“I’m sure you’re a great cook,” Dana said politely, trying to remember if she’d ever eaten anything Maggie had prepared. But these dinners were always catered.
“No, she’s not,” Trevor said. “But we love her anyway.” He put his arm around his mother. “What’s for dessert?”
“I see you haven’t changed. I’m not going to tell you, because I don’t want you picking at your dinner just so you’ll have room for seconds of dessert And I will be watching to make sure you eat all your vegetables.”
“Mo-om.”
Dana burst out laughing. At that moment Trevor sounded more like a ten-year-old than a grown man. “He doesn’t eat his vegetables?”
“I have to bully him into it Lord knows what he eats when he’s on his own. One would think a doctor would care about nutrition.”
“I care,” Trevor protested.
“Yes, but not enough to do something about it.”
They entered the large family room. There were about fifteen other guests. Dana knew everyone and was soon caught up in conversation. Time passed quickly and she was surprised when Maggie announced dinner. It was only when Trevor was pulling out her chair that she realized he hadn’t left her side. Somehow they’d stayed near each other as they’d moved from group to group. She wasn’t sure what that meant, then told herself it didn’t mean anything. It was coincidence, nothing more. After all, they weren’t the only people without dates. Several staff members had come with spouses, but an equal number were alone.
“I’m starved,” Trevor said, taking the seat next to her, then pouring her a glass of red wine. “I’ve heard the food from this place is excellent.”
“Even the vegetables?” she teased.
He grimaced. “Now you sound like my mother. Let me guess. You’re going to watch to make sure I eat at least one serving of them.”
“Not at all. You’re a grown-up. If you want to flirt with malnutrition, that’s your business.”
“Great. Now I’ll feel guilty if I don’t eat some.”
“Whose fault is that?”
Hazel green eyes dilated slightly. His lips curved up in a slow smile. “Yours.”
A ripple of pure desire started low in her belly and moved up. Her breath caught. All this attention was more than her nervous system could handle, yet she couldn’t think of anywhere she would rather be.
Danger! a voice in her head screamed. She knew what it meant. Trevor was trouble for her. He always had been. This time, however, she had the advantage of age and experience. She wasn’t going to blindly fall for him again. This time she would keep her wits about her and stay out of trouble.
Maggie took her seat at the foot of the table. Three servers, hired for the occasion, brought out large bowls and dishes of steaming food. “As usual I ordered way too much,” she said. “Please, eat as much as you can. I hate leftovers.”
Conversation was lively between bites of food. Trevor reached for the bread and passed the basket to Dana.
“I understand congratulations are in order,” he said. “My dad told me you were promoted to your current position just a few weeks ago.”
She took a roll and handed the basket to her left. “I guess it’s been about a month and a half.”
“You’re very good. Not only organized, but calm in a crisis. Based on what I observed, I’d figured you’d been doing the job for at least a year. I’m not surprised, though. You always were brainy as well as beautiful.”
He made the comment lightly, then glanced up when someone asked him to pour more wine. The person on his right made a comment about a recent medical-malpractice case in the newspaper and Trevor offered his opinion. Dana tried to follow along with the discussion, but she found it difficult to focus. Too many thoughts whirled through her head.
First of all, had Trevor really been talking to his father about her? Had this been in the context of a more general conversation or had she been the subject? There wasn’t a way to find out, which was frustrating to say the least. Second, she was thrilled that he thought she was good at her job. While she told herself his opinion didn’t matter, she knew she was lying. She did care about what he thought, even though she hated that fact. But the most intriguing and confusing and exciting comment of all had been his last one: “Brainy as well as beautiful.”
Had he really said that? Had he really meant it? Did Trevor think she was attractive?
Stop it! she commanded herself. She was slipping into dangerous territory. It was one thing to find Trevor incredibly appealing and have her hormones do the dance of joy and exultation every time he was around. It was quite another thing to actually start to hope or believe or anything like that. She knew this man. She knew he didn’t believe in monogamy or long-term relationships. She doubted he had any desire to get married or have a family and those were things she really wanted. Not that he’d indicated he was the least bit interested in her.
“You’re not eating,” he said, leaning toward her. “Don’t you like it?”
“Yes. Everything is delicious. I...” She glanced at her nearly full plate and wished she hadn’t taken so much in the first place. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
“Anything I can help with?”
His sincere expression made her want to dump all her problems on his impressively broad shoulders. If anyone was strong enough to lean on, he was. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell him about her biggest problem because he was the problem.
“Just some work stuff,” she said. Which was almost true. “I’ll be fine, but thanks for asking.”
He rested his hand on her forearm. Her silk sleeve did little to protect her from his heat. She quickly placed her fork on her plate before the trembling got so bad she dropped it.
“I meant what I said, Dana. I would like to help, or just listen. We’re neighbors and we work together. I thought it would be great if we could be friends. That is, if you’re willing to let go of the past.”
She hadn’t thought about the past in days. Apparently she had let it go. Friends. Could she stand that? Did she want to hear the intimate details of Trevor’s personal life?
Before she could formulate an answer, Walter stood up and raised his wineglass. “I’d like to thank all of you for coming tonight. I always enjoy our dinner parties, but this one is special because Maggie and I are pleased to have our son back with us.” He motioned to Trevor.
Trevor nodded and smiled, but Dana sensed he was uncomfortable with the attention.
“Welcome home,” his father said. “I’m pretty easy on new staff members, so consider yourself lucky. But when you get back from your trip, the break-in period is over.”
They all laughed and raised their glasses. A couple of other people offered toasts, mostly thanking the MacAllisters for their hospitality.
Dana leaned close to Trevor. “Where are you going?” she asked, her voice low.
“A management seminar. It’s in northern California and starts in about a week. Apparently all senior staff go. Are you familiar with it?”
Dana swallowed, then set down her glass. So much for getting away from him, she thought.
“Yes,” she said. “The hospital has been using that program for a few years now. As a matter of fact, I’ll be attending that seminar, as well.”
He smiled. The good one. Her blood heated while hormones and pheromones and Lord knows what other chemicals poured through her body, creating a chain reaction of excitement and wanting.
“Great. We can drive down together.” He winked. “In my car, of course. If the weather’s decent, we can put down the top. And if you promise not to go over a hundred, I’ll even let you drive partway.”
She thought about his powerful sports car, of the low, leather seats and how close they would be sitting. It would take several hours to reach the hotel in the middle of the northern California wine country. All that time, trapped...just her, Trevor, his tempting body and her wayward desire.
Chapter Six
Dana scribbl
ed a couple of notes in the margin of the schedule she’d printed out, then shook her head. Everything will be fine, she told herself. She was only going to be gone a week, and a trip to a seminar in northern California wasn’t exactly a space flight to another galaxy. If something unexpected happened, she could be reached by phone, or someone else would handle it.
But she couldn’t quell the butterflies line-dancing in her stomach, and she would rather think they were from concern about her job than anticipation that she was going to be alone with Trevor for the long drive...not to mention the fact that they were attending the seminar together.
“Not together,” she said softly. “At the same time. There is a difference.”
“Uh-oh, the boss is talking to herself. It’s the first sign she’s getting ready to crack.” Melba leaned against the door frame and grinned. “Obviously you need this time away, Dana.”
“I’m not about to crack. I’m concerned about details.”
Melba raised her eyebrows. “Uh-huh. Sure. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ve heard they’re working miracles with drug therapy these days.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Melba stepped into the room. “Seriously, Dana, go and have a good time. You’ve been working hard. This will be a lot of fun. If nothing else, you’ll have some great scenery.”
Dana knew she wasn’t talking about the wine country surrounding the hotel, but she pretended ignorance. “You’re right. I’ve always wanted to visit the area. I’m hoping we’ll have an afternoon or two off so that I can go to one of the local wineries.”
Sally walked into her office. “I heard that. I can’t believe you’re serious. You’ll be spending an entire week with Trevor and you’re talking about wine tasting?” She rolled her eyes. “This is such a waste. If they sent me, instead, I could really appreciate the opportunity.”
“From the way you’ve been talking, Trevor will need the break from you.” Melba nodded at her friend. “Rumor has it you’re wearing out the poor man.”
Sally flipped her dark curls back over her shoulder. “I’m doing my bit, but Angie’s the one who’s insatiable. To hear her talk—”
Dana held up her hand to stop the flow of conversation. “As interesting as all this is, ladies, I’ve got to be going. I’m meeting Dr. MacAllister downstairs in—” She glanced at her watch and groaned. “I’m already ten minutes late.”
She picked up her suitcase and started for the door. The two nurses fell into step with her.
“So how much would it cost to convince you to trade places?” Sally asked.
Dana laughed and thought about naming a ridiculously low price. A dollar, maybe two. But she didn’t. Not only because she felt her ambivalence toward Trevor wasn’t something she should joke about with her staff, but also because a part of her wasn’t unhappy with the situation. She hated to admit it—in fact, she would have lied under threat of torture—yet the truth was, she was actually looking forward to spending the time with him. Sort of.
By himself he was fun. They got along well, talking easily about the hospital, what was going on in the world, their favorite kinds of music. The trouble occurred when other people were involved. Except everything had been fine at the dinner party they’d both attended recently. So it wasn’t that. If only he didn’t feel obligated to date every single nurse at the hospital.
Maybe what you really object to is the fact that he’s dating every single nurse at the hospital except you.
The little voice inside her head spoke softly, but the words were still powerful. Dana came to a stop in front of the elevator and stared at the Down button without pushing it. Was that it? Was she secretly jealous of the attention he gave other women? Did she want some of it for herself?
She clamped her teeth together. That couldn’t be true. She wouldn’t let it. She was absolutely not interested in Trevor. She’d learned her lesson already. Hadn’t she?
“See,” Melba said, pressing the Down button. “She’s not going to name a price. She wants to go off with him, too. Not that I blame her.”
Shaken by a revelation she didn’t want to be true, Dana had trouble focusing on what the other woman was saying. “What I really want,” she managed at last, “is to go to this seminar. I’m neutral on the subject of who else will be there.”
“I wish I could be neutral,” Sally said with a sigh. “The only good thing is that even though I won’t see him for a week, Angie won’t, either.”
The two women accompanied her downstairs. The elevator opened on the main floor, by the lobby. There were the usual crowds—patients waiting to check in, visitors, staff members going to lunch. Probably at least two-dozen people milling around. Dana didn’t notice any of them. The world reduced itself to one man standing by an aging brown sofa.
It wasn’t his height or his good looks that drew her. It might have been the worn jeans hugging long legs and narrow hips, or the long-sleeved white polo shirt that emphasized broad shoulders. Maybe it was the welcoming smile that curved his perfect mouth up at the corners, or the way he took a quick step toward her to grab her luggage. Or maybe it was the scent of him, half masculine temptation, half some intangible breath of soap and shaving lotion and clean skin.
Her knees buckled slightly and she had to consciously force herself to remain standing. She could feel the fluttering of her heart and the sudden rush of desire. So much for remaining neutral, she thought grimly.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, hoping he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry about the other two women. They were too busy drinking in the sight of Trevor to notice her weakness.
“I barely got here myself,” he said, leading the way out the front of the hospital. “It’s a beautiful day. Would you mind if we put the top down on my car?”
The Mustang Cobra was parked in front. Its black paint gleamed in the warm sunshine. He was right about the day. The sky was clear and blue. According to the weather report the previous night, the whole west coast was in for a huge series of storms later in the week.
She eyed the sleek car. “It would be a shame not to take advantage of the afternoon while we can,” she admitted, knowing she would enjoy having the wind blow through her hair. She’d been cooped up at her job for too long, she thought with a flash of anticipation.
Trevor put her suitcase next to his in the trunk. The two small bags filled the tiny space. He smiled. “Okay, so I didn’t buy it to carry things around.”
Sally slipped past Dana and moved close to him. “I adore this car,” she said, and gave him a winning smile.
Dana braced for the lovers’ departure. She told herself it didn’t matter what he did in his private life, and she didn’t care if they wanted to make a spectacle of themselves.
But instead of pulling Sally close or making a personal comment, Trevor merely said, “Thanks,” then walked to the passenger door and held it open.
Dana frowned. That didn’t make sense. Why would he practically ignore one of the women he’d been seeing? Unless they’d already said their goodbyes in private and he didn’t want to do that again in public.
She shook off the faint feeling of resentment toward Sally. None of this was the nurse’s fault. If she, Dana, had a problem with Trevor, she should either bring it up with him or get over it
“Don’t I get to drive partway?” she asked teasingly as she started to slide onto the leather seat.
“Absolutely,” Trevor said. “Want to go first?”
Dana stared at him. At his hazel green eyes and the laughter lurking there. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. Can you handle a manual transmission?”
“I learned to drive one.”
“Then go for it, kid.” His grin turned mischievous. “But I warn you, this car has a lot of power, so be careful if you don’t want to get a ticket.”
Dana got out and walked around to the driver’s side. As she slid onto the seat, he handed her the
keys. She glanced back at the two nurses and saw identical expressions of envy on their pretty faces. She knew it didn’t come from wishing they could drive the car. They wanted to be going away with Trevor.
“See you in a week,” she called as she pulled her seat belt across her lap and chest, then snapped it into place. The car started instantly. The nimble sent a thrill through her.
“Bye. Have fun.”
Trevor waved absently at the two women watching them. “You ready?” he asked Dana.
She nodded. In her jeans and light-blue sweater, she looked more like the high schooler he remembered than the professional woman he saw every day. He liked the contrast. He also liked the excitement on her face.
She eased the car into gear and let out the clutch. They moved forward slowly.
There wasn’t much traffic on the way to the interstate. Dana kept them just under the speed limit as she got used to the powerful car. He liked the way her hands held the steering wheel with a sureness that showed she was in control. The wind whipped her short gold blond hair away from her face. Dark glasses hid her eyes, but her mobile mouth kept him apprised of her moods. Currently, she was having a blast.
They stopped at a light before turning onto the freeway. “Will you get nervous if I go fast?” she asked.
“Not at all. She can handle it” He patted the dashboard.
The light turned green. Dana released the clutch and punched the gas in one smooth movement. The car leaped forward. They flew down the on-ramp and merged with traffic. It was a full minute before his seat belt unlocked sufficiently to allow him to lean forward enough to see the speedometer. Then he laughed.
“Should I mention there’s a speed limit?”
Dana glanced down and gasped. “Wow. She has a lot of power. Okay, I’ll slow down.”
She did. A little. Then laughed. The sweet sound made him respond in kind. Although he tried to leave his work behind when he left the hospital, some of the tension always stayed with him. Now he felt it ebbing as the wind whistled by and the sun warmed him.
Prince Charming, M.D. Page 8