Free The Best Mistake by Kate Watterson Page B

features and gorgeous dark blue eyes. He used his elbows to scoot himself up against the pillows in a sitting position, no less disconcerted than she was, not to mention sporting a very prominent erection. He reached for the sheet to cover himself and inadequately, he said, “Yes. Sorry for the mix-up.”
    Mix-up. Yeah, that was a brilliant way to describe almost having sex with someone .
    Lacey seemed to comprehend through her shock she was also naked and snatched the other end of the sheet up, then apparently decided maybe it was too intimate to both be under the same sheet, and practically ran for the bathroom.
    She also had a very nice, firm ass, but he’d admired it in clothing before, so he wasn’t surprised. When she emerged a few moments later, she was in a navy skirt and still furiously buttoning a pale silk blouse with shaking fingers. She stopped, took a deep breath and then stared at him accusingly. “Do you mind telling me why you are here? Where’s Ran?”
    At least that explanation was simple enough. “I’m having the floors in the house redone. Can’t walk on them for forty-eight hours. I was just going to sleep at the hospital, but when Ran heard your flight was canceled and you wouldn’t be home until late tomorrow, he decided to run down to Bedford and visit his parents. He told me to just stay here. I’d come off a sixteen hour shift, so I took him up on it.”
    Lacey’s cheeks were a definite scarlet color. “Why didn’t he at least send me a text?”
    “Why would he? He thought you were staying in Chicago and not flying in until tomorrow afternoon.”
    They stared at each other for a moment, and then she said quietly, “I think I can honestly say I have never, ever been so embarrassed in my life.”
    “I admit to a certain out of body feeling myself right now.” His laugh was short, more like an audible exhale. “Look, like I said, I’m sorry. I was pretty tired after a long day and it took me a while to even quite get what was going on.”
    It was true. He was in the third year of his residency in cardiology and the hours were grueling at times. He’d left the hospital beat, and the offer of a dark secluded room with no distractions or interruptions had sounded like heaven.
    It had been heaven there for a few minutes, right before he refrained from screwing Ran’s girlfriend. At the very last minute. He’d been inside the silken heat of her, and really, that was probably pretty unforgiveable, though he hadn’t done anything—nor had she—on purpose.
    Maybe that kiss. By then he’d known it was Lacey. He was guilty of the kiss, but she’d tasted sweet and her naked, warm body had been pressed to his and he’d been thoroughly aroused and…
    God only knew how he’d managed to find the willpower to stop it from going further than it had.
    “I don’t think you’re the one that needs to apologize.” She brushed back a lock of glossy hair from her cheek. “I…I attacked you. I thought you were Ran, and so—”
    “We both know it was an innocent mistake.”
    “Not so innocent.” She grimaced. “In motivation, yes, but what happened, no. I’m going to have to tell him, aren’t I?” The color was gone from her face now, and she dropped into a chair by the dresser as if she was suddenly very tired, rubbing her forehead. “If I hadn’t…I mean…done it that way…”
    She meant deliciously sucking him to full attention. He still had a raging erection, and really, if he was ever going to get some sleep before he had to be back on duty the next day, he probably should excuse himself to the bathroom to take care of it. But her distress was genuine. Rick said reasonably, “Look, there’s no need to tell him exactly what happened. I’ll explain if you want. You crawled into bed with me, not knowing it wasn’t him. We were both startled. End of story. Kind of funny, when you think about it.”
    “Hilarious.” She slumped back, her shining hair still suggestively