One Summer in Santa Fe - By Molly Evans Page 0,25

me for that.” Her hand wrapped inside his warmed her fingers, and she wanted to reach out to him, pull his face down to hers, see if his kiss was as enticing as she remembered and not just the heat of the moment.

“It’s not that, although I am very grateful for your help with Alex. There’s something going on between us, isn’t there?” he asked, his face serious, his gaze pinning her to her chair.

“What do you mean?” Playing dumb wasn’t her way, but she didn’t want to make assumptions about Taylor, either. Though she found him wildly attractive, she knew he wasn’t the kind of man who would be into the kind of long-term relationship she now realized she wanted. She’d heard the gossip at the hospital, been warned by a nurse or two to watch it around him, that he was dangerous to a woman’s heart and libido. But the vibes she was getting from him were so compelling, they were very hard to resist. She swallowed, her heart skipped a beat, she couldn’t look away from him.

Without answering, Taylor leaned forward. Cupping a hand around the back of her neck, he drew her forward and pressed his mouth to hers. Surprised, Piper tipped her face up and met his kiss. As if he had read her mind, he leisurely explored her mouth with his lips and tongue, testing, teasing a response from her, and her heart fluttered in reaction. Hot and wild. That’s what Taylor was and that was the reaction going on in her body.

He withdrew, but reached for her hand again. “That’s what I mean.”

“I see.” Piper reached for the glass of ice water and took a quick sip, wanting to dump the whole thing over her head to cool off. “I’d have to agree with your assessment, Doctor.”

“Just making sure I wasn’t imagining things.”

“Oh, no.” She raised her brows and blew out a quick breath, grateful when the waitress came and took their orders for brunch. Piper stood, her mouth suddenly dry. “Shall we? I’m ready for that Mimosa about now.”

“Me, too.” Taylor followed her to the brunch tables.

Wanting to make her as comfortable as possible, he drew her into conversation. Work was a safe topic, and he suggested some places of interest for her to see. They relaxed, they touched, and the electricity hummed between them. Plates empty and appetites sated for the moment, Piper leaned back in her chair and sipped her Mimosa. “So, tell me what it’s like to jump out of an airplane.”

“Exhilarating.” Pushing his plate back, Taylor reached for his coffee, seeming to settle into a memory. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced.” He looked at her, considering. “Have you ever ridden a roller-coaster that made your stomach do flips?”

Piper’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, sure. And then I threw up.”

Taylor laughed. “Well, jumping out of an airplane is like that multiplied tenfold.”

Piper pressed a hand to her stomach, not liking the image of that after such a full meal. “I think I’ll stay on the ground. Getting me into an airplane usually requires sedation.”

“For me, every second’s a thrill. One that I’ll never want to give up. I’ll be jumping out of planes when I’m eighty years old.” He shook his head and gave a self-indulgent smile, as if he were chastising himself mentally but knew he could never give it up.

“How long have you been jumping?”

“Had my first jump when I was sixteen. My uncle took me. Been hooked ever since.”

“I know I’ll sound like Alex, but is there anything you don’t do well?” Everything she’d seen so far had been on the mark.

Taylor snorted. “Lots of things, but I try to stay away from them. It interferes with my self-confidence and charm.”

Laughing, Piper stood when Taylor pulled out her chair for her. Stiffness had set in again and a quiet groan escaped her throat.

“Still sore?” he asked, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. I know it will go away in a few days but, man, it hurts when I move the wrong way sometimes.” Maybe a long soak in the hot tub at her apartment complex would help, followed by an indulgent afternoon nap, including fantasies of Taylor to entertain her.

They left the building and approached Taylor’s car. “Stand still a minute.”

Puzzled, Piper remained still as Taylor moved around behind her. His hands touched her shoulders, and he pressed his thumbs into the tender space between her shoulder blades on either side of her spine.

Crying out,