Wild One (Summer Rush #5)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “The guys started feeding me all this bullshit about how doctors only go for other doctors, so in a drunken stupor, I go over to Marika’s and start asking whether she’s ever been with another doctor. When she told me she had, I kind of lost it.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  “I must be or I wouldn’t be calling you for advice.” Dec sighed. “But it gets worse. I was acting all paranoid and insecure, you know, about how smart she is and—”

  “You really want this woman you’re obviously into to think she’s too good for you?”

  “No, but—”

  “Then why would you even plant that seed? Now you’ve probably got her thinking about it and she’ll realize she should be someone more like… her.”

  “But I don’t want her to be with anyone else, goddammit! That’s my problem. So what do I do to fix this?”

  “Go to her. Apologize.”

  “You think I haven’t thought of that?” He’d thought of every possible way to say he was sorry, but he kept coming up short. “I feel like I keep screwing up with her. I had a long way to go to get her to even think about giving me another chance.”

  “I’m not surprised. You told me what you said to her when you found out she was pregnant.”

  “But she was willing to forgive me for that. At least she said she was.” And he believed her. Things felt so good, so right between them. She couldn’t have faked that. “And then I had to go and screw everything up by making her feel like shit just ‘cause I don’t measure up to her ex-boyfriends.”

  Loran laughed. “You realize most dudes would be worried about measuring up to someone like you, right? Not the other way around.”

  “Yeah, but those guys didn’t need tutoring in math and science just so they wouldn’t lose their baseball scholarships.”

  Dec had always been a little sensitive about that, but when he was surrounded by other jocks and jock-chasers, it didn’t seem to matter. Only someone as well-educated as Marika brought out his lack of confidence about his intelligence. He knew he wasn’t a dumb guy. He just wasn’t well-read or cultured or… shit, what business did he have being with a woman like Marika, who had all the literary classics lining the bookshelves in her small apartment, alongside her medical journals and non-fiction books about important issues like climate change and conservation?

  “I’ve never heard you talk like this before, man. Maybe if this woman makes you feel like that, you’re better off without her.”

  “I’m not!” He grabbed his head when it screamed in protest. He needed a pain reliever and a bottle or two of water, in that order. Followed by caffeine. “That’s the thing—I don’t want to be without her. I just wanna be good enough for her.” Before Loran could interject, he added, “It’s not just that doctor, intern, whatever that she slept with. She works with doctors all day long. She’s surrounded by them. And she’s really beautiful. You think with me living so far away they won’t be hitting on her all the time?”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a problem, my friend.”

  “Why did I call you again?” he asked, holding the phone away from his ear. Sometimes his so-called friends really sucked. “I’m too close to the problem. I need someone impartial to tell me what the hell to do to fix this shit.”

  “I’m not sure you can.”

  Dec growled. “Not what I want to hear.”

  “Sorry, I’m just being straight with you, buddy. You’re not likely to change how you feel, and she’s not gonna wake up tomorrow and decide she doesn’t wanna be a doctor anymore just ‘cause it makes you feel inferior.”

  “I didn’t say it makes me feel inferior.”

  “Not in so many words, but that’s what you were getting at.”

  “What does Bella do again?”

  “She’s an architect. Talented as hell. She travels all over the world to work on commissions.” Loran didn’t sound as though he had a problem with Bella’s career. She was obviously intelligent, well-educated, successful, and she worked in a male-dominated industry, but that didn’t stop his friend from wanting to explore a relationship with her.

  “Huh. So you think I’m crazy for even making an issue of this with Marika?” Dec asked.

  “I can’t tell you how to feel. We all have some self-doubt. Everyone has something they don’t feel great about. I’m just not sure why you’d choose a woman who seems to highlight the one thing you’d like to change about yourself, assuming that’s what you’re saying?”

  “I don’t know what I’m saying. I just know I want to make things right with her and I don’t want this to be an ongoing issue in our relationship.”

  “I say you need to talk to her. Get it out there. She’s only human, Madsen. She’s probably got her own issues.” He chuckled. “You are a professional athlete, after all. You don’t think she’s thinking twice about all those groupies you’ve banged?”

  “You know better than anybody they don’t mean anything.”

  “Yeah, speaking of which, I better go get rid of the one taking up space in my bed. I wanna crash.”

  “Why do you keep doing it?” Dec asked. “Going to bed with random women? Does it really help you to forget about Bella?”

  “No, if anything, it makes me miss her more.”

  Dec could feel his pain. He’d used women to try to forget Marika too, and he never wanted to go there again. “That sucks, man.”

  “Yeah, it does. So don’t make the same mistakes I have. Go make things right with your girl.”

  Chapter Nine

  With an armful of roses for her boss, Dec had managed to charm Marika’s receptionist into giving him five minutes with Marika between her appointments, but when he knocked on the door, Marika wasn’t alone. She was with the doctor she’d been dancing with at the fund-raiser, and that put Dec’s newly found confidence to the test.

  “Dec,” Marika said, looking surprised when he stepped inside, “what are you doing here?”

  He set a take-out bag on her desk, along with the roses. “Grabbed you a sandwich from the place across the street, in case you don’t have time to get out and forgot to pack a lunch again.”

  Her wary expression softened into a smile. “That was so sweet. Thank you.”

  He gestured to the expensive crystal vase containing the roses. “To make up for”—he could feel the other doctor’s eyes on him, watching their exchange with interest—“the one I broke last night.”

  She shook her head, looking amused. “That was some cheap decorative thing, Dec. This one has a Waterford stamp on it.”

  “No big deal,” he said, shrugging.

  She surprised him by coming around the desk and planting a kiss on his cheek while slipping her hand in his. “Dec, this is Dr. Martin. Jack, Declan Madsen, my… boyfriend.”

  Relief washed through him. She was going to forgive him, and she’d proven it by acknowledging their relationship in front of a man who was clearly interested in her. A doctor. She was trying to send Dec a message, and he’d received it loud and clear. It’s you I’m interested in, so quit being an ass.

  “Nice to meet you,” Dec said, making the conscious effort to prove to Marika he could be mature and respectful as he offered his hand to her colleague.

  “You too,” Dr. Martin said, eyeing Dec. “You were at the fund-raiser the other night. You’re a baseball player, right?”

  “Not just a baseball player,” Marika said, still holding his left hand. “His team won the championship last year.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Dec knew Marika was letting him know she was proud of him and his accomplishments. She needed and deserved the same from him.

  “Jack’s a pediatrician too, Dec. I contacted him yesterday about filling in for me while we’re visiting your family next weekend.”

  Dec couldn’t hide his surprise when he looked at her. “You still wanna do that?”

  “If you do?”

  He grinned, wearing his relief for her to see. “A
bsolutely. That would be great.”

  “In that case, Jack,” Marika said, smiling politely at her colleague, “we’ll move forward as planned. Thank you.”

  “Least I could do,” he said, slipping his hand into the pocket of his gray dress pants. “You’ve filled in for me a few times. I owe you. I’ve got to say though, I’m a little surprised by this.” He gestured from Dec to Marika. “No offense, Dec, but I don’t see you as being Marika’s type.”

  Refusing to feed his insecurities when he was finally getting back on solid ground with Marika, Dec offered a tight smile in response. “Guess you can’t always tell what someone’s type might be. Sometimes they surprise you.”

  “And I can assure you,” Marika said, interjecting smoothly, “Dec is most definitely my type. Sweet, understanding, patient, fun to be with, good sense of humor, talented…” She winked at him. “And easy on the eyes.”

  Dec smiled, squeezing her hand.

  “Yes, well,” Jack said, rubbing his hands together, “I should get back to work and let you do the same, Marika. Don’t worry about next weekend. Your patients will be in good hands.”

  “I know they will.” She released Dec’s hand to walk her colleague to the door. “Thanks again.” After Jack left, she turned the lock before facing Dec.

  “Hi,” he said, suddenly nervous that she’d just put on a show for the other doctor and hadn’t really forgiven his stupidity.

  “Hi,” she said, walking slowly toward him. She looped her arms around his neck as she stared into his eyes.

  “I’m really sorry about last night, baby.” He pulled her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he inhaled her sweet scent.

  “I get it. I should have been more understanding. You were being real with me, vulnerable, and instead of being grateful that you could be honest with me even when it hurt, I shut you down and kicked you out. That wasn’t right.”

  He hadn’t expected her to accept any responsibility for their argument, but the fact she was willing to only reinforced how amazing she was. “I am proud of you,” he whispered. “So damn proud. It’s just that I’ve never been with anyone like you before and it’s going to take some getting used to.”

  She laughed. “I can assure you I’ve never been with anyone like you before either.”

  “So we’re okay?”

  “We’re okay.” She kissed him. “I thought about it after you left last night and tried to put myself in your position. It wasn’t that hard actually. Seeing all those pictures of you online with women who are cover-model beautiful—”

  “Only on the outside,” he whispered before brushing his lips against hers. “Shallow, superficial airheads who were only after my money.” Sadly, that summed up just about every woman he’d dated before her.

  “The point is,” she said, her lips twitching, “we all have our insecurities. I wonder if I’m adventurous enough, sexy enough for you. I know most of the girls you’ve been with in the past have probably been up for anything, would do anything to make you happy and well…” Her gaze drifted to his chest. “I’m just not very experienced. It doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be willing to try new things with you, but—”

  “Hey,” he said, tipping her chin with his index finger. “You are, hands down, the sexiest woman I’ve ever been with. To say that you turn me on every time I’m with you is an understatement.”

  “Really?”

  He grabbed her hips, holding her tight against him. “You really have to ask?”

  She laughed, slapping his chest. “You’re so bad.”

  “Have I had a lot of meaningless sex? Yeah, sure. Am I proud of that? Hell, no. I love that sex means something to you, Mar. That way I know when we’re together, you’re not just physically invested, you’re emotionally invested too. Just like I am.”

  “I am,” she said, seeming hesitant. “Emotionally invested. More so than I’ve ever been. This relationship… you mean a lot to me. And when I thought about losing you last night, it made me feel sick.”

  “I felt sick too. Sick that I’d driven you to even consider dumping me. I swore to myself that if I ever got another shot with you, I wouldn’t screw it up again. Yet I almost did because I let my friends get inside my head.”

  “What do your friends have to do with this?” she asked, stepping out of his arms.

  “They were just saying some shit last night,” he said, watching her take a seat behind her desk. “Reinforced my belief that you were too damn good for me.”

  “Dec, please.” She rolled her eyes. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I think we’re good together. We complement each other.” She gestured to the closed door before reaching into the paper bag he’d brought for her. “Why do you think I have no interest in going out with someone like Jack?”

  “No idea. Why?” he asked, declining when she silently offered him half of her sandwich before biting into it.

  “Because we’re too much alike.” She grabbed the bottled water on her desk and uncapped it. “We like the same books, TV shows, have the same job. You know how boring that would get after a while?”

  He smirked. “Are you saying you’re not bored with me?”

  Her eyes trailed over his body as she bit her lip. “Never. You take me out of my head, and I love that about you. When I’m with you, I can forget everything else—my work, my other obligations—and just be with you.”

  “I’m glad I can offer you a reprieve.”

  “It’s so much more than that. You’ve reminded me there’s more to life than work. I never used to look forward to the end of a work day before because I knew no one was waiting on me at home. I’d go home, crash in front of the TV with a salad, and wake up and do it all over again.”

  “And now you have me monopolizing all your free time.”

  “You bring balance to my life.” She wiped her mouth with the paper napkin the restaurant had provided. “You help me get out of my head, and this office, and force me to live. I mean, really live.” She sighed. “For years, all I wanted was to be a doctor. That was the only thing that mattered to me. Then I watched my best friend fall in love, get married, get pregnant, have a baby…” She shrugged. “And I started wanting those things too.”

  He knew he had to tread carefully. She hadn’t said she wanted those things with him, only that she wanted them. “I know you’re not the type to waste your time in a relationship that doesn’t have a future, so I have to ask… you and me. Where do you see that going?”

  She took a bite of her sandwich as though she needed more time to think about it. “I’ve thought about that. A lot.”

  “And?”

  “I always told myself if I had to, I’d relocate.”

  He couldn’t hide his shock as he gaped at her. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I always assumed it would be because of a job opportunity, but a relationship, the right one, is as important. So if things keep progressing between us and we feel good about where we are by, say, this time next year, I’d consider making a move.”

  “Seriously?” He couldn’t believe he could get that lucky.

  “Yeah.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “You didn’t think I’d just let you go because of a little thing like geography, did you?”

  “But what about your practice? I know how hard you’ve worked to—”

  “Can I let you in on a little secret?” she whispered. “As much as I love my patients and what I do, this isn’t my dream. Once I get my student loans paid off, I want to set up a little practice in a less busy location and maintain regular hours so I’ll have more time to devote to other areas of my life.”

  He couldn’t believe this. He walked around the desk and crouched in front of her. “But moving to the States, would that even be possible?”

  She laughed. “So, there’s something you don’t know about me.”

  That didn’t surprise him. Though he’d probably spent more time getting to know her than any other woman he’d ever been with, they
still hadn’t known each other long. “What is it?”

  “I have dual citizenship. I was born in Virginia.”

  “Shut. Up.”

  She laughed. “It’s true. My father was stationed over there. My mother’s Canadian. We came back here when my grandmother got sick about thirteen years ago. My father had already retired, so there was no reason to go back. I was in school here, I liked it, and…” She shrugged. “We all just stayed.”

  “I don’t believe this.” He dropped his head into his hands as she stroked his hair, giggling.

  “Nice to know I can still surprise you.”

  “Shocked would be more like it. But can you practice medicine over there?” He knew that would be a deal-breaker for her. She may be able to live in the States, but if she couldn’t practice medicine, it wouldn’t be an option.

  “Believe it or not, Canada is the only country the US accepts physicians from directly. I made sure of that before I got my degree here, in case I ever wanted to go back home.”

  “Home,” he repeated, still clearly stunned. “I can’t believe Virginia is your home. What are the odds?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought her swivel chair closer. “Maybe it’s fate?”

  “No doubt about it,” he whispered before kissing her. “You were meant to be mine, doc.”

  ***

  Dec could tell Marika was nervous about meeting his family, but she had no reason to be. They’d love her.

  He and Marika had spent every night together since he arrived in town, except for the one where he’d started that asinine argument. He felt he knew her better than any other woman he’d dated, and the more he knew, the more he wanted to know.

  There was just one little problem. He still hadn’t worked up the courage to tell her about the student loan. He wanted to, but every time he tried, he imagined her losing it and he backed off. He’d have to tell her soon. She’d probably get a statement in the mail any day now, reflecting her zero balance, and if he waited until then to tell her, he feared it may be too late.

  She squeezed his hand as she leaned over the armrest. “What’re you thinking about, handsome?”