The Doctor's Choice (20 page)

“Mister Trouble
with a capital T,” she said with a sigh. “Come right on in.”

A small cut on his lower lip was the only remnant of his fight with Clay. He leaned down to brush a soft kiss across her lips.
“I heard you were running the clinic for Doc. I thought I should show you some appreciation for your hard work.” He lifted the bag.

“And what’s in the bag that will make me feel appreciated?” She followed him
as he headed for the kitchen.

“I certainly hope
this does the trick.” He set the bag on the countertop and started unloading it. “First, we have a bottle of merlot and two juicy ribeyes that have been swimming in the Ryan ranch special marinade. Next, we have two large baking potatoes and a few other things to round out the meal.” Flashing a grin in her direction, he rolled up his sleeves, baring muscular forearms.

“I’m too tired to cook,” she said. “I was going to put a
frozen pizza in the oven.”

He
returned the pizza to the freezer. “Save it for another day. Tonight, I’m cooking for you.”

She
couldn’t help but smile. “You’re cooking?”

“That
I am, so relax and let me pamper you.” He uncorked the bottle of merlot and poured her a generous glass.

Cami settled at the bar and sipped the wine. She told him about her day at the clinic and the latest update she’d received on Doc’s condition.

“Is he going to be alright?”

“Time will tell. The human body has an a
mazing ability to heal itself.”

“I hope so,” Breck said. “I can’t imagine Langston without Doc
Parker.” He moved with certainty around her kitchen. He seemed to know where everything was stored.

She watched with interest
as he set out ingredients. “Breck, what happened when you

drove
Clay to the airport?”

A derisive snort was his response.
“He pouted all the way. He seems to think we’ve been having a steamy romance from the moment you got here.”

“Poor Clay,” she said.

“Good riddance.”

Cami arched her brow.
“You’re, uh, girlfriend came to clinic today. She seemed most anxious to tell me about your relationship.”

Breck looked up at her. “Give me a hint.”

“You mean you have so many women after you, you can’t even remember their names?” She propped her elbows on the counter and leaned her face against her palms.

He looked at her, suddenly serious. “Cami, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I
didn’t have anything special going on with anyone before I met you.”

“Well, maybe you didn’t take it serious
ly, but Celeste told me she divorced her husband because she thought the two of you had a future together.”

He
raised his eyebrows. “You’re talking about Celeste Pigeon? I dated her in high school.”

She
shot him an amused glance. “She seems to think you’re dating now.”

Breck sent her an amused
look of his own. “When I came back to Langston after I passed the bar, her divorce was the first one I handled. Brad Turner had left her before I returned and was living in a house trailer with a waitress over in Sandy Creek. I had nothing to do with her divorce other than filing the paperwork.”

Cami mentally chided herself for receiving this news with such pleasure. “
I wonder how the poor, deluded woman got the idea you were dating.” She struggled to keep a straight face.

“Cami, she was just yanking your chain. I haven’t taken her out since the Senior
Prom.” He came around the bar to pause beside her. “But, I’m liking this jealous streak of yours. I was beginning to think I was the only one who could be eaten up with the green-eyed monster.” He leaned over and kissed her temple.

She
grinned up at him. “I’m not jealous.”

“Right. You just keep telling yourself that.”

Breck served her a perfectly broiled steak with all the trimmings. They ate in the living room in front of the fireplace.

“This is really nice, Breck. I was too tired to manage anything like this.” She smiled as he took her hand and raised it to his lips.

“I’ll take care of you, Cami. I can make your life better.”

“Whoa!” she protested. “I just signed on for dinner.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you get your rest tonight.”

“I’m just barely out of one relationship,
thanks to you,” she said. “I’m not ready to jump into anything complicated.”

Breck kissed her hand again and gave her a quirky grin. “Who says I’m after anything complicated? I’m only interested in a lifetime of love and happiness. That’s not complicated.”

She drew her hand away. “Clay and Celeste think you’re only interested in me because of the ranch.”

He
put down his eating utensils and gazed at her with a somber expression. “If I wanted the ranch I could have encouraged you to go back to Houston. The ranch would become mine automatically under the terms of Silky’s will. I don’t want you to be miserable, but this ranch has a lot of value and it’s not all monetary. God’s not making any more prime Texas ranch land.”

Under Breck’s scrutiny, a
warm flush swept through her. She busied herself in cutting a bite of steak and chewing it thoroughly. “This is really tasty.”

“Glad you approve.” His lips curved with the hint of a smile.

She acknowledged the tingle that spiraled through her when he gazed at her. “This place is sort of growing on me. I got to see a spectacular sunset tonight.”

“I’d like to show you a
n amazing sunset. We’ll have to go on horseback but it will be worth the trip.”

Cami yawned
and then giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m really tired and two glasses of wine puts me in a coma. Don’t take it personally.”

“I know you’re tired. Finish up and I’ll let you go to
bed.”

The
meal came to a close in companionable silence. The wine was delicious and when he refilled her glass, she protested. “No more. I’m falling asleep in my seat now.”

“At least you’ll sleep well tonight.”

She set her glass on the coffee table and put the last bite of steak in her mouth. “This was so much better than frozen pizza. Thank you for this treat, Breck.”

“No problem
.” He gave her a look that scorched. “You have no idea how I’d spoil you if you’d let me.” He took her plate and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen. She heard the clink of glassware and china but no more as she slipped into a lovely wine-assisted sleep on the Queen Anne brocade sofa.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Breck
returned from the kitchen to stand beside Cami. He smiled at the image she presented curled up with her cheek resting on her hands. A soft glow from the fireplace touched her features, warming her face and casting glints of flame in her honey-colored hair.

He
considered arranging the knitted throw over her and tiptoeing away, but he couldn’t seem to move his feet.

He glanced at Shadow, sprawled nearby. “I can’t
leave her. She’s got my heart wrapped around her little finger.” He climbed the stairs and opened the door to the newly painted pink room. He smiled when he looked around at the changes she’d made. An old-fashioned pink and white quilt looked all girly and sweet, like Cami. He switched on the small bedside lamp and folded back the covers before returning downstairs.

He lifted
Cami in his arms, held her for a moment as he gazed at her features. She settled her head against his shoulder. His chest filled with a rush of emotions new to him. He wanted to keep her and protect her. He wanted to believe that she would see things his way soon.

Carrying her to her room, he placed her carefully in the center of her bed.
He unlaced her boots and gently removed them. He drew a deep breath and exhaled, not sure of his next move.

The jeans
. He would just remove them so she could sleep more comfortably. He popped the snap loose and unzipped her zipper, then stepped back, gazing at the triangle of pink lace visible within the void of the open zipper.

Breck swallowed and took another deep breath. “I can do this,” he whispered aloud. He knelt on the bed and carefully slipped off her jeans
, frowning as he stared at the pink lace panties that were even more tantalizing than he’d imagined.

He
pulled off her shirt to find, not a bra but a thermal knit sleeveless undershirt beneath it.

Cami lay sprawled on the bed, her face
the picture of peace while a war raged within him.

“I
shouldn’t stay here with you,” he moaned. “But I can’t go either.”

He removed his boots and jeans, letting them
fall beside the bed. It only took a second to rip open the snaps on his western-style flannel shirt and drop it atop the pile.

He climbed onto the bed beside Cami and gathered her in his arms.
Just for a minute. I’ll just hold you for a minute and then I’ll leave.

Cami stirred and opened her eyes. A little smile graced her lips as she closed he
r eyes again and snuggled against him.

Breck experienced a rush of
passion as her soft female parts crushed against him, her breasts against his chest, her thigh across his genitals. He concentrated on breathing in and out and not biting her remaining clothing off. His fingers traced the line of her panties across her hip, appreciating her firm rounded butt.

He
brushed a kiss against her forehead and pulled the quilt over them both. If she was going to kill him, let it be tomorrow. For tonight, he’d try to get some sleep and try not to molest the woman he loved.

#

The first rays of sunshine slanted in through Cami’s undraped bedroom windows. She cautiously opened her eyes. She was sprawled, face down, on top of Breckenridge T. Ryan, and they were almost naked. She closed her eyes tight again.

What happened last night? What did I do?
She carefully reviewed what she could recall of their activities on the previous evening. She remembered the meal and conversation and she remembered the wine. She remembered Breck pouring wine into her glass.

A flare of indignation ignited inside her.
He got me drunk and he took advantage of me.

She
opened her eyes to stare at Breck’s sleeping countenance. He looked pleased with himself, a little smile on his lips. He held her firmly with one arm wrapped around her and the other resting lightly on her thigh.

She
was acutely aware of Breck’s muscle upholstered body. He held her as though she was something precious to him. Whatever they did last night, she was sorry she missed it. She pressed her lips to his chest. He stirred a little, moving his hand from her thigh to caress her hip. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant to her.

Breck opened his eyes. “Are you playing possum?”

“Are you?”

He flashed a grin at her. “Maybe. I didn’t want you to move.”

She raised her head, fixing him with a questioning glare. “What did you do to me?”

He
swept her with a scorching gaze. “I didn’t do what I wanted to do.” He rolled her onto her back and himself on top of her. “I didn’t do this.” He raised her knit top and kissed her stomach as his fingers softly stroked her breast. “And I didn’t do this.” His tongue drew circles around her nipples, teasing them to tautness.

Cami
felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She struggled to speak, but her only focus was on the places Breck was touching her, licking her, sucking on her skin.

He pulled off her knit undersh
irt and tossed it on the floor.

“And I didn’t do this.” He slipped his hand into the tiny pink panties and s
troked her with his fingertips.

She opened her eyes wide as he made contact with her
most sensitive parts, his fingers probing her wetness. She drew in a breath, melting under his warm gaze.

He leaned down to kiss her and
then slipped off her panties.

She knew that he’d stop if she asked him to
, but his lips were kissing hers and she was more aroused than she could ever recall. With no direction from her brain, her thighs drew apart and he slipped between her legs.

He paused a moment, looking into her eyes. “Oh, Cami,” he breathed against her lips. “Don’t break my heart.”

She giggled and he grinned, settling himself on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his torso and, arching her back, she pressed her nipples into the firm flesh on his chest.

A muscle twitched in his jaw as some unreadable expression crossed his face, some hesitation that she hadn’t anticipated.

She drew away, leaning back on the bed. He seemed to come to a decision and lowered his mouth, devouring her lips in a fierce kiss that muffled her gasp of pleasure as he entered her.