Page 38 of Into Orbit
He moved the scanner slightly lower. My mouth went dry as he brushed over some of the short curls there.
‘Uterus,’ he murmured.
‘Mmm,’ I managed.
‘Done.’
I knew I shouldn’t have been disappointed when he took the scanner away, but my lips twisted and the flesh between my legs throbbed.
And then I realised his hand was still on my hip.
He didn’t say anything, and neither did I. We both watched as his finger drew an idle circle around the sharp rise of bone, then observed the goosebumps form on my skin.
We both watched as he drew a line across my stomach and his fingers circled my other hip. Though his fingertip was cool, heat spread through me at the touch. A moment later, his eyes widened as he realised what he was doing; he snatched his hand away.
‘Sorry,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I don’t … I’m so sorry, Maeve. There’s no excuse. You should go.’
‘Should I?’
‘You’re my patient. That was beyond inappropriate. I can’t … Iwon’tbetray your trust.’
‘The scanning is done,’ I pointed out.
‘I’ll find someone else to update my notes,’ he said, not looking at me. ‘You like Cedar, don’t you? They can take over.’
‘They’ll have a hard time doing that if I refuse to see them.’
‘Maeve –’
‘Willow, I get it, I really do. Believe me, if I thought you were taking advantage of me, your balls would be hanging from my earrings right now.’ I reached out and touched his hand. He inhaled at the contact. ‘If you don’t want to touch me, thenof coursedon’t touch me. But don’t keep your distance on my account.’ I placed his hand back on my hip, back where it made my entire body hot and shivery all at once.
‘I –’ His lovely brow crumpled. He swept his thumb back and forth over my skin, sending delicious waves of heat across my stomach and an answering echo between my legs. He groaned, fanning out his fingers as if he couldn’t stop himself, as if touching me was as inevitable as the dawn. Despite my craving for Elswyth, all I wanted in that moment was to hook my legs around Willow’s hips and feel him thrust into my body until he lost his measured control.
His body dipped until his beautiful face – his beautifullips– were an inch from mine. My breath was uneven, shaky, and I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down. He watched me do it, his moss-green eyes glowing as they fixed on my mouth.
He took a deep, shuddering breath. ‘The Hamadryad,’ he said, and straightened, tearing his hand away.
I snorted. ‘Half the ship seems to think I’ll find more partners, Willow. If you think we haven’t already had a conversation about this, then you are severely underestimating both of us.’
He blinked at me. ‘She knows?’
‘She gave me a list of Tirians she wasn’t comfortable with, and another of ones she liked. Take a guess which list you were on, Willow.’
He swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment. ‘That’s … That’s extremely flattering. But I think …’ He opened his eyes and gave me a look full of resignation. ‘I think this means something different to me than it does to you.’
‘What does it mean to you?’ I said softly.
‘It would be the beginning of something that I would never want to end, Maeve.’
The warmth spread through my chest at the admission, chased by sorrow. Because therewouldbe an end. When I found Tessa, all of this – whatever I had with Elswyth, whatever I started with Willow – would just … stop. They’d become nothing more than memories – memories that would make me ache in a way I didn’t want to understand.
Even though I knew that – even though IknewI was being unfair – I couldn’t leave it there.
‘How would you want it to begin, Willow?’
He shot me a look of such naked desire that my breath caught. ‘I’d begin with a kiss,’ he said, his gaze falling to my mouth again. ‘Slow and gentle, until I learned every curve of your lips. Until I could memorise the taste of you.’ He reached out and took up a lock of my hair, sliding it through his fingers. ‘I’d bury my hands in this, until I knew how it felt against my fingertips, against my skin.’ I took a shuddering breath. ‘Then, when you were ready, I’d touch you.’ His hand slid around and cupped my cheek. ‘It would be innocent – at first. I’d stroke your face, your lovely ears, your neck.’ His hand slid down to rest on my collarbone. ‘Here. I’d learn the shape of your arms, what made you shiver. What made youwrithe.’
I gave a needy pant as his voice roughened.
