. “But I’d like to—”
“Me, too.” Lee rose on her toes to close the space between them, a hot, sparking connection.
His firm lips were velvet, and he moved over hers, constantly changing angles and pressure. He licked and nipped at the corners of her mouth and the bow of her upper lip until she gasped. Had she actually made that sound?
His hand on the back of her head tightened, holding her in his blissful grasp, his other arm locked around her waist. The temperature where their bodies met rose several degrees. Lee clutched at his back, need building deep inside of her.
After another mystery move with his lips, she opened to him. He dipped his tongue in, meeting hers in a warm, sensual tangle. Then he pulled back.
Waited to see if she wanted more.
Oh yes, more.
Lee leaned against him and swept her tongue against his partly open mouth. The embrace deepened as he surrounded her with his frame. Little lights sparkled at the edge of her vision. Her toes tingled. Her legs went weak. Still, he held her steady, taking his time, meeting her kiss for kiss, there in the doctors’ lounge.
A bang in the hallway followed by a squeak caught her attention. Jumping, she glanced back over her shoulder. He tightened his arms around her. Another softer squeak came from the hall.
“What was that?” she said, breathless like she’d run a marathon.
Maverick cocked his head to listen. “Environmental services cart going by.”
Lee dropped her forehead on his chest. “Mood busted by a mop.”
Maverick rested his chin on the top of her head, and his chuckle vibrated through her skull. “As much fun as that was, this is probably not the right place. Contrary to what the popular television shows might suggest.”
It wasn’t right for lots of reasons. This place, this situation. Her life. Lee had emotional baggage to unpack. Financial hills to climb. Never in the past had she taken relationships lightly. This assignment was temporary. Best she remember that fact.
All her brain remembered was the sensation of Maverick’s warm mouth sweeping over hers while he sheltered her in his embrace. She scrunched her toes in her shoes and rolled her lips together, tasting him on her skin. Hells bells, she needed to pull herself together.
“That was…” he began.
“A heck of a support hug?”
He slid his hand from the back of her head to rest on her shoulder. “Yeah. That.”
“Do you support the rest of your EMS team this way?” Shifting weight from one foot to the other, she brushed against him and groaned at the faint friction of her chest against his.
He bent down for a simple, soft kiss, heaved out a massive lungful of air, then let go of her and backed up. One step. Then two. Her skin cooled even as she involuntarily leaned forward.
“Supporting the EMS team like this?” his voice cracked as his gaze never left hers. “Moose’s wife would not be impressed with my staff management skills. Do you know how quickly I’d be written up?”
Dropping her hands to her sides, she added some physical space between them. Her face burned and nerves still tingled, but she peeked up at him. It had been so long since she’d enjoyed such sensations.
Truly had never felt like this if Lee was being completely honest with herself. “Well. Okay, then.” What did someone say in this situation? “Thanks?” Lee closed her eyes. That wasn’t the right word.
“Hey,” he said.
Peeking through one eye, she spied his sheepish smile. A safe reaction. Lee could deal with a little adult embarrassment. She rubbed sweaty palms on her pants.
“So.” He pointed with both index fingers. “I’m going to head on out.”
“Have a good night.”
A gusting whoosh was accompanied by the rise and fall of his chest. “Not a problem after that kiss.”
Her cheeks heated again as she bent to pick up the napkins and snack packaging, wadding them up in a tighter and tighter ball, like she wanted to compress the awkwardness.
“At the risk of sounding too forward,” Mav said in a serious tone of voice, “any interest in having that dinner?”
“Now?” She squeaked the word.
“No, in the next few days.”
Her thoughts whirled, but her mind was clearer than it had been in a long time.
How could this connection feel both too fast and too slow? She didn’t care. She wanted to experience more of it. “Sure,” she managed.
He nodded. “Then I’ll also let you see my babies.”
“Babies?” Oh, he had children? Okay.
Maverick winked and strode toward the lounge door. “I’ll line up our call schedules and we’ll find a time that works.”