Worlds Apart Read Free

her nipple and felt her shiver.
    “I'll try to take my time.” She
pressed closer. “But you're not making it easy.”
    He kissed her for an answer, a
long, gentle exploration as he pinched her nipple between his
fingers. She grew warmer against him, her fingers stroking down his
butt, sending throbs of desire through him. He stretched beside
her, pulled her arm away and pinned it to the bed behind her. He
held her still as his mouth tasted the nipple he'd been pinching.
It was hard against his tongue and she moaned, pulling away even as
her legs tightened around his.
    He'd make sure she was patient,
whether she wanted to be or not.

 
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 3
     
     
     
    Footsteps in the hallway woke Tina
to the darkness of early morning. Clive slept beside her, his
breath passing softly along the top of her head. His hand covered
hers in a warm grip atop her stomach.
    He had indeed made up for
Portland.
    Wonder if there’s time for
more. But the thought vanished as hunger made itself savagely
apparent. Her light dinner the evening before, followed by more
alcohol than she should have had, left her shaking with low blood
sugar.
    She reached to nudge the clock in
her direction. Six a.m. Good. The kitchen was open and she could
present herself for Eddie’s breakfast special in in a few quick
minutes.
    She moved the blankets and tried
to slide out without waking Clive. No such luck, though. He grabbed
her hand as she sat up. She smiled down at him, but pulled away.
“I've got to work this morning. And I'm starving. Blood sugar's
crashed. Gotta have breakfast.”
    He sat up and pressed his hand
into her back. “I have an orange,” he said, before jumping to his
feet on the other side of the bed. He grabbed his backpack from its
perch against the wall. Tina watched him, pulling the blanket
around her shoulders. He dug around the bag for several seconds,
and eventually produced the orange, scattering clothing in his
haste. He ripped the fruit in half, peeled it quickly, and handed
it to her. She popped two sections into her mouth while he peeled
the other half.
    He shook his head as she tore into
the second piece. “This won't do,” he said. “That should hold you
for a few minutes. Why don't you hop in the shower and I'll dig up
some food? I can't send you away when you're practically fainting.
Does this place have room service?”
    The orange was already raising her
blood sugar, and she decided his plan was perfect. She rarely hung
around after a night with a guy, but this one had her radar
buzzing. It was sweet of him to take care of her like this.
Besides, he’d looked kind of cute standing naked in the cold room,
peeling an orange for her.
    “Steak and eggs,” she told him as
she stood up, letting the blanket fall back to the bed. “Over easy.
With country potatoes and whole grain toast. And
coffee!”
    She left him to it and dashed into
the bathroom.
     
    ~~
     
    He was setting the food on the
room’s bistro table when Tina emerged. Her shaking had stopped, but
hunger still gnawed at her, so she just slipped on her jeans and
sweater and joined him at the table. She didn’t bother to talk for
the first few minutes and neither did he.
    Half the eggs and potatoes seemed
to settle them both, and Clive refilled their coffee cups. He
regarded her as he took a sip. “So where do you work?” he asked. “I
hope I haven't made you late.”
    She cut her steak. “No, I'm fine.
Office hours don't start until nine. As long as I'm there by then,
my nurse won't yell at me.”
    “Your nurse? Are you a
doctor?”
    “A general practitioner. One of
two in town.”
    “Now that surprises me.” He leaned
back in his chair.
    “What surprises you?”
    “I would expect a woman like you
to be in the city. Working in a hospital or something.”
    “A woman like me?” She couldn’t
decide whether to be amused or insulted. “What do you mean by
that?”
    He laughed and shook his head.
“You like a good time. You'll