Winning The Doctor

Moments later, she heard the squashy crunch of tires on gravel fast approaching.

A truck pulled up next to her, swirling a cloud of dust into her face. It was the same model as hers, but it was black and in better condition.

Straightening, she braced her hip against her vehicle and started to cough.

Dr. Marbet hopped out and circled around his vehicle. “I’m sorry about driving in so fast. I saw you examining your foot, and it looked like you were in trouble.”

Her heart warmed at the concern etched on his face, but just as quickly, she realized that was his job. He was a doctor. He was supposed to care.

“No big deal, Dr. Marbet,” she choked out, struggling not to cough again. “I’m just going to die from gravel dust inhalation.”

“No you won’t. I’ll take care of you.”

His smile seemed genuine and his hand gently patted her on the back, amplifying the butterflies that had begun to swirl inside at his soft touch. It was gentle, yet deliberate, and she chalked that up to his bedside manner automatically kicking in.

As if responding to the perfect antidote, her urge to cough ceased almost immediately. The pleasurable sensations he invoked spread quickly throughout her body.

Moments later, he lifted his hand. “If we are going to be possibly working together, can we kill the formalities?”

She nodded. “I suppose I can manage that, Anthony.”

His name sounded so luscious as it tumbled out of her mouth that she momentarily forgot her injury.

“Ouch,” she exclaimed loudly as she took a step forward.

He knelt on one knee and visually inspected her ankle.

“What happened?”

She grimaced as embarrassment mingled with pleasure at the caring look in his warm, brown eyes.

“I think I might have twisted it getting out of the car.”

He balanced his elbow on one knee and kept his gaze on her.

“Clumsy much?” he asked, his tone playful.

“Lots much,” she admitted. “I guess I’m overdressed. I probably should have worn flats, but I assumed this location would be paved.”

“You look fine,” he said, casting his eyes up her body, clad in a soft floral-print dress that hit just above her knees.

Anthony kept his eyes on hers. “May I examine you?”

Despite having grown up in a family of physicians, she never liked going to one. However, she would make an exception for Anthony. This was a chance to be touched by one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen.

For medical purposes only, of course.

Her ankle didn’t even hurt that much anymore, but she decided to keep that little tidbit to herself.

She nodded her consent and held her breath.

“Tell me if any of this hurts,” he instructed, before looking down at her ankle.

Anthony began to palpate her flesh, and she bit her lip as her loins began to quiver with every gentle touch. She could feel the low heat emanating from his palms and wondered what he would do to treat her if she fainted right on the spot.

The pads of his thumbs pressed and circled over her skin, little ripples of wonder that journeyed up through her body. She knew she shouldn’t be feeling this way. The man was a physician, and he was only doing his job, but she couldn’t help it. His fingers were skilled and felt so good that she didn’t want him to stop.

Anthony tilted his head up. “Any pain?”

Liza shook her head. “I think you massaged it all out of me.”

He slowly removed his hands from her ankle.

“See if you can rotate it comfortably.”

She did as he asked, and though there was a tinge of pain, she’d survive.

“I’m okay now, thanks.”

He stood up and dusted a few pieces of gravel from his dark blue slacks. As he did, she watched his muscled arms flex under his light gray T-shirt.

“Great taste,” she said.

Anthony looked down at his pants. “What? You mean these?”

“No, not in clothes,” she said. “In cars. You have great taste in vehicles.”

Puzzlement crossed his face, and she half covered her mouth, realizing that she’d just insulted him.

“Not to say that you don’t have good taste in clothes, too,” she said, trying to recover. “It’s just weird to see you in normal clothes, and not just a lab coat.”

He crossed his arms in a way that made her heart skip a beat. His biceps nestled against his sides in that casually sexy way that only some men could achieve.

“What’s so strange about it? I’m a regular guy who wears regular clothes,” he said, sounding off-put.

“I’m sorry. My dad and uncle were physicians, and I saw them so much in their hospital scrubs that whenever they didn’t have that stuff on, it always surprised me.”

He grinned, lowering his voice. “I guess I’m not used to having someone notice.”

The man had to be joking, she thought. Who wouldn’t notice a body like his?

Their eyes met, and a sudden spark was there. It was indefinable, yet she could feel it and knew he was aware of it, too. She made a show of brushing her hands together as if she could simply rid herself of what she’d just experienced between them.

“There’s a first time for everything.”

He laughed. “No kidding. I wasn’t expecting you to drive a truck.”

She put one hand on her hip. Now, who was insulting whom?