That did funny things to her heart, and she lifted her eyes once more, letting all the emotions she felt for him shine through. She was still aware of their situation, though, and where they were. When his hand slid across the table in her direction she shook her head, dropping her gaze back to her phone.

Lauren: Apparently, I’m territorial. Who knew?

Andrew: I like it.

Lauren: I like you.

Andrew: I’m dying to kiss you.

Lauren: I love it when you wear that hoodie. You wore it the first day we met.

Andrew’s foot curved around her ankle, entwining their legs together. Breathing became a little more difficult.

Andrew: I remember everything about you from that day. Your laugh, the way you wore your hair. Your freckles and the way you blushed when you “accidentally” ran into me.

Lauren: Yes. It was my brilliant attempt to get you to notice me. I was hoping for a second-degree burn but the coffee wasn’t hot enough.

Andrew: Lukewarm did the trick.

Lauren: Tell me truthfully. Did you see the picture on my phone? Before the coffee incident?

Andrew: The breasts? I most certainly did.

Lauren: They weren’t mine, you know.

Andrew: …I can’t think of a gentlemanly way to say that I know they weren’t yours.

Lauren: Oh.

Lauren: You know, if you wanted to be a little ungentlemanly…sometimes…that would be okay.

Andrew shot to his feet. He slammed his laptop closed and was standing next to her chair with his belongings in one hand in fifteen seconds flat. “We’re leaving.”

Lauren blinked, only now processing where she’d allowed their text conversation to go, and taking in his large body looming over her. “We are?”

He leaned down to speak directly into her ear, his breath tickling the tiny hairs on her neck. “If we don’t, I’m going to maul you right here in front of everyone.”

Her mouth went dry, and she ran her tongue across her bottom lip to moisten the surface. Andrew’s mouth dropped open slightly as he watched her.

She cleared her throat. “Right. Let’s go.”

…

Exactly one week later, Lauren sat in front of her computer at work, typing progress notes for the patients she’d seen that morning. She heard a feminine groan from behind her and swiveled around.

“I’ve lost it,” Kiara said, throwing her hands in the air.

“What?” Lauren asked.

“My momentum.”

From Lauren’s other side, Emma laughed. “No kidding. It’s Friday, we’re all a little fried.”

“We’ve got two patients left this morning and none this afternoon,” came Dr. Patel’s voice from across the room. “I know you’ve got it in you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Dr. Stanford grumbled, and Lauren nodded. Their afternoon was booked solid.