Page 1 of Twice as Tempting

Chapter 1

Kelly Cruise rushed toward the bank of elevators, her heels clicking loudly down the hospital corridor, but Damian caught up with her in a few short strides.

“What’s your rush? he asked once they reached the elevators.

“I told you. I have to get back to work. We have a new employee who just started a few weeks ago, and I don’t want to leave her alone for long.” Kelly glanced impatiently at the numbers above the elevator door, willing the elevator to hurry up and reach the maternity floor.

“What are you doing tonight?” His tone was casual, but his eyes were intense.

“I have a date,” she snapped, and she waited for his reaction.

Damian just stared at her for a few beats until she filled in the blanks. “What?” she asked. “Did you think I would just sit around and wait for you to come back to Michigan?” The sarcasm dripped off her tongue, and she cursed herself for losing her cool.

Mr. Strong and Silent continued to stare at her, but his mouth remained shut.

“You did, didn’t you? You expected me to wait around for eight months until you came waltzing back into my life. Well, it doesn’t work that way, Damian. My life didn’t end just because you weren’t in it.”

“I…” he began.

The elevator bell rang, and the doors opened. Kelly and Damian had to step aside to let a stream of passengers out, and then Kelly stepped in, expecting that would be the end of their conversation.

She was wrong. The big lug stepped into the car with her, and the door closed with an ominous groan.

“Look, Kell. I’m sorry that I didn’t call you after I left. My life was kind of in upheaval, and I had some stuff to work out. But now I’m back, and I’d like to go out with you again.”

Why is this elevator so damn slow? Kelly glared at him with one hand on her hip. “Why? So we can have sex for a while and then you can take off to California again?”

“I’m not going back,” he said just as the elevator reached the ground floor.

The doors slid open, and they both stepped out. Kelly was rendered speechless, and the ground felt shaky beneath her feet. Her footsteps slowed while they walked toward the hospital lobby. “You’re not going back to California?” she asked, just to make sure that she had heard him right.

“No.”

“Never?”

“Well, it’s hard to say never, but no, I don’t plan on it.”

They had reached the lobby, and Kelly leaned against an overstuffed chair for support while Damian stood before her with an inkling of a smile at the edge of his full lips.

“How long have you known this?”

“For a few months, but I’ve actually been thinking about it for a lot longer than that.”

“Yet you didn’t see any reason to tell me before now?” Her voice rose, and Damian’s smile instantly disappeared.

“Kell…”

“Don’t Kell me.” She stood up straight and tried to contain the fury that threatened to burst out of her. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re not allowed to walk in and out of my life at will and expect me to lay down and spread my…”

Damian placed his hand firmly on her elbow and half-dragged, half-pushed her out the lobby door into the bright sunshine. He manhandled her down a path that snaked around the hospital grounds until they were alone.

“It wasn’t like that, Kelly.”

“The hell it wasn’t!”

Damian paced in front of her with anger emanating off him in waves. “Yes, we had sex, but it was more than that to me.”

Kelly’s fists were curled so tightly that her red nails dug into her skin. “How do you expect me to believe you when you never called me. Not once in eight months. Eight months, Damian!”