Saving Forever - Part 3 Read Free

eyes when cool air brushed by her wet lips instead of Elijah’s sultry ones.
    Elijah stayed in his position. “It is important. To me. Why’d you run away?”

Chapter 3
     
    Charity stiffened. “I didn’t run.”
    He snorted, so quietly Charity almost missed it. “You left. For no reason. You did a runner.”
    “I did not! How would you like being the stranger amongst friends and family at a tragic point in their life? It’s not easy.”
    “I do it almost every day.” His eyebrows pressed together as his forehead wrinkled slightly. It was a very sexy look and he probably had no idea. “I step into a patient’s room and have to tell them terrible news. Their sixteen-year-old son has leukemia. Or tell another family they lost their sister. I get what it felt like. I’m the stranger who tells families disappointing news. I can’t run away from it.”
    “You’re a doctor.” His simple matter-of-fact comparison frustrated her. “I wanted to offer you support and whatever else, but I didn’t know what to do.” Your mother could scare a ferocious lion.
    “Was it because of the birds? Were you frightened they weren’t going to work out? They—”
    “I didn’t leave because of the freakin’ birds!” Did I? Why did she sound so defensive? Or was it anger, like she was trying to blame him? The birds were her stupid idea. How she ever thought releasing those funny-looking little things that couldn’t fly onto his mother’s billion-dollar property was a good idea. Like it would make his mother think Charity was worthy of her son/ She shook her head. Beyond dumb. And during his father’s funeral. Or had Charity’s intentions been pure and somehow she had twisted them?
    Elijah sat up, his arms crossing his lean, muscular chest. Whatever moment they had just shared, evaporated. “They were a huge success, you know? Everyone loved the idea and the conservation people have kept in touch, too. They’ve spotted nests. Even my mother admitted that it had been a fantastic idea.” He stood, stepping into his boxer-briefs. “It’s something my father would have loved. He was all about the little guy.” Elijah walked over to the kitchen.
    She heard the fridge door open. Elijah poured a glass of liquid. She couldn’t turn her head to look at him. It would be easier to pick her things up and leave.
    A cool wetness touched her shoulder. Elijah offered her a glass filled with clear liquid.
    “It’s water.” He drank from a glass in his other hand. “Seems I’ve built up quite a thirst. I’m guessing you did too?” He winked as he sat down beside her, and then tilted his head.  “What’s wrong?”
    She took the glass and shook her head, intentionally not answering him, but completely confused on how a guy’s brain worked. “You just said…” She waved her hand and took a gulp of the refreshingly cool water. “Never mind.”
    He rested his hand on the curve of her hip, his thumb tracing back and forth over the blanket. “I don’t know why you left New Zealand and I’ll admit I was ticked.” He kissed and nibbled her ear. “But I believe you’re making up for it now.”
    She laughed and swatted his shoulder playfully. “You’re such a guy!”
    “And you’re such a woman.” He pointed at her and chuckled. “But you, you’re especially hard to figure out. Maybe that’s why I can’t get you off my mind.” He took a long drink and then watched her, his face hiding all of his thoughts. He finally spoke, his voice soft: “It doesn’t matter anymore why you left. It matters that you came back.” He set his glass down on the floor near the fireplace and stretched out beside her, pressing his body against hers. He kissed her bare shoulder. “I’m glad you did.”
    “So am I.” There were a million things she wanted to say, but had no idea how.
    “Want to go to bed?” He pretended to pout, letting his stubble rub lightly against the skin of her shoulder. “I’m feeling a bit hurt and