“Who brought this one?” Natalie reached for Heather’s gift. “How cute!” She gave a little squeal as she pulled off the decoration, a tiny orange bunny attached to a thin elastic cord. “He’s got personality.”
“You can wear him on your wrist,” Heather said. “I ordered a bunch of them as good-luck charms for my patients, kind of a lighthearted fertility symbol.”
“I want one!” Amy said. “Although I don’t require your services.”
“How do you know you won’t require her services?” Natalie asked. “Unless…” She broke off, her mouth open.
Noreen McLanahan clapped her hands together. “You’ve done it! You and Dr. Ladd are having a baby!”
“I wasn’t going to announce it yet,” Amy said. “I just found out.”
“I’m thrilled for you.” Heather gave her friend a hug.
She was glad for Amy. And hoped that someday she would know the same joy.
More congratulations poured in. It was a few minutes before everyone settled down enough for Natalie to unwrap the gift. Heather had assembled a group of appropriate children’s books including Pat the Bunny, Peter Rabbit and The Runaway Bunny.
“I love these!” Natalie cried. “We’ll enjoy them for years.”
After the remaining gifts had been opened, they settled down to enjoying refreshments and conversation. Heather found herself too restless to stay for long, though, so as soon as seemed polite, she excused herself.
Next stop: the gym, to work off her excess energy. On a Saturday night, the place should be companionably busy. After fetching her gym bag, Heather drove directly there.
In the parking lot sat Jason’s Mercedes. There was no mistaking it, due to the Doctors Circle parking permit on the windshield.
Maybe she should drive home and use the pool there, although it was dimly lit and probably deserted. No, Heather didn’t intend to be chased away. Besides, a small part of her wanted to see Jason.
The only free parking space was beside the Mercedes. When she got out, Heather glanced through the window. In the back seat lay a couple of shirts obviously intended for the dry cleaners.
She knew instinctively how they smelled, of aftershave lotion and masculinity. And how they would feel, sliding against her skin as she undid the buttons. When she pulled the panels open, she would run her hands along Jason’s chest, then press her breasts against his slight roughness.
At the thought, her nipples firmed into nubs and a flame sprang up inside her. She wanted to experience his sheer physical potency all over again. She yearned to watch the merriment in his eyes shade into searing passion.
Well, Heather had come to the health club to work off her frustrations. Jason’s presence had just added one more, but so what?
Determined to give no sign of her longings, she tossed the gym bag over her shoulder and marched inside.
Chapter Fourteen
As she approached the swimming pool, Heather’s attention riveted on Jason. He was poised on the diving board, body tensed and arms clasped over his head, an arrow of pure masculinity. From his sculpted chest to his muscular calves, he’d been honed to perfection.
He sprang suddenly. The rear view as he arced downward was every bit as good as the front: broad shoulders, narrow waist, a taut butt. For a suspended moment, her spirits lifted and she flew with him until he flashed into the water.
Sharklike, Jason skimmed a dark trail beneath the surface. When he came up for air, Heather discovered that she’d been holding her breath.
An attractive blond woman had followed his progress as well. Circling toward him, she called out, “Well done!”
“Thanks.” Jason lifted a hand in acknowledgement. Then he caught sight of Heather.
Their eyes connected with a spark that obliterated everything else from her awareness and, she believed, from his as well. If there’d been a bed close by, Heather didn’t doubt that he’d have swept her to it. But only if she hadn’t dragged him there first.
Hoping Jason didn’t guess her reaction to him, she slipped off her thong sandals, padded to the pool’s edge and lowered herself into the warm water. “You’re quite a diver,” she said as he swam to her.
The other woman dropped back, her expression disappointed but resigned.
“I was hoping you’d come here tonight,” Jason said.
“I was at Natalie’s shower.” Heather felt the air vibrate between them. “After all that female bonding, I needed some exercise.”
“Do you dive?” He shifted closer. With his damp hair pressed against his head. Heather could see how well-shaped his ears were, like everything else about him.
“Not well,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to.”
“I’d be glad to help,” he said.
“Help me what?”
“Dive?” It was more of a question than a response. “Or did you have something else in mind?”
“No…” Yes, she did. What she had in mind was her and Jason, hot and eager, stripping off their swimsuits in her town house. They could make love in the queen-size bed that she’d bought three years ago but never shared with a man. Or in the living room, which was much too pristine and orderly now that Olive and Ginger had left.
Heather couldn’t believe how much she wanted the man. Seeing him half-naked in his swimsuit reminded her of the way he’d brought her body to life that night in the mountains.
“If you’ll get on the board, I’ll show you,” he said.
Heather did her best to stifle an unwanted image of the two of them making love on the diving board. “Sure,” she said. “A plunge in the drink will do me good.”
Jason helped her out of the pool, his hand burning against her wrist. Heather was glad for the sake of discretion that she’d worn a one-piece suit, although it still revealed far too much of her breasts and hips for her peace of mind.
As for Jason’s wisp of a swimsuit, it failed to hide the telltale sign of his arousal. As they walked the length of the pool, Heather felt his heat radiate around her.
She mounted the diving board. It gave her the sensation of standing much higher above the water than she really was.
“I have a fear of heights,” Heather admitted.
“Heights?” Jason stood beside the board. He was so much taller that his face came to her shoulder. “You’re not exactly on top of Mount Smoky.”
“You forget that I’m accustomed to being very close to the ground,” she said.
His teeth flashed white. “I’d prefer it if you were very close to me.”
“I am very close to you.” Her words came out barely above a whisper.
Jason nodded at a couple of swimmers staging an impromptu race across the shallow end. “If we were alone, I’d bring you even closer.”
“Diving,” Heather reminded him, and herself. “You were going to give me a lesson.”
“Right.” Gently, he guided her forward on the board. “Position your shoulders this way…”
It hadn’t occurred to Heather that a diving lesson involved hands-on instruction. Very hands-on. Jason’s grip moved along her waist and up her back, shifted to her arms, then to her hips.
Molten lava poured through her. She was sure that when she hit the water, it would hiss into steam.
Jason wasn’t ready to let go yet. His deep voice kept murmuring instructions that sounded like endearments. Only when he spotted another would-be diver approaching did he give her the go-ahead.
Heather sprang forward. Propelled by a rush of energy, she soared higher than she ever had before and cut into the pool almost without a splash.
Behind, she heard the creak of the board. A moment later, Jason surfaced beside her.
“You’re a good teacher,” she said.
“You’re a better student.” He grinned lazily. “Somehow this exercise isn’t wearing me out like it usually does. I’d prefer to find something more, shall we say, challenging.” His tone left no doubt as to what kind of exercise he meant.
“You c
ould use the rowing machine if you want to break a sweat,” Heather teased.
“I can do that just looking at you.”
Me, too. Although this rush of desire was delicious, she intended to fight it as hard as possible. “Maybe we should swim laps.”
“If you want to.” Easily, he stretched out in the water, matching his pace to hers as Heather chopped her way across the pool.
By the third lap, Jason was playing beside her like a dolphin. She had to chuckle at the man’s antics. She didn’t mind that he could swim circles around her, since she’d never claimed to be an athlete.
Her sensitivity to him flowed through her like warm honey. The exertion cooled it slightly, but the sweetness remained.
After a while, Heather’s muscles warned that it was time to take a break. When she said so to Jason, the two of them swam to the side of the pool.
“Up you go.” Clamping his hands around her waist, he lifted her effortlessly. She enjoyed the freedom of being hoisted in the air, relying on him and knowing she could trust him. Even if it was an illusion.
A moment later, he landed beside her on the concrete and they headed out of the pool area. Heather hated parting from him, even to go change into street clothes and dry her hair.
This was crazy. She felt like a teenager, giddy and eager and fearless. She kept forgetting all the reasons why she was determined to keep him at bay.
They met back in the lobby, her in jeans and a turtleneck, him in jeans and a black shirt that ought to come with a warning that it was dangerously sexy. From the coffee shop wafted the scent of a snack that was a specialty of the house.
“I hate to mention it, but I’m hungry,” Jason said.
“Me, too.” Heather hadn’t been interested in the sugary confections at the baby shower. Her tastes ran more to salty and sour than to sweet. No wonder she liked Jason, she thought ruefully.
They found a table overlooking the racquetball courts. Jason ordered a large serving of the specialty, which consisted of melted cheese and bacon bits on taco chips. They both dug in.
“I’d suggest we take this home except it might get cold,” Jason said.
“We could microwave it.”
“Cheese gets chewy in the microwave,” he said.
“Picky picky!”
As he laughed, Heather’s fingers bumped his on the plate. Ripples of anticipation shot through her. She almost suggested they forget the food entirely, except that it tasted so good.
“I’m glad we both had a free evening at the same time,” Jason said. “From now until the gala, I’m not even sure when I’m going to sleep.”
The event was scheduled for the weekend after next. “I didn’t know you were that involved in the festivities,” Heather said. “Or are you talking about your work schedule?”
“Mostly my work at the clinic.” A trace of dark stubble showed on Jason’s jaw when he turned to watch a rapid volley on the courts below. Heather smoothed her palm across his cheek and found the hair surprisingly soft. “You can do that again,” he said. “And again and again.”
“I just might.” A few fellow diners were glancing their way, however, so she desisted. “I suppose we should act more dignified when we’re in public.”
“Only if we have to.” Taking the hint, however, Jason leaned back in his chair. “You asked about my schedule. Well, you know how everything seems to pile up when you have the least time for it? I got word yesterday that Dr. Maurice Cocteau is arriving a week from Wednesday to check out our facilities, so I’ll be showing him around.”
“Why is he coming here?” Cocteau was the distinguished head of a French research facility outside Paris. Although Heather took pride in the Doctors Circle clinic, it was geared toward patient care, not research. She didn’t see why Dr. Cocteau would take an interest in it.
“He’s got some business in Los Angeles and figured he’d drop by as long as he’s in the area,” Jason explained. “I’ve run into him at conferences over the years and we keep in touch.”
A warning bell sounded in the back of Heather’s mind. “Are you sure he doesn’t have an ulterior motive?”
“What possible motive could he have?” Jason spread his hands questioningly. “It’s not as if he’s going to find any techniques he can borrow. Although we may get innovative eventually, we’ve barely begun treating patients.”
“I didn’t mean that.” In the day-to-day bustle of the clinic, it was easy to forget Jason’s international reputation. He was a star, the kind that shone too brightly to be contained in one little corner of the universe. “He might want you to come work with him.”
“I’ve made a commitment to Doctors Circle.” Jason straightened in his chair, beginning to take her concern seriously. “I plan to stay for a while.”
For a while. How long was that? Heather wondered. She knew that, eventually, Jason would be moving on, but she hadn’t expected the issue to come up this soon. “What if he makes you the offer of a lifetime?”
“I can’t run out on a responsibility,” Jason said. “That wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be good for my reputation, either.”
Was it her imagination, or did she detect a note of hesitation in his voice? If the offer of a lifetime came, Jason would have a hard time turning it down.
Of course, this was all speculation. Maybe Maurice Cocteau simply wanted to visit an old friend while he was in the area, to touch base in case an opportunity came up at some later date.
Heather hoped so. For her sake, for their patients, for everyone they worked with.
But the conversation reminded her that, sooner or later, an irresistible offer was going to come Jason’s way. And she knew that, when it did, he would accept.
He had to follow his heart. And she had to follow hers, which belonged right here in Serene Beach.
A rapid beep-beep roused her from her reflections. “Is that yours or mine?” Jason reached into his pocket.
Heather dug into her gym bag at the same time. “Mine,” she said, reading the phone number. “It’s Labor and Delivery.”
“Can I take a rain check?” Jason said. “I’m assuming we were going to spend some meaningful time together tonight.”
“We’d better wait.” Heather felt as if she’d been saved by the bell. “Until things settle down.”
“Until you’re confident that I’m not planning to run off to Paris?” He’d obviously grasped what was running through her mind.
“Something like that.” Heather spared him a regretful look.
“Heather, I can’t help wanting to be the best doctor I can,” Jason said. “That’s who I am. But you’re very special to me. I wish we could just enjoy the moment and let life take us where it will.”
Heather’s eyes stung with unshed tears. “I want that, too.”
If only she could allow herself to enjoy this wonderful chemistry and this charming man for as long as it lasted, then say good-bye and never look back. At the age of thirty-six, she’d all but given up on marrying and having children, so why not?
Because despite everything she’d been through, her heart had never hardened. She was still vulnerable to loving too much and hurting too much afterward.
“If we both want the same thing, it’s just a question of finding the right time,” Jason said.
Heather drew back. “No, it isn’t. I can’t handle a love-’em-and-leave-’em guy, even if he’s honest about it up front.”
“Love ’em and leave ’em? I don’t think of myself that way,” Jason said.
“Maybe it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Sorry, but this might be urgent.” On her cell phone, Heather returned the call. When she clicked off, she said, “Cynthia’s twins appear to be in a hurry. She’s getting prepped for a C-section right now.”
“I hope everything goes well,” Jason said. “Tell her not to worry about her schedule when she gets back to work. We’ll figure something out so she can raise those twins and be your nurse, too.”
“Thanks.”
His kindness meant a lot.
Her throat constricting, Heather hurried out of the health club. She’d come perilously close to casting caution aside and taking what she wanted tonight. Maybe it would have been the best thing. At least she’d have another beautiful memory to look back on when she got old.
JASON LINGERED in the coffee shop, idly watching a man and woman battle each other on the racquetball court. His body glowed from his exercise in the pool and from the building passion that hadn’t yet diffused.
Heather had looked so adorable, he’d burned to take her home with him. She was not only utterly desirable but also his intellectual match, keeping pace with him verbally at every step. She was the kind of woman he would have dreamed of, if he’d been the sort of man to have romantic dreams.
In some ways she was very much like him, but in other ways, entirely different. Her patio garden summed it up: She put down roots. Even in his impulsive acquisition of a puppy, Jason had chosen something portable.
Why, then, did the room seem empty the moment she left it? Why did he ache for the sound of her voice?
A pager went off. This time, it had to be his, although he didn’t have any patients likely to need emergency attention.
Jason checked it. He didn’t recognize the number, but he dialed it anyway.
The voice that came on the line belonged to George Farajian. “I have a big favor to ask,” said the head of the Ob/Gyn Department. “I’m on call this weekend but I took a golf ball to the head.”
“Isn’t it a bit late in the evening to be playing golf?” Jason asked without thinking.
George uttered a snort that sounded both humorous and painful. “It happened a couple of hours ago. I’m sitting at home with an icepack on my head and a bruise the size of a grapefruit.”
He proceeded to outline the problem. Not only was Cynthia about to deliver her twins by C-section, but Rita Beltran, Loretta’s sister, had just gone into labor with triplets.
As a specialist in complicated pregnancies, George was the best choice to perform the surgery. “Unfortunately, I’m woozy from painkillers. And with Heather tied up, there’s no one on our staff as capable as you are,” he said.
Prognosis: A Baby? Maybe Page 17