Page 33 of Hold Me Instead (Elmwood Falls #1)

Zachary

He savored her.

Charlie Harris was in his arms, his lips were on hers, and fuck it about Mrs. Bergman.

With one arm at her waist, the other flailed until he found the door and flipped it shut.

He nestled his hand along her jaw, tilted it, his kisses slow.

Mint from the lip balm she used every day tingled, his senses heightened until all he smelled was lavender, her warm Charlie scent.

Their bodies flush, he curved over her to accommodate their height difference, and with the shift, deepened the kiss.

His tongue traced the seam of her soft lips.

She parted them on a moan, shoved her hands into his hair as their tongues tangled.

It spurred him on, his hands roaming her back, her waist, skimming her ass and sliding up again.

Her fingers skated up and down his arms, but when he grabbed her lower lip between his teeth, she stilled and gasped.

They parted, foreheads together as they caught their breath. Their kiss was sloppy, her mouth shiny and wet. Her chin was red from the scratch of his scruff, and he leaned forward to press another gentle kiss, only it escalated into a seductive match.

Her back bumped her desk, and she sat, opening her legs to keep him close.

She flicked her tongue playfully at his.

The groan that escaped him was guttural, and the strokes of his tongue made her whimper.

He gripped her, and when she wrapped a leg around him, he pressed his pelvis into her instinctively, wanting to hear that sound again.

Her hands grasped his shoulders, slid up his neck to cradle his jaw. It was then he remembered his earlier plan: Don’t mess with Charlie, the woman who wouldn’t want a one-night stand .

The woman he didn’t want for only one night.

He released her, stumbled back a step, their lips the last to break contact.

It should end here. They’d satisfied their curiosity, now they could move on. He was about to say as much when the quick knock on the door startled them both. He leaped farther from her, and she hopped into her chair.

“Yes?” Charlie asked as Sheila opened the door.

“Room two is ready for you. And room one for you, Dr. Lee.”

“Thank you,” they replied together.

His eyes darted back to Charlie’s as the tech closed the door. They stared at each other as rain pelted the window, cocooning them from the outside world.

“We should get to it,” he said abruptly. Later. They could talk later.

But he wouldn’t stop thinking about her.

***

He didn’t intentionally avoid her for the rest of the day. It just happened.

Or so he told himself .

The afternoon powered on, fueled by the intensity of their make-out session.

Routine checkups were interspersed with a feverish kitten and a dog finding poison ivy on a hike, but nothing fully distracted him from that kiss.

They’d both been aching for it, that much was clear—they were practically climbing into each other.

But the panic on her face after initiating the kiss told him she’d been concerned about making the first move, and it reminded him she wasn’t the type to go around kissing guys.

His insistence on keeping her firmly outside the “one-night stand” camp was warranted.

Charlie Harris deserved care and attention from someone who’d be there for her every day.

Definitely not a man who’d be leaving in a few short weeks.

A frustrated breath shot out of him as he finished sorting the days’ files. It was best to let them cool off, have space to really think about what happened, what it meant.

His phone buzzed on the desk, announcing a text.

Sandra: Heads up, it’s chaos over here .

Zachary raised his eyebrow.

Zachary: It ’ s always chaos at your house .

Sandra: No , Mom and Dad ’ s . Stopped on my way home to check on them , and it ’ s …

Zachary: …

Sandra: Just tread carefully when you stop by tonight.

Fuck . Being told to rest was already a struggle for his dad, but being told he couldn’t work, possibly ever? It was a life sentence.

Zachary: How long will you be there ?

Sandra: Trying my damnedest to get out the door , but Mom needs help . He’s having a rough day .

Zachary: I ’ ll head out in five .

Sandra: K . I’ll prob still be here . Maybe forcing Dad to FaceTime the kids while I ply Mom with wine .

Zachary: Sounds like good counseling tricks.

Sandra: A lot of clinical rules are flying out the window. See your ass in a few.

Zachary grabbed his things. When he stepped into the hall, he found Charlie heading his way. Her steps slowed, and she stopped a foot from him. The satisfaction that coursed through him as her cheeks flushed only made him scold himself internally. She’s not a toy .

“How’s your head?”

“A little fuzzy, but better than earlier.” The pinch in her brow lessened as she gave him a soft smile, then the smile slipped. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“You look upset.”

“Just my face.”

She shoved her hands on her hips. “You have ‘upset resting face’ now?”

He shrugged. “It’s a thing.”

She glanced around, then stepped closer. “Really, Zachary. Are you okay?”

The concern in her voice tugged him toward her, and before he realized it, his hand was brushing a wild strand of hair behind her ear. “Sandra just texted. Guess Dad’s having a rough day.” It was half of what weighed on him, but it was the half he understood most.

“Oh.” She blinked multiple times as his hand left her. “Anything I can do? ”

“You mean aside from offering your personal number to every client that comes around? I think you’ve done your good deed for today. Maybe even longer. Probably for the life of Pickles.”

She chuckled lightly, capped it with a shrug.

“It’s through our texting system, she won’t have my direct number.

” She shifted her feet, a guilty expression falling across her face.

“She’s lonely. I wanted her to know I heard her.

She’s not my biggest fan, so if I can go an extra step to win her over, I’ll do it. ”

“Why does she need to be on Team Charlie? She can go somewhere else if she’s not happy. Or going to be a constant pain in the ass.” He already counted her in the “most likely to leave” column when they raised their prices—a detail he’d have to discuss with Charlie soon, though now wasn’t the time.

“She loves your dad. Really, she represents numerous clients with a similar devotion to him and not the woman who’ll take over the practice. No matter how much he mentored me.”

That he thought she could ever manipulate things to get into the family business when she lived and breathed the work made him disappointed with himself.

“They’ll come around. Some of us need a little shake to get our head out of our ass.”

She gazed up at him with a smirk. “Maybe a little more than a shake, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows, then stepped around him.

Her back practically slid along the wall, giving as much space as she could in the narrow hallway, like she was afraid with one touch they’d combust. “Give your dad my best, okay? I’m assuming they won’t be coming to the cookout tomorrow. ”

“Not sure. You don’t want to swing by and see him now? He’s in a mood.”

“Ha, tempting. I need to turn in early. Try to get rid of this. Big day ahead.”

He stopped her, his hand grazing hers, and she inhaled sharply. His own pulse kicked up a notch. He took a small step closer. “Can I get you anything?”

She gave him a small shake of her head. “I’m good. Thanks.” She twisted her hand and squeezed his, then continued backward toward their office, in those ridiculous paw-print scrubs with the squiggly hearts as berry pink as her shoes. His fingers flexed with the memory of pulling her close.

“See you tomorrow.” She gave him a full smile, so bright it seemed to imprint on his eyelids when he blinked. Then she disappeared into the office.

Well, fuck him. Zachary had his first adult-sized crush.