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I’m completely lost in the moment, and all thoughts of what’s wrong or right, that he’s my boss, whatever… all of it fades away. All that matters is the way his lips move against mine and the warmth of his hands on my skin. When we break apart, my breath comes in shallow gasps, and I take a few moments to remember where we are.
Duke rests his forehead against mine, panting. His eyes fill with cloudy desire and conflict. Taking a step back, he releases my hand and runs one of his through his dark hair.
“Shit,” he murmurs, looking away from me. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
My heart races, and I’m unsure of what to say. The kiss was amazing, and I can’t deny that I want more, but it’s not that simple.
“It’s okay,” I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. “It was just a kiss.” The words are knives in my stomach. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was one of the most erotic experiences in my life.
Duke looks back at me, his eyes scanning my face before he nods in agreement. “We shouldn’t have done that. It was a mistake.”
The words sting. He’s right, of course. It was a mistake. A perfect, hot mistake.
Duke takes a step to the side, putting more distance between us. “We’ll just forget this ever happened.”
“Exactly. Like nothing ever happened.” The thought of forgetting is painful, but it would be too risky to do anything else. This is already too close to disaster. Tabby needs me. Besides, where could this even go—kissing my boss? We can’t have a personal relationship, not if he’s paying me. And how would we explain that to Tabby? Add in the lack of professionalism, and it’s uncalled for.
I should have never let things get to this point. I take a deep breath and nod again.
“I’m sorry, June. I really am,” he says. With a nod, Duke grabs his things and heads upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I stand there for a few moments, still feeling the warmth of his lips on mine.
He’s right. That can’t happen again. That kiss—the best kiss of my life—was a complete mistake. From here forward, I need to step back from Duke York. If this is what friendship with him looks like, it’s too dangerous.
As promised, Duke pretends like the kiss we shared never happened, and so do I. The next week, Duke is at the rink from dawn until dusk. I drive Lily to her dialysis and help Tabby with her homework. Technically, things are the same. But when Duke and I are together, there’s a new tension between us. We’re too formal, constantly on guard.
I hate it, but it’s better this way. That’s what I keep telling myself. Because if I relax, I’m afraid I’ll slip. I’ll get too close, touch him when I shouldn’t. It’ll be an accident, or I won’t be expecting it, but it’ll be devastating. Right now, I’ve braced myself.
I miss him, though. I see him the same amount as before, but I miss him.
A week after our kiss, we visit Lily’s kidney doctor, Dr. Jones, before her dialysis. He pushes a folder across the desk to us. “Your body isn’t reacting to the treatments as we hoped,” he tells her. “We originally believed your kidneys were functioning at about fifteen percent, but we now know it’s lower.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“Lily is retaining water and toxins in her blood. We’re going to adjust her dialysis accordingly.” He inhales. “However, that’s a short-term solution. Our team believes the only true long-term solution for her is a transplant. We’ve already started the paperwork, but I must warn you the demand is great, and Lily has preexisting conditions that could complicate her status on the transplant list.”
“Long-term?” I’m stopped up on that point. I glance back and forth between him and Lily.
Lily sighs. “He means the dialysis won’t keep me alive for long, and if I don’t get a transplant soon, I’ll die.” She’s never been one to shy away from a truth. As a foster mother, she’s witnessed too many difficult situations. She always says it’s best to just get on with it.
My eyes widen. “But you only started dialysis.” At our first appointments, they assured us Lily could live for ten or more years on dialysis.
“Lily’s situation is in constant fluctuation,” Dr. Jones says. “We believe her diabetes and blood pressure are under control now, but the effects of the past six months on her body are significant.”
“I see.” I do. I hate it, but I get it.
He motions to the paperwork in front of me. “Let’s go over these numbers, and they should give you a better understanding of where we are.” What follows is fifteen minutes of medical explanation, but all of it adds up to the original assessment. Lily needs a new kidney, and she doesn’t have a lot of time to wait for it.
“Well, can’t you survive with only one kidney?” I ask when he’s finished.
“Yes. But neither of Lily’s work right now.”
“I have two. I’ll give her one of mine.” This seems like an easy fix. “I’m healthy. I mean, I think I am. I’ll have whatever tests done that you need. But if Lily could use one of my kidneys, she’s welcome to it.”
“June—” Lily’s already closed her eyes, shaking her head.
Dr. Jones cuts her off. “It’s not as easy as just letting anyone on the street give someone a kidney, Miss Harlow,” he cautions, but he reaches into a cabinet next to him. Retrieving a pamphlet, he slides it across the desk to me. “This will give you some information about the procedure and what to expect if you decide to proceed with testing.”
I nod, taking the booklet. “I’m already sure I’d like to go through the testing.”
