PRINCE CHARMING M.D. (20 page)

The waiter returned with three diet sodas and a basket of garlic bread. Katie took a piece and said, "Don't bother with the idle chitchat. Just cut to the juicy part."

Her eyes were bright with laughter and Dana knew she was teasing. Still, it was good advice.

"I spent the night with Trevor at the seminar."

Their reaction was better than she'd hoped. Lee had been taking a drink of her soda and she nearly spit a mouthful across the table. Katie about choked on her bite of garlic bread. They looked at each other and then at her.

Lee cleared her throat. "Never mind what Katie said. Feel free to start with the idle chitchat. How was the weather? Did you have a nice room?"

Katie dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Ignore her. Tell us everything. Are you okay—emotionally, I mean? Was it wonderful? Horrible? How do you feel?"

Dana covered her face with her hands. "I'm so confused."

"Maybe Lee's right," Katie said, concern in her voice. "Why don't you start at the
beginning.
"

Dana nodded and tried to get control. After a couple of deep breaths she felt better, so she told them about the week she and Trevor had spent at the seminar.

"He was different," she said. "No, that's not true. He was the same as he always is around me. Friendly, fun. I guess the difference was I didn't have to listen to Angie and Sally talking about their dates with him."

"Were there other women at the seminar?" Lee asked. "Single women?"

"Sure. A few were obviously interested in Trevor, but he didn't encourage them. I never had the impression he was on the prowl, if that's what you're asking."

Lee and Katie exchanged a look. "What
has
you confused?" Lee asked. "The fact that you two spent the night together?"

"It's not that exactly," Dana said. "Okay, I guess some of it is that I sort of like him." She held up her hand to keep them from saying anything. "Not in a romantic way, but as a friend. When we're together, he's someone I can respect and I enjoy being with. I guess the problem is reconciling that man with Dr. Love who dates anything in a skirt."

"Why
is being friends
a problem?" Katie asked. "You two work together now, right? You're neighbors. I'm with Lee. I don't understand the problem." She nibbled on her garlic bread. "Unless you want it to be something else and are afraid he doesn't share your feelings."

"I don't want it to be anything else," Dana snapped, then shook her head. "Sorry. I know you're trying to be understanding and supportive. If I look at this logically, it's not that big a deal. Trevor and I attended this seminar together. We got along great and spent many hours in each other's company. No problem. So one night things got out of hand and we ended up in bed. The big question is what happens now."

"What do you want?" Katie asked.

"What does Trevor want?" Lee leaned forward. "That's it, isn't it, Dana? You're not sure of your feelings because of something Trevor said."

She felt herself blushing. "This would be the downside of being so close to you two for all these years. You can read my mind." She sighed. "Yes, that's part of the problem. Although a lot of it has been the fact that I feel so awkward around him at the hospital. We've been painfully polite, and I hate it. I want things to be the way they were before."

"So what did he say he wanted?" Katie asked.

Dana
swallowed,
half-afraid her friends would laugh at her. Even though she'd been there that night he'd made love to her over and over again, and heard his words the next morning, a part of her had trouble believing that Trevor MacAllister was actually interested in her.

"He said he would like to see me again. You know, like dating."

Katie and Lee exchanged a look. "What?" Dana asked. "What are you both thinking?"

"Nothing," Lee said. "What did you tell him?"

"I said I wasn't interested."

"Are you crazy?" Katie asked. "Jeez, Dana, he's good-looking, he's successful, you've said he's fun to be around and you like him. Why on earth wouldn't you want to date him?"

"Do I have to remind you what happened the last time Trevor and I were involved?"

Katie shook her head. "No. I remember. But it was a long time ago and people change. I'm sure he has grown up. He would have to have with his demanding career. Besides, I always thought there was something odd about that situation. I don't think we had the whole story."

Dana remembered what Trevor had told her, about Joel being the one to spread the rumors. She knew Katie was right in her suspicions, but this wasn't the time to go into that.

"He's a doctor," Lee said, as if that explained everything.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Doctor, schmoctor, do we really care that much about what men do for a living?"

"Yes," Dana and Lee said together,
then
laughed.

"You two are taking our little pledge way too seriously."

"That couldn't be because you've already broken it, could it?" Lee asked,
then
raised her hands in surrender. "Let's not get into that right now. Dana has a more pressing problem." She leaned forward and rested her hands on the table. "It seems to me that the real issue isn't Trevor—it's you. If you were completely uninterested in him—"

"She wouldn't have slept with him," Katie said, interrupting.

"I was getting to that," Lee said. "You wouldn't have spent the night with him and you wouldn't have worried about dealing with him afterward, except where it involved work. So some part of you isn't willing to let this go."

"You're in love with him," Katie said flatly.

Lee groaned. "Katie, don't go there."

"I'm not in love with him," Dana said. Even as she said the words, though, she probed her heart. Nothing about the organ seemed tender or out of the ordinary. "I'm really not," she repeated with conviction. "It's just…" Her voice trailed off. "I don't know what it's just."

"There's potential," Lee said. "That's what has you worried. You're not sure he's what you want, but if there's a chance, you don't want to risk walking away."

"Maybe." Dana wasn't sure. Trevor? Could she ever really trust him?

"Oh, just go for it," Katie advised. "Date
him,
see what the relationship feels like. If it doesn't work, at least you'll have him out of your system."

"She does have a point," Lee said.

Date Trevor? Dana wasn't sure. The idea had merit, she supposed. It wasn't as if he were a toad or someone she despised. But there could be complications. "What about hospital gossip?"

"You're both grown-ups," Lee said. "You can be discreet. No one has to know."

"You have to try," Katie said. "What if he's the one? Wouldn't you hate yourself knowing that you'd lost your chance at something wonderful?"

"I don't know about wonderful," Dana muttered. "I don't think it'll amount to anything at all."

"Then all that's happened is you've spent a few evenings with a nice man. There are worse fates."

Lee took a piece of garlic bread. "This is where I become the voice of reason and point out that the man
is
a doctor, so tread carefully."

"Ignore her," Katie murmured.

"Ignore me at your peril," Lee said. "We signed our agreement for a reason. I'm willing to admit Katie got lucky, but what's the chance of that happening with all three of us?"

"Slim," Dana admitted.

She was still confused, but slightly less so. If nothing else, dating Trevor
would
get him out of her system, which would be a good thing. She could think of their time together as practice for dating someone else, someone she could really get involved with. After all, she couldn't focus on her career forever. Trevor was a lot of fun and she already knew they were great in bed together. She wouldn't mind a repeat of that night.

"All right," she said slowly. "I'll do it. I'll tell Trevor that I would like us to date, and then we'll see what happens."

"Wonderful." Katie squeezed her arm. "This is going to be great."

Lee grinned. "What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall during that conversation."

"What conversation?" Dana asked.

"Oh, just the one where you tell him
you're
interested in going out with him."

Dana's mouth opened, but she couldn't speak. They would have to have that conversation. Oh, dear Lord, what on earth was she going to say?

Chapter Eleven

«
^
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D
ana stood outside Trevor's front door and fought down the urge to run back to her place. She was actually shaking. Telling herself it was "just nerves" didn't help at all. What had seemed fun and almost easy back at Granetti's was suddenly an incredibly terrifying proposition. What had she been thinking? Was she really going to waltz into Trevor's house and tell him that she was interested in going out with him? Was she insane?

"I can't do this," she murmured. "I just can't. I'll die."

And even if she didn't die, she might feel as though she wanted to, which was about the same thing in her mind.

"Just do it or leave," she said aloud, then wondered what the neighbors would think when they saw her out there
talking
to herself like a crazy person.

She sucked in a deep breath. She had a lot of flaws, but running away wasn't one of them. After sending up a quick prayer for both courage and the ability to stand whatever humiliation might come her way, she knocked on his door.

It was
7:00 p.m.
on a Friday night. She told herself there was a better than even chance that Trevor was preparing to go out on a date. She knew he hadn't left because while she'd heard the rumble of his Cobra when he'd come home, she hadn't heard him pull out of the garage.
Not
that she'd been listening.

So when he opened the door, she braced herself to see him in a suit and tie, his hair still damp from a shower, his face freshly shaved. Instead, Trevor stood before her in obviously old, faded navy sweatpants and an oversized white T-shirt. His feet were
bare,
his jaw dark with stubble, and the somewhat glazed look in his eyes told her he might have been dozing.

"Dana!" He smiled. "This is a pleasant surprise." He held the door open wide and motioned for her to come in.

"Hi." She stepped into his town house. "I probably should have called first. I hope I'm not interrupting."

He led the way to the living room and gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa. A baseball game played on the television, but the sound was off.

"As you can see, I'm expecting a dinner party of twelve in a little while, but I've got some time before they arrive. What can I get you to drink? Soda? Water? Wine? I have a great sauvignon
blanc
I've wanted to try, if you're feeling adventurous."

"The wine sounds great," she told him, thinking that the liquor might help her relax. While she'd expected to feel a little nervous, she hadn't thought she would be hyperventilating at the thought of what she wanted to talk about.

He got the wine out of the refrigerator, opened it and poured them each a glass. When she took it, she was embarrassed to realize her hands were still shaking. So much for at least pretending to be calm and in control.

She perched on a cushion on the left side of the sofa. He settled halfway between the middle and the right side. Close enough that she could almost feel his heat … almost, but not quite.

Despite her nerves, her body was thrilled to be back in his presence. Erotic dreams had haunted her since their night together nearly a week before. Images came to her during the day. It wasn't the lack of warning that broke her concentration as much as the intensity. She would be working on a schedule or talking to a supplier, when all of a sudden she was back in bed with Trevor, his hands stroking her, his arousal filling her and taking her—

"Dana?"

"Huh?" She stared blankly at him. "Did you say something?"

"Several somethings, but you weren't paying attention. Is everything all right?"