Finding Dr. Right (Contemporary Medical Romance) (7 page)

“But your knee…”

“Catherine.” She was startled by how fast he spun around to face her, by how close he was and by the laughter in his eyes. “Do I need to find a way to keep you quiet?”

The meaning hidden in his words was not lost on her and her jaw snapped shut. His laughter was deep and rich, infectious, and she fought against her own answering smile. Nathan rested a single finger against his lips, motioning for silence, then turned and led her along a barely noticeable path.

Minutes crawled by, broken only by the sound of dried leaves and breaking twigs under their feet, the occasional scurry of a small animal darting just out of their view. And by the tormented taunts of her mind. Catherine questioned, not for the first time, what she was doing with him. Why she had followed him so trustingly. Why her common sense seemed to desert her when he was around. She swallowed a sigh, afraid to make even the smallest noise, and watched the sleek power of his body as he walked, his hand still firmly wrapped around hers.

If she had been smart, if she had possessed any common sense at all, she would have turned and run from her office the first minute she had seen him. She recalled the sense of danger she had felt at that first meeting nearly two months ago.

It seemed impossible that only two months had passed. So much had happened, so much had changed in that short time that Catherine’s mind swam. Matty had become a different boy, laughing more than ever before, adapting to his prosthesis with greater ease than she would have thought. She had changed, so subtly that even she would have trouble describing how. And all of it was because of Nathan. By pure chance he had entered their lives and Catherine wasn’t sure how she felt about it or him.

Or maybe she did, and that was another reason for the anxiety that seemed to grip her at the most unexpected times.

She looked up at Nathan and realized they had stopped; he was watching her with that intense gaze that saw too much. She flinched under his scrutiny and ducked her head, afraid he might see the thoughts swirling through her mind.

“Look around, Catherine.” It was a quiet demand, one she was helpless to ignore. She raised her head, determined not to look at him, and took in their surroundings. A soft exclamation of surprise left her on a hushed breath. He had stopped at the edge of a stream, its clear waters gurgling over smooth rocks polished with years of caressing. Across the stream was a huge fortress of twigs, leaves and a mixture of nature’s castoffs. As she watched, a furry animal lifted his head and fixed them with an impatient glare before diving under the water’s surface, its flat tail kicking up water in indignation.

“A beaver!” The giggle that escaped her was unexpected and she covered her mouth with her hand, surprised the youthful noise had come from her. She looked at Nathan, saw the wide smile that curved his lips and felt her face flame in answer. Electric awareness hung between them, so thick and alive that Catherine swore she could hear the beating of his heart. She swallowed, expecting him to lean forward and kiss her. Disappointment flooded through her when he released her hand and stepped away, breaking the spell.

“I thought you might enjoy seeing it. Not what you would call a fancy date, but…” His voice trailed off as he walked to the edge of the stream. He lowered his lean body onto a flat rock, stretching his left leg in front of him. Catherine’s stomach did a funny lurch at the word
date
but she was determined not to make anything of it.

Nathan patted the rock beside him, motioning for her to sit. She hesitated, questioning the wisdom of getting too close to him, then decided it was already too late to worry about that, at least for now. She sat down, making sure there were a few extra inches between them. “So why did we come here?”

“I just get the feeling that you’ve forgotten how simple life can be. That it’s not all worries and responsibilities.”

She stiffened at his words, even as she told herself the comment hadn’t been intended to hurt. But the pain that sliced through her was real, sharp and accusing, made worse because it was true. She wanted to run, to hide from the painful truth. Nathan must have sensed her intent because he reached out and took hold of her chin, gently urging her to turn and face him.

“Catherine, look at me.” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. “That’s not always a bad thing. As long as you aren’t deliberately trying to run away and hide.”

“Sometimes I think I am.” The admission tumbled from her, stinging like a scab picked from a fresh wound. She sighed and pulled her face from his gentle hold, not wanting to look at him, afraid she would see pity staring back at her from the depths of his golden eyes. “You must think I’m a mess.”

“You don’t want to know what I think right now.”

“That bad, huh?” Catherine hunched her shoulders, wanting to hide her head like a turtle. She spun toward him at the sound of his chuckle, not understanding the reason for his amusement.

“Hardly.” The look he gave her was hot and intense. His meaning was clear and her mouth dropped open in a soundless
O.
She shifted, too aware of him, too wary to trust herself. Her eyes darted around, finally resting on his knee, and she retreated behind the front she was most comfortable with.

“How’s your knee?”

“It’s fine.”

Catherine fixed him with a pointed glare, not believing for a minute that it was fine. She shifted position and leaned closer, resting her hands on either side of his knee. His leg jerked under her touch, the muscles of his thigh tight under the faded jeans. “Does that hurt?”

“No, but —”

“Relax. I’m just going to rub it.” She gently pushed down with her fingers, rocking them back and forth in an effort to ease the obvious soreness. His leg became more tense and she released a sigh of frustration. “You need to relax. Getting tense like that isn’t going to help.”

“Catherine —”

She looked up at the sound of his choked voice and couldn’t understand the reason for his sudden discomfort. “If you don’t relax, it’s just going to get stiff.”

His strangled laughter was immediate, the flash in his eyes too clear and Catherine suddenly realized they were talking about two different things. She pulled her hands from his leg with lightning speed and jammed them in her pockets, her jaw clenched against the keen embarrassment that swamped her.

“Catherine, look at me.”

“Um, I think maybe we should go now.” She pulled her legs under her to stand but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

“Catherine.” His voice was husky, drawing her. Against her will her head turned, just enough to see the fire in his eyes as he leaned closer. She swallowed, afraid of what she saw in his gaze, afraid of her body’s uncontrollable response to the man next to her.

Nathan pivoted on the rock, trapping her between his legs. He freed her hands from her pockets and held them in his, one callused thumb rubbing the pulse that throbbed in her wrist.

“I want to kiss you, Catherine.” He reached up and ran a hand along her jawline, caressing softly, running his thumb along her lower lip. “Will you let me?”

The deep huskiness of his voice wrapped around her like a web, weaving its magic so completely she was helpless to do anything but nod. One corner of his mouth twitched in a quick smile as he leaned closer, closer until his lips barely touched hers, rubbed against them in a soft kiss. A flame of desire and need erupted inside her and she leaned forward, eager for his touch, nearly crying out when his mouth claimed hers.

Catherine pulled her hand from his, placed it against the warmth of his neck and drew him closer. Her fingers tangled in the edges of his hair, feeling the softness of each strand against his neck. The tip of his tongue darted out, swept across her lips in an insistent demand that she open to him, a demand she eagerly met. A soft moan escaped her as Nathan pulled her closer.

A rush of cold air drifted under the edge of her sweater, replaced by a fiery touch as his hand swept across her stomach and up her back, kneading her flesh, pulling her to him as he leaned back, farther still until she was lying across him. She moaned in frustration when he pulled his lips from hers, sighed when the tip of his tongue trailed a hot path along her neck and around her ear. Dizziness washed over her as one sense after another crashed under the onslaught of his touch.

Her hands wandered over his chest and she felt the heat of his body through his shirt, the slight trembling of the hard muscles and the thudding beat of his heart under her palm. She wanted to touch him, feel the warmth of his flesh against hers, see if his body was as magnificently sculpted as it felt. She fumbled with the edge of his shirt, urging it free of his jeans, muttering in frustration when it became snagged. Her hand lowered farther, brushed up against the thick length of his erection and she froze, realizing what she was doing. Realizing how much of her control she had lost.

Nathan murmured her name softly against her ear, reclaimed her lips in a kiss meant to make her forget where they were, who he was. Who she was. Catherine tensed. She was afraid to give up so much of herself yet hesitant to pull away from the feelings and desires that cascaded through her. Feelings and desires that were foreign in their intensity.

Nathan must have sensed her silent battle because he gentled the kiss and slowly, reluctantly, pulled his lips from hers. His arms tightened around her when she would have pulled away. A long finger pushed the hair from her face as his eyes searched hers, seeing too much, saying too much.

“I knew I shouldn’t have waited so long to kiss you.” His hoarse voice was light and teasing, one corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. Her face heated but she didn’t look away, was too mesmerized by the sight of his smile to give in to her embarrassment. Nathan shifted on the rock and eased her head onto his chest, holding her with one arm while his hand made lazy circles on her back. Catherine closed her eyes, wishing for nothing more than the ability to purr.

Minutes may have passed by, or merely seconds, as she lay curled on his chest. She had no way of knowing and wouldn’t have cared except for the damp chill seeping through her leg. She shifted and felt the rough scratch of the rock under her hand, realizing that while she may be comfortable, Nathan had nothing to cushion him. She pushed herself up, suddenly guilty that she had been thinking only of herself.

“You shouldn’t be lying on a cold rock.”

Nathan offered her a lazy smile then slowly sat up and leaned forward to steal a quick kiss. “I was comfortable.”

Catherine gave him a look that plainly said she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t say anything. Nathan took her hand and helped her to her feet, and she didn’t protest when he kept it in his firm grip.

“Do you have plans for tomorrow night?”

Catherine closed her eyes and mentally pictured her calendar. A Friday night…no, she had absolutely no plans at all. Just like every night. But the question was whether or not she wanted Nathan to know that. She opened her eyes and saw him watching her, and knew that for better or worse, she wanted to spend more time with him. “No, no plans.”

“Will you have dinner with me? I promise it won’t be as primitive as today.”

“Okay.” She nodded her head in agreement and offered him a small smile. Part of her wanted to say that she enjoyed coming to this primitive place with him, but she wasn’t ready to be that bold. It had been a big enough struggle to agree to dinner.

So she nodded again and let him lead her back through the woods, her mind already thinking ahead to the next night and wondering if she was ready, knowing she wasn’t and worrying about how she would handle it.

C
atherine placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the damage in her room. It looked as if her entire wardrobe had been hurled from her closet in a fit of desperation, which wasn’t far from the truth. Mismatched clothes were strewn across the bed and over the polished hardwood floors, covering the glossy planks in every shade of the color spectrum. She blew a strand of hair out of her eye and faced the full-length mirror with a grimace. The disaster in the reflection was nearly as bad as the disaster surrounding her.

For two hours she had gone through her closet, trying on outfit after outfit, discarding all of them. Too professional. Too matronly. Too outdated. Just plain wrong. Even the simple black dress she now wore didn’t look right. Too plain, too simple. She turned a bit in the mirror and frowned at the way the material clung to her. Probably too tight. Any other time the dress would have been more than suitable, but not tonight. Tonight she had been hoping for something a little more daring, something that would make her stand out without people pointing.

There was only one thing to do. She had to cancel the date. A flutter coiled in her stomach but she ignored it. She just wouldn’t be able to go, and that was that.

Catherine was twisting herself around in an awkward attempt to undo the back zipper when there was a knock on her bedroom door. She glanced at her watch in panic then let out a breath of relief when she realized it was too early for Nathan to be there yet. The relief grew when Matty poked his head into her room.

“Hey, Mom, Uncle Bri is here. Wow! You look pretty cool.”

Catherine smiled as he opened the door the rest of the way, her heart melting at how beautiful he made her feel. She wished it was just as easy to impress his adult counterparts.

“Thanks, Matty, but this isn’t going to work. I think I should call Nathan and reschedule.”

“What’s this about rescheduling?” Brian’s voice came from the hallway. “Are you going to chicken — whoa, Catherine!” He let loose an appreciative whistle and her face heated instantly. She ignored both her blush and his compliment.

“This isn’t going to work,” she repeated. If she was forced to admit the truth, though, she would have to say the dress was fine. She was the one who was a mess. “I can’t do this.”

“Sure you can,” Brian said, coming up behind her and smiling.

“You look fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You’re my friend, Brian. You’re supposed to say that.”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Catherine met his eyes in the mirror then sighed. He was right. As usual. She just had a bad case of nerves, plain and simple. She frowned at herself and turned a little to each side, trying to see herself as others did. As Nathan did.

A little taller than average. Not too thin, not too curvy. Plain blond hair and plain brown eyes. There was absolutely nothing to make her stand out in a crowd, so why on earth would Nathan even be interested? It was a mercy date. It had to be.

“Oh, God, I can’t do this.” Catherine turned away and headed for the closet, intent on changing into more relaxing clothes and calling the whole thing off. She hadn’t been out on a date in several years; she could certainly wait a few more.

“Catherine, you can. You can and you will.” Brian led her to the middle of the room. “What else were you going to wear?”

“What else? Nothing. This was it!” Another wave of panic swept over her when Brian stood back and eyed her critically. He motioned for Matty to come closer and leaned down to whisper something in his ear. The two exchanged glances then laughed. Catherine took a step back, not liking their conspiracy one bit.

“What shoes were you going to wear?”

“Shoes?”

“Yes, shoes. Or were you planning on going barefoot?”

“No. I, uh…” Catherine shrugged and pointed to a pair of low-heeled black pumps. “Those.”

Brian and Matty exchanged glances again, both of them shaking their heads. Brian walked to her closet and began rummaging around the bottom while Matty reached for her jewelry box. Catherine watched them, hands on her hips as annoyance began to replace anxiety. “What do you two think you’re doing?”

“We’re helping, Mom. Here.” Matty wheeled over to her and held up a handful of jewelry. She looked down at his offering in confusion, wondering what was wrong with the pearl necklace she had on. She shook her head, ready to tell him no, but shrugged at the last minute and took the jewelry from his hand. What difference would it really make, anyway?

She unclasped the strand of pearls and replaced it with the long gold chain. The diamond heart pendant hung low in the scooped neckline of the dress, creating a softer look. She put on the simple hoop earrings and raised her eyebrows in Matty’s direction, smiling at his look of approval.

“That’s a lot better, Mom. You don’t look so old anymore.”

“I beg your pardon? Young man, what kind of thing —”

“I was just kidding!” Catherine let out a sigh, secretly glad for Matty’s mischievousness. It took some of the edge off her worry. Until she saw the shoes Brian held out for her.

“Absolutely not!”

“Come on, Catherine. These are the perfect finishing touch.” He held the shoes out for her and she backed away.

“I’ll break my neck!” She eyed the four-inch heels with distaste.

“Oh, you will not. Here, try them on.” He pushed her until she was sitting on the bed and forced the shoes into her hands. She frowned at them, recalling the feeling of wicked impulse that had seized her when she bought them several months earlier. She was able to walk on them, that she knew. But they were so unlike anything else she usually wore, she doubted if she would feel comfortable in them. Sleek black, with four-inch stiletto heels, the only way to describe them was
sinfully wicked.

Why not? A tiny voice surfaced at the back of her mind, growing louder, daring her. Her brow furrowed as she continued to stare at the shoes, turning them over in her hands. Why not? This was supposed to be a date, a night of fun. Why shouldn’t she be different? Why shouldn’t she try something new?

The thought stayed with her, encouraging her, cheering her as she put on first one shoe then the other and stood up. Her ankles wobbled at the unaccustomed height then steadied, deciding at the last minute to support her weight. She said a silent prayer of thanks when she was able to walk across the room without falling. To show off, she did a little pivot.

“Much better.”

“Yeah, Mom. Nathan’s going to drool for sure.”

Catherine stared at her son, slack-jawed with shock, but was stopped from saying anything when Brian tugged on his arm, not bothering to hide his smile. “Come on, Matty. Let’s go out into the living room while your mom composes herself.”

She watched the two of them leave before turning back to the mirror. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be composed, but a few last-minute touches and she would be ready.

She hoped.

Nathan stared at the tidy rancher from the driver’s seat of his car, telling himself that sitting there wasn’t going to get the date started any sooner. He took a deep breath and glanced in the rearview mirror, running a hand through his hair before opening the door. He almost closed it when he remembered the flowers on the front seat, then hesitated, wondering if he should give them to her or just throw them away. The idea was so old-fashioned that he felt silly about it.

He muttered to himself and leaned in to grab the bouquet, grudgingly admitting that he had enjoyed buying them for Catherine. He thought she would appreciate the gesture. And hoped they would bring a smile to her face.
That
was the thought that had been with him when he picked them out.

It was that same thought that worried him as he rang the doorbell. Worried. Worried about the way his mind kept drifting to Catherine and what little time they had spent together. About why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the time he wanted to spend with her in the future.

And about the way his palms were slick with sweat as he waited on the porch. He blew a breath between clenched teeth and ran his hand down his pants leg just as the door opened. The breath hitched in his throat and the sweat he had just wiped off instantly reappeared when he saw Catherine. He stood there awkwardly, unable to stop the idiotic grin on his face.

Her thick hair was pulled back into an exotic knot. A few wisps hung in loose curls around her ears, drawing his attention to the smooth column of her neck. His eyes drifted lower to the scoop neckline of her dress and rested on the pendant that hung just above the cleavage that peaked out, daring, teasing him. He swallowed and pulled his eyes away from that soft flesh, let them drift lower, taking in the way the black material clung to her, accenting her curves and tiny waist until it stopped above her knees. Nathan suddenly realized that he had never seen her legs before and he silently cursed Catherine for her conservatism. She had beautiful legs, long and well-defined, the sleek muscles set off by the amazing high heels she wore.

He felt an instant tightening in his groin and shifted. The sight of those legs, the sight of Catherine, should
not
affect him that way. He cleared his throat and drew his eyes up to meet hers. The grin on his face grew wider.

“You’re beautiful.” He cursed the huskiness in his voice and tried to cover it by thrusting the flowers at her. She took the bouquet with a trembling hand, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Th-thank you.” The simple words held so much uncertainty that Nathan nearly laughed, enjoying the honesty of her reactions. Catherine was so unaffected, so real, so refreshing a change from what he was used to, that he had trouble concealing his enjoyment at her every word and move.

The urge to kiss her at that moment was so overwhelming that he didn’t bother to fight it, just took her hand in his and pulled her closer until his lips claimed hers. The heat between them was instant and consuming. Nathan swallowed a groan of disappointment when she pulled away. He looked at her in confusion then noticed that they had an audience.

“Hey, Nathan!” The excitement in Matty’s voice and the smile on his face said there was no doubting the kid had witnessed the lip-lock he just gave Catherine. He straightened, suddenly embarrassed, and waved halfheartedly at Matty. He swallowed back another groan when he saw Brian Porter turn the corner of the hallway and stop behind Catherine.

“Doc.” Nathan nodded his head in greeting, surprised to see his doctor at his date’s house but knowing he shouldn’t be. They were partners. They were obviously close friends, to the point that Matty referred to him as “Uncle Brian.” So why the sudden flash of jealousy? Nathan pushed the unwelcome emotion to the back of his mind, refusing to acknowledge it.

“I, um, I’ll put these in some water,” Catherine said to no one in particular, blushing as she walked down the hallway. Nathan stood there, awkward, feeling like he was under close scrutiny. He nodded again, knew he looked like an idiot, and suddenly noticed that both Matty and Dr. Porter were staring at him with equally idiotic expressions on their own faces.

“So what do you think?” This came from Matthew. Nathan opened his mouth to respond then shut it again, realizing he had no idea what the kid was talking about.

“Think about what?”

“Catherine. She was a little nervous about tonight,” Dr. Porter explained. Nathan shifted his weight from one foot to the other, secretly glad he wasn’t the only one who had been — still was — nervous. “She wasn’t sure if she looked all right.”

Nathan wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he kept quiet. Catherine was beautiful, looked perfect, but he didn’t think admitting that would be a healthy move. They looked like a pair with something up their sleeves.

“I’m spending the night at Uncle Brian’s tonight.”

“Matthew!”

“Excuse me?”

Nathan and Dr. Porter both stared at Matty, then looked at each other with mixed expressions, sizing each other up.

“I think Matty means that there’s no reason for you to hurry through your date since there won’t be a babysitter waiting here. But you will be home early in the morning, isn’t that right, Matthew?”

“But, Uncle Bri, you said we were —”

“Matthew…” The warning in the doctor’s voice was clear, even if it did go over Matty’s head. He caught Dr. Porter’s eye and nodded, letting him know that he heard the message and understood. He wasn’t happy knowing that his every move would be monitored, but that wasn’t a problem he wanted to deal with at the moment. He wasn’t even sure if it
was
a problem at all.

Silence descended as they continued to watch each other, Nathan obviously the most uncomfortable. He shifted his weight again and was about to make a feeble attempt at small talk when Catherine finally reappeared in the hallway. She looked at Nathan, a nervous smile on her face.

“I guess we can leave now.”

“Sure.” Nathan inwardly grimaced at how stupid he sounded. He watched as Catherine bent down to kiss Matty goodbye and offer a few last-minute instructions and motherly warnings. She turned and gave more last-minute advice to Brian, who waved her off with a small laugh.

“Catherine, don’t worry. We’ll be fine. Now go.” Brian ushered them to the door then leaned over and gave Catherine a friendly peck on the cheek. Another irrational flash of jealousy shot through Nathan at the innocent gesture. He bit back the unwelcome sensation, not liking the feeling.

That didn’t stop him from reaching out and taking Catherine’s hand in his, as much a show of possession as a desire to just touch her, be near her. Warmth tingled the ends of his fingers when her hand clasped his in return. He cursed silently when they reached the car and he had to release his hold on her to open the passenger door.

His eyes lingered on her as she looked up and smiled at him. They drifted down to her legs as she lowered herself in the passenger seat and modestly tucked the hem of her dress securely around her thighs, allowing him just the briefest glance of soft flesh encased in sheer black silk. He swallowed against the instant tightening in his groin and shut her door, wondering how he was ever going to make it through the night.