Luke(33)

"No." She wanted to stomp her foot, scream in frustration. "Shelby's supposed to be on call."

"It looks like maybe that got changed."

"Do you believe Fate's laughing at us?"

"No, I don't believe in fate, not like that. We make our own destiny, and Faith? We will do this."

"Just not now."

He sighed and put his forehead to hers. "Just not now."

*

Luke was fit to be tied as he glared at Carmen, who sat on a cot in one of the patient rooms at Faith's clinic. "You did what to pop your stitches?"

They'd driven over here after talking to Shelby, who had gotten stuck at home with a sick mom and couldn't come in.

Which meant Luke had been forced to take his hands out of Faith's very lovely pink panties and his mouth off her heart-stopping nipples, and be grown up about yet another interruption keeping him from what he knew would be an explosive orgasm with Faith.

He still couldn't walk straight.

Lifting her chin in the air, Carmen sniffed.

"Don't yell at my patient." Faith came back into the room with a tray of equipment. "I'm sure she didn't mean to rip the stitches."

Carmen erupted into a tirade in Spanish, complete with wild hand gestures.

"English!" Luke demanded.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I unwrapped the bandages to scratch, then forgot to wrap it back up. I accidentally reached out to grab a cup that was falling and stretched too far. Okay?"

"Okay," Faith said gently, stepping between them. "But you ripped open the wound. You need to be restitched."

Luke sighed. Faith's mouth still looked full and puffy from all the kissing they'd done. She was all straightened and refastened now, but he couldn't look at her without remembering how she'd looked peeling her bra away from her breasts.

"I want her to do it." She jerked her bleeding thumb at Faith.

"That's fine," Faith said soothingly. "And this time, you'll be more careful. Si?"

Carmen's lips twitched. "You speak Spanish now?"

"Un poca."

"Poco," Carmen corrected and smiled. "I like you."

Luke tossed up his hands and turned in a slow frustrated circle.

"I must have interrupted something good, eh? I'm sorry."

Luke sighed again, loudly.

"Whoa—" Carmen blanched when Faith lifted a suturing needle, "Not again."

"Trust me," Luke said grimly. "You're going to have to drug her."

"Yes, drugs," Carmen agreed.

"It's not going to be that bad," Faith said, but no matter how she coaxed and cajoled, Carmen insisted on meds.

Within five minutes she was high as a kite. "Ooh, I feel good." Carmen eyed Luke. "Bet you wish you didn't have to take me home again." She cackled and laid back, beaming drunkenly at the ceiling. "Just remember, kiddies, abstinence makes the heart grow fonder."

Luke just groaned.

*

"I was just kidding about the abstinence thing," Carmen whispered groggily, her head lolling on Luke's head as he carried her from his car to inside his house. "I mean, sometimes I like to bring you down a peg or two, but I really do love you and want you to be happy."

He set her down on one of his spare beds and sighed. "I know."

"And I was just kidding about not liking you," she murmured, snuggling into the covers.

"I know." He tossed a blanket over her. "And you didn't know you'd be allergic to the pain meds I gave you."

"That's right." She opened her sleepy eyes briefly. "It's all your fault. Faith didn't think I needed any drugs."

Luke sighed, shook his head. "Go to sleep, damn it, before I strangle you."

"I'm sorry my sister wasn't here to watch me."

"Yeah. Me, too." He made it to the door before she called him again. "What now?"

"She's really wonderful, you know. I couldn't have wished for anyone better than her for you." She narrowed her eyes and lifted her bandaged hand to point at him. "So don't blow it. Got it?"

"Say good night. Carmen."

"Good night, Carmen." Still grinning, she closed her eyes.

*

Alone in her bed, more than a little hot and bothered, Faith let out a careful breath and stared at the shadows on the wall.

She could have gone with Luke and Carmen.

If she had, she'd be in his great, big, warm bed right this very minute.

With Carmen just down the hall.

Not sure about her ability to remain quiet if Luke touched her again—after all, he'd had her sobbing his name with only his mouth on her breast—she figured she'd have to wait for another opportunity. An opportunity without an audience or chance of interruption.

Waiting shouldn't be so hard, but at the clinic tonight, watching them leave, she'd thought it just might kill her.

She could admit now, most of that had been pure lust. It'd taken over her every movement, her thoughts and especially her senses.

She'd already decided there was nothing wrong with that once in a while. Nothing wrong with a good bout of mutually satisfying sex.