A Kiss to Change Her Life Read online

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I know you don’t work a typical nine-to-five job. We were doing a follow-up with Cal and his family at home, so we’ve been off-site most of the day anyway.’ Jessica’s easy acceptance was probably because she worked similar fluid hours. That suited this no-strings arrangement but it also reiterated why it wouldn’t work long-term between them. At some point he might want to settle down again and that would be next to impossible with two people who were slaves to their careers.

  ‘How’s he doing?’ It wasn’t often he got to find out about his patients in between hospital visits. Usually it was bad news if he saw them once they’d had the all-clear.

  ‘Tired, but happy to be home. He had quite a fan club waiting to see him.’ Jessica pulled out her mobile phone to show him a few photographs she’d taken of Cal with his mostly female friends.

  ‘As long as he takes it easy.’ He handed the phone back, his curiosity satisfied.

  ‘Oh, he has an army of willing volunteers waiting on him hand and foot,’ she said with a grin.

  Now that Rob knew something of Jessica’s background, he could understand the personal interest she was taking in the patient stories and how much their recovery meant to her as well as him.

  He noticed Jessica shiver. Although the evening sun was shining, there was a definite nip in the air. Her floral strappy dress was pretty but scant protection from the Northern Irish weather.

  ‘You’re cold. We should get going.’ There was no point freezing their bits off outside when they could be turning the heat up elsewhere. Preferably naked.

  They made their way across the car park, the companionable silence punctuated by his growling stomach.

  Jessica sniggered as they got into the car. ‘I guess I’m not the only one who forgets to eat from time to time.’

  ‘I hold my hands up to being foolish and missing lunch. Although, if memory serves, I was distracted on my way to the canteen this afternoon.’ He leaned across to claim the prize he’d been waiting for all day. Unfortunately, as his mouth met Jessica’s, his stomach protested again at being denied sustenance.

  ‘You need food,’ she murmured against his lips.

  ‘I need you,’ he insisted, deepening the kiss.

  Another rumble.

  ‘Right. That’s it. We’re making a pit stop for food on the way to your house.’ Jessica resisted further overtures until he agreed.

  ‘Okay. I’m sure we can manage that.’ As long as it didn’t interfere with their previously arranged plans, he was happy to grab some takeaway. He’d been reluctant to suggest dinner himself and take her to a more salubrious establishment in case it could be misconstrued as a date. They’d agreed to keep things purely physical to avoid any unpleasantness when it was time for Jessica to move on. Fast food was the perfect compromise.

  ‘Good. You’re going to need all the energy you can get.’ There was a wicked glint in Jessica’s eye, prompting Rob to get the engine started.

  Tonight he had every reason to get home as soon as possible.

  * * *

  The steady rhythm of the car on the motorway played a lullaby for Jessica as she rested her head against the window and closed her eyes. Despite her best intentions, she was beginning to flag. They’d opted to sit in rather than take cold burgers and fries home and her full belly coupled with the long day was calling her towards sleep. Perhaps if she rested her eyes for five minutes she could recharge her batteries before the big night ahead.

  ‘Jessica. We’re here.’

  ‘Mmm?’ She heard Rob’s voice calling her back to consciousness and struggled to open her eyes.

  ‘You’re home.’

  When she was finally able to focus, it was to find they were parked outside her apartment block. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘You’re clearly exhausted. We can do this another time.’

  Jessica was wide awake at once. She’d promised him so much and let him down. ‘Honestly, that was just a power nap. I’ll jump in the shower, then I’m all yours.’ She gave him her brightest, peppiest smile and prayed it was enough to convince him to stay.

  Rob switched the engine off and she knew he was getting ready to see her off when he didn’t take the keys out of the ignition.

  ‘It’s okay. I’m knackered too. Perhaps we overdid it last night. I think four times is a record for me and you can have too much of a good thing, you know.’

  ‘Never. And, actually, it was five times, counting the shower. I think we were making up for lost time.’ The thought that this wasn’t a regular occurrence for him gave her some comfort. Not only did it mean she wasn’t in competition with past lovers but that level of physical activity had clearly taken its toll. It would be impossible to repeat that on a nightly basis and function at work the morning after. Still, this wasn’t the end to the evening she’d anticipated. She’d enjoyed having someone to talk to and lie next to as much as the sex.

  ‘In that case, you’ve probably seen all my moves now anyway.’

  ‘That doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t want to see them again soon. Won’t you come inside with me?’ She wouldn’t beg him to stay, since that would make her look needy and fell outside the boundaries they’d drawn up. Although it would save her bruised ego if he did. Regardless of their pact, it was only human nature to be wanted for more than sex. Especially when even that had let her down in the past. What had there been to keep Adam when she’d lost interest in that too? Without children or passion, there’d been absolutely no reason for him to stay. They’d both known it. At least now she’d recovered part of what made her a woman, if not all of it.

  ‘I’ll see you to the door but I think we should call it a night before we burn ourselves out. We can pick up where we left off another time.’ Rob had his seat belt off and was out of the car but there was no trace of anger or frustration at the change of plans. She wasn’t used to a mature response in such circumstances.

  ‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.’ She accepted her fate with a sigh as she rummaged in her bag for her keys on the doorstep.

  ‘’Night.’ Rob leaned in and kissed her pouting lips.

  It was amazing how revitalising one touch from this man could be, her body now fully alert. She dropped her bag so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him ever closer. Rob responded with two hands on her backside, turning this from a goodnight kiss to a lot more.

  ‘We should take this inside before we really give the neighbours something to talk about.’ She wasn’t in the habit of snogging men on her doorstep and she could do without the inevitable ‘Who’s your boyfriend?’ questions if they were spotted. There was no way of adequately explaining their arrangement to the well-meaning marrieds around here keen to see her partnered off too.

  ‘I’m still not staying,’ he mumbled stubbornly against the back of her neck as she opened the door. They practically fell into her ground floor apartment, giggling like a couple of teenagers. She was glad they seemed to have got their second wind, because she really didn’t fancy a night on her own blaming herself for his absence.

  ‘I’m going to grab that shower. You make yourself comfortable in the living room.’ After a day trekking across the city for interviews, she wanted to freshen up. Stalling things for a little while might keep him here for longer than another fumble in her hallway too.

  Rob groaned as she levered herself off him and headed towards the bathroom. ‘Make it quick.’

  She took longer than she normally would have under the lukewarm water for the simple reason she’d expected him to join her. Only when the temperature of the water dropped to gasping point did she admit defeat and turn off the shower. Teeth chattering and her skin turning a delicate shade of blue, she wrapped herself in a towel and went in search of her errant lover.

  A quick check on her bedroom confirmed he wasn’
t lying naked on her bedclothes with a rose between his teeth either. He must’ve literally taken her at her word and stayed put in the living room. That would teach her to be coy about what she wanted in future.

  Instead of the numerous romantic scenarios she’d envisaged of her man waiting for her, she found Rob had made himself a tad too comfortable.

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

  He’d left his jacket neatly folded over the arm of the chair, kicked off his shoes and was currently stretched out on her sofa, sleeping. She couldn’t be cross with him when he looked so at home and so damn beautiful lying there. His lips parted on a soft snore, and the open top button of his charcoal-grey shirt was an invitation to get up close and personal.

  She perched on the edge of the sofa and brushed a lock of hair from his face. His long dark eyelashes began to flutter as she touched him and she was almost sorry for disturbing him.

  ‘Lie down with me,’ he muttered without opening his eyes.

  ‘My hair’s still wet.’

  ‘It’ll dry.’ He turned on his side to give her more room. Spooning was her weakness.

  She snuggled in beside him. It was an age since she’d cuddled anything other than a cushion on this sofa. ‘This is nice.’

  ‘We don’t have to do anything. I know you’re tired.’ Rob pulled the throw rug from the back of the sofa to cover them as he wrapped his arms around her.

  ‘I’m the tired one?’ She could already hear the change in his breathing as the past twenty-four hours caught up with him too.

  ‘Shh. Go to sleep.’ He buried his head against her neck and Jessica soon found herself following his command.

  * * *

  Rob wakened sometime in the early hours with a cramp in his leg and Jessica’s hair in his face. It was far from an ideal place to sleep and yet there was a sense of peace lying here he was reluctant to abandon. With Jessica in his arms, there was no pain, or death or sorrow, only contentment. Unfortunately, her company was only a temporary solution to his problem and he suspected her departure would only serve to double his sense of loss.

  The sound of birdsong outside burst the cosy bubble, signifying a new day and more firsts. It was unheard of for him to spend the night at a woman’s home, never mind enjoy two consecutive evenings with the same one. By limiting liaisons to hotel rooms or a maximum of one night at his place, he maintained some control over proceedings. Those safety measures apparently went out of the window whenever he was with Jessica. This spontaneity was all well and good for a passionate affair but he hoped he wouldn’t live to regret bending the rules for her. A sleepover at hers suggested a commitment he wasn’t willing to give long-term.

  Perhaps he could exercise some damage control by leaving before she woke. He shifted into an upright position and let Jessica fall back into his place. The blanket slipped onto the floor, leaving her in nothing but a skimpy towel. It would be so easy to simply tuck it back around her and walk away but he couldn’t do that without coming off as a complete heel. At least if she wakened in her own bed it would show her he cared about her even if he couldn’t stay.

  He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, only her little moan against his chest indicating he’d disturbed her sleep. The towel came loose as he manoeuvred her under the covers and he made the decision to strip it away completely. It probably hadn’t been the wisest move in the world to let her sleep in the wet fabric in the first place.

  She was so serene lying there, scrubbed free of make-up with no glamorous clothes to hide behind. He understood why she dressed up even when she was so naturally beautiful. It was her way of protecting herself and covering her pain. She used cosmetics the way he used his position to maintain a certain distance from people but it must’ve been doubly difficult to keep the details of her illness hidden when she was usually so emotionally available.

  He let out a yawn and checked his watch. There were still a few hours before he had to go to work. The bed looked a lot more appealing than the sofa. Jessica was naked. His shirt was damp from where she’d lain against him.

  Suddenly he couldn’t think of a single reason why he shouldn’t strip off and climb in beside her.

  ‘I thought you weren’t staying.’ Jessica curled into his side the second he joined her under the bed sheets.

  ‘Temptation was just too great,’ he said, running his hand over her shoulder and down to the curve of her waist.

  Per their agreement, he didn’t share the part about how she made him forget everything painful in his life when he was with her. He thought the first night he’d slept right through had been a fluke, simple exhaustion after their rigorous bedroom workout. Last night had challenged that perception. Fully clothed and in cramped conditions, he’d slept peacefully, free from nightmares and guilt. Jessica was the only common factor on both occasions. It would be telling if he noted any changes once he reverted to sleeping alone. Not that he was anxious to do that any time soon. Especially when there was a beautiful naked woman currently demanding his attention.

  ‘How did we end up here, anyway?’ The sheet slipped as she yawned and stretched, giving a tantalising glimpse of her full breasts. If she wasn’t already snuggling back under the covers, he would’ve sworn she’d done it on purpose to make sure he didn’t go anywhere.

  Since they were both wide awake now with plenty of time to kill, it would be silly not to take advantage of the situation. He let his hand drift across her flat stomach and down towards her soft mound.

  ‘I thought we might be more comfortable.’ Although he was becoming anything but as his libido rose with the lark.

  ‘And we’re naked because...’ She gasped as he slid a finger into her wet channel, and responded by raking her nails across his chest. It was an action he’d come to learn was a sign she was enjoying everything he was doing.

  ‘I thought we might be more comfortable.’

  ‘You’re...so...thoughtful,’ she said through panting breaths.

  ‘I know.’

  She was writhing against him, every stroke apparently bringing her closer to the brink. Rob threw the quilt over his head and burrowed down the bed, drawing a shriek of delight from Jessica.

  He’d show her exactly how thoughtful he could be.

  * * *

  Two weeks into their fling and Rob still couldn’t seem to get enough of Jessica. Even though they’d only parted a matter of hours ago at the hospital doors he was counting down the minutes until they could be alone again. She was a little ray of sunshine in the dark corridors every time she flitted past in her bright yellow outfit. A playsuit she’d called it and his thoughts were definitely playful when he caught sight of her long slim legs in the short all-in-one and strappy gold sandals.

  He whistled the happy tune of a man secure in the knowledge she was coming home with him at the end of the night.

  ‘Someone’s in a good mood.’ Maria met him outside the door of the day unit.

  ‘The sun is shining, I’m about to send one of my patients home...what’s not to be happy about?’

  ‘Hmm. It’s just not...you. What’s even weirder is I just passed Jessica humming that very same song.’ She eyed him as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

  ‘We must’ve been listening to the same radio station this morning.’ It wasn’t a lie. They’d both been rocking out to the same nineties music channel at the top of their voices in his car on the way to work. It turned out she was as bad a singer as he was, but equally enthusiastic.

  ‘For goodness’ sake, will you put me out of my misery and tell me you’ve finally made a move on her? Honestly, there’s only so many meaningful glances a person can try to ignore.’ Maria heaved a sigh as she waited for his confession.

  His defences automatically shot up to protect his personal business from prying eyes, but Mari
a was his friend and invested far more than she should be in his love life. There seemed no point in denying it when he had nothing to be ashamed of.

  ‘We’re seeing each other but don’t go buying a hat for the wedding. She’s only here until the end of the month, remember?’ Their relationship and this temporary high had an expiry date which would creep up on them before they knew it. He should mark out a chart or something to make sure he didn’t forget.

  ‘And what? You can drive from one side of this country to the other in a few hours. I’m sure you could still see her if you wanted.’

  ‘I’m well aware of that but we’ve agreed this is for the best. You should be happy I’m having a bit of fun.’

  Maria unfolded her arms and shrugged. It obviously wasn’t what she wanted to hear but she was wise enough not to make another comment on the situation. They would never agree on what was best for him when she didn’t know the circumstances which had brought him to Northern Ireland in the first place.

  He followed her into the day unit and nodded hello to each of the patients receiving treatment. The oncology nurses were the ones who administered the chemotherapy drugs here once he’d devised the treatment plans. They were more than capable of removing the Hickman lines which were used for intravenous medicine and taking blood, when treatment ended. But he preferred to do this part himself when he could. That way he’d seen his patients through their illness from start to finish. It could be the most rewarding part of his job, performing this procedure when it meant the immediate threat to a child’s life was over.

  Maria was already in the cubicle with the ten-year-old girl and her mother waiting to be released from his care.

  ‘I just need to check we have Katie Daniels, whose birthdate is the twenty-eighth of March here, in case I’m about to send the wrong person home?’ He brought a nervous giggle from the child as she confirmed her details.