I stand up. “Ready? Ready for what?”
Elijah walks into my office and picks up my purse. The man even looks good carrying a bright pink purse. My belly pulls just devouring him with my eyes.
He puts a hand at the center of my back. “To go to your doctor’s appointment. Something came up for Kane, and I told him I’d go with you.”
“No,” I tell him without budging. “I can go by myself.”
Kane looks at his friend. “See, I told you she wouldn’t be happy about this.”
I look between the two men and see them talking to each other without saying anything. They’ve always been able to communicate silently. I shake my head. “Look, you both have work to do. I can go by myself. This is just to get me established as a patient. That’s it.”
Elijah looks at me, and before he utters a word, I know I’m not getting out of here without him going with me. “Sassy, please, I want to go.”
Kane slaps him on the back. “Okay, I need to get across town. I’ll see you two later. Love you, sis.”
“I love you too,” I grumble before giving Elijah another out. “Seriously, I can totally do this on my own. I know you probably think I’m falling apart with all the crying, but it’s just all these hormones. I can handle this.”
Elijah wraps an arm around my waist. “Good. I know you can handle this by yourself, but why should you when I want to go with you? It will be fun. We can grab an early dinner afterward.”
I still don’t move. “You really want to do this?”
He looks down into my eyes and nods. “Yes, I want to go with you.”
I sigh. Why did I fall for someone like Jason? Elijah is everything I would want in a man. Unable to stand this close to him in this small office a second longer, I start to walk. “Okay, well, I guess we’re going.”
We walk outside and agree for me to drop off my car at Kane’s apartment.
As soon as I park, Eli is at my door, helping me out and then to his truck. He helps me in, even wrapping the seat belt around me and then shutting the door.
As soon as he gets into the driver’s side, he starts up the truck. “Okay, where are we heading?”
I wince. “To the hospital in Jasper.”
I wait for him to be upset that I’ve completely ruined his schedule, but he just nods, smiles at me, and takes off toward Jasper.
I turn in my seat. “Can I ask you something?”
He brings up one arm and lays it on the console between us as if he’s completely relaxed. “Anything.”
“How, or I guess I should say why, are you still single? You like just playing the field? Hooking up, as the young kids call it?”
I laugh, but Elijah just looks at me with a smile. “I don’t play the field or hook up.” He sighs. “At least I haven’t in the last five….” He clears his throat. “Five or so years.”
I can’t hold back my gasp. “Five years? You haven’t had sex in five years? Why?”
He looks straight ahead, making it hard to read his expression.
Finally, he looks toward me. “I haven’t found someone I’m interested in.” He shrugs. “Well, not someone that I could have.”
I laugh and playfully whack him on the shoulder. “Please… you could have any woman you wanted.”
He tenses under my touch, and I pull back. He’s my boss. I’m pregnant by another man, and I’m basically hitting on him. What the hell is wrong with me? Hormones. That’s my only excuse.
We ride in silence the rest of the way to Jasper, and the longer I sit here next to Elijah, the more aware I am of him. I glance over. It would be so easy to fall completely in love with him. Hell, who am I kidding? I’ve been in love with him since I was a kid. Being away from him, dating another man, none of those things changes the fact that the only man I’ve ever loved is Elijah Wolfe. But I need to come to terms with the fact that he will never be mine.
CHAPTER 7
ELIJAH
