Wound Up(58)
“Please don’t do this, Justin.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t make saying no to you any harder on me than it already is.”
The phone beeped and the receptionist’s voice filled the air. “Gavin Stills is here, Dr. Maxwell. He’s waiting in the lobby.”
“Saved by the intercom,” he murmured.
“I’m sorry?” the receptionist asked.
“Nothing. Thank you, Mallory.”
The woman’s voice dropped an octave or three. “Of course.” The phone clicked as she disconnected.
Grace forced a smile. “Seems you’ve got a new admirer.”
“The only admirer I want is you.”
“You charmer, you.” She blew out a deep breath and fought to keep from telling him just how much she wanted to say yes to him, to agree to give this a shot. Instead what she said was, “Get it together, Dr. Maxwell. Your first official patient is waiting.”
It was the best she could do to close a conversation that was rattling her, particularly considering the fact he seemed pretty collected. She was the one who was falling apart.
* * *
JUSTIN’S HEAD WASN’T quite in the game as he left the office, Grace at his side. Part of him was focused on the fact he was seeing his first patient. An equal, maybe even larger, part couldn’t shift its focus from the woman at his side. He wanted to finish this particular conversation with Grace. Leaving it like they had seemed as though it would undermine the very things he wanted from her, things that were very personal, undeniably real and unapologetically involved. She’d shut him down before he’d been able to voice what he needed her to hear. That wasn’t acceptable. He needed to set this straight or he’d never be able to focus on the kid who needed his full attention.
Slowing, Justin gently took Grace’s arm and pulled her to a stop, stepping in front of her. “Our conversation isn’t over. We both know we have to focus on the job right now, but that doesn’t buy you an out from hearing what I have to say. I’m going to leave you with this.” He moved in closer, forcing her to lift her chin to meet his stare. “This thing between us? It’s not wrong, Grace. That it’s hard to keep shutting me down should tell you something.”
She squared her shoulders. “I never said it was wrong. I said, in summary, it’s not a possibility I’m willing to explore. My life begins when I get out of Seattle, Justin, and your life is here. That puts us at an impasse.”
A sense of despondency scored his heart. She couldn’t simply leave him under the false pretense that this was how it had to be. He couldn’t live with the idea she would dismiss their night together as if it hadn’t happened. It had happened, would happen again—and again—if he got his way. But if she wanted to play stubborn, he could play. It just meant a change of tactics.
Resting his hands on her shoulders, he met her stare. “Okay, no more bus-stop moments. If you want me, you initiate the contact. I’m stepping away.”
She opened her mouth to respond but the overhead PA-system chime interrupted her. “Dr. Maxwell to the lobby. Dr. Maxwell to the lobby, please.”
“Our client’s waiting.” He swept an arm out to invite her to proceed down the hall.