LITMIR.BIZ

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at anytime, much less in the middle of the night. You’d be better off going back up and visiting with Bess while you wait.”

      “Bess doesn’t intrigue me.”

      Her head jerked up and an annoyed scowl wrinkled her forehead. “Look—uh, Ridge, I’m not interested in your…flirting!”

      He raised his palms in an innocent gesture. “Flirting! Who said I was flirting? I was merely making a statement that I find you more interesting than Bess. And far more attractive.”

      She should have been angry with him for being so forward, but instead her heart thumped at the idea that he found her attractive. She’d not thought of herself in that way for years and now a very young man like him taking a second look at her was very flattering.

      “Is this the way you behave with all female doctors?”

      “You’re a physician’s assistant.” His smile was broad and just wicked enough to send a spurt of color to her cheeks. “Actually, no,” he added. “You seem to be doing something to me.”

      The door to the elevator slid open. As Nicolette stepped out, she said over her shoulder, “Then you’d better make a quick diagnosis and treat yourself.”

      Chuckling, he quickly caught up to her as she stalked down a hallway that led to the cafeteria. “Nicolette, you can make a joke! I’m surprised!”

      Knowing she was enjoying this banter with him too much, she stopped and whirled toward him. “Look, for your information, I didn’t drive to the hospital in the middle of the night just to be your—company! I’m only here because of Dan.”

      He appeared to be offended. A frown of irritation creased his forehead and twisted his lips. “I didn’t ask you here for your company. Since we have the same goal, I thought sharing a few minutes would be the natural thing to do.”

      Her eyes widened. “Goal?” she asked inanely.

      “Yes. Mr. Nelson’s well-being. That is why we’re both here, isn’t it?”

      Nicolette felt like an idiot and she looked away from him as she tried to gather her thoughts. She didn’t know what it was about this man, but he had the ability to make her feel about sixteen years old.

      Drawing in a deep breath, she glanced up at him. “Sorry. I-I’m rather tired and edgy tonight. Please, join me in the cafeteria?”

      He smiled then and cupped his hand around her elbow, urging her toward the dining area. “I’d be delighted. Although, I’m afraid everything looks closed at this hour.”

      “We can use the vending machines,” she told him. “And the coffeepot should be going.”

      “Sounds good enough to me.”

      They walked to the machines and loaded them with what change they had between them. Ridge purchased a sandwich and Nicolette settled for a package of cheese and crackers. They added foam cups of coffee to the food, then found a small round table near a wall of plate glass.

      Except for the two of them, the dining area was empty and so quiet Nicolette could practically hear her own heart pounding in her ears. As she tore into the package of crackers, she told herself she was reacting to the man in a juvenile way. If she were smart, she would treat his flirting with indifference and give him the message that he wasn’t affecting her in the slightest way. But she’d never been a good actress.

      Across from her, Ridge bit into the roast beef sandwich and grimaced at its dryness. “Not the best in the world, but at least it’s filling.”

      “Did you eat dinner tonight?”

      He shook his head. “I had two emergencies earlier this evening. Once I took care of them I drove home and had barely gotten in the house when the phone rang again. That call was Mr. Nelson, and I’ve been dealing with him ever since.”

      Nicolette suddenly felt very guilty for thinking he would be one of those doctors who called in orders and expected the nurses to care for his patients. Maybe she had misjudged him, especially about his dedication to his patients. Yet she was sure she hadn’t misconstrued his brashness. He’d probably learned to charm women even before he headed to kindergarten.

      “Sounds like you’re getting off to a busy start. You might wish you’d never moved to this area,” she suggested.

      He shook his head. “I won’t do that. I really like it around here. I’ve already bought a place west of the city. Busy or not, this is where my roots are sinking.”

      Curious, she studied him as he wolfed down the sandwich. “Do you have family in the area?”

      He reached for his coffee. “No. They’re all in Houston.”

      “You didn’t want to practice there?”

      To Nicolette’s surprise a bland mask covered his face. Maybe everything in his life wasn’t as cheery as he projected.

      “I’ve lived in Houston all my life. My parents and grandparents are still there. But now that I’m out of medical school and practicing, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”

      She leaned back in her chair as she nibbled on a cracker. “Why is that? Or is that question too personal? If it is, you don’t have to answer.”

      One of his shoulders lifted and fell. “I don’t mind telling you. The place was too big and fast. I don’t want to spend my life like a hamster racing uselessly on a wheel.”

      For the first time since Nicolette had met him, his eyes were solemn, maybe even sad, and the sight touched her in a way that surprised her. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to understand him. She suddenly cared whether he was happy or sad. And that was dangerous.

      “Is that what you thought? That your life there was useless?”

      A corner of his mouth lifted faintly. “No. I’ve had a nice life, a fine education. But I never planned to stay there. From the time I was a young boy, I knew I wanted something different for myself.”

      “You mean different from your parents and grandparents?”

      He nodded. “My father and grandfather are both doctors, too. In fact, my father still has a practice there. He’s a neurologist. Gramps was a general practitioner, back in the days when those were still used,” he added wryly.

      “So you became a heart doctor. That’s how you wanted to be different?”

      “No. I didn’t want to build a practice in Houston. I wanted my life to be—” Grimacing, he paused, swallowed some coffee, then placed the cup down on the tabletop. “I didn’t want to live like my father and grandfather, Nicolette. They were both consumed with their jobs and consumed with all the social things that went with living in a huge city. There’s life beyond medicine, you know, and I want one. A life that means something.”

      The conviction on his face struck her and she suddenly realized that he was not the shallow playboy she’d first imagined.

      “And you think you can find that here?” she quietly questioned.

      A wry grin exposed a portion of his white teeth. “I’m going to try my best. At least I’m finding I like the clinic and this hospital. And I like my new place. So that’s a start.”

      And what about a woman to go with it, Nicolette wondered. But she’d bite the end of her tongue off before she’d ask him such a thing. It didn’t matter to her if he had a steady love interest. She’d had her turn with love and marriage, and the experience had left her spirit bound with scars. She’d be a fool to lose what little heart she had left to a man like him.

      She drank a portion of her strong coffee while she felt his gaze roaming over her face and hair, touching her lips and lingering on her breasts. His subtle inspection made her extremely aware that she was a woman, a woman who’d not felt the arms of a man around her in years.

      Resisting the urge

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