by Carrie Elks
Meghan.
He swallowed hard. Could that work? Would she even be up for it? He pulled on some shorts and a pair of jeans, his brows furrowed as he tried to think it through.
Maybe he could offer her something in return for her help. Make it a mutually beneficial arrangement. She would come with him to the gallery and pretend to be his date, and he’d repay her somehow. That way Carlyn would back off, and Belle would still get her show, and everybody would be happy.
Shrugging on a shirt, he raked his fingers through his hair and inhaled slowly, trying to push the fury out of his mind. This could definitely work, as long as Meghan agreed to it.
And he’d make sure she did somehow.
He laced up his shoes and grabbed his keys, walking along the hall to apartment 10B. Curling his fingers into a fist, he rapped on the door, hoping to hell that she was there.
It was time to take control of this situation. Meghan opened the door, her pretty face reflecting an even prettier smile.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
No, it wasn’t. But it would be. Just as soon as he got her to say yes.
8
“I have a proposition for you.” Rich looked tense, like he was about to start shouting at somebody. His face was flushed, his hair raked back from his face like he’d been dragging his fingers through it.
Well that sounded interesting. Meghan’s brows pulled together as she leaned against the doorjamb, wondering what had gotten his panties into a twist.
“You do?”
“Can I come in?” he asked.
She stepped aside. “Sure.” Isla was sitting in the living room, her legs propped up in front of her as she held the Junie B. Jones book they’d been reading together. She looked at Rich and grinned.
“Guess what?”
“What?” His shoulders relaxed visibly.
“I can take a shower tonight, as long as I keep my foot dry. Which is good, because Mom says I stink.”
Meghan laughed. “And for that you can go and take your shower now.”
“You want to look at my foot?” Isla waved her leg at Rich. “There’s no oozy goo or anything. Mom says the sutures are still there but it doesn’t hurt at all. I didn’t even need my crutches today, I just kinda hopped.”
“How about I take a look after your shower? When you don’t stink.” He had this softness to his voice that made Meghan feel weird. It was like being wrapped in a blanket. Did they teach that kind of bedside manner at medical school, or was it natural?
When Isla had hopped into the bathroom, grinning back at Rich one more time because she was so putting on a show for him, Meghan slid a bookmark into her book and put it on the coffee table.
“Would you like a drink?” she asked him. “I have coffee or lemonade?”
“I’m good. I’m heading out for dinner with a friend in a bit.”
Her chest tightened as she wondered if he was going out with a woman.
It’s none of your business, nosy.
Nor was wondering if he’d bring her back to his apartment afterward.
“Aren’t you working tonight?” She kept her voice light.
“I have a few days off.” He shifted his feet. “So about that proposition.” Suddenly he looked awkward. “I kind of need a favor, and wondered if I could do you one in return.”
“You already did me a favor when you helped with Isla. What is it you need? More ice cream?”
“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”
Meghan looked up in confusion. “What?” Did he really just say that? She waited for him to start laughing, but he didn’t.
Instead, he raked his fingers through his dark hair. “I know it sounds crazy, but I have a really good reason to ask. I have this kind of… I don’t know… person who won’t leave me alone. And usually I’d deal with it. It’s not unusual to get people obsessed with you when you’re a doctor. It’s irritating, but you normally can swat them away and carry on. Like an annoying fly or something.”
She shifted her feet. Was she one of those people? She’d been a little obsessed herself last weekend.
“But this woman, she owns a gallery and my sister’s about to have a show there, and I don’t want this to cause any problems with it. So I figured if she thinks I’m dating somebody else she’ll back off.”
“And you want that somebody else to be me?”
“I thought about trying to hire somebody. But that feels wrong. And then I thought that I might be able to do you a favor in return.” He was so sweetly awkward, it was killing her.
“What kind of favor?” She lifted a brow.
“Nothing sinister. I just saw how your dad treated you last week and wondered if pretending we’re dating would also help with that. Maybe he’d back off a bit if he thought you had a boyfriend. Somebody who was taking care of you here in Angel Sands. And though I hate how damn conceited it sounds, most parents love doctors. For some damn reason they think we’re some kind of prize.”
She knew exactly what he meant. Her dad hadn’t hidden his approval of her living next door to a doctor.
Meghan pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to work out how to reply.
“This was a stupid thing to ask. I’m sorry. Forget I even came over.” He grimaced.
“No, it’s not stupid.” She put her hand on his forearm, feeling the warmth of his skin and the tickle of hair against her palm. He smelled good, like he’d just taken a shower. “I’m just a little shocked, that’s all.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I could think of another way. It’s just my sister has worked so damn hard for this show. It’s important to her. And me, too, I guess. She’s my only family, and I want her to be happy.”
Her stomach clenched. “There’s one small problem,” she said. Was she still holding his arm? Embarrassed, she pulled her hand back.
“What’s that?”
“Isla. If I pretended to be your girlfriend she’d know. And then either we’d have to let her into the secret and make her lie, or I’d have to lie to her face, which I’d never do.” And it was weird, because part of her wanted to agree to his proposition. She felt a little deflated at having to say no.
“I thought maybe we could tell her we’re just good friends. Isn’t that what you tell kids at first when you’re dating? That way it wouldn’t be a lie.”
“Is that what we are?” she asked, her voice low. “Friends?”
“I think we are. Or we could be.” His eyes dipped to hers. She inhaled sharply, and that warm, woody scent of his shower gel invaded her senses. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like if he really was her boyfriend.
If he was the one that she could talk to at the end of a long, hard day. The one she could laugh about her parents’ overprotectiveness with, whenever they drove her crazy. The one she could hold when he lost a patient and he didn’t know how to deal with it.
She could feel her chest rising and falling as she breathed. Her pulse was thudding in her ears. Rich’s eyes dipped to her lips, and she felt a strange fluttering in her stomach.
“Mommy, I got water on the floor,” Isla called out.
With a single sentence, she managed to break the spell between them. Meghan stepped back, looking over her shoulder. “I’ll be right there, sweetie. Just throw some towels down to soak it up.”
“Maybe you can think about it,” Rich urged. “Let me know tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’d need you on Saturday morning. To come to the gallery with me.”
“That soon?” She could hear Isla splashing around. “I’m taking Isla to a friend’s house for a playdate on Saturday.”
He ran his finger along his jaw. “Will you be staying there?”
“No. Isla’s staying for the day. I’ll pick her up after I’ve finished at the shop. I’m working in the afternoon.”
“Then that’s perfect.” Relief flashed in his eyes. “If you agree to it, that is.”
“Mommy!�
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“I have to go.” She felt breathless and weird.
“Sure. I’ll wait out here for the inspection.”
“Inspection?” Meghan frowned.
“Isla wanted me to check her stitches. I’ll wait.” His eyes crinkled as he looked at her.
“Okay. Give us ten. If the floor is soaked, god only knows what she looks like. I swear it was easier when I used to get in the bath with her.” The truth was, she needed a moment away from him. He had this presence that made it impossible to think straight when he was around. Like he had a direct route to her hormones that made them dance with glee.
He ran the tip of his tongue along his bottom lip, giving her a nod. “No problem.”
He should never have asked her. It was a stupid idea. Sure, it might be able to solve both their problems at once, but it could cause a lot of new ones, too.
Like the way he couldn’t stop looking at her when she was wearing those damn yoga pants. And how a vision of her naked, stepping into the bath, took his breath away.
He leaned on his balcony, overlooking the ocean, letting the sound of the waves crashing against the beach chase away the thoughts. He’d been out to dinner with James, and though the good company and glass of wine he’d had were enough to mellow him, his mind was still on thoughts of Meghan and their conversation earlier.
He was attracted to her. And from the way her eyes heated when she looked at him, he thought there may be a little mutuality to it. And that, in a nutshell was the problem. His sex life had always been uneven. It ebbed and flowed depending on his schedule and his availability, and whether the women he dated had gotten fed up with him yet. The fact was, he was a terrible partner. He missed birthdays because of twenty-four hour shifts, called dates off at short notice when major incidents came in, and when he was available, he was usually exhausted.
Casual dating smoothed over some of those problems. But then he’d met Carlyn at a bar and been burned. A mixture of guilt and frustration rushed through him. All this time later and he still couldn’t shake her off.
And that brought him full circle back to Meghan. Maybe he wouldn’t be so attracted to her if he’d been able to continue his casual way of life. He’d studied human physiology, he knew how desire worked. At its very base, it was a way for the species to continue, everything on top of that was sprinkles.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket to message her, thankful he finally had her number. A few quick words to tell her to ignore him, that he couldn’t ask her to be his pretend date, then everything could go back to how it was.
But when he glanced at the screen he could see she’d beaten him to it. He had his phone on silent, but her message was only a few minutes old.
Meghan: Can I ask you a question?
Rich: Of course. Shoot.
He wondered if it was about Isla. Her foot looked good when he’d checked it for her earlier. It never ceased to amaze him how quickly kids healed.
Meghan: This woman who’s stalking you. Is she dangerous?
Rich: No. She’s harmless but persistent. She’s an upstanding member of the community. Runs The Sunshine Gallery in town.
Meghan: I’ve seen it. There are some really beautiful paintings in there. Way out of my budget, though. So there’d be no danger to me or Isla if she got upset?
Rich: No. I’m certain she’d back off if she thought I was taken. It’s not the first time somebody has been over persistent with me. It kind of comes with the territory. But please don’t think you have to help. I’m a grown man, I can deal with her. I wouldn’t want you to worry about Isla’s safety.
He wondered where she was in her apartment? Maybe sitting in the living room? He could almost feel the pull of her through the walls of his apartment. She had this way of looking at him that made him feel about ten feet tall. Soft eyes, parted lips, little breaths that made her chest rise and fall.
And it made him want to see what was under her tank.
Meghan: I trust you. And I want to help. I just don’t know if it would work.
It was weird how much he wanted her to say yes. He told himself it was because it would make his life easier, and get Carlyn off his back. Not because it would give him an excuse to be close to Meghan. To look in those pretty eyes, to touch her with good reason.
Rich: I don’t know either. And I know Isla’s your priority.
Meghan: Let me think about it tonight. You’re not working tomorrow, right?
Rich: No. I have a few days off.
Meghan: Okay. I’ll speak to you tomorrow. I’m heading to bed now.
Rich: Sleep tight.
He was all too aware that her bedroom backed onto his. Now he couldn’t think about anything else. He knew from bumping into her in the hallway once that she wore shorts and a tank with little else in bed. The thought sent a surge of desire through him. Were her thighs soft? Smooth? Would she make those little gasping breaths if he touched her?
His body pulsed at the image of her in his brain. Laying on his bed, her red hair spilled out over his pillows, her wide eyes staring up at him in that innocently sexy way.
Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Rich shook his head at himself. Damn, it had been way too long since he’d lost himself in a woman. Right now he needed to take matters into his own hands.
And he knew without a doubt, that when he closed his eyes all he’d see would be red hair and green eyes and it would send him surging.
A wall’s width away from the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.
9
“Okay.” Meghan nodded. “I’ll do it. Or we can do it.” Her smile was shy. “Whatever. But I have one proviso.”
Rich looked exhausted, as though all the work and late nights had finally caught up with him. She could understand how he felt. She hadn’t slept much last night either. She was so aware of him being just a few inches away from her through the wall.
Why the hell did she have to crush on her neighbor? It was so cliché.
“What’s the proviso?”
“We keep Isla out of it, and I don’t need you to pretend to be my boyfriend to my parents. I can handle them.”
He frowned. “But then it’s not even. What do you get out of it?”
She shrugged. “I help out a friend. Isn’t that enough?”
From the look on his face it wasn’t. Not for him. “I can’t ask you to do that. I’ll think of something else.”
Pulling her lip between her teeth, Meghan tried to think of an appropriate response. The weird thing was, she wanted to pretend to be his girlfriend. Wanted to know what it would be like to actually be with this gorgeous, strong man.
Pretend. That’s all it would be.
“How about if you do something else for me in return?” she suggested.
“Like what?” A half smile played at his lips.
“You can take Isla out for a swim in the ocean. She keeps begging me to take her swimming and I can’t stand the thought.” Meghan gave a mock shiver. “It’s way too cold right now.”
Rich blinked. “Let me get this straight, you pretend to be my girlfriend and get a persistent stalker off my back, and I just have to go for a swim?”
“It sounds fair to me,” Meghan pointed out. “I get to stare at you with doe eyes. You get to freeze your ass off for however long Isla insists you stay in the water. I’m happy with that exchange.”
His smile widened.“Are you sure? Because there’s no hard feelings if you change your mind. You’ll still be my favorite neighbor.”
“Don’t tell Gloria that. She thinks she’s your number one.”
He looked amazing this morning, his hair wet from the shower, his strong body encased in jeans and a grey t-shirt that skimmed every ripple in his stomach and chest.
“It’s our secret.” He winked at her. “Let’s not ruin her day and tell her.”
“So, what’s happening tomorrow morning that you need me to be there for?” Meghan asked, passing him a coffee. They were in her apartment
. Isla was at school, and she’d been getting things ready for work when he’d seen her message and come over. Her purse was on the kitchen counter along with some handwritten recipe notes. She took a sip of coffee as she looked at him.
“My sister’s meeting with Carlyn to discuss her graduation show.”
“Carlyn’s the stalker?”
Rich nodded. “Yeah.”
Meghan’s eyes widened. “You need to backtrack a bit. Why is Carlyn involved with your sister?”
“My sister’s at college studying art. Her show is part of her assessment for graduation. She can either have it at the college or in a private gallery. Belle wanted to have it in a gallery, and here we are.”
“Belle’s your sister?”
“Yep.”
“And you were okay with her contacting Carlyn?” The thought of it made her stomach feel queasy.
Rich swallowed. “Honestly, I had no idea they were in contact until Carlyn blindsided me the other day. We only went on two dates, I’d forgotten what she even did for a living until she mentioned Belle had been in touch about the show. I’m kicking myself for letting it play out like that. I’m kind of overprotective of my sister, and I hate to see her being used.”
Meghan’s gaze softened. Did he have to be so sweet? “Does she know about you and Carlyn?”
He shook his head. “It was never an issue. We went out to dinner twice and that was it. I try not to worry Belle about my work. She has enough things to contend with already.”
“So tomorrow is when Belle and Carlyn are meeting? Where?”
“At The Sunshine Gallery. I figure we can go in together, make up something about having breakfast afterward. And when Carlyn sees me with somebody else she’ll back off.”
“Will you need me to come to the show, too?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” He nodded slowly. “Would that be a problem for you?”