"Thank
you. It's not a tux, but it's not jeans and a T-shirt either." His gaze
raked her from the curls on her head to the toes of her heels. "You look
fabulous yourself."
She
smoothed her black skirt down over her hips and adjusted her sweater around her
shoulders. Shivers raced down her back when his hands lifted the edges of the
material to help her settle it around her. "Thanks."
"You're
welcome. I wouldn't want you to catch cold."
"I'd
forgotten how chilly the weather gets here in the evenings sometimes, even in
the summer. Los Angeles never cooled off."
"I've
been there a time or two," he said, tucking her hand into the crook of his
arm to guide her toward the entrance of the restaurant.
"Where
did you get your degree?"
"Why
don't we wait until we're seated before we talk shop?"
"All
right," she replied as they stepped through the double doors of the hotel to
make their way toward the restaurant in the corner.
As they
approached the gentleman seating people, the man nodded, addressing Marcus by
name.
"Ah, Doctor Melton.
Very
nice to see you sir."
"Thank
you. We have reservations."
"Yes,
sir.
It'll be just a moment."
The
warmth of his hand over hers where it rested on his arm, made her very aware of
the strength he harbored under his clothes. She could only imagine the steely
strength it required to wrestle animals all day.
The
lights from the chandeliers overhead highlighted the soft browns of his hair. She
had to resist the urge to push the errant lock falling over his forehead back
in place. He had such a boyish charm about him. The sharp contrast to the cut
of his face seemed chiseled in stone but when he smiled, his whole face changed,
softening him to the most handsome man she'd ever met. The blue of his eyes
reminded her of a clear stream reflecting the sky above. They seemed so
clear,
she could see herself reflected back. Long sooty
lashes framed those perfect orbs, any woman would kill for. The fullness of his
lips reminded her of the kiss they'd shared so many months ago. She shivered,
almost wanting to feel the pressure of his mouth against hers again.
A quick
clearing of her throat brought her attention back to the crowd around them and
the inappropriateness of her thoughts. "What types of animals do you
treat, Marcus?" she asked as the waiter led them to their table.
"All
kinds.
If they are pets, I treat them if they're sick."
"Wow.
I thought treating the different types, size and diseases of humans seemed
tough. I can't imagine keeping all the different animals’ heart rates straight,
much less all the other stuff." She nodded to the waiter and took the seat
Marcus held out for her with a soft “thank you.”
"Medicine
in general can be a bit overwhelming. It's a good thing there are lots of
reference books. If I don't know something, I look it up same as you I
assume."
She
opened the menu handed to her by the waiter, glancing over the selections. Lots
of restaurants in Los Angeles boasted of great steaks, but nothing beat the
beef in her home state. Medium rare meat had saliva pooling in her mouth as her
taste buds tingled. It had been forever since she'd had a good steak.
"What
would you like to eat?"
"I'm
going to have a nice piece of red meat. I missed those in Los Angeles." He
looked startled as she laughed. "Don't look so surprised, Marcus. I did grow
up on a cattle ranch."
"Yes,
but I assumed they had really good restaurants in L.A. and knowing you were
dating a very wealthy man, you'd probably eaten at some of the best of
them."
Indignation
zipped along her nerves. How dare he think her a
snob.
"The man I was dating owned an international shipping firm, so yes, we did
wine and dine at some of the best restaurants in L.A., but I'm not a snob,
Marcus. I like hometown diners and small restaurants. They seem to have the
best staff and the best foods. In no way have I ever considered myself above
eating at places like that."
"I'm
sorry. I've insulted you." He took her hand in his running his callused
thumb over her knuckles. "I never intended for you to take exception to my
words. I didn't mean them how you perceived them at all."
The
scrape of his thumb on her hand sent shivers up her arm. She had to press her
thighs together hoping for a little relief from the throbbing starting low in
her belly. "I'm sorry I snapped. It's just one of the reasons my ex told
me he didn't want anything long term with me was because I didn't have the
social skills he wanted."
"I've
already told you my opinion of him. I hope you know I would never think any
less of you for being born and raised on a ranch in Montana. It happens to be
some of the prettiest country I've ever seen. I'm glad I live here."
She
reluctantly pulled her hand from his grasp as the waiter returned to take their
order. The moment the waiter disappeared again, they continued their
conversation. "You said your family is in Boston?"
"Yes.
I was born and raised there."
"Where
did you go to school?"
"University
of Kentucky."
"Wow.
That's a long way from Boston."
The
waiter returned with the bottle of wine they'd agreed upon, pouring a small
amount in the glass for Marcus to taste. "Delicious. Thank you." After
the waiter departed the table, he said, "We didn't have much while I was
growing up. A fairly large family didn't make for easy times."
"Where
were you in the pecking order?"
"Middle
boy.
I have an older brother, a younger brother, younger sister."
She
swallowed a sip of wine, relishing the bite on her tongue. "I bet it made
you feel, um, lost in the shuffle a bit."
"Yes.
How did you know?"
"I'm
the oldest of the girls in our family, but still a middle child so I know what
you went through. We had a big family too." She pressed her lips together before
she smiled. "I love my family. Don't get me wrong, but
it's
hard being a middle child."
"Mitchell
is very proud of you," he said, sipping from his own glass. "You
should be proud of yourself. It's not easy being a physician of any kind. Where
in Billings are you planning to do you residency?"
"Billings
Memorial.
I have everything set up already for when I
arrive. I'll be working a lot of different rotations. Surgery, pediatrics, emergency,
you name the
specialty,
I'll be doing a rotation
sometime during my time there. I need to get the most rounded residency I can
get so I can practice general medicine back in Red Rock." His choking
concerned her as his eyes watered and he gasped for air. "Are you all
right?"
"Yes,"
he croaked.
"Wrong pipe."
He coughed several
more times and wiped his eyes with his napkin. "You're practicing in Red
Rock when you're done?"
"Of
course.
We need a good clinic and physician. It's too far to go to head to
Billings for treatment. We don't have a hospital, which I wish we did, but at
least a clinic would save people from making the long trek into one of the
bigger towns, don't you think?"
"I
think you have a great idea. Yes, we need the medical care in Red Rock."
"Why
do you seem so shocked I want to practice near home?"
He
shrugged as he leaned back in the chair. "After you attended school in Los
Angeles, I just assumed you didn't want to live in a small community again.
It's hard to go from the fast paced life of California back to the slow, lazy
crawl of rural Montana."
"I
love the slower pace of home. I can't wait to start treating patients. The
little kids with their ear infections, doing women's health and all of that
kind of work. It excites me to think about being part of the community like I
belong."
"You
do belong, Elizabeth. This is home. Why would you think differently?"
"Red
Rock hasn't felt like home in several years, Marcus. Going off to Los Angeles
was a smart decision. One I had to make for my education, but I never wanted to
leave home on a permanent basis."
"What
about your engagement to the gentleman there?"
"It
doesn't matter now since it's not longer happening. I realize now the life I
had there wasn't what I wanted. Yes, the fast paced hustle and bustle of things
seemed great for a while, but the whole atmosphere got crazy. I'm ready to slow
things down."
Their
dinner arrived and they both dug in, letting the conversation lag a bit. The
food melted on her tongue as she groaned in ecstasy.
"Good?"
"You
have no idea."
The
eyebrow over his left eye rose and she wondered what he thought as a small
smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
Damn.
I almost sound like I'm having an orgasm here.
The meat went down a little
rough as heat crept up her chest. Getting into that kind of conversation with
Marcus would be a bad idea.
"I'm
glad you're enjoying the steak."
"Oh
yes. The meat is so
tender,
I can almost cut it with
my fork. I do plan to save room for desert though. The chocolate decedent cake
looks sinful. It's been a while since I've had chocolate." Marcus laughed.
The rich, deep, sound reverberated along her nerves as if he plucked the
strings of a bass. "I love your laugh."
"Thanks,
but yours is amazing too. I heard you earlier when I was in the barn.
Very light and happy."
"I
haven't had much chance to laugh lately so it felt good to let go." She
blushed again. "I don't even remember what I was laughing about." The
flickering candlelight bounced the deep burgundy color of the wine in her glass
around in a prism of rich color.
"I'm
sure Mitchell could tell you. I know he liked to hear the sound. He's been
worried about you as are Cade and Natalie."
"You've
discussed me with my family?"
Marcus
dropped his gaze to his plate as a deep flush rushed into his face.
"Um…yes. I guess so."
"How
long have they known?"
"Known
what?"
"About
what happened at the ball?"
Chapter Four
"Things
aren't like they appear, Elizabeth."
I'm
so screwed. She'll never believe anything I say.
"Aren't
they?"
"No."
"Then
answer my question."
He
blew out a long sigh. "They've known since the ball. They knew we danced.
Natalie and Cade have kept my secret since then."
"Why,
Marcus? I don't understand you at all." The napkin landed in a heap on the
table top as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her ample
chest. A small wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. He wanted to smooth the
crease away with his thumb. Kissing her until she melted against him would probably
be a bad idea right now even if she'd let him.
"I
didn't want you to know who I was. The two of them wanted to introduce us, but
I refused. I'd heard you were getting married so it wouldn't have been right
away."
"Why
the secrets?"
"I
told you. The man you saw at the ball isn't really me."
"I
think it is." She leaned forward resting her arms on the tabletop.
"You see, you were too comfortable in your own skin. Something like that
can't be faked, Marcus. You might think you aren't dashing and debonair, but in
reality the man is a part of your personality whether you wish to admit it or
not."
Could it be true? Do I really have
it in me to be the man who could sweep her off her feet? Do I want to be?
"You're seeing things that aren't there."
"I
don't believe so, but if you aren't willing to admit that man exists inside
you, then there isn't anything I can do to convince you."
The
waiter returned and she ordered dessert. Chocolate cake splashed across her
skin and he would lick the succulent treat off one crumb at a time, raced
across his thoughts. The last thing he needed tonight were erotic images of his
dinner companion. This would probably be the one and only occasion they'd spend
time alone together, much less do any kind of touching. Maybe he needed to find
a willing substitute. Several of the women in town made it known they wouldn't
shun his advances should he choose to pay them some attention. None of them
drew him like Elizabeth did.
"Marcus?"
"I'm
sorry. Did you say something?"
"I
asked if you were ready to leave."
He
glanced at her plate realizing she'd already finished her cake and was removing
the remaining chocolate from her fork with her tongue. The wicked flick of pink
skin over the sterling silver of the fork made him think of her savoring the
shaft of his cock. Her sharp gaze would focus on his face as she slowly licked
along his length and then swirled around the head. The warm heat of her mouth
would surround him as she engulfed the entire head between her lips. His body
trembled with need at each passing fantasy. He cleared his throat and sighed
heavily. "Yes, I'm ready."
More than ready.