He didn't say anything until they were parked at the hospital. Kinsey immediately tried to jump from the car, but he grabbed her arm.
He couldn't believe how off kilter she was constantly throwing him. He looked at her head until she finally turned and locked eyes with him. She was shaken, that much was obvious, as tremors still racked her body.
She was also afraid. He could understand that. They had something … something unusual. It scared the hell out of him, too.
"I need to go," she whispered in a plea. He knew she wanted to build her walls back up. He had no choice but to let her, but what he wanted was to drag her home with him.
"Kinsey … "
"I have to work, Austin. Thank you for the ride, and the items, but I have to get inside. I'm late now," she said more firmly. She was gaining her iron will back.
"Fine," he said and let go of her arm. She scrambled out of the car and took a few steps toward the hospital, her slippers visibly getting soaked. "You forgetting something?"
She turned as he opened the trunk. He saw the hesitation, like she wanted to just leave the items there. Finally, she walked back and grabbed her bags.
"I can help you carry them," he offered. She looked down at the three bags, then at him with an, are you kidding me, look.
"I'm neither helpless, nor a damsel in distress. I do appreciate your help tonight, but I'm not trying to play hard to get, Austin. I'm too busy for a relationship, and we just don't … well, we don't click. I told you, I don't do affairs. Let it go." With those words, she turned and walked inside. He admired the view of her hips moving as she marched off.
He smiled. He didn't really know why. She was the most frustrating female he'd ever dealt with, but he liked her. Really liked her, as a matter-of-fact.
"See ya soon, Kinsey," he called. He watched her step falter for a moment, before she resumed her pace. He waited until she was safely inside before he climbed back into his car. He turned up the music on the radio and sang along. For having to go home and take an ice cold shower, he was feeling pretty good.
A few days passed with Kinsey managing to avoid Austin. Apparently, something at the offices had come up and he'd been unable to make it to the hospital during her shifts.
She finally got two full days off. It was a win, win, because that meant her patients were doing well enough for her to step away for a couple days. She was thrilled George was better, and Joseph was stable. She needed the days off, too - desperately.
She hadn't hesitated when her boss told her to go home and rest. The first thing she'd done was take a two hour bath while reading, then she'd glared at her pile of mail.
She had to pay bills, whether she liked it or not, so she may as well get it over with. She sat down with her checkbook and started ripping into her mail. An hour later, she felt a headache coming on, so she lay on the couch with her eyes closed, and a hot cup of coffee next to her.
As she rested, she couldn't help but think of Austin. The man was invading her day and night, whether he was actually there or not. She was so high strung, she knew she was going to have to do something, but she couldn't figure out what.
She reminded herself of all the reasons she didn't want to have a cheap affair with him, but her body was in a constant fight with her mind. She was in a permanent state of arousal, it seemed.
With frustration, she finally got up and went to the kitchen to find a snack. There was hardly any food in the house since she'd been practically living at the hospital. Her paycheck was gratifyingly large, though, so she was able to pay all the bills while putting away a nice chunk of change for a rainy day.
She may even treat herself to a day at the spa. She knew Cassie would be up for it. It seemed like forever since the two of them had been able to get out with no one else around. She loved being surrounded by people, but sometimes she just needed her best friend and no one else.
She found a can of soup and put it on the stove to boil. While she waited, her mind drifted to the kiss a few nights previously. Just thinking about it had her ni**les tightening and her legs clenching together, seeking relief from the pulsing of her body.
She wondered if the cold shower thing worked for women. She'd never needed one before meeting Austin Anderson. The corners of her mouth lifted at her errant thoughts.
When she was thinking about turning the stove off and giving the cold shower idea a try, her doorbell rang, causing her heart to flutter. If he was on the other side, she was throwing in the towel and attacking him on her living room floor.
She neared the door, her heart beating erratically in her chest as she flung it open. She didn't know whether to sigh in relief, or cry in frustration when she saw Cassie standing there.