“Don’t be a stranger and next time, bring the brownies.” She smiled as she patted my hand.
I nodded and turned. When I did, Lexi threw her arms around my legs. I kneeled down. “Will you make sure that my balloons stay out of the way when the nurses come in?” I asked her.
She nodded with a solemn expression on her face and walked over to them, gathering the strings in her hand. I stood back up and could feel Mr. Smolder’s gaze piercing into me. I was scared to look his direction for some reason. Who was I kidding? I didn’t want to look at him because I was scared that my feelings for him would be broadcast on my face.
In an attempt to seem cool and totally unaffected by the fact that we now shared this huge life experience, I lifted my hand awkwardly and much too brightly said “Okay, bye-bye.”
Bye-bye?!
Who says bye-bye?
Not me. Never once in my life had I said bye-bye.
My feet couldn’t carry me fast enough as I turned on my heels and rushed out of the room.
I was halfway down the hall when I heard a deep, familiar voice say, “Sadie.”
At the sound of my name, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I’d never heard Mr. Smolder say my name before. I shifted my weight back onto my heels and the momentum turned my body. When it did, I saw him walking toward me.
How could anyone look that sexy under fluorescent lights? His gait was long and confident. His chiseled jaw covered in a five o’clock shadow was highlighted and the look in his steel blue stare had me trapped like a laser beam. Not that I was complaining.
My heart lodged in my throat, and I did my best to swallow over the lump of lust that was currently clogging it.
“I was going to stop by to thank you yesterday when I got back into town but after I picked up Lexi and then came by the hospital it was late. Then this morning I’d planned on coming by the bakery, but I had to take care of some business and then I needed to come here.”
It took me a beat to realize he was apologizing. Apparently, my brain was on a five second lust delay.
“I thought about calling but that didn’t seem like enou—"
“No, stop. It’s fine,” I cut him off, waving my hand dismissively. “You don’t owe me anything. It was no problem. Really. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Yes, it was,” he spoke decisively with an air of command that was not going to help my five-second lust delay. “It waseverything. Those two people in there are my life and you saved one of them and took care of the other one. Lexi hasn’t stopped talking about you. She told me that you colored with her and played games. You kept her mind off of how scared she was. If you hadn’t been there…”
The look in his eyes shattered my heart into a million pieces. I could see the deep-rooted pain there, pain that came from losing his wife and son. “It really was no problem. I used to be a nanny so I’m good at keeping kids occupied. And Lexi is a doll. A sweetheart. She was so brave. I know how scared she must have been, but she was a trooper. Honestly, it was my pleasure. I’m so glad I was there and could help.”
He nodded and opened his mouth but then closed it again. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.
“If you ever need anything,anything,” he repeated with more emphasis as he held out the card, “just let me know.”
My hand was shaking as I reached out to take it. I hoped he didn’t notice the tremble but as soon as our fingers touched any insecurities I had evaporated. The heat of his skin pressed against mine and the innocent contact sent a shot of awareness rioting through my body.
As we stood in the hallway surrounded by beeping monitors and announcements over the PA system it felt like we were the only two people in the world. Energy crackled between us like pop rocks in soda. Or at least, that’s what I was feeling. The hairs on my arm were standing up on end and tingles spread through me.
“Daddy! Gigi said that I could watch shows on her phone, but I don’t know how to do it.” Lexi called out from the doorway of the hospital room.
I dropped my hand and immediately missed the connection. He turned back to his daughter. “Be right there.”
When he turned back to face me, there was a lopsided grin on his face that had my heart doing backflips.
“I better go.”
I nodded, unable to speak.
“Remember,anything,” he reiterated before turning and walking into the room.
As I watched him go, I heard Charli’s voice in the back of my head,Orgasm! Tell him you need an orgasm.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I walked, no floated to the elevators feeling like I was on cloud nine. Mrs. Garrett seemed like she was going to make a full recovery. Lexi was doing great. And Mr. Smolder had given me his card—so technically I had his phone number—and he’d told me to let him know if I neededanything. He didn’t owe me anything and I had no intention of calling him or taking him up on his offer. Not even for an orgasm.
