A Perfect Holiday Fling (7 page)

Callie motioned to his shirt. “Is your sister in the Navy, too?”

He shook his head. “Army nurse. She works in the ICU at Maplesville General, but she’s in the Reserves. She’s on a six-month deployment.”

“So your time here is temporary.” It was a statement, not a question, but Stefan answered anyway.

“I’ll be leaving when Stef gets back in the spring. Possibly as early as January, depending on…well, a few things.”

Like whether or not he decided if he was done with the Navy. Or, more accurately, whether the Navy decided whether or not it was done with him. The results he would receive in a few days when he went back to the VA clinic would make his timeline a lot clearer.

A brisk wind blew and Callie pulled her jacket more securely around her. Stefan tried not to grimace. It felt as if his sweaty shirt had turned to ice against his skin, and he was suddenly missing the sweatshirt he’d left on his sister’s porch.

“It’s very noble of you to sacrifice half a year out of your life to take care of your nephew,” she continued.

He shrugged. “He’s a good kid. We’re still feeling each other out, but I think we’ll survive. I probably scored some brownie points by rescuing Sandy.”

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the cat. “And for allowing him to name her. That was sweet of you.”

“Sweet.” Stefan tested the word on his lips. “You know, that’s the second time you’ve called me that, and probably the second time I’ve been called that in my entire life.”

A single, skeptical brow lifted over her smiling brown eyes. “That’s hard to believe. You rescue injured cats, volunteer for months of babysitting duty, and help neighbors carry their packages from the car. That sounds like the very definition of sweet to me.”

No, sweet was the smile that traced across her lips. Stefan had to physically stop himself from closing the short distance between them and finding out just how sweet her beautiful smile tasted.

“How is Sandy doing, by the way?”

“What?” It took him a moment to comprehend her question. His mind was still on those perfectly-shaped lips. “Oh, the cat. Yeah, she’s definitely making herself at home.”

“Cats are like that. Once they get used to you, it takes very little time for them to settle in.”

“She’s decided that my lap is her favorite place in the house. The minute I sit down, there she is, demanding I pet her.”

“Can’t say I blame her.” Her gaze drifted to his lap. “It looks comfortable.” Callie’s head popped up and her eyes widened. “Oh, wow. I, uh…I can’t believe I said that.”

Stefan had a feeling that the blush that instantly reddened her toffee-colored cheeks had nothing to do with the cold, and the arousal that had been smoldering just underneath the surface flared to life. He pushed away from the railing and walked toward her, letting his gaze travel down her body.

Another gust of chilly air swept over them, whipping her dark brown hair around her, leaving it in wild, sexy disarray. Stefan lifted a thick lock and tucked it behind her ear.

Speaking past the lust lodged in his throat, he asked in a low voice, “Are you sure you don’t want me to bring those inside?”

White puffs escaped her mouth with every short, rapid pant of her breath.

“I’m more than happy to do it, Callie. Just say the word.”

Her pupils dilated with desire as she stared at his lips, and Stefan’s chest tightened with the impulse to pull her against him and taste her.

She shook her head, and then took two pronounced steps back. “No. I, uh… I’m fine. I…I don’t want to keep you from your run.”

A lazy smile tipped up the corner of his mouth. “I’ve jogged five miles a day, seven days a week for the past ten years. I can afford to take a morning off.”

Her eyes dropped to his chest. “It shows.” Her eyes darted to his, wide with dismay. “Oh, God. I need to get ready for work.”

She picked up the two shopping bags and carried them to the front door.

Despite everything within him telling him to make his move, Stefan remained where he stood. He wouldn’t force the issue. He didn’t have to. Not after witnessing the heat that had flared in her eyes; the desire he could feel rolling off her in waves. All he had to do was bide his time.

“It’s your call, Callie,” he said as he ambled down the steps. He wasn’t the least bit affected by the strong wind whipping the leaves up as it blew even harder. Dousing himself with a bucket of ice water couldn’t cool the heat shooting through his blood.

She glanced over her shoulder as she opened the front door. “Thanks again for helping.”

“Anytime, Callie.” Stefan pulled his earphones from his pocket as he backed away from her porch. “Anytime.”

As he resumed his jog, Stefan had but one thought in mind. The only thing more delectable than a flustered Callie Webber was a flustered,
aroused
Callie Webber.

Chapter Five

Callie dropped the cardboard box filled with toys for her Angel Tree recipient on the table and fell into a chair. She needed a second to recover. Or maybe an hour.

“Did you really say his lap looked comfortable?”

She slouched in her seat, complete and utter mortification weighing down her limbs. Why not just jump the man in the middle of her front yard?

Callie closed her eyes and took a moment to relish the pinpricks of awareness traveling along her skin. It had been so long since she’d experienced anything even close to the feelings Stefan’s heated gaze stirred; she wanted to savor the sensation. She hadn’t earnestly flirted with a man since those days when she had first started dating Adrian. She’d forgotten how awkward it could be…and how exhilarating.

Her entire body flushed with warmth as her memory summoned Stefan’s decadent, downright wicked grin. And the intensity in his gaze when his eyes had journeyed up and down her body, detonating sparks of awareness from her head to her feet and all parts in between. One part in particular continued to throb with want.

“Oh, God,” Callie groaned, squeezing her thighs tight to curb the ache between her legs.

She should have known a year of celibacy would catch up with her, especially when confronted with a man like Stefan, who emanated raw sex appeal as if he’d cornered the market on it.

She leaned forward and covered her face in her hands, trying to ignore the shudder that coursed through her at the thought of what would have happened if she had accepted his offer to bring her packages inside.

Dammit, why hadn’t she said yes!

She recalled Jada’s words from the other night and Callie suddenly realized that he really was the perfect holiday fling. With Stefan, she wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not he was going to leave. She already
knew
he would be leaving. He’d said so himself. There was no chance of being blindsided the way she had been when Adrian had deserted her, or when her parents had unexpectedly been killed. She could go in with her eyes wide open, already knowing that an end date was eminent.

In fact, if she accepted John’s offer to join his veterinary group, she could possibly leave Maplesville before Stefan did. Could the two of them have a bit of fun for the holidays while they were both still here?

The thought spawned another round of erotic sensations to stir in her belly…and lower.

Callie allowed a few moments to indulge in the fantasy before forcing herself to get up and get ready for work. She had an afternoon of surgeries ahead of her, and she was already running late.

She changed into her scrubs and arrived at the clinic just after one o’clock, a half hour later than she’d planned.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said to Anita as she hung her jacket on the coatrack next to the employee entrance.

“No problem. I know you and Lacey were giving vaccinations this morning. I also noticed that you were otherwise occupied.”

Callie whipped around at the teasing she heard in her receptionist’s voice. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I drove passed your house on my way from picking up lunch.” Anita’s cagey smile lit up her eyes. “I saw you talking to a certain new cat owner.”

The embarrassed heat that engulfed her was so intense it felt as if someone was holding a candle to her face.

“Oh, my goodness! You’re blushing!” Anita slapped the desk and pitched her head back with a laugh.

“Oh, stop it.” Callie unhooked her lab coat from the rack, using it as a means to shield her face as she threaded her arms through the sleeves.

“I think it’s great,” Anita said. “And it’s not as if you couldn’t use some action in the romance department.”

“Please don’t start,” she pleaded. “It’s bad enough I have to deal with everyone else in this town trying to find me a man, like I’m some desperate spinster destined to be single for the rest of my life.”

“Oh, come on. You know that’s not what I’m doing. And you have to admit that he’s hot.”

Callie held her hand out for the stack of charts Anita was holding. Her receptionist held the charts just out of Callie’s reach.

“Fine.” She blew out a breath. “He’s scorching. Are you happy?”

“Ha!” Anita slapped the clipboards in her hand. “I knew you couldn’t deny it. So, did the two of you have a quickie before you drove in?”

“Anita!”

“What’s the problem? You’re single. He’s single.”

“Do you know for sure that he’s single?”

The thought had crossed her mind on the drive over. What if Stefan had a girlfriend back wherever he lived when he wasn’t taking care of his nephew? After what she went through with Adrian, Callie couldn’t fathom the thought of getting involved with a man who already had a significant other stashed away somewhere.

“I know he’s single because my sister works at the hospital with his twin sister, Stefanie. Nichelle said that Stefanie is always talking about how much she wants her brother to find someone he can settle down with now that he’s out of the Navy.”

“But he isn’t out of the Navy.” In fact, he’d said that he could be returning in a matter of weeks.

Anita hunched her shoulders. “I’m just passing along what Nichelle told me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Callie said, waving her off. “I’m not so sure having quickies with him would be smart.”

“Are you serious?” Anita set down the string of Christmas lights she was untangling and swiveled in her chair. “Callie, have you taken a good look at that man?”

Yes, she had. She’d seen him with a damp t-shirt plastered to his chest, outlining all those rolling muscles. She’d seen him with enough heat in his eyes to set her skin on fire. Heat directed at her. All she’d had to say was yes. One simple word and she would have seen everything Stefan had to offer.

Callie pulled her lab coat more securely across her chest, hoping to hide her hardening nipples.

Grabbing the lights and hooks, Anita pushed away from the reception desk and started for the pet toy display shelf where she traditionally hung the holiday decorations. She looked over at Callie. “If there is a God, you and Stefan Sutherland will be in bed together by the end of the week.”

“Oh, I’m so sure that’s high on God’s priority list,” Callie snorted.

“You’re due,” Anita called over her shoulder.

Callie just shook her head as she went in to scrub for the first of five surgeries she had scheduled. She was just finishing up the first one when Mariska poked her head into the surgical room.

“Dr. Webber, a patient was just brought in. Evan’s with her in exam room one.”

“We’re closed to patients this afternoon. Is it an emergency?”

“The patients’ owner says it is.”

“I’ll be right there.” Callie checked to make sure the golden retriever she’d just neutered was doing okay before shucking her gloves and quickly making her way to exam room one.

She entered to find Stefan with a haggard look on his face. Sandy was on the exam table, preening like a queen.

“Something’s wrong with her,” Stefan said without preamble. “When I got home after my jog she was whining and walking with this jerky motion. And then she started making this gaking sound, and her entire body was trembling like crazy. Then she went into the bathroom and out comes this thing onto the rug. I think she may have thrown up a piece of her small intestine or something. I put it in a bag and brought it here.”

Evan was standing next to the framed poster of avian anatomy, a sarcastic look etched across his face. He held up a brown bag. “Hairball.”

Stefan whipped around. “What?”

Smirking, Evan shook his head and said, “Newbie,” as he exited the room.

Callie rolled her eyes.
Teenagers
. She would reprimand him later about his attitude.

“It sounds like Sandy coughed up a hairball.” She gave Sandy’s head a rub, then lifted her eyelids, making sure everything looked okay. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“That huge wet cigar looking thing is a hairball?”

Callie nodded, trying her hardest not to laugh. She would be no better than Evan if she made fun of him. “It’s scary for someone who isn’t familiar with cats, but rest assured that it is perfectly normal.”