He jerked his hand away, and his eyes widened. “Shit, I’m sorry. You’d better go.” He moved back a step. “And don’t wear those around me again, unless we’re not here.”

A tingle shot down her spine, and the temperature in the room seemed to increase by ten degrees. Andrew’s gaze was hot on hers, and his nostrils flared slightly with his heavy breathing. Suddenly he was right in front of her again. He softly touched her face, sliding his fingers across her cheek.

“Just a quick kiss,” he said. “Then you can get back to work.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Still, she leaned closer.

“I know. But I can’t…”

Lauren’s protest died on her lips, because suddenly his were pressed against them, causing the most wonderful friction and sending her stomach into a free fall.

The door opened.

Lauren pushed Andrew back at the same time he lurched away from her.

Kiara froze with the door partially open.

It looked bad. Even if Kiara hadn’t seen the actual kiss—and that was a big IF—the scene now was just as bad. Lauren’s back was against the wall, her cheeks flushed and her hands shaking. Andrew stood awkwardly in the middle of the room looking like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“I—” Andrew began.

“I’ll come back,” Kiara interrupted. With a purse of her lips and a disapproving glance at Lauren, she shut the door.

Lauren’s hands flew to cover her mouth. “Oh no.” Her voice came out muffled.

Andrew moved farther away from her. “I’m so sorry. Shit, Lauren, I’m sorry.”

Fear automatically coiled in her stomach, even though it had been Kiara. Kiara was her friend…she wouldn’t say anything. Right?

“I can fix this. I see Kiara every time I’m here; she likes me. She likes Jeni. I’ll talk to her,” Andrew spit the words out rapid fire.

Lauren held up a hand. “No, please don’t talk to her about it. Let me. She’s my friend…I think it will be okay.” She gave him a stern look. “But see? We can’t do that.”

He sat down, still looking like a little boy who knew he’d been caught and was bravely awaiting his punishment. Lauren wouldn’t have pegged him as a back-talker, though. “We can’t do that today. After today I won’t need chemo anymore.”

“You don’t know that. We won’t know until after your scan next week. Which is Thursday at seven thirty, by the way.”

“Damn, that’s early.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “You keep talking about my PET scan like you don’t think it’s going to be good. Is there something that makes you think we didn’t get it all?”