Doctor For Keeps. KRISTI GOLD

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      He leaned forward again and dangled the beer between his parted knees. “That’s a pretty strong generalization.”

      “Maybe, but I’ve met quite a few with God complexes bigger than a stretch limo.”

      He laughed again, a deep rich sound that vibrated clear down to Miranda’s soul. “I won’t argue that.”

      “You sound like you know from experience.”

      “Some of my best friends are doctors. So is the guy I’m apartment-sitting for.”

      Open mouth, insert size-seven white sandal. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your friend.”

      He looked more amused than offended. “You didn’t. God knows he can be a pain in the…butt.”

      She sat back in the chair, feeling more relaxed with every passing moment. “What kind of doctor is your friend?”

      “A resident in thoracic surgery.”

      She wasn’t surprised. The apartment complex was full of medical residents due to its proximity to the hospital and the cheap rent. That’s why she had chosen the location.

      Rick slapped at his neck and muttered, “Damned airplane-sized mosquitoes.”

      “I guess it’s time to head for cover.” She sounded hesitant, even to her own ears.

      He pointed at her three-quarters-full bottle. “You aren’t finished with your drink yet.”

      She examined the bottle again, wondering whether or not she should stay. In her opinion, the only thing worse than beer was hot beer, and the only thing worse than indecisiveness was making the wrong choice. “I’m really not much of a beer drinker.” Or risk taker, for that matter.

      “Then I’ll get you something else.”

      “Really, I need to go,” she said without much conviction.

      He set his bottle on the concrete floor and scooted the chair closer. “Just a few more minutes?”

      She rose, needing to escape the insistent voice in her head that kept telling her to go for it. She thrust the beer at him. “Here. You can finish this for me.”

      Rick stood and reached for the bottle. Their fingers brushed, sending a succession of chills down Miranda’s spine.

      His espresso eyes bored into her, as if he knew her secret desire to stay. “Don’t leave yet, Randi.”

      Her flesh still tingled where he’d touched her. If she didn’t know better, she’d write it off to poor circulation. The feeling wasn’t at all unpleasant. “I don’t know…”

      “Just for a while.” With one fingertip, he absently circled the bottle’s opening, round and round in slow motion on the place where her mouth had been. She could almost feel his touch on her lips. A lightning flash of awareness sparked between them.

      Right now Miranda couldn’t think of anywhere else she wanted to be. Certainly not at home, alone, as she had been most of her life. Maybe it was time to take another chance. “Does the offer still stand?”

      “What offer is that?”

      “Going inside the apartment.”

      He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

      Not really, but she didn’t intend to back down now. “I’m sure. Beats hanging out with the insects.”

      Rick, on the other hand, looked decidedly unsure. “Okay. I’ll keep the door open if you want, but I promise I won’t bite. I’ll leave that to the bugs.” His husky voice fed her imagination, and she wondered if this was how he would sound in bed, coaxing, cajoling, oozing sensuality.

      Miranda’s pulse quickened. She shouldn’t even consider following him inside. In fact, she was considering several things she probably shouldn’t. He seemed to have some sort of indiscernible hold on her, but she still wasn’t sure of his motives.

      Maybe he sensed her loneliness. Or it could be that he was simply being courteous. She hesitated, then said, “Well…maybe we could have a drink some other time…?”

      “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “But first, I have a confession to make.”

      Considering his smile was pure sin, he probably had several. “Go ahead.”

      “Mark and Angie Wilson—the people I’m apartment-sitting for—told me I might want to meet a girl named Miranda in fourteen-twelve. I watched you come out of that apartment tonight. That is you, isn’t it?”

      Finally, the truth. This was no chance meeting or fate’s intervention. So much for fantasies. “Yes. Randi’s my nickname.” Miranda suddenly remembered Angie introducing herself in the laundry room. “Do they have a little girl, about three?”

      “Yeah. That’s Emma,” he said with pride. “Cutest kid in the state. But I’m biased. I’m her godfather.”

      Anyone who seemed that taken by a child couldn’t be all bad. “What did Mark and Angie say about me?”

      He looked away as if the subject made him self-conscious. “Angie said you’re single, and that you were very nice when she met you.”

      Miranda wondered what kind of judgments the woman could make in a five-minute conversation over a coin-operated washing machine. “That was nice of her.”

      “Now, Mark, on the other hand, basing his opinion solely on visual observations, made a few other comments, most of which ticked Angie off.”

      “Criticisms?”

      He grinned. “No. Just your general male assessments. Great hair, great legs. He was right about most of them.”

      “Most of them?”

      He pinned her with his brown eyes. “The part about you being beautiful.”

      Miranda mentally flinched. Whoever said flattery would get you nowhere hadn’t lived in her literally defective skin. No one outside her grandmother, a few former classmates and one ex-boyfriend knew of her imperfections. No one ever would, if she could help it. “What wasn’t he right about?”

      “He said you looked uptight. That you wouldn’t accept an introduction, much less an invitation from me.”

      Two days ago that might have been true. But tonight…well, tonight was different. She was different. In fact, she felt absolutely reckless for the first time in years, and she welcomed the freedom. “That just goes to show you can’t always trust first impressions. So does this mean I’m the victim of some kind of macho wager between you two?”

      “No wager. In fact, I had no intention of meeting anyone right now. Not until tonight.” His smile disappeared and he looked all too serious.

      Her former self screamed No! Don’t risk it. But the new, more daring version СКАЧАТЬ