“Why else—to check on you.”
The simmer was quickly turning into flaring temper. “Have a seat,” she said with false calm. Back in Philadelphia, she thought, rather nastily.
Lunch was hardly a pleasant chatty occasion. In fact it was eaten in absolute silence.
Out of pure contrariness, not thirst, Becca drank two cups of the fresh coffee, while simply nibbling at both her salad and sandwich.
Naturally, Seth serenely ignored her while eating every bit of his lunch…not to mention the half of sandwich she left on her plate.
To Becca’s further annoyance, he monitored every swallow of coffee she took.
“You know,” he said, too casually, “instead of gulping caffeine, you should be resting.”
Skirting the edge of serious anger, Becca glanced at him balefully. “Is that a professional or merely personal opinion, Dr. Andrews?”
He appeared unfazed by both her expression and sour tone of voice. “Both.”
“Well, you can take both opinions and jam—”
“Careful now, Rebecca,” he cautioned. “Let’s not get down and dirty here.”
Throwing her hands into the air, rather than her fist at his head, Becca shoved back her chair, stood and began clearing the table. “I don’t want to listen to you issuing orders or suggestions.” Carrying the dishes, she stopped halfway between the table and the sink to turn and face him. “You are not my boss here.”
“I am not trying to boss you around.” Seth shoved his chair back and circled the table to stand over her. Anger was beginning to color his voice. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”
“No.” She gave a sharp shake of her head. “All I see is a man trying to tell me what to do and when to do it. Well, I’m tired of it.” Becca drew a quick breath, and ranted on, “I have been telling you I am fine. Why can’t you let it go at that?”
“Because you obviously aren’t fine,” he snapped back at her. “If you were fine you wouldn’t have damn near collapsed in John’s office.”
Although Becca was well aware that everything he was saying was true, she couldn’t admit it.
“Why don’t you just go get your bag and go back to Philadelphia, and leave me alone?” She spun to go to the sink and deposit the dishes. “You’re not my keeper, you’re a surgeon. Go back and save someone’s life, for heaven’s sake!” She turned again, away from him. Gently but firmly grasping her by the upper arm, he stopped her in her tracks.
“The way you’ve been pushing yourself, you need a keeper.” His voice had a ragged edge. Turning to face her, he clasped her other arm. “It might as well be me.”
“I don’t think so,” Becca retorted, a shiver rippling through her when he raised his hand to cradle her face. “You’re the last person…”
“Oh, Becca, shut up.” With that, he very effectively shut her up himself, by covering her mouth with his.
Six
At first his kiss was really not a kiss at all, simply his cool lips on hers. Becca went stiff, ice invading her spine, freezing her to the spot with outrage.
Damned if he wasn’t doing it to her again, kissing her to keep her quiet. Oh, Becca, shut up. Only this time he didn’t press his mouth to hers almost as if he wanted to devour her.
And then, all hell broke loose inside her mind, her emotions, her entire body.
Seth’s lips grew warm, his mouth taking command of hers as though it was his right, as though she belonged to him, was his to do with as he pleased.
She wanted to shove him away, but at that moment he slipped his hands from her face to wrap his arms around her, drawing her hard against him.
She lifted her hands to scratch at his face, tangled her fingers in his hair to tear at it, pull it from his scalp.
Her rioting emotions, frustration, need, emptiness and a sudden flare of physical response stilled her hands, turning her fury into passion.
She did slide her fingers into his hair, but to tug his head closer. His tongue swept inside her mouth, teased her tongue, sending electrical shock waves throughout her body. The tips of her breasts tightened and tingled all the way down to her feminine core. Without thought or direction, Becca arched into him.
He made a low, almost growling sound in his throat, thrust his tongue deep inside. Tightening his arms around her, he trailed one hand to the base of her spine, crushing her to the hard readiness of his body.
She felt him…all the way from the top of her head to the tip of her now tingling toes. Somewhere, in the very back of what was left of her mind, Becca thought she should stop him.
No, no, she banished the dimming thought. She didn’t want to stop him, she wanted… Releasing her fingers from his silky hair, she curled her arms around his neck and hung on, hungrily returning the kiss as if her life depended on it.
With an urgent need to breathe, Seth again lifted his head. Becca wanted to protest, but she couldn’t speak. He didn’t loosen his hold on her and she continued to cling to him. Resting her forehead against his heaving chest, she shivered to the excited arousal racing along her nervous system, tangoing up her spine.
“Ahhh, Becca.” Raising her chin with his other hand, he again lowered his head to command her mouth with his.
This time his kiss was gentle, teasing, his tongue playing hide-and-seek with hers. Kissed senseless, beyond coherent thought, she simply melted into him, returning the kiss, joining with his playful tongue.
She was only vaguely aware of being lifted into his arms. His increasingly hungry mouth setting her on fire, she clung to him as he strode into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.
“Seth…” she began, only to have him silence her with one finger over her lips.
“Now is not the time for talk, Becca,” he murmured, gliding his finger over her bottom lip. “Now is the time for indulgence, of our senses, in each other.”
A tremor of longing rippled through her at the images his words evoked. Images right out of her dreams about him, them, together. Without a murmur of protest, Becca raised her mouth to his.
Within minutes, without breaking the kiss, they slipped out of their clothing. Then finally, skin to skin, they fell onto the bed together.
Seth’s body was hot and smooth and hard. She shivered in the heat of him. She trembled as his hands began to move, caressing her body.
A soft protest sprang to her throat when his mouth left hers. Her protest swiftly changed to a moan as his lips tracked the path of his hands.
Following his lead, Becca skimmed her hands over every inch of his body she could reach. She loved the feel of his hot skin beneath her palms. His back was broad, muscles taut with expectation. She traced the length of his spine. Emboldened by the quiver of his body, she smoothed her hands over his tight, narrow buttocks then stretched to slide her palms down his muscled bunched thighs. He made a guttural sound deep in his throat as she skimmed her fingers up the insides of his thighs.
Her own muffled groan echoed his as his one hand cupped one of her bottom cheeks and the other hand cupped her mound.
Without conscious thought, her thighs parted. She gasped with surprised pleasure when his fingers found and teased the most sensitive spot on her body.
“Seth…” That was all she could manage to say between short harsh breaths.
“You like that?” His voice was low, pure temptation. His mouth sought and found her breast, lips closing around the tip.
This time she couldn’t