Chapter 6

The doorbell rang at exactly 6 p.m. Addison wiped her hands on a towel and headed towards the door. As soon as she opened it, she was greeted by a large wall of tulips blocking the face of the guest behind them. She heard Pete's voice on the other side of the flowers, "Delivery for the Montgomery sisters."

She laughed and opened the door wider for him to come in. As he walked by she detected his enticing scent and felt the familiar feelings of lust burning from deep within. It is amazing how a man's scent can affect a woman, she thought to herself as she followed him to the dining room. It was really sweet of him to bring flowers for the both of them. She almost felt guilty about rejecting him but he was all wrong for her and she didn't want to chance getting herself hurt again.

"Thanks again for coming. Molly and Abigail should be back any minute. They went for a walk." She headed into the kitchen and came back with a vase for the flowers.

He pulled out a chair and sat down next to her to help with the arrangement. He was sitting so close to her that she could practically hear his heartbeat which was apparently working as hard as hers. As they worked together, their hands would touch every so often and the room started to get warmer by the minute. She felt herself starting to get nervous. The last time they had been alone for this long was in the stairwell at the hospital and he'd kissed her. She sighed, and boy could he kiss…..

"Did you tell her that I know about her illness?" Addison's eyes widened and she felt her face redden. Oh calm yourself girl, it's not like he knows what you were thinking.

She nodded her head, "Yes, I told her everything and she's agreed to meet you. She's agreed to seek treatment only if she likes you." She laughed, "So you need to be on your best behavior tonight." She put the finished arrangement in the middle of the table and then got up and walked into the kitchen to check on the food. It was just about done so she went ahead and put the bread in the oven to be warmed.

"Do you need me to help with anything?" Addison jumped back, startled. She hadn't realized he had been watching her. He was leaning against the frame of the doorway. She struggled not to stare at the evil way his t shirt clung to his muscular chest or the way his jeans fitted him just enough to give her a most impressive clue about the size of his…..

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Addison shook her head, trying to clear away the naughty thoughts that had entered her mind. "It's okay. I've been pretty jumpy lately. I haven't been able to sleep much."

She grabbed the plates and headed into the dining room. As soon as she set them down, she felt his arms on her shoulders. "Have a seat." He guided her to the chair and gently sat her down. "Your entire body is tense and unfortunately I didn't bring my acupuncture needles with me so you'll have to settle for my hands." His hands worked their magic from her shoulders and on down her back. She practically had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't moan as his hands melted away the tension that had taken over her body. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, allowing herself to escape into the peaceful realm he was creating for her with his touch.

The front door opened and she heard Abigail call out to her. Molly ran into the dining room and hopped into Addison's lap. She pointed at Pete, "Who's he?"

Addison kissed Molly's cheek and pushed her hair behind her ear, "This is Peter Finch and he's a doctor. He and I work at the clinic together."

Molly covered her mouth with her hand, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Addison laughed, "No, he's not my boyfriend. He's my friend."

Molly held up her hands in question and giggled again, "Why isn't he your boyfriend?"

Pete bent down and shook her hand, "It's nice to finally meet you Molly. You know what; I've been asking your aunt the same thing for a few months now. She says she's not interested." He winked and looked up at Addison just as Abigail walked into the room much to Addison's relief. No more embarrassing questions of the curious four year old.

Pete stood up and held out his hand, "You must be Abigail. I'm Pete."

Abigail smiled and shook his hand, "It's nice to meet you." She looked over at the flowers. "Are those from you?" He nodded and pulled back a chair for her to sit. She looked over at Addison, as she allowed him to help her, "I agree with Molly, what aren't you dating him?"

Addison just shook her head and laughed as she walked into the kitchen to check on dinner. Pete's charm had already won her sister within a matter of minutes. So far so good but the nagging thought at the back of her head kept reminding Addison not to let him get under her own skin as well….