Prescription for Desire (2 page)

“
He should’ve just said the
most beautiful woman that I’ll ever lay my eyes on.” He paused as
he stepped into her personal space. “Then I would’ve immediately
approached you.”

His sexy, seductive tone awakened a
desire in her that she’d suppressed for the past few years.
However, his charming personality was borderline arrogant and the
mild flirting he bestowed, while flattering, wasn’t what she had in
mind when she agreed to help her brother. She knew she’d been
thinking wicked thoughts about the man some moments ago, but that
was before she knew who he was. Now that she did, she needed to nip
this in the bud quick before she broke her rule of mixing business
with pleasure. The last thing she needed was to fall for her
superior.

“
Look, Dr. Phillips,” she
started in a curt tone, “while I appreciate the compliment, I
didn’t come all this way to be flirted with. So let’s remain
professional while I’m here.”

He nodded in agreement and stepped
away from her. “Forgive me. That was completely out of
line.”

His gray eyes lingered on her face
briefly, and Raven had to suppress another gulp. The man was
gorgeous, and she was slightly disappointed about her rule.
However, falling for a man halfway across the world wasn’t in her
plans especially with her boss.

“
I’m going to go grab a
luggage cart for all of your suitcases,” he said, waving his hand
in their direction with a slight smirk before strolling
away.

After loading her luggage into the
trunk of his red Ford 150, they’d remained silent since she’d shot
down his flirtatious remark. Except for a few questions about the
distance to Ghilaua, Raven kept her eyes on the road and the
scenery ahead. Meanwhile, out of the corner of her left eye, she
noticed Dr. Phillips stealing glances her way as if he was
searching for something to say. The last thing she wanted was for
either of them to feel uncomfortable around each other, considering
they had to work together. It was one of the reasons why she never
dated doctors she worked with. Regardless, his flirty comment and
the seductive way he said it still played in her head, and for a
minute she felt beautiful and desirable again. Sure, men paid her
compliments, but she’d never really thought about it for more than
a few seconds afterwards. Now the man sitting next to her, whose
intoxicating cologne was slowly driving her insane, thought she was
the most beautiful woman in the world. And she believed him, which
scared her. When men complimented her, she’d smile, say thank you
and go about her day, not giving them a second thought even those
she had to see on a daily basis at the hospital. However, the man
with the piercing gray eyes was causing her thoughts to run
rampant.

Thankful for the dark shades she wore,
Raven was able to let her eyes roam in his direction without him
noticing. Tight hands held the steering wheel at ten and two
o’clock. The sleeves of his light blue dress shirt were rolled up
to his elbows, showcasing his muscular, smooth golden skin. Thanks
to him lifting her heavy suitcases into the trunk, his woodsy,
manly cologne was radiating off of his body and had permeated into
a scent worth remembering.

His low-cut wavy hair and clean-shaven
face sort of gave him a boyish appearance at times except when his
seductive heat-filled eyes landed on her. His lips that showcased a
heart-warming smile, were also the perfect thick lips she craved
for on a man. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach at
the idea of the different ways he could drive her crazy with kisses
all over her. She crossed and uncrossed her legs a few times to
calm down the sensation that erupted between her thighs.

Raven decided to break the silence
before her thoughts and eyes drifted elsewhere. “So, tell me about
the Ghilaua.”

He turned his head slightly from
staring straight ahead at the road. The quick eyebrow raise and
upward curve of his mouth suggested he seemed relieved—maybe even
surprised—that she spoke to him.

“
Well … it’s about three
times the size of downtown Memphis. Everything is pretty much in
walking distance, or people ride bikes and scooters. However, the
mayor is installing a trolley system soon. I rarely drive unless
it’s to run errands in the city, pick up more supplies, or prett–
um … people from the airport.” He cleared his throat a few times
before continuing. “There’s a market with fresh vegetables, fruits,
and meats from local farms. There are restaurants, bakeries, other
shops and businesses within walking distance of the clinic.
Everyone pretty much knows everyone. It’s a nice, quaint little
town. A lot of developers have come and totally revamped the place.
Thanks to the clinic, or should I say thanks to your brother and
Doctors Unlimited, Ghilaua has efficient medical services. Before,
the locals had to go into the big city for any emergencies. There
was only one primary care physician, and he works at the clinic
now. He’s an expat from the US. Your family must be very proud of
Dr. Cannon and his accomplishments.”

She nodded and turned toward him. “We
are. He’s been very compassionate about helping people since we
were children, thanks to our parents. What brought you all the way
to Argentina?”

“
Actually, your brother.
During medical school, I had a chance to meet one of the board
members of Doctors Unlimited at a seminar on campus. I’d heard of
the organization, but didn’t know much about it since it wasn’t the
route I was going to pursue. After he gave me some literature, I
spent weeks on the Internet watching documentaries and reading
articles about how your brother and his colleagues started the
program when they were barely out of medical school. I was
impressed with how they wrote a grant in medical school to help an
impoverished village in Brazil that didn’t have proper medical
care. People were dying and they helped save lives. Once I
completed my residency at Howard Hospital, I started working there,
but I wasn’t being fulfilled. After a few months, I began working
with Doctors Without Borders for two years in various places, then
Doctors Unlimited, and here I am.”

“
How long have you worked
here, Dr. Phillips?”

“
Almost two years, but I’m
contemplating going back to the States soon. While I love it here,
I get homesick sometimes for my family. I miss out on birthdays,
holidays, graduations, and births. While Skype is cool, sometimes I
want to see my mother’s beautiful smile in person, or give her a
big kiss on the cheek instead of on the computer
screen.”

“
I’m sure your family
misses you. Where are you from?”

“
Not far from you,
actually. My family lives in St. Louis. I’m a military brat, so we
moved around a lot. After both of my parents retired from the Army,
we moved to there. I was sixteen.”

“
Do you want to go back to
St. Louis?”

“
Possibly, or at least in a
city where I can hop in my car and be there in a few hours. My
parents are getting older, and as the oldest, I feel responsible
for them.”

“
I hear you. Cannon and I
are the oldest, even though he likes to remind me that he was born
two minutes before me and swears he’s my big brother.”

“
It makes sense that he
feels like he’s the big brother. I have two younger sisters, so I
completely understand the big brother role.”

Raven smiled, thankful that they were
having a casual conversation, and that despite her brief moment of
thinking she was attracted to him, she felt that they could easily
work together.

“
Hungry?” Armand asked,
briefly glancing at her before turning back to the road.

She nodded, realizing she hadn’t eaten
since lunch during the ten hour, non-stop flight to Buenos Aires,
which was three hours ahead. The sun had begun to go down, and she
was finding herself becoming sleepy, but she definitely needed to
eat first.

“
Very,” she stated
matter-of-factly.

“
Good. Everyone at the
clinic has been dying to meet you, so we’ve planned a dinner with
authentic Argentine foods to welcome you to the staff. We do this
for every new doctor or nurse so they’ll feel at home, considering
they’re away from home.”

“
Wow. That’s wonderful.”
Raven looked down at her attire of jeans, ankle boots, and a purple
cashmere sweater. She’d been in them all day, and was ready for a
shower and something comfy to wear. Besides, it was spring in
Buenos Aires, and she was dressed for the fall weather of Memphis.
“Will I have time to change?”

She caught his eyes roam over her
briefly and a smirk formed on his mouth. “You look fine to me, but
yes you can change before dinner. I’m assuming Cannon told you
about our living quarters?”

“
Yes, he did.”

The living quarters were on the top
floor of the three story medical facility. Each staff member had a
small apartment, which consisted of a living area, bedroom, and
bathroom. There was a kitchen with a full-time staff, including a
trained chef and a dining area. Cannon had shown her a picture, and
the apartments reminded her of hotel suites … minus the luxury of
housekeeping and room service. Even though the staff had schedules,
everyone was on call majority of the time except for days off
unless it was a dire emergency. The second floor was a hospital, so
patients did stay there as well. The first floor was set up like a
regular medical practice with exam rooms and offices.

They arrived in the town just as the
sun was setting, and Raven was quite impressed with it. She’d seen
pictures from the Doctors Unlimited website, but the scene before
her was breathtaking. Stores, cafés, and office buildings were
neatly arranged. There were very few cars on the road. It was
mostly people walking the sidewalks, or sitting and eating at the
outdoor cafés, which painfully reminded her she was
hungry.

“
Are we there yet?” she
asked. Suddenly, she chuckled as she thought about her childhood
trips and her siblings asking that same question, usually for the
same reason.

Armand turned left into a parking lot
as soon as she asked. Staring up at the three-story medical
building, she smiled at her brother’s accomplishment. Of course
she’d seen pictures online, read articles, watched documentaries,
and even attended a seminar about the Doctors Unlimited
organization. However, actually seeing it in person was the icing
on the cake, and her eyes welled up in tears as she realized just
how much her twin brother had done for the medical
field.

“
I may need a gurney for
all of your suitcases,” Armand said with a snicker, jarring Raven
from her thoughts. He drove around to the back of the building and
parked in a space near the door.

“
I wasn’t sure what to
pack,” she replied. They got out of the truck and walked toward the
back of it to retrieve her belongings.

“
We’re pretty casual around
here.” He shrugged, reaching into his pocket and handing her a key
and an electronic scan card. “You’re in apartment 308 … across from
me.”

His eyes made instant contact with
hers, and for a split second a jolt of electricity shocked her
fingertips and soared down to her toes when she took the items from
him. She managed to struggle out a “thank you” before looking over
her shoulder as the sound of footsteps approached. It was an older,
Caucasian male, with salt and pepper hair pulled back into a
ponytail. He wore a Hawaiian shirt, blue Bermuda shorts, and flip
flops.

Armand laughed and handed Raven her
carry-on bag. “I told you we’re very casual around here.” He winked
at Raven, and handed another suitcase to the gentleman approaching.
“I’m assuming you came to help, Dr. Watkins?”

“
Of course.” Taking the
suitcase, he then turned to Raven. “You must be Dr. Arrington.
Pleasure to meet you.” He held out his free hand to shake Raven’s.
“We’ve been looking forward to you coming.”

“
Thank you so much, Dr.
Watkins. Nice to meet you as well.” Raven remembered Cannon telling
her that Dr. Watkins had been the only doctor in Ghilaua, and very
instrumental in assisting Doctors Unlimited in opening the medical
facility. He was currently the chief of medicine.

An older Asian woman approached with a
pleasant smile and warm eyes; her long, black hair, which was
sprinkled with gray, was pulled up into a swinging ponytail. Raven
breathed a sigh of relief to finally not have to be alone with
Armand anymore. Being in the close quarters of the truck and having
to smell his intoxicating scent had been pure torture.

“
Hi, Dr. Arrington. I’m
Kay, the head nurse.”

The ladies shook hands and Kay offered
to show Raven to her apartment while the men handled the
suitcases.

Raven recognized her name as one of
the people instrumental in opening the medical facility in Ghilaua
and one of the many in Africa. Kay had been with Doctors Unlimited
for the past five years. She’d been a nurse in New York about to
retire when she’d heard of the organization and all of its
extraordinary contributions to the medical field. Since her
children were adults and she was divorced, Kay decided to work for
the organization and forego retirement for a few years.

“
I know you must be tired
after such a long flight. After dinner just rest, and tomorrow I’ll
give you a tour of the clinic.” Kay placed her scan card against a
silver pad next to the door, and the ladies walked in and headed
toward the elevator.