Free Charlie's Last Stand by Isabelle Flynn Page B

work out some of the issues that had been popping up lately and find
out what was making her so unhappy. He looked back at the waiting room that
continued to fill up and pushed back his hair. It was going to be a long day.
    His cell phone vibrated from his hip and he walked into his
office before answering. “Will, where's Charlie?”
    “On her way. Dude, you didn't tell me you already made plans
with her.”
    “What are you talking about?” He took the cover off his
coffee and cringed when a few hot drops splashed his hand.
    “Your date with Charlie?”
    “You've lost me. I thought we were watching the kids for
you.”
    “I thought so too, but I asked her and she said she had a
date.” There was silence over the line as they both figured it out on their
own.
    “Charlie has a real date?” He could hear his friend drop the
phone and then wrestle it back into his grip. “Oops. Oh, well, I assumed her
date was with you.”
    “It isn't. Maybe she just meant she has plans with Diane.”
    “Nope. She said it wasn’t. So I guess she's ready to date
again.” Will dropped the phone again. “Listen, I've got to run but I'll catch
up with you.”
    “Right. Okay. I'll...uh...talk to you later.” He clicked end
on the phone and stared at it for a few minutes. Charlie, his Charlie was
dating again. How did he miss his chance?
    Months of watching and waiting for nothing. He looked at the
coffee cup still in the bag. All along, he’d been searching for ways to show her
they were perfect together outside of work. His plan had been to convince her
that he had nothing better to do than to help her watch Will's kids. Once they
got the kids in bed, he'd pull out some romantic movie he'd rented at lunch.
Maybe he'd get her to curl up against his side, his goal was one kiss. If he
got his lips on hers, maybe, just maybe he could show her that there was more
between them than patient files and medical codes, her brother and their
friendship.
    “Doc, you're up in Room Five.” Diane called through his
office door.
    He was just pulling the patient's folder from the pocket
beside the door when Charlie walked in from reception.
    He noticed pieces of her rather than the full picture. The
length of her tight black dress, inches above her knee, was just shy of being
decent for work. His eyes lingered at her bare thighs until moving up over her
hips, her waist, and then stopped again at the fit of the little black sweater
she wore. He did a double take. Everything was covered and yet he was mesmerized
by her breasts.
    Damn, Charlie was stacked. He always knew she had a hot body
but she'd done a good job of keeping it covered since she started working for
him. She usually wore baggy, old lady suits that didn’t give him a glimpse of
the body beneath. Her long blond hair, fell in soft waves around her face. No
tight bun or slicked back ponytail today. He gritted his teeth at the thought
that she was already prepared for her date that night.
     “Sorry. I'm late.” She passed him and the sweet scent of pastry
enveloped him. Warm vanilla and sugar, Charlie's signature scent. He stepped
forward, his body no longer completely under his control. He wanted to take a
bite out of her.
    She sucked in a breath and her dark blue eyes settled on his
before looking down at the file in his hand. “Is something wrong?”
    He forced himself to move away and searched for something to
say but he couldn’t stop from looking over her again. “Where is your coat?”
    Her red cheeks darkened. “I forgot it at home, Dad.”
    She started to pass him but he wasn't ready to let her go
just yet. “What’s with the dress? Going to a funeral today?”
    “A funeral?” Her eyebrows creased.
    “You're wearing all black.” He was cursing himself as soon
as the words were out of his mouth.
    She peered down at the dress. “No funeral.” She spun away
from him and entered her office without another word.
    ****
    A funeral? He thought she was going to a funeral