Sheltering His Desire Read Free Page A

clenched fists. “Bryce Jr.?”
    Her nod was so slight it was difficult to
see.
    He wasn’t going to yell at her. He understood
where she was coming from. But it took more restraint than he
thought he had to suppress his anger. If he had a reserve of
self-control, he was pretty sure he’d eaten through it twice over
tonight. “She’s not going to let the dog go tonight regardless. You
might as well go home.”
    “No. I have to take him back.”
    “Not happening,” Sara broke in from her spot
at the computer. “Not with injuries like that.”
    “But what am I supposed to tell them?”
Caitlin asked.
    Tate sank into a nearby chair, his verbal
filters failing fast. “A better lie than you told me.”

    *

    Alyssia didn’t know how many hours had
passed. She’d splinted a broken leg, stitched up several cuts, and
seen to the internal injuries before splinting most of the poor
boy’s frame. She was exhausted, but her patient should pull
through.
    Her stomach snarled. Maybe she should have
taken Tate up on his offer for dinner instead of throwing herself
at him like an idiot. Again. Apparently eight years was just enough
time to forget the lessons of the past. Not that she would have had
time to eat anyway.
    She stepped into the waiting room, eyes
taking a moment to adjust. They only kept half the lights on
overnight. Sara looked up from behind the reception desk, and they
exchanged smiles. No words were needed. They’d been working
together long enough Sara would get it. The exhaustion, the stress,
and the relief that the first bad part was over.
    Alyssia halted in her tracks at what she saw
next. Tate was seated in one of the plastic chairs, staring blankly
at a magazine, not turning the pages.
    “What are you still doing here?”
    He jumped when she spoke, and whirled to face
her. “Is the puppy okay?”
    She wasn’t going to acknowledge the adoration
his question summoned. Especially since the dog was anything but a
puppy. Tate’s clothes were a wreck. Dark streaks—she assumed
blood—smeared his shirt, tie, and slacks. In that brief second, any
of her lingering frustration from earlier evaporated. “He’ll be
fine. Friend of yours?”
    He gave a weak smile. “We’ve met. He lives
near my folks.”
    Her stomach protested loudly, and her cheeks
burned when he raised an eyebrow.
    “No arguments this time.” He tossed the
fashion magazine aside and stood. “I’m buying you dinner.”
    “There’s a 24-hour Mexican place around the
corner,” Sara offered. “I’m having two cheese enchiladas.”
    Tate looked between the two, pausing on
Alyssia. “Chicken nachos, extra cheese?”
    “It’s okay. I’m fine.” Alyssia didn’t even
believe herself. “I have cookies in my desk drawer.”
    Tate shook his head. “When you’re not so
tired, we’ll work on what ‘no arguments’ means. I’ll be back in
fifteen minutes.”
    At least the place was drive thru, so no one
would question why he was in blood-streaked clothes.
    Alyssia leaned against a nearby wall for
support when he vanished out the door. A glance at the clock told
her it was almost midnight. She was going to need some serious
coffee if she was going to make it through the rest of the night.
She had her other doctors rotate night shifts. Of the four on
staff, they rotated out the months and weekends they worked
graveyards, and she didn’t think it was fair to make them do what
she wasn’t willing, so she was part of that rotation. She was three
weeks in, and she’d adjusted just fine, but days like today
reminded her why she’d rather be asleep right now.
    As if reading her mind, Sara nodded toward
the kitchen. “He made a fresh pot of coffee just a little while
ago.”
    Alyssia kicked away from her support and
followed the aroma of consciousness.
    “Have I mentioned yet today how sexy he is?”
Sara’s question followed her, carrying easily over the tile in the
empty clinic.
    Alyssia was too tired to roll her eyes. She
didn’t