Wright with Benefits (Wright Series #8) - K.A. Linde Page 0,29

thais. I drove them to the hospital and found her in the cafeteria, seated next to Cézanne, with her head buried in a book. She looked half-asleep.

“Superman!” Cézanne cheered. “Please tell me one of those is for me.”

“You can have mine,” I offered.

Annie’s head tipped up. She had dark circles under her eyes. Even though she’d claimed to be sleeping more since staying at my house, I wasn’t sure how she’d been functioning before. Still, she was beautiful. I couldn’t deny that I liked her just as much in scrubs, a messy bun, and no makeup as I did when she was all done up, snakeskin heels and all.

“Hey,” she said with a smile that lit up her face and dropped all of the exhaustion. “I hope you got it extra hot.”

“They thought I was crazy for asking for it, but I managed.” I pulled the food out of the plastic bag and passed one to her.

She opened it and shuddered just at the smell of the heat. “This is going to burn.”

“I don’t even know you,” Cézanne said, wrinkling her nose. “That looks like a powder keg.”

“Exactly. Just how I like it.”

I offered mine to Cézanne. “I still have time to find something else.”

She waved her hand at me. “Boy, sit down. You should eat lunch with your girl.”

Annie looked up at her with fire in her eyes. “Stop it.”

Cézanne grinned like she had no idea what Annie was talking about. I was about to make an excuse. I sometimes brought her lunch, but we didn’t eat together. She was too busy and usually only had a few minutes for lunch. I didn’t mind getting her something to eat, but I didn’t think that she wanted me to interrupt her day.

Then Annie looked up at me and smiled again. She patted the seat next to her. “Don’t let your lunch get cold.”

I decided not to second-guess her and sank onto the bench. Cézanne and Annie kept up a steady stream of conversation about their current rotations. I knew next to nothing about what they were going through. So I let the easy conversation drift over me. Even as out of place as I was in a business suit next to these doctors in white coats, they never let me feel left out.

“How’s the winery going?” Cézanne asked.

“Well, it’s not going anywhere yet,” I said with a shrug, pushing away my empty pad thai. “We put in an offer to purchase one. At first, the owners seemed excited, and then they asked for an extension while someone else looked at it. It’s frustrating since it didn’t seem like anyone else had even known about the property.”

“When is the extension up?” Annie asked.

“Tonight.”

“Oh good. Then it’ll all be over.”

For some reason, I didn’t think so.

Cézanne stood from her seat. “Duty calls. Are you still coming over for the study session tonight?”

“I’ll be there,” Annie agreed.

Cézanne left, and Annie stood, too, with a yawn.

“So, I won’t see you tonight?” I ventured, collecting her empty lunch.

She shot me a mischievous grin. “Maybe when I need to sleep.”

Fuck, I wanted to kiss her.

“Why do I think we’re not talking about sleep?”

“Because tomorrow is Saturday. So, no work tomorrow,” she said. “We can actually sleep in.”

“My little vampire wants me to keep her up all night.”

She twirled her claddagh ring around her finger. She did it all the time. Especially when she was trying to make a decision. Then she bit her lip and nodded.

“It’ll be late,” she warned me.

“I’ll be up.”

It took everything in me not to wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into me. But we weren’t dating. We were friends. And friends didn’t kiss in front of coworkers. The benefits were reserved for less public places.

“Then, deal.”

“Don’t forget to bring your workout clothes.”

She pouted. “I hate that I told you I wanted to work out more. Don’t you know I’d rather sleep?”

I laughed, and despite myself, I stepped forward and hooked my pinkie around hers. Her eyes shot up to mine. For a second, we just stood there. Questions in her emerald-green eyes. A heartbeat too long for friends. A breath too long for benefits.

She swallowed and then pulled back, breaking contact and running a shaky hand back through her hair. “Change of clothes. Got it. Let me know how it goes with the winery extension.”

I nodded. “I will. Good luck at the study session.”

Annie smiled again. It was only half as bright as when she’d first seen me,