Aurora

My mind was still on Declan Callaghan the following night. Something about that smile, the way his eyes cut into me, had my stomach flipping, still. Never had a patient left an impression like he did. But never had a patient been quite like him either. I’d heard a lot, seen even more… But Declan Callaghan, like a ghost, was still haunting my thoughts.

Dark hair, eyes lined with heavy, dark lashes, and an angular face chiseled so finely he could have been rendered by a professional artist—in other words, right out of my dreams. My fantasies swam with visions of his coarse beard rubbing between my thighs, rough against my clit and making me orgasm so hard stars would burst behind my eyelids.

I glanced up at the clock that hung over the unit doors, waiting not so patiently to end my shift and head home. Not that I was heading home to much. Twinkles would be waiting for me, perched on the back of the couch and then proceeding to wrap herself around my leg with a huge “meow” for food. I was the proud owner of the fattest cat in Snowpass Mountain. She was the furry little buddy that kept me warm during the long winter nights, a companion to me more than anyone else ever had been.

I sighed, typing notes into a patient’s file as I thought about yet another upcoming holiday, just Twinkles and me to eat leftover ham and green beans from the hospital feast on Christmas Day. I knew my life looked lonely from the outside, but the truth was I really had no desire to invite anyone else into my life. Just the thought of being laid bare to criticism made my skin crawl.

I’d taken a lifetime's worth of criticism from my mother through all of my growing up years. And I’d learned from her that just because you had the perfect life, marriage, and a baby, it didn’t mean it would last.

Mom was on her seventh marriage. Seventh. I still rolled my eyes thinking about it. Thankfully, she’d eloped with this latest one last summer, and I hadn’t had to be there to watch her exchange another set of vows with another stranger.

She had a way of falling in and out of love at the drop of a hat. Because of that, I had a way of shutting off my emotions, avoiding love as if it were a fast-moving train aimed right at me. My mom’s life had had a helluva impact on mine, made me a bit of a hard-ass toward love, but Twinkles and I were just fine without a man roaming around the house. In my bed. Taking over the bathroom with all his whiskers and man stuff.

Nah, Twinkles and I were good.

In fact, I had plans to take her to the local pet store this weekend and get her picture taken with Santa Paws for our annual Christmas card. I had big plans, and I was doing just fine.

I glanced up at the clock again, and my stomach started a slow rumble as I thought about picking up dinner from Taco Verde on the way home. I looked back down to the laptop in front of me just as the ER doors whooshed open, and Declan Callaghan walked into my emergency room with confident strides.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head when he caught my eye and sauntered straight for me. His eyes never left mine, and my stomach fell out onto the floor between my feet.

“Sweet Jesus,” I breathed as I cast my eyes up and down his broad physique. Tall, broad-shouldered, powerful thighs obvious under the worn blue denim of his work jeans. My eyes shuddered closed for a moment when I thought of the heady scent of sawdust and spice that’d rolled off him yesterday. Why the hell was this man back in my ER looking at me like that?

“Dr. Snow.” He stopped at the chair I’d been perched on, forcing my eyes in line with the bulging package just below his belt.

“Pound a nail through the other thumb?”

One side of his mouth crooked up, and I nearly melted into a puddle.

Damn, why did he have this effect on me? A slow bubble of anger formed in my stomach.

“Something better.” He thrust his palm out, displaying something wrapped with a sparkly red bow. “Brought you a thank-you gift.”

My head shot up, and I was unable to keep the surprise from my face as I took the gift he offered.

“Wow.” I slipped my thumb along the smooth curve of a wooden figurine, about six inches high. “Did you…” My words trailed off as I realized what the figurine was. “Wait a minute, is this—”

“An ice queen?” His grin deepened as he leaned closer. The sawdust-and-spice scent filled my nostrils, rushing through my body, sending tingles down to my toes. “Made it this morning.”

My eyes widened. “I don’t know if I should be offended or grateful.”

He hunched down, his eyes now in line with mine, and stroked the pad of his thumb across my cheekbone. A lump the size of the state of Colorado filled my throat. “Wanted to do something to show my thanks.” He leaned closer, lips hovering just out of reach of mine. Was he trying to kiss me? Was this cocky bastard really flirting with me right now? “And make sure you never forget me.”

I shook my head, completely flabbergasted by this turn of events. “I could never forget you.”

His eyes held mine, warm and inviting. I’d never connected with a man like this before, never connected with any man. “I owe you more. Is there anything I can do? My talents are pretty limited to woodworking and ’round the house shit, but I’m happy to help. I want to give something back to you.”

“Oh, you’ve given me enough as it is, Callaghan.”

His grin spread, one hand landing on my knee and squeezing.

My stomach churned with unbridled lust. If just his hand on my knee had this effect, what would it feel like if he was pressed against me? His lips trailing across my skin? His body heavy and imposing, caging me against him?

“You get off soon, right? I was gonna pick up tacos for dinner. Wanna join me?”

My heart stuttered to a stop as I looked at him looking back at me, waiting on my answer. Waiting on any words. But I didn’t have words. Declan Callaghan had rendered me utterly speechless.

“Unless you don’t like tacos. I’m game for whatever you are.”

I huffed, “I like tacos.”

He chuckled before sliding his wounded hand on my other knee. “Good.”

“I can leave now. I was just going to pick up food and head home to my cat—”

“Wait, you’re not dumping me for the cat, are you?” he teased, faking offense.

Suddenly, all thoughts of Twinkles fled straight out of my head. Declan could have offered to take me to the Arctic, and I would have agreed. What the hell was he doing to me?

“I should go home and feed her. She gets cranky if dinner is late.” I gnawed on my bottom lip, not even sure what I was saying anymore. Declan had my mind all twisted up.

“So, let’s grab tacos and bring them home to the cat. The cat eats tacos?”

“No.” I giggled. “You really don’t owe me anything, Declan. Fixing you up is my job.”

He only shrugged, pulling the laptop from my lap and setting it on the desk at my side. He took my hand in his, lacing our fingers and pulling me up and against his body. Hard and angular, warm and so inviting. Suddenly, a flash of falling into bed with him shook me, left butterflies whizzing around my stomach and that Colorado-sized boulder in my throat blocking all words.

“What if I said coming here tonight had nothing to do with owing you and everything to do with wanting to see you again?” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me a little tighter, the hard bulge of his cock pressing between us. “Your sparkling bedside manner left an impression, Dr. Snow.”