Prince Charming, M.D.

by Susan Mallery

  “Right,” he said. “Why? Good question, and I don’t have an answer with me now. Never mind. Sorry to bother you.” He turned away.

  She grabbed his arm. “Trevor, wait. I’m serious. Why do you want to see me? You’re already dating Angie and Sally, and those are only the two I know about.” She gave him a smile. “It’s not that I don’t like you—I do. I think you’re a terrific surgeon and, despite everything, a lot of fun. But the last thing you need is another woman in your life. And I don’t like to get involved with someone unless it’ll be exclusive.”

  So now he knew the rumors. He had an idea about who Sally and Angie were, but he wasn’t interested in dating either of them. “I told you I haven’t been out with anyone since I’ve moved here.” He shrugged. “I guess my word doesn’t matter.”

  “I don’t understand. They’ve both talked about going out with you. They mention days, times, places. Are you telling me they’re lying?”

  “I’m telling you I haven’t been on a date in months. How often am I supposed to be seeing them?”

  She drew her eyebrows together. “Almost every night, it seems.”

  “I’m pretty rested for a guy with that kind of social life. You live next door, Dana. You hear my television. You know when my car pulls out of the garage. Last night I didn’t make love like a guy who’s been getting it on a regular basis. Don’t look so confused. This isn’t hard to figure out. You tell me what’s going on.”

  With that he returned to his car and started the engine. After hitting the remote control to open his garage door, he drove inside and parked. As much as he wanted Dana to come running after him and tell him that she’d been wrong about everything, he knew it wasn’t going to happen. After all, she had no reason to believe him and every reason to think he was lying.

  But that truth didn’t stop him from wanting it to be different, from wanting her to trust him. He wanted her to see beyond what the world saw, to understand that the man inside had little to do with the world’s view of Trevor MacAllister.

  He wanted too much. Where Dana was concerned, he always had.

  *

  Dana was the first to arrive at Granetti’s. It was barely four in the afternoon, so the after-work crowd hadn’t started to fill the place. She snagged a corner booth and sat facing the door so she could see when Katie and Lee walked in. She’d been back from the seminar nearly a week and she desperately needed to talk to her friends. Between the rush of attempting to get caught up from all the work she’d missed and coordinating their busy schedules, this was the first available moment the three of them could squeeze in.

  Dana refused the waiter’s offer for a drink, preferring to wait until her friends showed up. She stared off into the distance, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. It wasn’t just too much work to do. She was always rushed, so that wasn’t news. It was the lingering aftereffect of everything that had happened, she decided. Dealing with the reality that she and Trevor had made love.

  She shuddered at the thought. Not out of horror, but out of longing and the forbidden memory of how wonderful everything had been between them. Despite being thirty and not even close to being a virgin, she hadn’t had lots of men in her life. She was selective. Sometimes, according to her mother, too picky. Which made her decision to sleep with Trevor even more out of character. But that wasn’t what was bothering her. It wasn’t what they’d done; it was how he was acting now.

  She sucked in a deep breath and told herself she’d gotten exactly what she’d asked for. He was polite, friendly and completely professional. Not by a smile or a wink did he hint that they’d ever been more than colleagues. If she hadn’t actually been naked with him that night, she would swear nothing had ever happened and nothing would. But she had been there. She remembered, perhaps in too much detail, all they’d done. She also remembered his request to continue seeing her.

  What she wanted to know was why.

  “Obviously it’s a pressing problem,” a voice said.

  Dana glanced up and saw her two friends standing by the table. She jumped. “I didn’t see you come in.”

  “We could tell.” Katie slid into the booth. “I thought your voice sounded funny when you called. What’s wrong?”

  Lee settled next to Katie and motioned for the waiter. “Don’t bother denying it, Dana. I heard it, too. You know you’re going to end up spilling your guts, so just give in with grace and dignity.”

  Despite her confusion and the tension filling her body, Dana had to laugh. These two had been her friends since grade school. She trusted them implicitly; they were the family she’d always wanted. She’d asked to meet with them because she valued and needed their counsel.

  While they gave their drink orders and decided they would wait a bit to have their early dinner, Dana tried to think of a delicate way to bring them up to date with what had been happening.

  The waiter returned with three diet sodas and a basket of garlic bread. Katie took a piece and said, “Don’t bother with the idle chitchat Just cut to the juicy part”

  Her eyes were bright with laughter and Dana knew she was teasing. Still, it was good advice.

  “I spent the night with Trevor at the seminar.”

  Their reaction was better than she’d hoped. Lee had been taking a drink of her soda and she nearly spit a mouthful across the table. Katie about choked on her bite of garlic bread. They looked at each other and then at her.

  Lee cleared her throat. “Never mind what Katie said. Feel free to start with the idle chitchat. How was the weather? Did you have a nice room?”

  Katie dismissed her with a wave of her hand. “Ignore her. Tell us everything. Are you okay—emotionally, I mean? Was it wonderful? Horrible? How do you feel?”

  Dana covered her face with her hands. “I’m so confused.”

  “Maybe Lee’s right,” Katie said, concern in her voice. “Why don’t you start at the beginning.”

  Dana nodded and tried to get control. After a couple of deep breaths she felt better, so she told them about the week she and Trevor had spent at the seminar.

  “He was different,” she said. “No, that’s not true. He was the same as he always is around me. Friendly, fun. I guess the difference was I didn’t have to listen to Angie and Sally talking about their dates with him.”

  “Were there other women at the seminar?” Lee asked. “Single women?”

  “Sure. A few were obviously interested in Trevor, but he didn’t encourage them. I never had the impression he was on the prowl, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Lee and Katie exchanged a look. “What has you confused?” Lee asked. “The fact that you two spent the night together?”

  “It’s not that exactly,” Dana said. “Okay, I guess some of it is that I sort of like him.” She held up her hand to keep them from saying anything. “Not in a romantic way, but as a friend. When we’re together, he’s someone I can respect and I enjoy being with. I guess the problem is reconciling that man with Dr. Love who dates anything in a skirt.”

  “Why is being friends a problem?” Katie asked. “You two work together now, right? You’re neighbors. I’m with Lee. I don’t understand the problem.” She nibbled on her garlic bread. “Unless you want it to be something else and are afraid he doesn’t share your feelings.”

  “I don’t want it to be anything else,” Dana snapped, then shook her head. “Sorry. I know you’re trying to be understanding and supportive. If I look at this logically, it’s not that big a deal. Trevor and I attended this seminar together. We got along great and spent many hours in each other’s company. No problem. So one night things got out of hand and we ended up in bed. The big question is what happens now.”

  “What do you want?” Katie asked.

  “What does Trevor want?” Lee leaned forward. “That’s it, isn’t it, Dana? You’re not sure of your feelings because of something Trevor said.”

  She felt herself blushing. “This would be the downside of being so close to y
ou two for all these years. You can read my mind.” She sighed. “Yes, that’s part of the problem. Although a lot of it has been the fact that I feel so awkward around him at the hospital. We’ve been painfully polite, and I hate it. I want things to be the way they were before.”

  “So what did he say he wanted?” Katie asked.

  Dana swallowed, half-afraid her friends would laugh at her. Even though she’d been there that night he’d made love to her over and over again, and heard his words the next morning, a part of her had trouble believing that Trevor MacAllister was actually interested in her.

  “He said he would like to see me again. You know, like dating.”

  Katie and Lee exchanged a look.

  “What?” Dana asked. “What are you both thinking?”

  “Nothing,” Lee said. “What did you tell him?”

  “I said I wasn’t interested.”

  “Are you crazy?” Katie asked. “Jeez, Dana, he’s good-looking, he’s successful, you’ve said he’s fun to be around and you like him. Why on earth wouldn’t you want to date him?”

  “Do I have to remind you what happened the last time Trevor and I were involved?”

  Katie shook her head. “No. I remember. But it was a long time ago and people change. I’m sure he has grown up. He would have to have with his demanding career. Besides, I always thought there was something odd about that situation. I don’t think we had the whole story.”

  Dana remembered what Trevor had told her, about Joel being the one to spread the rumors. She knew Katie was right in her suspicions, but this wasn’t the time to go into that

  “He’s a doctor,” Lee said, as if that explained everything.

  Katie rolled her eyes. “Doctor, schmoctor, do we really care that much about what men do for a living?”

  “Yes,” Dana and Lee said together, then laughed.

  “You two are taking our little pledge way too seriously.”

  “That couldn’t be because you’ve already broken it, could it?” Lee asked, then raised her hands in surrender. “Let’s not get into that right now. Dana has a more pressing problem.” She leaned forward and rested her hands on the table. “It seems to me that the real issue isn’t Trevor— it’s you. If you were completely uninterested in him—”

  “She wouldn’t have slept with him/’ Katie said, interrupting.

  “I was getting to that,” Lee said. “You wouldn’t have spent the night with him and you wouldn’t have worried about dealing with him afterward, except where it involved work. So some part of you isn’t willing to let this go.”

  “You’re in love with him,” Katie said flatly.

  Lee groaned. “Katie, don’t go there.”

  “I’m not in love with him,” Dana said. Even as she said the words, though, she probed her heart Nothing about the organ seemed tender or out of the ordinary. “I’m really not,” she repeated with conviction. “It’s just…” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t know what it’s just.”

  “There’s potential,” Lee said. “That’s what has you worried. You’re not sure he’s what you want, but if there’s a chance, you don’t want to risk walking away.”

  “Maybe.” Dana wasn’t sure. Trevor? Could she ever really trust him?

  “Oh, just go for it,” Katie advised. “Date him, see what the relationship feels like. If it doesn’t work, at least you’ll have him out of your system.”

  “She does have a point,” Lee said.

  Date Trevor? Dana wasn’t sure. The idea had merit, she supposed. It wasn’t as if he were a toad or someone she despised. But there could be complications. “What about hospital gossip?”

  “You’re both grown-ups,” Lee said. “You can be discreet. No one has to know.”

  “You have to try,” Katie said. “What if he’s the one? Wouldn’t you hate yourself knowing that you’d lost your chance at something wonderful?”

  “I don’t know about wonderful,” Dana muttered. “I don’t think it’ll amount to anything at all.”

  “Then all that’s happened is you’ve spent a few evenings with a nice man. There are worse fates.”

  Lee took a piece of garlic bread. “This is where I become the voice of reason and point out that the man is a doctor, so tread carefully.”

  “Ignore her,” Katie murmured.

  “Ignore me at your peril,” Lee said. “We signed our agreement for a reason. I’m willing to admit Katie got lucky, but what’s the chance of that happening with all three of us?”

  “Slim,” Dana admitted.

  She was still confused, but slightly less so. If nothing else, dating Trevor would get him out of her system, which would be a good thing. She could think of their time together as practice for dating someone else, someone she could really get involved with. After all, she couldn’t focus on her career forever. Trevor was a lot of fun and she already knew they were great in bed together. She wouldn’t mind a repeat of that night.

  “All right,” she said slowly. “I’ll do it. I’ll tell Trevor that I would like us to date, and then we’ll see what happens.”

  “Wonderful.” Katie squeezed her arm. “This is going to be great.”

  Lee grinned. “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall during that conversation.”

  “What conversation?” Dana asked.

  “Oh, just the one where you tell him you’re interested in going out with him.”

  Dana’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t speak. They would have to have that conversation. Oh, dear Lord, what on earth was she going to say?

  Chapter Eleven

  Dana stood outside Trevor’s front door and fought down the urge to run back to her place. She was actually shaking. Telling herself it was “just nerves” didn’t help at all. What had seemed fun and almost easy back at Granetti’s was suddenly an incredibly terrifying proposition. What had she been thinking? Was she really going to waltz into Trevor’s house and tell him that she was interested in going out with him? Was she insane?

  “I can’t do this,” she murmured. “I just can’t I’ll die.”

  And even if she didn’t die, she might feel as though she wanted to, which was about the same thing in her mind.

  “Just do it or leave,” she said aloud, then wondered what the neighbors would think when they saw her out there talking to herself like a crazy person.

  She sucked in a deep breath. She had a lot of flaws, but running away wasn’t one of them. After sending up a quick prayer for both courage and the ability to stand whatever humiliation might come her way, she knocked on his door.

  It was 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night. She told herself there was a better than even chance that Trevor was preparing to go out on a date. She knew he hadn’t left because while she’d heard the rumble of his Cobra when he’d come home, she hadn’t heard him pull out of the garage. Not that she’d been listening.

  So when he opened the door, she braced herself to see him in a suit and tie, his hair still damp from a shower, his face freshly shaved. Instead, Trevor stood before her in obviously old, faded navy sweatpants and an oversized white T-shirt. His feet were bare, his jaw dark with stubble, and the somewhat glazed look in his eyes told her he might have been dozing.

  “Dana!” He smiled. “This is a pleasant surprise.” He held the door open wide and motioned for her to come in.

  “Hi.” She stepped into his town house. “I probably should have called first. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  He led the way to the living room and gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa. A baseball game played on the television, but the sound was off.

  “As you can see, I’m expecting a dinner party of twelve in a little while, but I’ve got some time before they arrive. What can I get you to drink? Soda? Water? Wine? I have a great sauvignon blanc I’ve wanted to try, if you’re feeling adventurous.”

  “The wine sounds great,” she told him, thinking that the liquor might help her relax. While she’d expected to feel a little nervous, she hadn�
�t thought she would be hyperventilating at the thought of what she wanted to talk about.

  He got the wine out of the refrigerator, opened it and poured them each a glass. When she took it, she was embairassed to realize her hands were still shaking. So much for at least pretending to be calm and in control.

  She perched on a cushion on the left side of the sofa. He settled halfway between the middle and the right side. Close enough that she could almost feel his heat…almost, but not quite.

  Despite her nerves, her body was thrilled to be back in his presence. Erotic dreams had haunted her since their night together nearly a week before. Images came to her during the day. It wasn’t the lack of warning that broke her concentration as much as the intensity. She would be working on a schedule or talking to a supplier, when all of a sudden she was back in bed with Trevor, his hands stroking her, his arousal filling her and taking her—

  “Dana?”

  “Huh?” She stared blankly at him. “Did you say something?”

  “Several somethings, but you weren’t paying attention. Is everything all right?”

  That question was better than his asking what she was thinking, she told herself. She looked at him, at his handsome face and the smile hovering at the corners of his mouth. “I’m fine, but you look tired.”

  “I am,” he admitted. “Long week with too many surgeries.”

  “I noticed how many,” she said. “You took a couple of emergencies.”

  “I did what I could. There was that three-car pileup and I was already at the hospital. It wasn’t a problem.”

  “Maybe not,” she told him, “but not every surgeon would have agreed so readily.”

  “Call me ‘Saint Trevor,’” he said lightly.

  She took a sip of the wine. It was delicious. “I like this,” she said, raising her glass.

  “It’s from a winery in Southern California in the Santa Ynez Valley. Not very well-known, but I enjoy their wines. I visited them a couple of times when I was in L.A. I guess now I’ll have to have the wines shipped to me. The place is more than a weekend from here.”