Page 20 of The Sheriff & the Nurse

Instead he pushed all his obligations and restraints away as he reached her. Nothing short of an earthquake could stop him as he rested a hand on the doorframe above her head and leaned in. Her gaze held his until he got close enough and then her eyes fluttered closed. Those long lashes resting on her cheek and her full lips ready just for him. They were engaged, after all. A simple goodnight kiss wouldn’t be out of order. They should … practice to make the fake engagement look real.

He pressed a kiss to her brow, and she let out a sweet whimper. His stomach pitched and he lowered his mouth just enough to kiss the softness of her closed eyelid. Her breath was coming in fast pants, the taste of her lips only a few moments away. All his suppressed fantasies regarding Lily were about to come true.

She clung to the doorframe behind her as if trying to restrain herself. Clint wanted her to forget about restraint and throw those arms around his neck. They could deal with all the repercussions later.

He lowered his mouth and kissed her tantalizing cheek—smooth and perfect.

Another lingering kiss on the cheek, and then …

He couldn’t stay strong or hold back for one more second.

She gave every indication she would welcome his kiss. He pushed all the junk between them away and angled toward her mouth.

Her phone rang.

Lily jolted and their noses bumped.

“Sorry,” she burst out with, moving out of his reach and into the bedroom, tugging her suitcase with her. “Goodnight.” She shut the door behind her, and he heard her say, “Hello?”

“Night,” Clint said to the closed door. He stared at it for a beat.

The phone had rung. It wasn’t a rejection.

It sure felt like one, and sadly it was for the best.

He turned toward his room and let his thoughts run. Lily was here. In his house. What would tomorrow look like?

He’d take the day off, they’d go on a long hike in the morning, make breakfast together, flirt and tease as they cooked, ate, and cleaned up, and then he’d pin her against the counter and finally get a taste of those lips. No. A taste would never do. A long, fulfilling, drawn out kiss or series of kisses. Then they’d pack apicnic and go to the lake. They’d lay on a blanket and talk, jump in the water when they got hot. He’d kiss her while he held her close in the water.

His heart thumped out of control as his hopes and visions blew out of proportion.

Finally, he trudged to his room. Was Lily truly his dream woman like he’d always envisioned and each touch and look confirmed? Or was he simply lonely and making something out of nothing, going back on the ‘dibs’ he’d agreed to years ago, and selfishly ruining Walker’s chance with her?

Sheryl had shattered his heart, his pride, and his trust in his own judgment. His family had seen ‘red flag’. He’d pushed his own family away and battled a close friend for a woman who had dumped him and left him weeks before their wedding day.

Lily was genuine, and already Clint was more drawn to and invested in her than he’d ever been with Sheryl. Lily could easily rip his heart from his chest.

Even more concerning than his own heart—how would Walker react to all of this?

Clint needed some serious time on his knees. He couldn’t see or think straight when Lily was around.

Chapter

Five

Lily clungto the phone with trembling fingers as she paced Clint’s guest room and Daisy grilled her about Miles and Eva Chevron. She tried to give appropriate answers, but her mind was still clinging to the memory of her leaning against that doorframe as Clint tenderly kissed her forehead, her eye, her cheek, … oh swoon. Each kiss had been off the charts.

She couldn’t envision what kind of fireworks would happen if he kissed her lips. He’d been angling for her lips when her phone rang. Right? Were the two of them still a ‘no’ or did they have a chance?

“Lily!” Daisy sounded indignant. “Are you even upset about this?”

“No,” she admitted. “Miles and I were over a while ago.” Years, if she were being honest. She was a Christian and wanted to have integrity and honesty in her life, but it felt like she was hiding things and telling half-truths regularly. Half-truths? Claiming to be engaged to Clint, the most tantalizing man on the planet, was a full-on lie. She was tired of feeling guilt for the bad situation she was in with Dr. Hampshire. Clint had made her feel understood and valued when she’d shared the truth. Nothingabout Clint was a bad situation. It was all good, incredible, alluring.

“Are you serious?” Now Daisy sounded more than indignant. “You are so stinking closed off. Why can’t you even confide in your favorite sister?”

Lily smiled at that, though Daisy wasn’t joking. “I’m sorry, sis. I’ve been dealing with a … rough situation at work for a while now and tonight I had to fake an engagement to Clint to keep the weirdo at bay.” She sucked in a breath. That was the opposite of not letting her family know what was happening. She was so stirred up about Clint she wasn’t thinking straight. Yet how did she think she could hide that she was living in the sheriff’s house? Crazy. It was also possible that Clint and Mark not only believing her but being on her side had given her a boost of confidence and strength. Still, she didn’t want to spill all to her family and cause havoc with Grandma and Dr. Hampshire.

“Fake an engagement?” Daisy screamed into the phone. Lily held it farther away from her head. “To the ultra-hot Sheriff Clint Coleville? Are you joking with me right now?”

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