“Slow. Methodical. Expert.”
“I like the sound of that.”
And then they were kissing again. Luke seemed to be in no rush. He took his time as they made out like teenagers. He seemed to want to learn what Bella liked, because when he kissed her neck and she let out a soft sigh, he continued there for a while longer.He really did kiss like a doctor — he was good at it, as though he already knew her well and had studied her.
It was Bella who lay back fully on the sofa and pulled him on top of her, wanting more. Wantinghim.Soon, their kissing grew more passionate. Both their shirts were off, though Bella couldn’t quite remember when that had happened. She didn’t care. She didn’t want to stop kissing long enough to figure it out. She just wanted to savor the feeling of his hands on her back, her stomach, her face, and his lips everywhere.
“Shall we move to the bed?” Luke asked, his voice low. His lips were swollen from her kisses, and his hair was disheveled, and that made Bella’s desire all the stronger. She didn’t hesitate. She wouldn’t normally sleep with a guy she’d just met — but Luke was no normal guy, and this was no normal night.
“Yes.”
Luke pulled her to her feet, and they went to the bed together, falling back on the soft sheets.
Luke paused, braced over her. The room was only faintly lit by the city lights outside and one lamp, but she could see the depth in his gray eyes.
“What are you doing?” Bella asked softly.
Luke smiled. “Remembering this.” And then he bent his head to kiss her again. Still, there was no rush. They savored each moment, in perfect accord, and Bella was very,very,glad she’d chosen this.
CHAPTER 7
LUKE
Luke woke to sunlight streaming across the bed and Bella’s head on his shoulder. She was still asleep, and Luke took it all in: the gentle curl of her eyelashes, her soft pink cheeks, her hair fanned across the pillow. Bella’s chest rose and fell softly, and a faint smile played across her lips.
Luke didn’t move a muscle. It had been a very long time since he’d woken up like this, and he wanted to savor it. He wanted to remember Bella’s soft bakery smell and the way her hand rested on his chest. He wanted to remember her curves pressed against him. He wanted to remember every second of last night.
He wanted to remember all this because he knew that the moment they were both awake, the moment they walked out this door, it would all be over.
It was the only way forward. Luke had had a wonderful time with Bella, but he wasn’t ready for a real, serious relationship. He only had room in his life for work right now, and he’d only disappoint her, and himself, if he tried to make room for her. Bella deserved more than a workaholic who took one day off a month and slept at the hospital half the time. She deservedsomeone who could seize the moment with her, build a future with her — and Luke just wasn’t that guy.
Even if, in this moment, he wanted to be.
Beyond that, Luke knew he wasn’t ready to open his heart again. After the way he’d lost his wife, he’d end up wrapping Bella in bubble wrap to keep her from ever getting hurt. He’d worry every moment he wasn’t with her that something had happened. And Bella deserved better than that, too.
Just then, a phone alarm went off. Luke reached for the bedside table just as Bella sat up, yawning, and grabbed her phone.
“Sorry, that’s mine.” She shut off the alarm and turned to Luke, smiling. “Hey.”
“Hi. Did you sleep well?”
“Hmm.” Bella stretched and slid out of bed. “I’d better go take a shower.”
“Me too.” Luke hesitated. He didn’t want this to be awkward, but he didn’t want to mislead Bella, either. “I have work in about an hour.”
“I’ll be quick.” She winked and slipped into the bathroom. Apparently, she didn’t much mind that Luke was running out. He heard the water turn on and lay back down, closing his eyes. He rarely lounged in bed like this, and it was nice. It reminded him of his old life, when he’d spent lazy Sundays relaxing instead of rushing off to work all the time.
Bella came out a few minutes later, her hair wet, wearing a towel. “Your turn.”
Luke got up, trying not to look too much at Bella in the towel. He could see the long, lean lines of her legs beneath the fabric and her bare shoulders above it. That all reminded him too clearly of how much he’d seen last night, and his resolve wavered. Maybe they could have something casual…
Then Bella turned away, picking up her jeans and bra off the floor, and Luke came back to his senses. He went into the bathroom to shower, then got dressed in the suit from the day before. At least a pair of clean scrubs would be waiting for him at the hospital.
“You know,” Luke said as he slipped his feet into his shoes, “I probably have time for a coffee.”
Don’t be an idiot,he told himself firmly.You don’t have time for coffee. And you definitely don’t have time for this.As much as he wanted to stretch the moments with Bella, even ask for her number or at least her last name, he knew she wouldn’t fit into his life. It was better to let last night become a perfect memory than try to force something more.
Bella glanced at her phone and winced. “Sorry —Idon’t. I have to get to work.”
