Wilde Thing. Jannine Gallant

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СКАЧАТЬ waiting anxiously to hear what the doctor has to say about my latest injury.”

      She frowned. “You’re the one who asked me to come in with you. Want me to go back out to the waiting room?”

      “No. Since I’m sure you’ll get more out of what he has to say about rehab than I will, you might as well stay. My hope is I’ll get the all clear to resume normal activity.”

      “I wouldn’t hold my breath. Not this soon after injuring your shoulder. Hey, at least the nurse said you could leave your pants on.”

      He grinned. “If I’m going to flash you my junk, I’d prefer it was in a less sterile environment…and without an audience.”

      The door swung open, which was probably a good thing since Hannah could feel her cheeks heat up at the mental image of Tripp’s junk on display. When the doctor entered, she closed her eyes for a brief moment. Perfect.

      “Hi, I’m Dr. Hamilton.” He held out his hand as he took the two steps necessary to reach Tripp. “Dr. Ingram was called away for emergency surgery, so I’ll be taking a look at your shoulder today.”

      Tripp shook the proffered hand. “No problem. Nice to meet you.”

      Slowly, Hannah rose from her chair behind the open door. “Hello, Lewis.”

      His white coat flapped as he spun around. The fluorescent lights gleamed off his receding hairline, and blue eyes widened. “Hannah, I didn’t see you back there.”

      She forced a smile. “How are you?”

      “Fine, and you?”

      “Busy as usual. Right now I’m working on Tripp.”

      His eyes cooled. “I bet.” The doctor turned back to his patient. “If your physical therapist—if that’s what she is—intends to stay, you can take off the gown so I can examine your shoulder.”

      Tripp removed the cotton wrap he tossed on the table next to him. Even though both her irritation and awkward meters were ticking off the chart, Hannah couldn’t help admiring the sculpted muscles of his arms and chest. The man was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was well aware of the fact.

      “Let’s see how your recovery is progressing. Stretch your arm out straight. Not bad. Some resistance still, but based on what I’ve seen of your records, you’ve made remarkable improvement in three and a half weeks.”

      “I have a great therapist.” He glanced from the doctor to Hannah. “I take it you two know each other?”

      She hesitated for a moment. “We do.”

      “What Hannah’s trying hard not to say is we used to date. She politely backed off when I…well, never mind. Rotate your arm slowly. Excellent.”

      Hannah stayed quiet until Lewis finished his exam and turned to face her. When she was forced to speak, she kept it professional. “Any specific recommendations for therapy at this point?”

      “What you’re doing seems to be working very well. You might want to focus more on strengthening exercises from here on out. I’ll write a script for insurance purposes.” He glanced back at his patient. “As long as it doesn’t involve heavy lifting, I’d say you’ll be ready to resume routine activity in a couple of weeks. Make sure you keep up the therapy after that, though, to continue progressing toward a full recovery. Unless you have unexpected pain, I don’t see a reason for another checkup.”

      “Two more weeks?” Tripp glanced up from buttoning his shirt and frowned. “Damn, I’d hoped—”

      “You’ve had a remarkably quick rehabilitation. You should be pleased. In another week, you can safely start using your shoulder more normally…without overstressing it to the point of aggravation. In other words, no skiing off cliffs just yet.”

      Tripp rolled his eyes when the doctor turned away.

      Hannah suppressed a grin then searched for something neutral to say when Lewis hovered in the open doorway. “I ran into Monica a while back, actually the day of the avalanche.”

      “She contacted me.” He blew out a breath. “The nightmare that never ends.”

      “Oh? What happened?”

      “Nothing new. Just the usual push for more alimony as a side attraction while she’s in town making someone else’s life miserable over a new development project. I think I settled the matter once and for all.” He pressed his lips tight then stepped out into the hallway. “See you around, Hannah.”

      “Bye, Lewis.” When he shut the door behind him with a thud, she let out a breath.

      “What did you do to the poor bastard?” Tripp slipped down from the table. “The doc looked miserable.”

      “Lewis always wears that hangdog expression, and I didn’t do anything to him. Can we discuss this after you check out at the front counter—or, better yet, not discuss it at all?”

      “Not an option. Your affair with the good doctor sounds way too juicy to let go that easily, but I can put my curiosity on hold for a few minutes.” He flashed that killer grin of his. “If you insist.”

      She scowled. “Believe me, our brief relationship was not the stuff hospital soap operas are made of.”

      The smile remained. “Why am I not surprised?”

      Five minutes later, Tripp pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward home. “Okay, let’s hear all about you and the doc. Isn’t he a little—make that a lot—old for you? The guy has to be well past forty.”

      “He looks older than he is, which is fifteen years older than me. I’d known Lewis for quite a while in a strictly professional capacity. The man is smart and dedicated to his career, and he was looking for a stable relationship. When he asked me out, I accepted.”

      Tripp glanced away from the road. “Smart, dedicated, stable…sounds boring.”

      She sighed. “Everyone’s life isn’t as exciting as yours. Most people I know don’t want the kind of excitement you live for. There’s something to be said for comfortable.”

      “Another boring word.”

      She gritted her teeth. “This is why I’m not going to date you no matter how many times you ask.”

      “Hey, you have to admit that kiss last night was pretty damn spectacular. Nothing boring about it. I’m dead certain I wasn’t the only one feeling the heat.”

      She’d felt it, all right. Sparks lighting her up from her head to her toes and everywhere in between. Especially the places in between. Kissing Tripp had only led to a sleepless night as old memories of a completely one-sided crush resurfaced. Every vacation she’d spent at the Wilde ranch with Eden had been both pleasure and torture, mooning over Tripp. Who hadn’t even noticed she was there. She didn’t need that sort of aggravation and heartbreak at this point in her life…when she was smart enough to know not to get involved with a man like him.

      “I caved in to the moon and the stars and a mellow mood fostered by two glasses of excellent СКАЧАТЬ