Doctor's Delight (14 page)

Having bared
his innermost thoughts, he waited.

Cherry licked
her lips.

Jesus, she was
going to be the death of him. Baring his innermost thoughts was one
thing, but when she did things like that his male drive wanted to
take over and throw her on the bed so he could pound into her and
revel in that softness. Knowing that wasn’t what she wanted or
needed right now, he kept his steely resolve.

Heaven surely
had a place for him. He’d racked up enough points around her to
last him at least the week.

“Cherry,” he
prompted quietly.

She glanced
away.

“Look at me,”
he insisted. “You owe me that.”

Her gaze
flashed up to his. “I owe you nothing.”

“Wrong. I told
you exactly how I feel. You owe me the same.”

She was silent
for so long that he thought she wasn’t going to answer, but
suddenly she sighed and all the fight seemed to go out of her. “I
can’t believe you. How do I know you aren’t playing me? How do I
know this isn’t just some game for you to amuse yourself?”

A flicker of
anger was squashed beneath the understanding of how much she’d been
hurt in the past. “How do I prove myself to you?”

“I don’t
know.”

It was his turn
to sigh as he dropped his hands to her shoulders.

She looked up
at him in resignation. “It’s all right, Rick. I’ll go and we’ll
forget this ever happened.”

Every dominate
male instinct he had sprang to life. “Like hell!”

The chit had
the gall to blink in surprise.

“I shouldn’t
have to prove myself to you, Cherry, just as you shouldn’t have to
do the same to me.” Yeah, that took the wind right out of her
sails, so he forged ahead. “But it looks like I’ll have to.
Fine.”

Looking
suddenly guilty, she began tentatively, “We can be friends.”

“Friends?” He
couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “I don’t bloody think so. My
interest in you as a friend only is just not happening. I want you
in my bed, in my life, and being friends only is not going to cut
it. If I had my way, we’d be in my bed and I’d be inside you right
now.”

The look on her
face was priceless. Her mouth was open, her cheeks flushed, and her
eyes wide with surprise and – oh ho! – a touch of heat.

“Yeah, love,
you heard right.” Enjoying the expression on her face immensely,
Rick continued, “I’d have your luscious body naked for my hands and
mouth, but as you seem to find that a little hard to contemplate
with me right now, we’ll tread slowly. For awhile.” Like a day. Or
a couple of hours. “I’m going to court you.”

“Court me?”

“Flowers.
Chocolates. Movies. Dinners.”

“I don’t
want…”

“What?”
Catching her chin between thumb and forefinger, Rick tilted her
head back and lowered his head so that his mouth hovered inches
above her own. Manfully ignoring her sweet scent and the lure of
lush lips, he said with a touch of steel, “What do you want,
Cherry? What will you settle for? Who will you settle for? Maybe
it’s me you don’t like, is that it? Maybe it’s me you don’t want
touching you. Maybe I sicken you?”

Okay, pushing
her wasn’t nice, but it was the only way Rick could think of to
make her succumb. As it was, she’d stopped her slightly panicked
words and looked thoughtful. He watched as she studied him
solemnly, her blue gaze sweeping slowly across his face.

He met her gaze
directly. Challengingly.

A full twenty
seconds passed as she studied him, and he could practically see her
brain working overtime. He just hoped it was working to his
advantage.

“No,” she
finally replied quietly. “You don’t sicken me.”

“You don’t want
me touching you.” She glanced away, her cheeks flushing. His heart
leaped at the tell-tale reaction, but he kept his tone steely.
“Answer me.”

“I like your
touch,” she mumbled.

It was pretty
obvious by her bodily reaction to his touch, but hearing it made
him smile. Inwardly. If he smiled outwardly, he was going to blow
his plan apart. Not gonna happen. “So that just leaves the question
of you liking me.”

“I don’t know
you.”

Eureka!
Baby, you are so caught!
“Good.”

“Good?”
Startled, she looked up at him.

“Yes.” Reaching
for his wallet, he slipped it into his pocket while placing one
hand in the small of her back and propelling her towards the door.
“We’re going to remedy that, starting now.”

“What?” She
halted.

“We’re going to
get to know each other over a simple meal.”

“But I
don’t—”

“Are you going
somewhere? On shift tonight?” He raised his brows
questioningly.

“Well, no,
but—”

“Expecting
anyone?”

“No.”

“Your cats fed
already?”

“Yes. But—”

“So here’s the
perfect opportunity to start getting to know each other better.”
Not that he needed it, but his shy flower obviously did, so he was
prepared to sacrifice a few hours. Or days. Please, God, not days.
“What do you fancy?”

“Rick, I…”

Looking down at
her, seeing the confusion and wariness in her face, he felt the
protectiveness flow through him…admittedly with a strong dash of
male determination. He gentled his voice. “Cherry, a few hours,
some talk, a nice meal. Is that so much to ask?”

She bit her lip
again. God, he was going to blot his Heavenly score if she kept
that up.

He didn’t take
his hand from her back, but neither did he say anything, he just
waited, biding his time, giving her time, knowing full well that if
he lost this round the fight wasn’t over by a long shot.

Finally he felt
her relax a little, but her glance up at him was still wary. “Just
a meal?”

“And talk.”

She took a deep
breath and nodded.

Round one to
him. Resisting the urge to pump one fist into the air, he propelled
her to the door. “Where would you like to eat?”

“I’m not really
dressed for a restaurant.”

“Nor am I.” He
grinned down at her. “Feel like pizza?”

“Not offering
me salad?” She looked horrified as soon as the tart words had
spilled from her lips.

He grimaced.
“Salad and pizza are not a nice mix. Do you like pizza?”

“Um…yes.” She
had the grace to look embarrassed.

He wanted to
kiss her on the spot but refrained. Another score on Heaven’s book.
By God, he was racking them up tonight. If he got hit by a bus
right now, he’d go straight to the land of angels, harps, and
wings.

“There’s a
pizza place right around the corner.” Shutting the door behind her,
he turned the key in the lock and pocketed it. “It’s a nice balmy
evening. Let’s walk.”

Feeling
immensely satisfied, he took her hand and started walking.

Cherry had two
options – pull away from him or walk beside him. There was the
slightest of hesitations before she fell into step beside him.

Ah yes, it was
a nice balmy evening and he had his curvy little honey by his side.
Life was great.

Chapter
Six

Walking down
the street with the hunky Dr Rick Reed by her side, Cherry was even
more conscious of the group of young teenagers approaching wearing
their tight jeans and barely-there tops. The teens glanced at Rick
and giggled, one of them brazenly licking her red-glossed lips.

Rick didn’t
seem to notice, his gaze ahead and his hand warmly clasping
hers.

The blonde teen
noticed their clasped hands and her eyes widened. She spoke quietly
to her friends as they neared and they all looked disbelievingly
from her to Rick.

Cherry was
going to die. Her shoulders stiffened and she could barely meet
their gazes. Their giggles and whispers scorched her ears and she
wished she’d refused Rick’s invitation.

“Don’t even
think it,” Rick murmured, his hand tightening around her smaller
one.

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.” He
gazed seriously down at her. “They’re silly young things that have
no idea of life yet, or what it’ll throw at them. Nor have they
learned to value what is behind a person’s outward appearance.”

“So you think
my outward appearance is less valuable.” For God’s sake, why had
she said that? Why was she spoiling for a fight? Almost straight
away she mumbled, “Sorry.”

“I’m not even
going to go into that.” Rick steered her to the front door of the
pizza restaurant and opened the door. Placing one hand behind her
back, he ushered her ahead of him.

Grateful to
have her attention focused elsewhere, Cherry looked around. The
restaurant was almost full, and the smell of cooking cheese,
onions, and assorted meats filled the air. Delicious.

Coming to a
stop, she immediately felt the warmth of Rick right behind her.
Even more delicious.

Right up
against her.

Heat flashed
through her and she swallowed. His chest was against her back, his
thighs cradling her bottom, his hard abdomen against the small of
her back. He was that close. When one big hand came to rest on her
hip, her breath caught.

He shifted
behind her and she could swear she felt a hard length push against
her buttocks. All thought fled when his breath brushed her ear.
“There’s a table over there, and a waitress coming now. Good. I’m
starving.” He straightened. “In more ways than one.”

“Huh?” Unsure
what he meant, Cherry glanced up over her shoulder to find him as
disturbingly near as he felt.

The grin he
flashed at her held an unmistakable heat, but it disappeared when
he looked at the waitress as she came to a stop before him, and
there was no indication of anything wrong as he requested
pleasantly, “Table for two, please.”

“Right over
here.” The waitress moved ahead of them.

Wouldn’t you
know it. Cherry sighed a little. The waitress was about sixty years
old and had a neat little white apron tied tightly around a very
trim waist. The hem of the loose silk blouse Cherry was wearing
fluttered around her bottom. No little white apron was going to be
tied around there and still have heaps of ties flowing down
elegantly behind her.

A warm hand was
suddenly on her own oh-so-not trim waist. “Something wrong,
love?”

Mentally
shaking off the gloomy thought, Cherry moved forward.
“Nothing.”

“I’m so
hungry.” Rick’s voice was deeper than normal, but when she again
cast him a sharp glance over her shoulder, his face was serious. “I
could eat anything.”

She had to stop
imagining these insinuations.

“I could eat a
heap of pizzas,” Rick continued conversationally as they neared the
table.

What the hell
was he going on about? He’d already mentioned he was hungry.

“But I want to
eat you.” The words were a low, shockingly heat-inducing growl in
her ears. The heat of his breath against her nape accompanied by
the words made her freeze.

The waitress
turned at the booth. “If you’ll both sit down, I’ll be back in a
minute to take your orders.”

Feeling as
though her heart was in her throat, Cherry slid into the seat and
watched as Rick slid with a little more smoothness into the vinyl
seat opposite. His smile was friendly as he thanked the waitress
and took the menu from her.

Had she
imagined it? Surely not. He’d said it, hadn’t he? Cherry stared at
him over the top of the menu she opened. Maybe he hadn’t said it,
maybe those hot, suggestive words were a figment of her
imagination. He looked so cool, so friendly, so innocent as he
pursued the menu with interest.

When he didn’t
look up, she studied the menu, trying to ignore the disturbed
thoughts roiling around in her brain. She had to have imagined it,
there was no other explanation.

“Mmmm,” Rick
mused. “I do like the double bacon and cheese pizza. How about
you?”

Cherry peeked
at him over the top of the menu. He was engrossed in his own menu.
“I rather like the chicken and bacon myself.”

“Maybe I’ll
switch to the supreme spice.” He glanced up at her and his teeth
flashed whitely. “I like some spice.”

“Really?” she
managed, avoiding his gaze by looking back down at the menu and
hoping her cheeks weren’t red. “I like a milder version.”

“Spicy is a
little more adventurous.”

“I’ve never
been partial to a lot of spice.”

“Shame. I’ll
just have to show you how delicious spicy can be.”

Sucking in a
deep breath, Cherry took a tighter grip on the menu. He doesn’t
mean anything by it. Nothing sexual. He’s just talking about food.
Get a grip! “Can’t convince me.” Rather proud of how unaffected she
sounded, Cherry glanced up coolly...and met hot eyes.

Rick’s grin was
pure sin. His voice was like seductive silk across skin as he
answered low, “A challenge I’m going to relish.”

Ye gods! Her
hands actually shook a little, but she miraculously maintained a
cool façade. “Nevertheless, I’ll stick with the chicken and
bacon.”

“Each to their
own.” He practically purred like a lion. “I’m going to have me some
spice when the time comes.” His eyes definitely had a predatory
glow in them. “I’m also partial to sweet. I like some cream.” His
gaze slid down the front of her to where the rest of her body
disappeared below the table, and she knew exactly what he was
insinuating.

“Stop it,” she
hissed.

That damned
eyebrow arched up in silent amusement.

“Are you always
this irritating?”

“You bring out
the best in me.”

“It’s not very
obvious.”

“You have no
idea at the beast you bring out in me.”

“The what?”

“The best. I
said the best.” Those green eyes sparkled with laughter. And heat.
Most definitely heat.

The waitress
arriving at their table stopped further conversation for a few
blessed moments.