PRINCE CHARMING M.D. (16 page)

He was torn between annoyance at her first comment and pleasure at her second. "Despite what everyone says, I don't date."

"Uh-huh." She didn't sound convinced.

He tried a different tack. "Are you seeing anyone seriously?"

"No. Not really. Some of it is career and some of it is that I haven't been asked."

Hope flared, along with desire. "You don't have to justify yourself to me," he told her. "You're bright, beautiful and very desirable. Obviously if you're not seeing anyone, it's by choice."

This time the blush was unmistakable. "Well, thank you. Plus there's the matter of the agreement I have with Katie and Lee. Of course, now it's just Lee, but we're determined to stick with it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh. When the three of us graduated from nursing school, we promised one another we wouldn't marry doctors. We saw that they didn't make good husbands or fathers, so we signed this pact." She exhaled. "Then Katie went ahead and got engaged to a doctor. Mike Brennan. You probably remember him from high school. What can we do? They're in love." She paused, obviously waiting for him to comment.

"I guess it was out of your hands."

"Exactly. The problem I have is where I work. Who do I meet? Doctors. They're everywhere. I just can't escape them."

He was more intrigued than annoyed by the thought of her bargain. Maybe it was a mistake to take it as a personal challenge, but that was how it felt. "So if a doctor, such as me, was interested in you, he wouldn't have a chance?"

"That's right."

He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer. She slid toward him on the sofa. Her eyes widened. With his free hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear,
then
let his fingers linger on her soft cheek.

"There's nothing I could do to change your mind?"

"Nothing at all." Was her voice really breathless, or was it just wishful thinking on his part?

"You're not susceptible to temptation?"

"No," she answered. "In fact—"

But he didn't hear the rest of her sentence. He placed his mouth on hers and cut off her words. As his lips pressed against her sweetness, he couldn't find it in himself to give a damn about what she was about to say.

It was one of those moments when time stood still. He'd kissed women before, although not in a long while. He'd even kissed Dana before … in another lifetime, it seemed.

So he should have been prepared for the intense heat and desire that filled him. He should have known how much he would want to haul her close and deepen the kiss, plunging inside her, tasting her, feeling her, giving and taking in a sensual exploration designed to carry them to the edge of madness, perhaps even beyond.

He held back partly because being this close to her was nearly as much as he could bear. She smelled sweetly of herself and some feminine fragrance. One of her hands rested on his shoulder, a warm weight. Her fingers squeezed his muscles in what he hoped was an involuntary reaction to their nearness and the sensation of his mouth on hers.

He moved slowly, pulling back slightly without breaking the kiss. He explored her lips. He tested different points of contact, savored the quivering response he felt,
then
lightly touched his tongue to the fullest part of the curve.

She gasped. A sharp but quiet sound. Her body tightened, as did the hand on his shoulder. Her other arm came up and she hugged him, moving close until her body turned and her knees bumped his thighs. He parted his legs so she could slide closer,
then
accepted the invitation of her open mouth.

It was better—she was better—than he remembered. All hot, welcoming sweetness, with her tongue seeking his. They touched and the fire inside him exploded. He crossed the line, reaching the place where wanting became need and needing didn't begin to describe the pounding hunger rushing through him.

He pulled her closer and it wasn't close enough. They had to become the same person; they had to blend. It wasn't just about their bodies joining; it was more, although he couldn't begin to describe it.

He cupped her face, tilting her head slightly and diving in deeper. He explored her mouth,
then
retreated to let her do the same to him. Their breathing grew more ragged. He told himself they were getting out of control way too fast, but he couldn't find the strength anywhere. He wanted her and she obviously wanted him.

He pulled back so he could move his mouth to her cheek, then her jaw. She moaned low in her throat. He licked the sweet spot below her ear, the length of her neck, finally leaving a wet trail down to the base of the open vee of her shirt. Her breasts seemed to swell as he approached them. Tight nipples showed through the layers of her clothing. He reached to stroke her. As his forefinger circled the small bud, someone knocked on the door.

Trevor froze. "Talk about lousy timing," he muttered, wondering if he could tell room service they'd changed their mind about eating dinner.

Dana gave a strangled sound that was more groan than laugh. "I guess they got our meals cooked faster than they thought. Just our luck."

He raised his head and looked at her. Her skin was flushed, her eyes wide, her mouth damp and parted. She looked ready to fall into his arms. The passion made her glow. "Dana, I—"

The knocking returned, this time more insistent. "Trevor? Are you in there? Is Dana with you? It's Bill. We need you. There's a medical emergency."

While the passion didn't turn off instantly, it did fade into the background. They pushed off the sofa at the same moment. Trevor headed for the door, while Dana checked to make sure all her clothing was tucked in place.

He pulled open the door. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Bill grabbed his arm. "Thank God. We've been looking all over for you."

"Bill, calm down. Tell me what's going on."

Bill shook his head. "It's Shelly. She's gone into labor."

Dana followed Trevor down the hall. Her mind raced as she fought to gain control of both her body and her thought processes. The sensual fog was thick, but clearing quickly. She wasn't sure if she was thrilled or crushed by the interruption. Based on the lethargy still tugging at her and the heat radiating from every part of her, she had been ready to make love with Trevor. Talk about a mistake. But knowing he was wrong for her and having the strength to resist him were two very different things.

Let it go, she told herself. Emergency first, personal life second.

They got into the elevator and headed up two floors. Trevor was oddly silent. Dana had been waiting for him to start issuing instructions, but when he continued to say nothing, she turned to Bill.

"Has anyone called for an ambulance?" she asked.

"Yes, but with the storm it's going to take them a while to get here."

She nodded. "All right. After we get to
Shelby
's room, you find someone in housekeeping. We'll need sheets and towels. Have room service send up some basins along with boiling water. Oh, and contact the front desk. The hotel should have a decent first-aid kit. We'll need that, too."

Bill nodded frantically. "She's going to be all right isn't she?"

"Sure."

The elevator doors opened and they hurried to Shelly's room. Several people from their seminar stood in the hallway. Bill quickly assigned tasks so that the supplies would be delivered more quickly. Trevor pushed past them and hurried inside. Dana was on his heels.

Shelly lay curled in the center of one of the two double beds. Her long dark hair was tangled, her face pale and sweaty. She clutched her belly.

"They found you," she gasped, her voice laced with pain. "I'm really glad."

Trevor knelt beside her and touched her face, then took her pulse. "Tell us what's happening."

"My water broke a couple of hours ago." Shelly managed a slight smile. "I made a really big mess in the restaurant. The contractions have been coming for a couple of days now. I called my doctor yesterday and he said to go home and stay off my feet."

Trevor checked her eyes,
then
placed his hand on her stomach. "Why didn't you listen?"

"There was only one day to go. I had a friend who went through this type of thing for nearly a week. I didn't think it was any big deal."

"Guess you were wrong," he said lightly. "How far apart are the contractions now?"

"About two minutes and they really—" She inhaled sharply,
then
bit down on her knuckles. A moan escaped her.

Dana moved to her side. "Screaming is not such a bad thing, if you feel it will help. I don't think you have the lung power to do any serious damage to the windows."

Shelly nodded, but didn't speak. It was several more seconds until the contraction ended. She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Nearly a minute long," Trevor said. "Looks like you're going to have your baby. Give us a second, Shelly. We'll come up with a game plan."

He took Dana's hand and led her to the bathroom. Once there, he closed the door. "I want you to get her out of her clothes. She didn't expect to spend the night, so she doesn't have a nightgown or robe. Cover her with a sheet. Then I'll check to see what's going on. The supplies you asked for should be here shortly and that will help."

Dana stared at him. Something wasn't right. "Trevor, what's going on? You're sweating."

"Tell me about it." His usually smiling mouth was a straight line.

"Is there something wrong? Something with the baby?"

"As far as I can tell, mother and child are both healthy. It's just…" He shook his head. "Do you know how long it's been since I delivered a baby?"

"Oh, is that it? Don't worry. I spent a couple of years as a maternity nurse. If necessary, I'll talk you through it."

His gaze narrowed. "You don't understand. I'm not rusty—I'm terrified. A delivery was the first procedure I
ever observed. It was awful. The woman's pain, the blood, which I wasn't used to yet. I'd been up studying all night, I hadn't had anything to eat for about a day and, well, I
passed out. Ever since then, the thought of someone giving birth makes me nervous."

She bit back her laughter. "You're a surgeon. This is a snap compared with some of the things you do."

"It doesn't feel like a snap."

So now she knew why he'd been so quiet on the way up to Shelly's room. Somehow his confession of inadequacy made her like him more. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think anyone can tell you're apprehensive."

"That's something." He looked at Dana. "I'll do the best I can, but don't worry about hurting my feelings on this one. If you know what to do and I don't, jump in. The most important thing here is keeping Shelly and her baby healthy until the ambulance arrives."

"You realize they might not get here in time."

Some of the color faded from his face. "That thought has crossed my mind."

He reached for the door handle. She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Trevor, you're so good with T.J. Just pretend the baby is your egg and you'll be fine."

He gave her a quick smile. "But with the egg I don't have to worry about the chicken, do I?"

They returned to the bedroom. Bill and his helpers arrived with the supplies, and within a few minutes Shelly was wrapped in a sheet and resting between contractions.

"I can't do this much longer," she murmured. "I'm hot, then cold. My legs hurt—hell, my whole body hurts. Dana, help me."

Dana knelt on the floor and took her hands. "It's all right. You don't have much longer to go now."

She glanced at Trevor, who had rolled up his sleeves and was currently organizing their supplies. He'd already performed a quick exam and his concerned expression warned Dana that the ambulance wouldn't arrive in time.

Another contraction began. "Trevor," Dana called.

Shelly abandoned restraint and yelled out as her stomach jumped visibly with the power of the movement.

He hurried over and offered Shelly a quick smile. "So let me guess. You were trying to avoid having to pay your doctor, right? All this is a carefully constructed plan. You're thinking that because I've been in the seminar for a week, I won't bill you."