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‘There’s plenty of time.’
‘No, there’s not. I can’t be late, or Coach will send me packing permanently. I don’t intend letting her down again.’ She disappeared out the door, returned with last night’s clothes, still yabbering. So unlike the Molly of the past. ‘I have to get my gear from home and clothes to wear to the charity shop afterwards.’
Shoving the covers aside, Nathan stood up and stretched, and she didn’t stop to notice. She was definitely on a mission. ‘I’ll put the coffee on. You want something to eat? Toast? Cereal?’
Finally she stopped and came to kiss him, a brief touch of those lips on his stubble-covered chin. Nowhere near enough. ‘No, thanks. I’ll grab something at home.’ Then she was in the bathroom, the shower spraying out water and the extractor fan making a racket.
He knew when he was not needed. But if Molly thought he’d toe the line that easily, she was going to have to think again. In the bathroom he opened the shower door and joined her, taking the soap from her hands to wash her skin, starting at her neck, and working his way down to her feet. ‘No complaints, madam?’ He grinned through the water pouring over his head.
She waved a hand in the narrow space between them. ‘How quick can you be?’
‘Let me show you.’
When Molly dragged herself out of the shower not too much later and began drying her glistening skin, Nathan watched her while soaping himself. ‘You’re beautiful.’
Her head shot up, surprise widening her eyes.
He repeated himself. ‘You are beautiful.’
Her hands hesitated in the process of towelling her stomach, and dropped to her thighs.
His gaze followed, then backed up to her lower belly. ‘How’d you get that scar?’ It was small, and stark against her pale skin.
The towel came up instantly, and the shutters came down over her eyes. ‘I had an accident.’ Then she was gone, out into his bedroom.
Snapping the shower off, Nathan picked up another towel and followed her. ‘Molly, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by my question. I didn’t even think before I asked.’ The result of one of her ex’s rages? Gritting his teeth, Nathan dried himself hard and fast.
Her face was blank. ‘It’s nothing, okay?’
No, it wasn’t okay, but nothing would make him say so. His thoughtless question had already upset her. He was ready to murder someone.
Pausing in her rapid dressing, Molly looked at him with sadness pouring off her in waves. ‘Sorry to rush off like this.’
He suspected she was apologising for something entirely different. It took all his strength not to wrap her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. Because he didn’t know for sure that it would be, and making false promises was not the way to go. Instead he placed a hand on her cheek. ‘Go impress Coach. I’ll see you later, though probably not today.’ He needed some space while he thought through everything that had been happening between them.
Molly didn’t look unhappy with that. ‘It’s fine. I’ve got stuff to do after basketball.’ She was already making her way to the door, where she paused and looked directly at him. ‘I had the best night.’
Steal his breath, why didn’t she? ‘So did I, Molly. So did I.’ It was true. So true it was scary. And exciting. And something to think about.
CHAPTER NINE
‘HI, VICKI. I’M not going to ask how your weekend went. It’s written all over your face.’ Vicki had headed north to Darwin to spend time with Cole when he wasn’t on duty.
Molly banged her locker shut and pocketed her key. When Vicki didn’t reply she looked closer. ‘Oh, hell. Come here.’ Regretting her comment, she reached to hug her friend.
Palms out towards her, Vicki shook her head. ‘Don’t. I’ll fall apart if you’re kind to me.’
‘Fair enough.’ How awful to have her husband heading away so soon for who knew how long. Molly went for a complete change of subject. ‘I see you’ve gone all out today. Love that shade of purple in your top, and as for the boots, I’m drooling.’ Relief glittered out of Vicki’s sad eyes. ‘Took me weeks to find boots to match my outfit. Finally found them in a second-hand shop. This is not my usual style of clothes. I’m more the black on black type. Except for the shoes.’
‘Except for the shoes,’ Molly said at the same time, and they burst out laughing. Leaning back against her locker, she waited while Vicki changed into her uniform. ‘Hope we have a quiet night.’
‘I want it so busy I don’t come up for air.’
‘One of us should get lucky, then.’ Her ears were straining for the sound of Nathan’s voice out in the department. She hadn’t seen him when she’d arrived, and as he was always early he had to be tied up with a patient already.
‘You been for a spin in Nathan’s fancy car yet?’
‘I was too busy.’ Doing other things with Nathan, and avoiding certain issues that weren’t going to go away no matter how much she wanted them to.
‘Doing what?’ Disappointment blinked out at her.
Vicki wanted her to get with Nathan? Then she’d be pleased to know what had gone on between them, but Molly wasn’t spilling the beans. She didn’t do juicy gossip, and when it involved herself she remained especially tight-lipped. She straightened up. ‘Better get cracking and start earning my living.’ Away from the questions that were likely with Vicki needing a distraction from her aching heart.
‘I’ll be right there.’
Joining the rest of the shift waiting for change-over, Molly still couldn’t see or hear Nathan. She should be relieved, not sad. Having decided to go for friendly and easy with him, disappointed wasn’t an option. Saturday night had been sensational. Not a lot of sleep, though. Instead she’d had quite a workout, and still wanted more.
‘Morning, everyone. Hope you had a good weekend.’ Nathan strode in with a large smile and sparkling eyes as he scanned the room, pausing for a moment when he saw her. The smile brightened briefly, then he seemed to remember where he was, who he was with, and he straightened. ‘Right, let’s get the show on the road.’ He came to stand beside Molly, though.
Her body was doing the happy dance on the inside while externally she tried to keep her face still while listening to Mick run through the patients in the department. It wasn’t easy when she was fighting the desire to curl into Nathan, struggling with the need to touch him, to feel his warm skin under her palms.
/> ‘Cubicle one, forty-two-year-old male, waiting for liver function tests to be completed. In two, fifty-six-year-old female, extreme abdo pain, query diverticulosis.’ Mick continued through the list of patients, and Molly felt tired before they’d started.
‘You okay?’ Nathan asked quietly as everyone dispersed to get on with the shift.
Why was he asking? ‘I’m good. Did you get the place cleaned up yesterday?’
‘Eventually.’ His smile was devastating.
‘You went back to sleep.’ She grinned.
‘Quiet, woman, unless you want everyone knowing why I was so exhausted.’ His whispered words sent a thrill of excitement down her spine.
How was she going to remain focused on not getting too close to this man who’d woken her up from her dull and cautious life?
Mick was talking to the triage nurse and now turned to Molly. ‘Can you take this one? Twenty-one-year-old male, stab wounds to his face and arms. I’ll send someone else to help you in a mo.’
‘On my way.’ She checked which cubicle to use, glad of something to keep her busy and away from Nathan, because even standing beside him made her weak at the knees.
Got it bad, Mol?
Yeah, she was beginning to think so.
‘I’ll check the man out with Molly, Mick. Those stab wounds might need my sewing skills.’
So much for putting space between them. But what could she say? She liked working with him, even when they hadn’t been comfortable together. He was a superb emergency specialist, and she learnt from watching him. So she went to meet her patient and settle him on the bed in cubicle eleven as the triage nurse gave them the details.
