The soft, barely-there kiss was brief. And Shane couldn’t believe he’d acted on the desire that had built in him for months.
“Shane.” Nicole’s voice echoed through him.
“I don’t know why I did that.” Shane pursed his lips. Were there worse words to say after a kiss?
“Oh.” Nicole shrugged. “Well, we’ve worked together for a year and there isn’t a lot to do on the ship. It happens.” Heat coated her cheeks and she looked at the door. “Besides, it wasn’t a long kiss or anything.”
She stood and started for the door.
He stood and reached for her hand. “Nic.”
“Don’t call me that.” The heat in her cheeks vanished and the color drained from her face. “Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Shane still held her hand. She hadn’t pulled away but there was a ghost in her gaze.
“I don’t like the nickname. It…it… I just don’t.”
Something from her past.
The past was something they never discussed.
“Of course. Nicole.” Shane took a deep breath. “I don’t make a habit of kissing my colleagues.”
Damn. That came out wrong.
“Right. Yeah. Me neither.” Nicole nodded and looked at the door again, but still she didn’t pull away from his touch. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Of course. I just haven’t kissed anyone since my husband died.” Now, she pulled her hand back and wrapped her arms around herself.
Husband. Died.
The words reverberated around Shane’s skull. He’d taken to the high seas to make a dent in his bank account. He’d suspected Nicole was running from something too. But he’d never guessed she was a widow.
And he’d bet money he didn’t have that her husband called her Nic. A sweet nickname between a loving couple. He hoped the man had known how lucky he’d been.
“I'm sorry for your loss.”
Nicole opened her mouth then shut it. She looked at the door and finally started towards it. “I am glad your head is alright. Dr. Miller is manning the clinic for the afternoon. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow.”
She was out the door before Shane could offer his own goodbye.
Damn it. He’d kissed her and there was no taking that back. But he was going to make sure that everything between them at the clinic tomorrow was easy. Go back to the simple friendship they’d maintained over the last year. Nothing deep. No discussion of the past.
And the past included their kiss.
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