A Christmas Wish (2 page)

“Are you okay?” Ethan called
after her, catching up to her in the parking lot. He assumed everything went
fabulous, given Jasmine had stayed longer than he expected after she checked
her patients. It didn’t dawn on him that he’d been dead wrong until a few
minutes ago, when she said good night to Sally and walked past him as if he
hadn’t been standing there.

“It’s
late and I’m tired.”

The cool
evening breeze caressed her golden tresses and carried to him a hint of her
fresh, flowery fragrance, teasing his nostrils. “What did I do?”

“Nothing.”
Jasmine continued walking.

Ethan
caught up to her and matched her steps. “If I didn’t do anything, why are you
so upset?”

At his
words, Jasmine stopped and turned to him. “I’m not upset. I’m… I’m… forget it.”
She resumed walking, and with a few more long strides, she reached the driver’s
side of her black Audi.

“Forget
what, Jas?” Ethan said, putting his hand on the door, preventing her from
opening it.

Her
lips thinned with irritation and she glared at him. “First, you lied. You said
you wouldn’t be here, yet you were here all afternoon.” Jasmine touched his
chest with her finger, giving him a shove. “Second, you promised my patients
something without consulting me first.” She shoved him again, though he didn’t
move even an inch. “How dare you?”

If her
eyes didn’t look like she’d incinerate him right then and there, he’d think she
looked sexy when she was this mad.

Ethan
reached for her hand on his chest and curled his fingers around her wrist.
“They’re kids with hopes and dreams. You and I know some of them will make it
out of here and live to tell their story. Others won’t, and it sucks.” He
tightened his hold when she tugged her hand. “I thought that you, of all
people, would get my point.”

“Well,
you thought wrong.”

“It’s
too late to back out now.” The warmth of her delicate wrist seeped through his
palm, and Ethan fought the urge to pull her to him and steal at last that darn
kiss he’d always dreamed of.

“I’d
do it any other day, but not on Christmas Eve,” she said. “If you don’t want to
move the date, then ask someone from the staff to go with you.”

“Why
not on Christmas Eve?”

Jasmine
squeezed her eyes closed, then opened them, tears clouding her gaze. “My family
died in a car accident on Christmas Eve. It’ll be their ten-year anniversary
this Christmas. What would you do if you were me?”

Her
words caught him off guard. This time, when she tugged her hand from his grasp,
he let her go. His chest grew heavy with guilt. Ethan wished he could say or do
something, but his apology died in his dry throat and the words never came out.
Without another word or look, Jasmine drove away in her car.

He’d
expected anything. Anything but what she told him. How did he not know this? What
an idiot.

What
would you do if you were me?

Her
question and pained expression were imprinted in his mind. Scanning the
deserted parking lot, he strode to his car. As much as their situation sucked,
she’d let him know something she wouldn’t have otherwise, had he not made this
innocent mistake. If he didn’t press harder now, steering them in the direction
he wanted to take them, he’d never break through to her.

Jasmine exchanged brief good
mornings with the staff already at the practice as she found her way to her
office. She set her venti vanilla macchiato on her desk, and swore tonight
she’d take a couple of sleeping pills. Another restless night would take whatever
little energy she had left. Jasmine sat and turned on her laptop as she
continued reminiscing about last night’s events.

The time
she spent with the kids at the hospital had been great. Their hopeful, happy
faces always did things to her heart, made her wish she had what she couldn’t
have. Rather, what she didn’t allow herself to have because of the fear of
losing it all the way she’d lost her family.

Ethan’s
promise to the kids was another matter altogether. Livid didn’t begin to
describe how she felt. Last night, she tossed and turned in her bed, going
crazy out of her mind. She’d shared with him only what few people knew. By the
time she’d told him, it’d been too late to take the words back. For a moment
she thought he’d say something. Instead, he stood there speechless. But what did
she expect him to say? Jasmine didn’t want his pity or meaningless words.

Her
thoughts filtered to the kids’ smiling faces. How could she deny them of
something they were excited about, something they were looking forward to?
She’d be a royal witch if she made up an excuse not to go with them. Their
hearts would break.

“Good
morning, boss,” Laurie said from the door.

“You’re
early.”

“Pfft.
I’m on time. Your nine fifteen is here.”

Jasmine
rose and shrugged into her white coat. “Is Sinclair here yet?”

“He’s with a patient right now.” Laurie’s inquisitive gaze
roamed her face. “Do you need—
”

“No. I
don’t need anything.” Not giving Laurie a chance to ask anything else, she
strode out of her office.

Halfway
down the hall, Ethan stepped out of an examination room, running right into
her. “Jas.” His hand settled on her waist. “I didn’t see you.”

“It’s
all right.” The heat of his hand burned through her clothes. Jasmine took a
step back, but he kept her in place for a moment before letting her go.

“Last
night….”

“I’d
prefer if we didn’t talk about it.”

He
nodded. “Can we discuss the field trip with the kids?”

“Sure.”
The least she could do was agree to change the date. Letting the kids down
wasn’t an option.

“Dinner
after work tonight?” His lips slid into a devastating grin, making her knees
weak.

Dinner?
Unsure
she’d heard him right, Jasmine asked, “I beg your pardon?”

“It’ll
be a working dinner.” Ethan glanced over her shoulder, and then his gray-green
gaze returned to her. “It’s for the kids.”

Tongue-tied,
Jasmine stared back at him in shock, having a hard time believing she’d walked
herself into this. “I don’t think—”

“It’s
only dinner.” Ethan gestured with his hand. “We’ll be two colleagues making
plans for their patients. Nothing else.”

“I
don’t—”

Leaning
forward, he said in a low voice, “I promise not to kiss you.”

“Of
course you won’t.”

“Not
unless you ask me.” With a wink, he straightened and continued on his way.

Unable
to move and still trying to understand what had just happened, Jasmine stood
there. The thud of a door closing brought her back to the present. Shaking her
head, she headed for the room where her patient waited. Her mind went wild,
thinking of a million and one ways to get out of having dinner with Ethan. The
problem was, all of her excuses sounded lame.

It’s for
the kids,
she reminded herself.

Stunned by the rich tapestry
combined with modern decorations, Jasmine followed their maître d’ through the
front courtyard. Clear lights suspended from tree branches formed a triangle up
top, where a chandelier hung. Within minutes Jasmine felt transported from Lake
Buena Vista, Florida, to a cottage somewhere in Sorrento, Italy. The sight was
surreal. It was as if she’d stepped out of the world as she knew it and into a
heavenly space.

“Miss?”

Jasmine
forced herself to focus and looked at the maître d’, then at Ethan. It wasn’t
until then she realized Ethan held her hand. She didn’t recall when, in the few
minutes they’d been here, Ethan had laced his fingers with hers. Her stomach
flipped and her knees trembled in response to his irresistible smile. Letting
go, she sat on the chair the maître d’ held out for her. It’d be a while before
she forgot about this place. Its warmth and charm made her feel at home.

“This
is beautiful,” she finally managed to say after the maître d’ left. Avoiding Ethan’s
piercing eyes, Jasmine dropped her gaze to the tabletop. A lit candle in a
silver holder sat in the middle, along with a couple of wine glasses with rose
petals in them.

“Wait
until you try their food,” Ethan said. “Have you given the field trip with the
kids a bit more thought?”

“As a
matter of fact, I have,” she said, somewhat relieved when their waiter showed
up to take their orders, giving her more time to consider her words. After the
waiter left, Jasmine eased back in her chair, more comfortable with Ethan. She
couldn’t tell if her comfort was as a result of the beauty and enchanting feel
of the place or not. “What do you think about planning the field trip for the
week before Christmas?”

“I
think we’ll break the kids’ hearts if we change plans on them.”

Jasmine
stared at him, then scanned their surroundings, taking in the other tables and
the dimmed lighting. “It isn’t fair. You put me in a bad position. You
should’ve consulted me first.”

“Jas.”
His large hand grabbed hers, the unexpected touch made her body jolt in
response. “If I’d known what you shared with me last night, I would’ve never
promised anything to the kids.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

Ethan shouldn’t
have promised anything regardless, not unless he’d checked in with her. Jasmine
could either accept his apology, or make a bigger deal about it and ruin the
delicious dinner this place promised. And as much as she didn’t want to admit
it, the kids—her patients—hadn’t been the only reason she’d come anyway.

“I
can’t do Christmas Eve,” she said, tugging her hand from his.

Holding
on to her hand, he asked, “You can’t or you won’t?”

“Both.”

“Jasmine.”
He took a breath. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you go through every
Christmas. I won’t pretend I understand because I’d be lying.” Ethan ran his
thumb over her knuckles. “Can you make an exception and do this for the kids…
your patients?”

Her
patients weren’t just patients. They were her kids. Two of them would still be
here next year, if they took well to their therapies. And one wouldn’t be here by
this time next year. Her heart broke in half at the thought. She’d give
anything so kids didn’t have to suffer and could outlive terrible diseases like
leukemia. As much as the memory of her parents and brother pained her on such a
holiday, it’d shatter her to a million pieces if she broke the kids’ hopes for
spending Christmas Eve at Disney World.

“Jose,
Frankie, and Roxie are the only reasons I’m doing this.”

His
lips spread into a smile. “Thank you. I’m sure Roxie’s mom will appreciate this
more than we’ll ever know.”

Jasmine
wouldn’t argue. She knew about loss, but no way would she compare her kind of
pain to what her patients’ parents must be going through, uncertain of their
children’s future.

The
rest of their dinner went by in a flash. It wasn’t until the waiter dropped off
their check that Jasmine realized the late hour. Their conversation had carried
on from one topic to the next, surprising her each and every time at how
comfortable Ethan made her feel.

She’d
just reached for her purse when Ethan said, “It’s my treat tonight.”

“No.”

“Jas.”
He quirked a brow. “It’s the least I can do. You can pay next time.”

Her
heart jolted at his words. “There won’t be a next time.”

Ethan
seemed to study her for a moment before he grabbed her hand and helped her to
her feet. “Come, let’s take a walk.”

The
warmth from his hand moved up her arm, slowly sliding up and down her body
until her insides boiled. Unable to utter a word, Jasmine allowed him to lead
her along a narrow moonlit wooden path, where trees and shrubs lined their way.
A white gothic door appeared at the end of the trail, and sudden excitement
filled her chest with the need to know what stood behind it.

Ethan
paused and looked at her, mischief dancing in his eyes. “You want to see what’s
out there?”

“As
long as it’s not the Boogeyman, then yes.” A nervous laugh fell from her lips. Being
here with Ethan—in the dark, with no one else around, and standing in front of
a secret door—brought back memories of when she was a kid.

His
rich laughter rippled through the air, making her pulse skitter. Ethan pulled
the door open and gestured her in.

The
moment Jasmine crossed the threshold, she imagined being transported yet again
to another place. Moss and ivy climbed the stone walls, enclosing them. Three
wooden benches stood around a ring of limestone flooring, and a water fountain
sat in the middle. Images of Queen of the Night tulips, purple basil, and black
pansies came to mind, and she bet this walled-in garden became even more
beautiful in spring.

“Do
you come here often?” she asked, turning in a circle, taking in every detail
her eyes came across.

“It’s
been a while since the last time I was here.” Ethan approached her. “It’s a
beautiful place to visit, but—”

“But
what?” Jasmine stared at him. “Afraid you’ll give women the wrong idea?” A soft
laugh escaped her, not believing what she’d asked.

He
grasped her hands and drew her to him until her breasts made contact with the
wall of his chest. “I’d never give you the wrong idea, Jas.”

The
muscles of her face froze in place, and her laughter soon turned into silence. “I-I
should go.”

“You
should stay.” His arm circled her waist as he angled his head, searching her
face through lowered lashes. “I had a wonderful time tonight.”

“I did
too. Thank you,” she said in a low voice. Her mind raced with thoughts of his
strength, his enchanting eyes, his velvety voice, and most of all, she wondered
if he’d kiss her.

“You
feel just like I imagined.” Closing the little bit of space between them, he
continued. “But I’m still wondering how you taste.”

His
hot breath fanned her lips one second, and the next, his mouth moved over hers.
A gasp fled her and Ethan took the opportunity to deepen their kiss. Warmth
flooded her as his scorching tongue explored her mouth. Trying to think clearly
became a difficult task. Every stroke of his tongue and the way Ethan tightened
his hold around her fogged her mind. Unable to resist his coaxing lips, she
returned his kiss with the same fervor. Since she’d already let him kiss her,
she might as well make it a good one.

She
rose to her toes and slid her hands up his arms until reaching his shoulders. Jasmine
sucked his tongue gently into her mouth, swallowing his groan. His hands
dropped to her ass, where he cupped her, pressing her firmly against his groin,
causing a pool of heat to form low in her belly.

Breaking
their kiss, he said against her lips, “Give me one night.”

Already
missing the full contact of his lips on hers, she nibbled on his bottom lip. “I
don’t think that’ll be a good idea. This—” She bit his lip. “—isn’t a good
idea.”

“Yet,
you’re still kissing me.” He squeezed her ass, pressing her harder against him.
“Just one night, Jasmine.” Ethan outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue.
“It doesn’t have to be tonight. Think about it.”

Jasmine
dropped her arms to her sides, and stepped back. “I don’t have to think about
it. My answer will still be no.”

“I can
be persuasive.”

She
smiled, recalling they’d had the same exchange not too long ago. “I can be
stubborn.”

“As I
said, I like stubborn.”