WENDY AWOKE THE next morning to a heavy, muscled thigh trapping her to the bed. Her ears buzzed, and her head felt fuzzy. It took her a moment to realize the ringing was coming from her phone. She blinked her eyes open to find Tom, naked, half on top of her, snoring.
Memories of the previous night flooded back. He’d carried her to bed after watching a marathon of reality TV and finishing the wine. They’d had sex again. It had been incredible. It had been everything she’d hoped for and more. It had been hot and slow and sweet, as if they had all the time in the world and...
OhGodohGodohGod.
Her eyes opened wide as she came fully awake. The phone. It was Wednesday. She was scheduled to work. What if they needed her earlier? What if something had happened with Sam? Tom had mentioned last night that he’d booked the nanny to stay with her all night, but what if she needed him this morning?
Sitting up fast and fumbling for her phone on the nightstand with clumsy fingers, Wendy nearly dropped it twice before finally answering. “Hello?”
“Hey!”
Aiyana.
Wendy swallowed hard to dislodge her heart from her throat and squinted into the too-bright room, searching for her alarm clock. Almost eight thirty. Ugh. She struggled to form a coherent sentence without having had her daily caffeine infusion yet. “What’s going on?”
Tom stirred beside her, yawning and stretching before sitting up too, giving her enough eye candy to last a lifetime. “Who is it?” he mumbled. “What’s happening? Is Sam all right? Is there an emergency at the hospital?”
“Who’s that?” Aiyana whispered over the phone line. “Where are you?”
“I’m home,” Wendy said. Less was definitely more in this situation. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact she’d slept with Tom Farber. She certainly wasn’t ready to share that news with anyone else yet. Besides, talking wasn’t her strong suit in the morning, especially with a gorgeous man at her side. A gorgeous, naked man who was now nuzzling the nape of her neck all the way up to her ear where she held the phone.
She shivered and glanced back at him over her shoulder. In the daylight, he was even hotter, all big and rumpled and protective and...
“That was a man’s voice,” Aiyana said, her tone suspicious. “Are you with the OB doc?”
“She is,” Tom said near the phone before she could stop him. He chuckled, the sound rumbling through her and disrupting all her good intentions.
“Oh, my God!” Aiyana exclaimed, so loudly Wendy had to hold the phone away from her ear. “Naughty girl. Good for you.”
Wendy squeezed her eyes shut, cringing. “Please don’t make a big deal about this.”
Tom kissed her cheek then got up and padded to the bathroom. She admired the view, missing his warmth already, then gathered the covers closer around her like a shield.
“This is fantastic! I knew there was something sparking between the two of you that day in my hospital room.” Aiyana’s happiness and excitement radiated through her words. “How long have you two been together?”
Wendy sighed and rubbed her eyes. “We’re not really together.”
“What are you, then?” Her sister-in-law sounded confused.
“Making it up as we go along.”
“But you let him spend the night. You never let guys spend the night.”
“Look, it just happened, okay? We didn’t plan it. In fact, we’ve sort of been trying to avoid it. Then I agreed to help him with a project for his daughter and he came over last night to make shopping lists and we had some wine and one thing led to another.” She groaned and covered her face. Last night had been a whole lot more than that, at least for her, but Wendy wasn’t willing to share that yet. She tried to make it all sound as casual as she could to throw Aiyana off the scent. “We fell asleep halfway through a marathon of Renovation Station. It’s no big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal.” Damn. Her sister-in-law wasn’t convinced at all. “Now you really have to get your test results.”
“What? No, I don’t. Why?” The bathroom door opened and the sounds of Tom’s footsteps echoed as he walked out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the kitchen, still totally naked and apparently totally unashamed. It all felt so comfortable and right and normal that her stomach knotted. She couldn’t let herself get used to this. Nope. “There’s no reason to go there, Aiyana. I’m careful. I always use protection. Double protection. Condoms and the Pill. We had one night together. It’s not like we’re married or anything.”
The warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee soon filled the air. The sounds of Tom fumbling around in her kitchen jangled her nerves. He’d made her coffee. Of all the nice things he’d done for her, that went right to the top of Wendy’s list. Had to love a man who made you coffee. Her heart skipped. Or not. Love wasn’t part of this equation. Annoyed with herself and her unwanted, seemingly unstoppable growing feelings for Tom, Wendy growled. “Why are you calling?”
“To complain about my boring life. But yours is much more interesting!” Aiyana laughed at Wendy’s annoyed snarl then lowered her voice. “Okay, give me the scoop. Is he good in bed?”
“I’m hanging up now.” Wendy scooted up to rest against the headboard, clutching the covers to her chest as Tom walked back in, carrying two mugs of coffee. He handed one to her and kissed her softly. Yep. He was good in bed. Good out of bed too. Hell, Tom was good pretty much everywhere. No man had ever brought her coffee in bed. Then again, no man had ever had the chance to either. “I’ll call you later. Bye.”
She ignored Aiyana’s protests and clicked off her phone then tossed it aside.
“I need a shower,” Tom said as she took a much-needed sip of caffeine. “Want to join me?”
Wendy really wanted to—man, did she. But if they got in the shower together, there was a good chance they’d not come out for a long time. Besides, more sexy times with Tom right now wouldn’t help her get her thoughts in order. “Uh, my shift starts at ten. Maybe next time?”
“Definitely next time.” He kissed her again then went back into the bathroom alone. She sat there, listening to the sound of running water and imagining what next time would be like. Could she survive a “next time”? Did she even want to try? Her chest ached at the realization that, yes, she did. And damn if that didn’t scare her most of all.
Tom exited a few minutes later, wet, with a towel around his hips. Wendy dodged his attempt to pull her into his embrace and raced to the bathroom without saying a word, shutting the door then having a quick wash and shampoo herself before rinsing off. By the time she came out, Tom was fully dressed in his clothes from the night before, the color of his shirt making his eyes look an even deeper blue. He smiled and picked up both their empty mugs, heading back to the kitchen, while she dressed in a fresh set of lavender scrubs, the beep of the microwave her soundtrack. She towel-dried her hair before joining him in the kitchen.
“Are you on call today?” she asked.
“No. I need to catch up on sleep. My shift starts tonight. Twenty-four hours. I juggled my schedule and picked up some extra work this week so I can be off for Memorial Day.”
“Right.” The three days of togetherness loomed ahead of her—so promising, so precious, so potentially dangerous to her heart and the well-built barriers surrounding it. Her defenses were already starting to crack and if she let them down completely, she wasn’t sure how she’d cope.
Now you really have to get your test results.
Aiyana’s words drifted through her mind again, making her temples throb.
Or maybe that was all the wine they’d had the night before. Hard to tell.
Either way, Wendy avoided Tom’s gaze, feeling fragile and way too vulnerable for her comfort. “Speaking of Memorial Day weekend, I managed to cash in some of my vacation time and pull some strings too, so I’m off all three days. If you want, I can pick up the stuff from the department store on Friday night after work and bring it over to your place after your parents pick up Sam. That way we can avoid spoiling the surprise.”
“Sounds good.” He stepped forward and slipped his arm around her waist to pull her closer, but she dodged away.
If she wanted to be on time for work, she needed to leave soon, but Tom was still standing there, looking far too tempting. Finally, he put his empty mug in the sink and held out his hand. “You need to go. Walk me to the door.”
She did. They stood on her threshold. Out of nowhere Dot appeared to nuzzle Tom’s legs.
He looked down, frowning. “Ah, the elusive feline. I think he likes me. Or is it a she?”
“Dot’s a girl,” Wendy said.
This time when he put his arm around her waist, she didn’t stop him. He pulled her closer and she couldn’t resist burying her face against his neck, burrowing into his arms. He smelled of soap and a trace of his citrus cologne left over from last night. Wendy couldn’t get enough, might never get enough of him. Finally, after one long last kiss, she nudged him on his way, needing the last few minutes to get ready and clear her head.
Sighing, Wendy headed back to her bedroom, resisting the urge to run to the window to watch Tom walk away. A quick blow-dry and another giant mug of coffee later she was finally ready to head to Anchorage Mercy.
The day went quickly at least. Before she knew it, it was three o’clock and time for her lunch break. Wendy grabbed her wallet and headed down to the cafeteria to meet Sam.
“Hey,” Wendy said, placing her tray down opposite Sam and pulling out a chair. She did her best to act cool and not let on at all that things had changed between her and Tom. After all, they’d technically not discussed exactly what was happening between them. For all Wendy knew, it was just another fling. That’s how she was going to look at it anyway, no matter what her stupid heart said. To dream of anything more was ridiculous, especially with her situation. She poured dressing on her salad and forced a smile she didn’t quite feel. “How’s it going? You ready for your trip next weekend?”
Sam eyed her speculatively. “Yup. What’s going on with you and my dad?”
For a moment, it felt like the earth shifted beneath Wendy’s feet. Heat prickled her cheeks as she fiddled with her silverware. Play it cool. Play it cool.
“Nothing. Why?”
“Do you like him?” Sam picked up an apple and bit into it, her expression quizzical. “I mean, like him like him?”
“Your dad’s very nice. Why are you asking me this?”
“No reason.” Sam watched her closely for a beat or two more before shrugging and looking away. “He and I have been talking more, getting along better, I guess. He just seems to, I don’t know, get all glowy when he talks about you.”
“Glowy?” The word stuck in Wendy’s constricted throat and came out as more of a squeak. A strange warmth spread outward from her core to her extremities at the thought that Tom might be smitten with her before she tamped it down.
This was a “no smitten” zone.
Regardless of how amazing it felt.
Time to change the subject. “I hope that means you’re feeling better about your visit to Fairbanks this weekend. Tell me more about what your grandparents have planned.”
“They called the other night and Dad put them on speakerphone.” Wendy suppressed a smile at her easy use of the endearment now. Progress indeed. Good for Tom. Good for Sam too.
“Grandpa Albert has a boat, so we’ll probably go out on the water,” Sam said, around another bite of apple. “I have to wear a life jacket, in case I fall in, but he’s going to teach me to swim while I’m there too. They have a pool.” She took a sip of milk. “And Grandma’s going to take me to the craft store to get supplies, so she can teach me how to knit. I’ve wanted to learn since I was back in Boston. There’s a couple of girls at school who do crafts and we can work on stuff together.”
“That’s awesome.” Wendy kept her tone casual, so glad Sam sounded excited about a trip she’d been dreading just a week or so ago. And the fact she seemed to be making friends here? That was maybe the best part of all, considering how alone and isolated Sam had felt. Opening up the lines of communication between Tom and his daughter had helped them both progress by leaps and bounds, and Wendy felt honored to have played a tiny part. She grinned, genuinely this time. “Sounds fun and you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.”
“Yeah. Grandpa said I should be able to swim by myself by the end of the weekend.”
Wendy gave her a thumbs-up, since her mouth was full of salad.
“Do you know how to swim?”
“I grew up with three older brothers. What do you think?” Wendy shrugged. “But I didn’t have someone teach me. When I was eight, my dad and brothers took me out in Cook Inlet and dropped me in. That’s how I learned. Be grateful.”
“Ugh. That sounds awful.” Sam made a face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Wendy chuckled. “I’m a survivor.”
“Me too,” Sam said, turning serious. “Hey, since you and my dad are friends now, will you do something for me?”
Wendy stopped in midsip of her vitamin water, her tension ratcheting up again. “If I can.”
“I’m worried about my dad.”
“Oh?” He’d seemed fine when he’d left her apartment that morning. “Why?”
“Will you keep an eye on him while I’m gone? I’m going to call him every day. But I’d like someone close to make sure he’s okay.”
“Sam.” Wendy reached across the table to take the girl’s hand, sensing there was more to this than just normal concern. “Your dad will be fine. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
“He’s all I have now,” she said, a slight catch in her voice. “What if I’m gone and he...?”
Wendy’s chest squeezed with emotion. She’d felt the same way for months after her mom had died, not letting her dad or her brothers out of her sight and worrying herself sick anytime she had to leave home, thinking they’d die and leave her just like her mother had.
But this was an assurance she could easily give to Sam, since she and Tom would be spending the weekend together, even if Wendy had to fudge the truth a bit. “I promise I’ll check in on your dad while you’re gone.”
“Thanks.” Sam slid a piece of paper across the table to her. “I wrote down his cell number, so you could call him. If you want. And our address.”
Wendy grinned. She already had both, but Sam didn’t know it. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
Sam smiled back. “Me too.”
“Now, go on your trip and have fun.”
“I will.” Sam squeezed Wendy’s hand tight. “I’ll miss our chats while I’m gone.”
“Me too,” Wendy said, squeezing back.
By ten o’clock on Friday night, Tom and Wendy finally stood outside his apartment.
“Having the paint delivered was a good call,” he told Wendy, looking at where the superintendent of his building had neatly arranged the cans to the side of his entryway.
He unlocked the door and gestured her inside then followed, kicking the door shut behind them with the edge of his foot before putting down the bags of stuff he’d carried for what had seemed like miles through the gigantic warehouse home improvement store.
She carefully unloaded their purchases, pushing her hair away from her face. “I can’t believe we got all this done in one night.”
They’d accomplished more shopping in four hours than Tom typically did in a month. Heck, three months. Normally, he’d feel exhausted after all that, but instead he felt energized. Wendy’s enthusiasm was contagious, her determination to find the perfect things and her excitement when she did had made every minute of their expedition fun.
He and Sam were lucky to have her on their side.
Their side.
After a year, he’d gotten to the point where he’d begun thinking of Sam and himself as a “we,” a unit, a family. Was he ready to add another person to that mix? Should he even consider it at this point? The last thing Sam needed in her life was more upheaval and he certainly never wanted to be the cause of it. Especially with Wendy’s test results still unknown. Still, he was finding it harder and harder to not think of the three of them as a cohesive group.
Those warning sirens wailed in his head again before he squelched them.
Mind the job, bub.
Enjoy the weekend. Decorate Sam’s room. Keep things light and fun and easy.
As he repeated that mantra over and over in his head, Tom fiddled with the packages of tape and nails and brushes Wendy had placed atop the island, arranging them into neat stacks.
An old niggle of doubt bored through him before he stopped it.
This was fine. This wasn’t the same as before in Boston. Wendy certainly wasn’t Nikki, and this certainly wasn’t a prelude to marriage. They were just two consenting adults having a good time together and getting a project done. Beyond that, who knew? He forced himself to stop messing with the packages and jammed his hands into his pockets. Tonight he planned to find out exactly where Wendy stood on things, make sure they were on the same page. As a loner bachelor, he wouldn’t have cared. But now, as a father, he owed it to Sam to be responsible.
He’d promised Wendy they’d take things slowly, and they would.
But the control-loving part of him wouldn’t rest until he at least knew the direction they were headed.
Wendy covered her mouth and yawned, squinting at him. “Sorry. I was up at six.”
“Coffee?” he asked.
“Always.” She walked down the hall to peek into Sam’s room. “We can prep for painting tonight and get started first thing tomorrow.”
“Or we could relax tonight and hit it hard in the morning.” After his parents had picked up Sam that afternoon, he’d spent part of his time boxing up his daughter’s things to make sure they didn’t get damaged during the renovation. They were ready to go for tomorrow. Tonight he had more important things on his mind. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure.” She took a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar and rested her chin in her hand, her expression thoughtful as she watched him make the coffee then push Start. “What’s going on?”
“Sam and I discussed a few things earlier, before my parents picked her up.” He took a deep breath, finding it harder than he’d expected to broach the subject, especially knowing how Wendy usually balked at any mention of long-term relationships or commitment.
“Sam’s been thinking a lot about what happened to her mother, unpacking a bunch of emotions around that. Which is great, healthy. I’m afraid, though, it also got her thinking about what will happen to her if I...” He raked a hand through his hair, knowing what a volatile subject it was with Wendy’s potential Huntington’s disease towering over them. In the end, he forced the words out in a fast tumble. “Well, she wondered what will happen to her if I die too. I told her that wasn’t likely to happen for a long time. I’m healthy as a horse, according to my last physical, but when she gets an idea in her head she won’t quit. Gets that from her mother.”
Wendy raised a brow.
“Okay, fine. She gets that from me too.” The coffee maker gurgled away, and he pulled out the carafe to pour them each a mug then put it back into place to continue to fill. Tom passed Wendy the cream before putting a splash in his own, his gaze locked on her puckered lips as she blew on her steaming mug. He could think of all sorts of fun things she could use that mouth of hers for. He coughed and turned away fast to distract himself.
“Anyway, I told her she’d go to live with my parents in that event. But it also got me thinking about us. About you.” He leaned back against the counter. “About your test results.”
She winced slightly, then tilted her head, not looking at him. “I’m prepared.”
Tom narrowed his eyes. “Prepared for what? Prepared to find out your results?”
“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?” Wendy frowned, her voice edged. “When I first told you, you acted like it wasn’t a big deal. Now all of a sudden it is? Fine. I’ve taken precautions either way. I have a will. I made sure to lease an apartment on the ground level of my building, in case I might need wheelchair access one day. Anything else you’d like to give me the third degree on?”
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Wendy.” Tom hung his head. “And I’m sorry if you felt like this came out of the blue. It’s just taken me a while to process my thoughts on everything. And now that we’re sleeping together, and things have gotten more serious between us, I need to consider how all this will affect Sam too. I’m just trying to do the right thing, the responsible thing, for everyone involved.”
Her expression hardened. “I see. I’ve been nothing but honest with you since the start of all this. I told you about my family history of Huntington’s disease. I don’t tell many people about that, Tom. If and when I decide to find out my results, it will be my choice and on my timetable. I like Sam and I like you. Way more than I should, but long-term relationships aren’t something I ever considered for myself. I’m doing the best I can here, Tom. What more do you want from me?”
Everything.
Given her current reactions, though, Tom knew better than to say it. His heart ached knowing what a burden she must carry because of her mother’s disease, but he also wanted to tell her he’d be there for her no matter what, if she’d let him. “I’ve done some research into HD and they’ve made great strides managing the disease recently. Still no cure, but lots of clinical trials for new drugs for treatment, plus support networks and—”
“And did your research also tell you that only ten percent of people at risk for the disease choose to have the predictive testing done? It’s a numbers game on both sides. There’s a fifty-fifty chance I have it. My three siblings tested negative, so...” She scowled down at the counter. “You know, let’s not talk about this right now. This weekend is supposed to be fun, not serious.”
Tom stood on the opposite side of the breakfast bar from her and frowned, not quite ready to leave the deeper waters. “Okay. But eventually we’ll need to talk about it. I won’t push you, but you deserve peace of mind, Wendy. You deserve to be happy too.”
She gave him a startled glance. Yep, he’d smacked right into the brick wall of her fears.
He came around to sit on the stool beside hers and took her hands.
Wendy tensed beneath his touch, pulling away, a haunted look in her dark eyes. “You say you’ll be there for me if things don’t go well, but you have no idea what it’s like. My mother’s death was awful and horrible and terrifying. I’d never want to put you or Sam through that. Can’t we just enjoy our time together, for as long as it lasts?”
They were both dressed casually tonight in jeans. He had on a black T-shirt and she wore a pretty pink top that hugged her curves to perfection. While he wasn’t giving up on the subject, having her so close persuaded him to put it off, at least a little longer.
It had been days since that torrid night at her apartment and he’d not been able to stop thinking about a repeat performance. Wendy looked so damned sexy with her long legs and sleek hair and infinitely kissable lips. He ached from wanting her.
Putting a foot on either side of her stool, Tom effectively caged her between his thighs. They looked at each other as the air around them thickened with lust. Her gaze dropped to his rapidly hardening groin before flickering back to his eyes.
“One day at a time, huh?” he said. “What about the nights?”
“What about them?” Desire made her voice husky.
He placed his hands on her knees, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles on the soft denim. “Here we are.”
Tom held his breath, stayed quiet, waited. The next move was hers.
Wendy leaned closer still to rest her hands on his chest. “Promise me one thing.” She slowly traced her fingers down his torso to his waistband, then cupped his straining length through his jeans. He needed her so badly, he nearly embarrassed himself on the spot.
“Anything.” At this moment Tom would’ve given her the universe to have her keep touching him. “Anything at all.”
“After this weekend.” Her hand kept moving over his erection. Up and down. Tip to base. Over and over. Lulling him into a passion-filled stupor. “Once Sam comes home and we get back to our regular lives, no matter what happens between us, promise me things won’t get weird.”
The motion of her hand made it difficult for him to focus, but he did his best, knowing there was more on the line here than just sex. Over the past few weeks he’d come to value Wendy’s friendship as much as their sizzling sexual chemistry. Even if he never broke through her barriers and got past her fears, even if this weekend was all they ever had, he’d do everything in his power to ensure it didn’t interfere with them in the future. “I promise.”
“Good.” Wendy drew back to pull off her top, revealing a black lace bra this time. He’d thought the purple one from the other night was sexy, but this one was off-the-charts hot. She tossed her shirt aside then smiled. “Get those clothes off, mister.”
Gladly. Tom didn’t think he’d ever disrobed so fast in his life.
Once he was naked, she guided him down to the hardwood floor between the breakfast bar and the island, then straddled his hips.
“What about you?” He palmed her denim-covered butt and guided her right where he wanted her, unable to stop grinding against her, needing more.
“You in a hurry, Dr. Farber?”
He didn’t want to be, but he was primed and ready. Oh. So. Ready.
“We’ll go slow next time, Nurse Smith.” He reached up to unclasp her bra then slid it off. Tom pulled her in for a kiss, savoring the feel of her bare breasts against his chest, her nipples hard and straining. God, he’d craved her for days, since the last time they’d been together, yearning to feel the curve of her waist, the smoothness of her skin, her soft hair, her lips.
Time passed in a series of deep, passion-filled kisses and desperate caresses. He felt cocooned in a place he never wanted to leave. The temperature seemed to rise in the room. Their moans grew louder, their movements more urgent.
Then Wendy pulled away and shimmied out of her jeans and panties all at once. He pointed to his crumpled jeans on the floor and she pulled out a condom from the back pocket. He nearly climaxed when she put it on him, stopping to place a single, delicate kiss atop his erection before positioning herself over him again. Slowly Wendy sank down and Tom entered paradise.
He thrust into her while she rode him, burying himself as deep inside her as possible, taking a moment to savor the tight, wet heat surrounding him.
“More.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders and he gave her what she wanted, what he wanted, driving into her. She cried out as he leaned up on his elbows to take one of her nipples into his mouth.
“So good.” She moaned and rocked against him, her rhythm steady and fast.
He met her thrust for frantic thrust. His scrotum tightened. Her body stiffened.
“Don’t stop,” Wendy said, pulling him in for another kiss.
“Never,” Tom whispered against her lips as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over them.
Several hot, sweaty, fantastic minutes later, she pulled back, still panting. “I’ve never done it on the kitchen floor before.”
He nuzzled up close to her ear. “Glad I could be your first.”
“Yeah?” Wendy grinned. “Trust me, you’re my first in a lot of ways.”
Tom’s heart leaped at those words, but he tamped it down. It was sex talk, that was all. To read anything more into it was asking for trouble. He grinned and focused only on this moment, this woman, this night. “Let’s move to my bed and I’ll see if I can add more firsts to the list.”