Saving Forever - Part 5 (Saving Forever #5) Read Free

The man did not eat salad as a meal. Maybe as a side but never as the main course, even after his heart attack. “Should I ask him if he wants some of this?”
    Elijah waved his hand. “You just want to check up on him.” He smiled and set the bag of food on the table near the far wall. “He’s not in his office. He showed me his lunch when I stopped in before to ask if he wanted anything. He has surgery scheduled for right now.” He chuckled. “You can verify it for yourself.”
    The sweet aroma of lunch heightened as Elijah opened the containers. “I believe you.” She reached for the plastic dish he offered her.
    “Uh-huh.” He pulled the dish just out of her range and leaned in. “Kiss first.”
    She didn’t argue. She ran her tongue over her lips to wet them and then pressed them against his. Her eyes instinctively closed as she felt his soft mouth with just the right amount of teasing scruff around it touch hers.
    He rested his forehead against hers. “I missed you.”
    “I’m the one who had to wake up in your bed alone.”
    He groaned. “Seriously, you want to go there right now?” He kissed her again, this time with more urgency and hunger.
    She leaned against him, letting her hand slide up his chest, over his shoulder and down his arm. She curled her fingers around the bowl of Pad Thai still in his hand. “I’ll take that,” she whispered.
    Elijah pulled back. “What the—?”
    Charity stuffed a forkful in her mouth and as she chewed she said, “I’m starving!” She tried covering with her hand. “It’s crazy! I’m back in med-school… so behind on sleep and food, I can’t think straight anymore.” She stuffed another bite in her mouth.
    “Maybe you should slow down.” Elijah glanced at her stomach but apparently didn’t want to say why he thought.
    “I don’t need to take it easy. The baby’s doing fine.” Her last appointment with the OB had shown the baby growing and doing well. She set the food down on Elijah’s desk. “We talked about this. My goal is to get most of my intern done before the baby’s born.”
    Elijah rested his butt against the arm of a leather chair. “I know. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.”
    She wasn’t sure what he meant. She began feeling very guarded. “I’m not quitting.” Her hand made fists against her hips as she set her feet slightly apart.

Chapter 2
     
    Elijah raised his hands as if raising a white flag. “I never said that.”
    “But you’d probably prefer if I did.” She was treading on thin ice, she knew it. However, she was exhausted, pregnant and by the growling of her stomach, still hungry.
    “You’re putting words in my mouth!”
    “It’s obvious that’s how you feel.” She wasn’t sure at all if that was how he felt – or how she felt and she just didn’t want to admit it. “You think it’s too much. I shouldn’t have gone back or I should have waited until after the baby’s born.”
    “That’s not how I feel. You’re jumping to assumptions.” Elijah sighed. “Can we just eat? Maybe once you have some food…”
    Charity hated it when he took the doctor tone of voice when he spoke to her. “I’m not quitting.” She stole another bite of food before crossing her arms over her chest.
    Elijah pointed to her food. “You can’t give me crap while standing there eating the food I just bought for you! That’s not fair. That’s just plain rude!”
    She stared at him and then burst out laughing. The look on his face, and the fact that he tried to stop the argument brewing with food, struck her as humorous. As she chuckled, her eyes filled. She blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, just to compose herself. She hated the sudden up and down mood swings. They were so annoying!
    She opened her eyes and met Elijah’s tender gaze. She didn’t trust herself to talk yet. Instead she walked toward him, purposely taking another bite