Dr. Destiny. KRISTI GOLD

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      ‘‘About babies.’’

      That definitely threw him mentally off-kilter. ‘‘Is there something you want to tell me?’’

      ‘‘Like what?’’

      ‘‘Are you pregnant?’’

      Her eyes widened. ‘‘Are you crazy?’’

      He shrugged. ‘‘You’re a beautiful woman, Cassie. Anything’s possible.’’

      ‘‘You’re so wrong, Dr. O’Connor. One would have to be—how should I say it—exposed in order to be expecting. And unless I slept through it, that hasn’t happened in a long time.’’

      ‘‘No prospects?’’

      ‘‘No way.’’

      ‘‘Why is that?’’ he asked, genuinely curious.

      ‘‘Why is what?’’

      ‘‘Why haven’t you settled down? As long as I’ve known you, I don’t remember you ever mentioning dating anyone.’’

      She shrugged. ‘‘I don’t have time for that right now. My work is too hectic. Besides, I don’t intend to settle down or have children until I have all the time in the world to devote to them.’’

      That relieved Brendan, especially the part about her not having any prospects to father her offspring. Although he had no say in what she did, or whom she did it with, he didn’t like the thought of Cassie carrying on with some guy that he knew nothing about. ‘‘Well, heck, Cassie, your lack of exposure is really a shame. Anything I can do about that?’’

      She crumpled the napkin’s remains and tossed the wad at him. ‘‘You’re so funny.’’

      Truth was, he wasn’t necessarily being funny. He didn’t want any kids, either, but practicing with Cassie wasn’t at all repulsive. In fact, it was a downright pleasant idea. One he had no business entertaining.

      He yanked back his chair and stood. ‘‘Time for bed.’’ Man, oh, man, he hadn’t meant to say that.

      If Cassie was at all shocked, she didn’t show it. Instead she grinned. ‘‘Brendan, as much as I’d love to go to bed with you, I’m thinking maybe we should pick a time when we’re not quite so tired from work and our tennis game.’’

      Was she kidding? Did she really want to go to bed with him? Nah. As usual she was trying to get to him with her sassy sarcasm. Two could definitely play that particular game.

      Leaning forward, he braced his hands on the arms of her chair. ‘‘You’re right, Cassie. If I’m going to show you all the O’Connor moves, that’s going to require all night. As it stands, I’ve got a NICU full of preemies that need my attention, and I need to be fully awake in the morning.’’

      Cassie slipped her bag over her shoulder and gave a one-handed sweep of her hair. ‘‘All night, huh? It would take me all of ten minutes to bring you to your knees.’’

      Blood rushed to Brendan’s ears, along with other places much lower. He took a step back and allowed her to stand. But her sensual challenge echoed in his brain. Ten minutes? No way. Then again, she could be right. At the moment, his knees felt like putty, and it wasn’t from the effects of the tennis game or the lone beer.

      Brendan walked Cassie to her car thinking he should see her off and get out of there fast, before he made one huge mistake. Before he suggested that he had a few more minutes to spare. Ten minutes, to be exact. He chalked up his sudden desire to stress, his recent lack of sex. Maybe even the need for escape from life’s realities. The need to forget past mistakes. By virtue of her presence, Cassie happened to be on the receiving end of that need, or she would be if he didn’t get the hell out of there.

      When they reached her faded red sedan, she turned to him once again. ‘‘Good game, O’Connor. And I promise I’ll go easier on you next time, in deference to your demanding profession and your poor tired bootie.’’

      He didn’t want her to go easier on him. He didn’t want her to leave, either. Right now what he wanted and what he needed had little to do with competition and a whole lot to do with flawed judgment. ‘‘I had a great time, too, except for one thing.’’

      ‘‘My gloating?’’

      Without regard to wisdom, he cupped her jaw in his palm and stroked a thumb down her silky cheek. ‘‘It has to do with something you started but didn’t finish.’’

      ‘‘Well my gosh, Brendan. I’ll pay you back for the beer. Besides, you’re the one who rushed me—’’

      He cut off her words with a kiss. Not a simple innocuous peck. There was nothing innocent about it—not when her lips parted—or the way he took advantage of the moment and slipped his tongue inside the warm heat of her feisty mouth. Not with the way she tasted, like the peppermint she’d grabbed on the way out of the bar, cool and sweet and tempting. Definitely not the way she melted into him and fitted so perfectly against him.

      But perfection had a price. Brendan’s body was paying it. He was just this side of losing control. He couldn’t allow that any more than he could allow the kiss to continue. Not at the expense of their friendship.

      He moved away and issued another apology on a ragged breath. ‘‘I don’t know what made me do that.’’

      She leaned back against the car and folded her arms beneath her breasts. Her cheeks were splotched with red, her eyes dark and dazed. ‘‘I’m not sure what good grace dictates at this particular moment, but all I have to say is let’s not make a big deal out of this.’’

      Brendan grabbed his nape with both hands thinking he should probably wring his own neck for being so stupid. ‘‘It is a big deal.’’

      She inclined her head and studied him straight on. ‘‘Does it really have to be? I mean, it’s not like you threw me to the ground and ravished me.’’

      It’s not like he hadn’t considered that, either. ‘‘We have a great friendship going here. Or we did. Unless I’ve screwed that up now.’’

      ‘‘The only way you’ll do that is if you suddenly declare I’m a lousy kisser. Then I’ll have to beat you over the head with my racket.’’

      She should have done that to him a few minutes ago, Brendan decided. Knocked some sense into him. ‘‘As far as your kissing ability is concerned, I’d say on a scale from one to ten you would rate…’’ He narrowed his eyes and studied her.

      ‘‘I’m waiting.’’

      ‘‘About a twenty.’’

      Cassie’s spirited smile jump-started Brendan’s pulse back to life. ‘‘Lucky for you, you’ve saved yourself from a terrible fate. For now.’’

      Brendan wondered what fate held in store for them the next time they met. If he didn’t get a grip, next time he might not be able to stop with only one kiss.

      Two

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