Page 13 of All I Want

“Look at all the presents,” a child’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she looked down the hall to see a few kids poking their heads out of their rooms. She’d seen the list of patients the guys planned to visit. It was almost the entire floor, barring the few kids that were too sick to see visitors. She could only imagine how many presents they had for all four floors.

“You didn’t try to hide today, Mags,” Alex said, nudging her shoulder so she’d look at him again.

She gasped. Crap. When had he sidled up next to her? “Don’t you have presents to give out?” she asked, pinching his side.

“Hey, you know I’m ticklish there,” he said. That damn twinkle in his eyes needed to go the hell away.

Now she was thinking about way too many tickle fights that had ended with her gasping on top of him and all of their clothes missing. She shook her head.

“Yeah, fond memories,” he whispered close to her ear.

“Stop it. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t trying to hide from you.”

“Sure, you weren’t,” he said, tweaking her nose before he headed down the hallway with his teammates.

“Yeah, friends my ass,” Callie said, sidling up next to Maggie.

“Zip it, you. Thanks for outing me just now.”

“Ahh, they would’ve found out eventually. Especially with the way he can’t stop looking at you.”

She would not look up at him. She. Would. Not.

“I have to check on a few patients,” she said, heading down the hallway.

“Sure, you do. I’ll save you a cookie,” Callie called out.

***

She wanted tosay that she spent the next hour focused on her job, but after checking on two of her patients, she found herself standing just inside the door of Henry’s room, watching him painstakingly open his gift as he told Alex that Baz was his new favorite player. Alex claimed to be heartbroken and then threatened to sing holiday songs.

The guys joined in on a few songs, including Olaf’s favorite. She couldn’t stop her smile as Alex’s tone-deaf voice rang out and Henry covered his ears.

“This is why Baz is my new favorite,” Henry said, and Alex leaned over to give Henry a hug.

“It’s okay. I’ll forgive you for now, but you’ll be back. It’s only because you have the same smile with all those missing teeth.”

Alex looked up and caught her gaze. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile, and it did nothing to tamp down her buzzing nerves. Good thing he wasn’t Santa, or she might’ve climbed into his lap.

He has a girlfriend. A. Nice. Girlfriend.

She ducked out of the room.

“Maggie, wait.” His voice was too close, and she spun around.

“Can we talk?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Alex. What about the kids?”

“The guys have it covered. I need to talk to you.”

She hesitated to tell him no. There was something in his voice: nerves, excitement. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it probably would lead her to say things she shouldn’t. Do things she shouldn’t.

“Alex,” she started, but he’d already nudged her into an empty hospital room.

“Alex. What are you doing?” she asked as he crowded into her, pulling the door shut behind him.

“What I’ve wanted to do since I saw you in my suite. Hell, since forever,” he said, snaking his arm around her waist and settling her into his body.

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