by Leann Harris
She looked up at him, her eyes dark with hunger, and held out her hand to him. “Derek, I need you.”
Her skin was smooth, like the finest satin. As he covered her body with his, the heat from their bodies mingled. It was like being plunged into a pool of fire.
Her hands roved over his back and her legs moved restlessly under him.
With a wildness that had never gripped him before, Derek’s mouth mated with hers. She met his masculine fierceness with an equally strong feminine one. His mouth moved down her neck, kissing and nipping, to the sweet mounds that tempted him.
As his mouth settled over her breast, Alex moaned and speared her fingers through his hair, holding him close.
The intensity of her reaction rocked him. He felt the need of her heart as if it was his own.
Her head moved back and forth on the pillow. “Derek?”
He looked up from her breast. “Yes?”
“Now,” she gasped.
After testing to make sure she was ready, he moved up her body. Slowly he entered her. It was sweet and powerful and shook him to his core.
He paused, trying to maintain his fragile control on his passion.
He heard her soft pants. Her hands cupped his face and brought it to hers. As their lips dueled, his body began to move within hers. Her fingers found his and interlaced. As the tension in her body rose, her fingers tensed around his until she reached the shattering peak of fulfillment.
Wrenching her mouth from his, she gasped with pleasure. It was enough to push him over the edge to join her in the small piece of heaven that held only the two of them. He rested his forehead on hers, trying to catch his breath.
Alexandra’s mind reeled with the magnitude of what had just happened. She had awakened from a disturbing dream that she couldn’t remember, and had lain awake thinking about the situation in Saddle. Then the doubts about her skill and ability as a doctor had begun to batter her. She had gone to the kitchen, hoping some hot milk would ease the panic.
And into that darkness Derek had come. Challenging her doubts and giving her passion for her pain. Joy for grief.
“What are you thinking?”
Alex’s eyes met his. He’d been studying her and had probably seen every thought she’d had.
She slipped her arms around his neck. “You.”
“Yeah, what about me?”
“That you’re incredible.”
He started to roll off her, but she said, “Don’t leave me.”
“I must be crushing you.”
“No. It’s welcome.”
He rested his weight on his elbows. “Now, what was it about me that you think is incredible?”
“Your technique.”
“C’mon, Doc, let’s get more specific.”
“Are you fishing for a compliment?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this. A little stroking wouldn’t hurt.”
The inner muscles of her woman’s core contracted. His eyes widened then darkened. “Is that the kind of stroking you were talking about?”
He nipped her neck and she felt him harden inside her.
“Oh.”
“You started this,” he growled against her ear. “Can you finish it?”
“Just watch me.” Then she proceeded to show him.
* * *
Much later, as she lay cradled within the warmth of his arms, Alex felt a small blossom of hope come to life in her heart. A long time ago she had given up the dream of love and forever-after happiness. Now, after sharing this extraordinary loving with Derek, that hope was resurrected.
And she didn’t know whether to rejoice or cry. If she grasped that tender bloom and it died, there would be nothing left of her heart. But if it grew and survived, what then?
“Your mind is running at full speed again, sweetheart.”
She turned her head toward his. “What makes you say that?”
His forefinger lightly traced over the area between her eyebrows. “I’ve noticed that when you’re thinking or worried, the skin here wrinkles. It’s cute, but a dead giveaway.”
She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been called cute. “I’m still in awe of what happened here.”
As his hand stroked over her face and down her neck, a large, satisfied grin pulled at his lips.
“Don’t let this go to your head,” she admonished him.
“Too late. You’ve done wonders for my ego.”
Alex remembered his earlier comment about how long it had been since he’d made love to a woman. She couldn’t help being curious. “You mentioned that it’s been a while since...”
One brow arched as he waited for her to complete her thought. “Yes?” Mischief lurked in his eyes.
Suddenly her courage deserted her. “Nothing.”
“Are you wondering how long it’s been since I made love to a woman?”
She was mortified by her nosiness. “It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.”
He lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. “The last woman I made love to was my ex-wife.” His expression turned grim as he recalled that final encounter. “It wasn’t so much lovemaking as it was a way to release anger. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I never touched her again.” He looked down at her. “That was a lifetime ago.”
Alex heard in her mind his vehemence against ever marrying again, and her heart wanted some reassurance from him that his opinion, his feelings, had changed.
“What about you, Alexandra? How long has it been for you?”
She didn’t want to own up to how long it had been, but since she’d started this, she couldn’t very well back out now. “My husband was the last man I was intimate with.” She didn’t mention the doctor she’d dated a couple of years ago. After a few kisses and enduring his groping hands, Alex had ended their relationship.
He chuckled. “We’re quite a swinging pair.”
His comment made Alex realize they hadn’t used any sort of protection. She moaned. “We’re so swinging that we didn’t use any protection.”
“We didn’t exactly plan this.”
He was right. He hadn’t set out to seduce her.
A cough carried on the night air, reminding them that Sarah was in the house.
Alexandra scrambled off the bed, picked up her nightgown and slipped into it. “I need to get back to my room.” She shoved her arms into the sleeves of her robe and knotted the belt.
He stood and grasped her head in his hands. “Something special happened here, tonight, Doc.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to let it go.”
“I can’t spend the night in your room,” she argued.
“I know that. But before you leave me, I want you to know that whatever this is between us, I want to hold on to it for as long as you’re here.”
The hope in her heart died. He said nothing of her staying here and loving him the rest of their lives. He was only speaking of their sharing their bodies while she was here in Saddle.
“‘Night,” she mumbled, and raced from the room. Once safely behind the closed door of her bedroom, she felt the crushing weight of despair roll over her and she sank to the floor. This time she couldn’t cry. There were no tears left. Only an aching hole.
* * *
Derek stumbled back to the bed and sat down. He held his head in his hands and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head so he could think. He’d just experienced the most powerful loving of his life, and he wanted to wrap his arms around Alexandra and tell her he loved her. He wanted to protect her, comfort her, be there for her in the dark hours of the night.
But somehow, something had gone wrong. When he’d tried to tell her he wanted to continue their relationship, hoping that she would give him a sign that she’d be willing to stay out here in this part of Texas, she had backed away from him.
How could she turn away from what they’d shared? And yet, he knew the other forces that pulled at her. Her past with her father
, the ugly memories of this past year, and her ambivalent feelings toward her medical practice. Could he ask her to ignore all those issues and stay here in Saddle with him?
If she could come to grips with her past, would she consider staying with him and Sarah?
Was he ready to risk his heart without any guarantees that his love would be returned?
He wrestled with the questions the rest of the night, but he found no answers.
Chapter 11
At eight-thirty the next morning Derek and Alex drove to the clinic and discovered a crowd gathered at the front door, proving Derek’s prediction of last night. He dropped off Alexandra, then continued to his office.
As soon as he opened the door, the phone rang. Derek snatched the receiver from its cradle. “Hello.”
“How’s it going, Derek?” Sheriff Wesley Clayton asked. “DEA turn up any new leads?”
Derek took off his brown cowboy hat and laid it on the desk. “I haven’t checked with them this morning. Did you run the license plate on that Chevy we found the other day?”
“The plates were stolen off a car in El Paso. We don’t know who owned the Chevy.”
“Terrific,” Derek grumbled. “Have you heard of anyone in the market for steroids? Maybe we can track it from that direction.”
“No. I talked with the coaches at the university and the high school. If anyone is using, it’s an isolated case. Nothing widespread. But maybe our smugglers are aiming for a larger city with more gyms and people wanting to bulk up.”
Derek sighed. His eyes burned from lack of sleep. Breakfast had been a tense affair, with neither him nor Alex knowing what to say. Thankfully Sarah had filled in the awkward silences.
“Derek, you okay?” Wes asked.
The question snapped Derek back to the present. “Remember I told you that the postmistress was being tested for TB?”
“Yes.”
“Well, she’s got it. The entire town and probably all the surrounding ranches are going to have to be tested.”
“Who’s going to do that?”
“Dr. Courtland offered to stay.”
“Oh? What happened? What convinced her to stay? Was it your handsome mug?”
Derek wanted to laugh at the ridiculous question, but he couldn’t manage it. “A lot of people talked her into it. I’ll call out to the ranch and if there’s any new information from the DEA guys, I’ll let you know.”
The next two and a half hours were filled with half a dozen calls from worried citizens. As Derek finished his conversation with the DEA agents, Billy Mayer strolled into his office.
“The doc’s car is fixed,” he announced, sliding into the chair in front of the desk. “The water pump arrived this morning on the bus. I just finished putting it in.”
“I’m sure Alexandra will be thrilled to know she can leave anytime she wants.”
Billy sat up straighter. “Alexandra?”
Derek glared at his friend.
“You think she’s going to split?”
“You’re behind on your gossip, Billy. The doctor is going to stay for a couple of months until we can get someone to manage all the TB cases.”
Billy grinned. “Hey, I didn’t do such a bad job, did I?”
His friend’s meddling had turned Derek’s world upside down and inside out. He didn’t know whether to smash his fist into Billy’s face or congratulate him for bringing Alexandra into their lives. He did neither. Instead, he grabbed his hat and stalked out of his office.
“Where you going?” Billy called out.
“To see the doc and tell her her car is ready. She’ll get a real charge out of that.”
* * *
Alex glanced at the clock for the hundredth time that morning. Eleven. The PPD tests had not arrived and the waiting room was filled with people. The citizens of Saddle had been patient, cooperative and not a word of complaint had passed anyone’s lips.
She picked up the phone and called Alpine. Dr. Shelly wasn’t in his office and no one knew anything about the PPD tests.
Alex walked out of the office and down to the waiting room. All talk ceased and everyone turned to her. “I tried to contact Dr. Shelly in Alpine. He wasn’t in and I couldn’t get any information on the status of the PPD tests. Until I can find a supply of these tests, there’s no need for you all to wait here. Please call me late this afternoon. I’ll let you know what’s going on.”
As the people filed out, Derek appeared in the doorway. The sight of him made her heart beat faster, and beautiful memories of the night before flooded her brain. He took off his Stetson and ran his fingers through his hair. She knew how silky those strands were. She took a deep, calming breath.
“What’s going on?” he asked after the last person departed.
His question was a welcome diversion because it gave her something to talk about besides what had occurred between them. Eventually they would have to discuss their relationship, but for the moment she had a reprieve. Quickly she explained to him about the missing tests.
“What are you going to do?”
Alex’s mind raced. There was more than one way to skin a cat. And she wasn’t going to be at the mercy of Dr. Shelly anymore. “I’m going to call Houston.” She turned and raced back to the office.
“Why Houston?” he asked, trailing behind her.
She punched in the number for Ben Taub Hospital and asked for Everett Carlin.
“Your boss?”
She opened her mouth to respond but Everett came on the line.
“Alex, I hadn’t expected to hear from you so soon.”
A laugh bubbled out of her mouth. “I’m not calling to ask you to find me a hit man.” But the idea had crossed her mind.
“You had me worried for a minute.”
She smiled. “What I do need from you are PPD tests.”
“I thought you were getting them out of Alpine.”
“Those tests haven’t shown up and I can’t wait. Can you get me a hundred tests and do it today?”
“Alex, you don’t ask for small favors, do you?”
“That’s why I called you. I knew if anyone could pull it off, it was you.”
“You trying to flatter me?”
“Yes.”
Everett laughed. “I’ll try.”
“Call me here at the clinic when you round them up. Then I want you to put those tests on a Southwest Airlines airplane to Midland. I’ll have one of my dad’s pilots standing by to fly them out to me via helicopter. Also, do you have Zeke’s number? I’m going to need INH, ethambutol, pyrazinamide and rifampin. I have a patient who needs medication and I can’t wait around on Dr. Shelly.”
Everett gave her the number and Alex contacted the representative for the drug company. She quickly arranged for the drugs to be shipped with the tests. As she dialed her father’s number, she glanced at Derek. “This is one of the benefits of having a wealthy father.”
Alex breathed a sigh of relief that her father wasn’t in the office. She explained the situation to his secretary and arranged for the flight from Midland to Saddle. “Thanks, Dolores. If you talk to my mom, tell her I’ll come by and see her when I’m finished here.”
“You need to call her, chica. She misses you.”
The old guilt that had plagued her since she left home reared its ugly head. She would have liked to spend more time with her mother, but in order to escape her father’s overprotective influence, she had to limit her visits home. “I will.” When she hung up, she found Derek studying her.
“It looks like you have some of your father’s wheeling-dealing talent.”
A blush stained her cheeks, and she lifted one shoulder in a casual gesture. After spending a lifetime observing her dad, some of it had to rub off. “If you think I’ve got the technique down, you ought to meet my older sister.”
“The one in Dallas?”
Alex nodded.
An uncomfortable silence descended between them. His gaze roamed slowly over her, tracing
the lines of her face, moving down her neck to sweep over her breasts and belly. Heat followed in the wake of his gaze as if he had physically touched her. His eyes darkened and the sparks of awareness that were always there leaped high.
Alex was the first to look away, fearing if she didn’t, she’d rush across the room and throw herself in Derek’s arms and beg him to love her again.
He cleared his throat. “I came by to tell you that Billy has your car fixed.”
Her first impulse was to laugh hysterically. Now that she was emotionally and physically committed to staying here until a replacement could be found, her car was working again. She stumbled backward toward the desk and sank onto the edge. “I guess that means I can drive myself between this clinic and your house.”
He chuckled. “That will put miles on your Mustang.”
The shrill ring of the phone filled the room. Alex answered.
“Alex, this is Everett. I got your tests and Zeke will have your medicine ready in a few minutes. The stuff will be on Southwest flight thirty-four. It will arrive in Midland at four forty-five.”
“You lived up to your reputation, Everett. Thanks.”
“To whom should I submit the bill for the tests?” Everett asked in a deadpan tone. But Alex knew him well enough to know he was teasing. Ev had a heart as big as the state he lived in.
She laughed. “Spoken like the head of a department of a county hospital.”
“If you need anything else, let me know.”
“Oh, I do need something else. You know those pill dispensers that are labeled Sunday through Saturday? Well, I’ll need some of those.”
“Alex, I’m not the local discount store. Tell your people to go out and buy them.”
“Everett, if I’m going to play doctor, nurse and caretaker for these people, I’m going to need some help. Now, if you want to lend me a public health nurse, I’ll be happy to accept.”
“Sometimes, Alex, you’re too smart for my own good. All right, I’ll see what I can do.”
“You’re a prince, Ev.”
He mumbled something that sounded like “shoot.”
“‘Bye.” Alex couldn’t suppress a self-satisfied grin as she turned to face Derek. “Everett got the tests. I knew he could do it. He’s affectionately known as the miracle worker. If you need something at the hospital, Ev knows what strings to pull.”