Hellraiser (Erotic Romance - Romantic Comedy) Read Online Free Page B

irritated the way he continually shut her out and seemed to reprimand her every time she got too personal. What did he expect them to do, stay virtual strangers for the next year? Without a word she began clearing the table and her ire slithered away. He was right, they had all the time in the world to get to know one another and her bombarding him with questions would only make things awkward.
    “Here, let me help you clean up.” Sam felt him standing in back of her, could feel his body heat radiating out and warming her backside. Her nipples peaked and she was glad she was wearing a padded bra. If not, she’d probably embarrass herself since her body seemed to keep giving itself away every time he was near. How hard-up could a person be? Then again, it had been nearly a year since she’d had sex. Maybe even if Dr. Taylor had been old and gray she’d still find him sexually attractive with the way her hormones had been in hibernation for so long.
    “Sure, thanks,” she mumbled, refusing to look at him as he rinsed the plates and forks then handed them to her. Sam placed them in the dishwasher, along with the rest of the utensils and glasses. As she bent down to retrieve the dishwasher soap, Zach had evidently intended to do the same thing and they bumped heads pretty hard. “Ouch!” She stood up and rubbed her head where it pounded.
    Zach squinted and rubbed his brow. “Sorry about that. I was trying to help. Damn, you’ve got a hard head!”
    “So I’ve been told.” She hissed a breath through her gritted teeth, willing the pain away. “Let me take a look at that.” She moved closer to him, sliding her fingers over the small lump over his right eye. “There’s no blood so I think we’re okay.”
    “You sure about that? I feel like half my brain flew out of my ear.” He laughed and Sam felt her insides melt at the mellow sound.
    “Even if it had, we could always scoop it up and stuff it back in. We’re doctors, remember?” She held up a palm in a warding off gesture as she bent over to get the soap. She squirted some in the dishwasher, closed the door, and turned it on. “You want some ice for that?” The area was turning a slight blue color.
    “Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just be more careful next time or I may need stitches.”
    Sam didn’t know what to say so she merely stood there. She’d definitely lived alone for too long. She had no idea how to carry on a conversation or entertain a guest. Then again, Zach wasn’t a guest, he was living here. The reality of it sent goose bumps all over her.
    “We grew apart and she ended up having an affair.”
    Shaking the cobwebs loose in her head Sam said, “What?”
    “You asked why my marriage ended.” He looked suddenly uptight and nervous as the laidback friendly aura between them evaporated. Sam wanted to snatch it back but was happy to have him open up to her so quickly.
    “Well, those are certainly good reasons to part ways.” She offered him a cup of tea and he declined. “Still, it must have been difficult. Breakups always are.” Pulling a mug from the cupboard, she slid a sideways glance at him, noticing that he seemed deep in thought, his hands slugged into the front pockets of his sweat pants. Her eyes dipped to the front of them, noticing he was aroused. The knowledge was a booster shot for her feminine ego. She was happy to know that she was affecting him as badly as he was affecting her.
    “It was.” He went to sit at the table while she heated the mug of water in the microwave then stuck a teabag in the cup. “What about you?” he then asked.
    “What about me, what?” She feigned innocence as she took up her previous chair and dipped the teabag in and out of the hot water, watching as it went from clear to brown.
    Leaning forward, elbow resting on the table and his chin in his hand, he shrugged. “Have you been married or engaged? Are you dating anyone?”
    “Inquisitive, aren’t you?”
    “You started