His smile was infectious. “But,” his voice deepened a little, “I don’t mind helping you at all. If you ever need me to… take my shirt off for some skin-to-skin time… just let me know.”
Harmony nearly tripped over her own feet. “What?”
“I’m a helpful guy, Harmony.” She heard his warm chuckles over the sound of her pounding heart. “All you have to do is say so.”
Even with the cool air-conditioned air in the hallway, her face had to be beet red.
“Ha ha. That’s cute, officer.”
“Officer, Harmony?” He shook his head. “You can call me Crois on and off the clock.”
Yeah, she swore her face had to be glowing red at that point.
“Sure, I’ll call you Crois,” she hoped her smile looked… normal. “On the clock.”
He sighed, his shoulders dropped a little as he opened the door she started to reach for. “That’s good, for now.”
Harmony felt like laughing with relief. Crois’ presence was… gigantic. Monumental.
She felt like he could knock her over with just a look in her direction.
This wasn’t something she experienced much.
Well, she didn’t experience it at all.
She left the gurney in the hallway, out of the way of anyone who might come by.
Harmony stepped inside and grabbed a new set of sheets. When she turned to go back outside, she nearly slammed into Crois’ chest. “Oh.”
She stepped back and looked right up into his face.
“Sorry.”
His smile, the look in his eyes, mesmerizing.
“No need to be sorry, Harmony.”
Goodness, it sounded like he was almost purring her name.
Her heart was pounding in her chest.
“So,” he leaned in a little closer, “how about we work on the ‘off the clock,’ option.”
“Hmm? What?”
“Would you let me take you to dinner, Harmony?”
He made her name sound downright musical.
“Well?”
She ducked around him and pulled out a new pair of gloves to change the sheets, hoping that he’d forget what he said to her.
She should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy.
FOUR
HARMONY
