Loving Vivienne: The Publicist, Book Six

by Christina George

  With Sam’s help, she emerged a short while later, bundled up in one of the hotel’s luxurious terrycloth robes and feeling a bit better.

  Dr. Dan helped her get into bed and under the covers. “You need to lie down and relax,” he said, before turning to her friends hovering behind him. “Ladies, will you make sure she does not exert herself in any way? And here’s my cell number.”

  Evie already had her cell phone in hand and entered it.

  “I’ll retrieve my cell from the beach right away,” the doctor added. “Be sure to call me immediately if there’s any change or if anything worries you.”

  He turned back to Viv. “I’ll come back later to check on you, okay?”

  When he grinned, she swore she could hear angels singing. There he was, standing in her bedroom, clad only in a pair of swim trunks, his dark hair still wet and pushed back off of his face.

  Oh, dear, he was one of those sneak-up-on-you alphas: all charm and charisma, so you barely noticed you were doing exactly what he wanted, giving him whatever he asked for, and all because of that sexy smile.

  Vivienne forced herself to tear her eyes away from his torso and the fact that he was semi-naked, mentally smacking herself upside the head.

  He just saved your life. Focus, Vivienne!

  “Thank you,” she rasped after wrestling her senses into submission. Sort of.

  “My pleasure,” he said. When he did, her heart kicked up again. Though this time it wasn’t from the terror of drowning, it was something else entirely.

  . . . .

  “Oh my Gawwwdddd!” Sam practically shrieked the minute the door to the cottage clicked shut, her eyes wide. “What a freaking hottie!”

  “Sam, stop that. Our best friend nearly drowned,” Evie frowned, then turned to Viv. “How are you feeling?”

  Tired. Vivienne was feeling very tired. Exhausted, actually. The rush of adrenaline had leaked out of all her pores and puddled onto the floor. “I need to sleep,” she mumbled, nestling into her pillow, and in a moment she was out like a light.

  6

  Vivienne slept the rest of the afternoon. At 4 p.m. there was a soft knock on the door. Sam and Evie were in the sitting room when Daniel returned, this time wearing a pair of jeans and a crisp, white shirt that set off his tan.

  “Hello, ladies,” he smiled when Evie opened the door. “How is my patient?”

  “She slept all afternoon,” Evie said. “I think she may be awake now, though.”

  Daniel nodded to Sam and walked past both of them to the bedroom.

  The moment he was out of sight, Evie hissed, “Sam! Get a grip, you’re drooling on the table.”

  Vivienne was pushing herself up on her pillows when he tapped lightly on the door and walked in. He sat on the bed beside her, and her stomach turned into a butterfly sanctuary.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

  “F-fine,” she rasped. “Well, better.”

  “Good.” He opened his black doctor’s bag and pulled out a small light.

  “I just want to do a quick exam.” He twisted to look at Evie and Sam.

  “They can stay,” Viv said, her voice still weak. Sam was about to sit down when Evie yanked her up.

  “We’ll wait in the living room.” Evie nodded pleasantly to Dr. Dan and hauled a sputtering Sam along behind her.

  When they left, Daniel turned to Vivienne, “That was a close call. Too close.”

  She nodded, “I know, I’ve never been so scared.”

  “You may have nightmares for a bit, and I would recommend not wading out too far anymore.” He flicked a light from one eye to the next, and then checked her pulse. “You seem fine, Vivienne, but I would recommend rest, at least the rest of today and tonight. Tomorrow you can see how you feel.”

  Vivienne nodded again then asked, “Are you the hotel doctor?” He grinned and electricity shot through her while the Daniel-induced butterflies went crazy.

  “Hardly,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m only here for a short while. I live in New York and work at NYU Hospital. I am here to do some pro bono work for the local orphanage. Vaccines, exams. They don’t seem to have enough doctors down here.”

  “I’m from New York, too,” Vivienne said, not sure what to say next that wouldn’t make her sound like an idiot.

  A little smile crinkled the corners of Daniel’s eyes—those dark, gypsy eyes that held a glint of something she couldn’t quite place.

  “We’re just here for a little vacation,” she added, almost wanting to slap herself for saying the obvious. Wow, you’re an author, huh? Great way with words.

  “Well I hope you can enjoy the rest of it. Here’s my card with my cell phone. Call me if anything changes, okay?” He stood up.

  “I-I will and thank you for, you know, saving my life.” Vivienne glanced at the card, which had the name of the orphanage and his cell phone, and nothing else.

  “Glad I could help.”

  He headed for the door, and before she could second-guess herself, she added, “I’d like to thank you, um, maybe dinner? I mean, I could buy you dinner, er, if you would want. Or maybe you’re busy? I’m sure you’re busy with the orphanage.” What is WRONG with me?

  “I’d like that,” he nodded to the card. “Call me when you feel up to it.” And he walked out.

  When he was gone, Evie and Sam stampeded into her bedroom.

  “Hello, Dr. McDreamy, is that you?” Sam grinned. “I would love to have that guy carry me to shore, or to bed.”

  Evie elbowed her. “Do not use that sacred name,” she said, referring to a now-dead mega-hottie character on one of her guilty pleasure shows, Grey’s Anatomy.

  Samantha arched an eyebrow, “What, McDreamy? Well he is, isn’t he?”

  “I asked him to dinner,” Viv blurted.

  “You did what?” Evie shrieked.

  “Good for you! Let’s go buy you condoms, because I think you’re gonna need a whole box,” Sam added.

  “It’s not that kind of dinner. It’s more a, you know, a thank you for saving my life thing. You should both come along.”

  “Yes, I’d love…” Sam said, but Evie elbowed her.

  “You should go alone,” Evie smiled. “Go and have fun with Dr. Mega-handsome.”

  “I like McDreamy better,” Sam whispered.

  “But it’s our vacation. I don’t want to desert you guys,” Viv said.

  Evie threw up her hands. “Please, honey, desert us. He’s too fine a man to share. Besides,” she winked, “maybe it could be some fun vacation fling.”

  “He lives in New York,” Viv said softly, and Sam plopped onto the bed, eyes huge.

  “Oh, my gosh, you guys had a thing.” She drew a line with her finger, back and forth from Viv to herself. “You talked and shared?”

  “Sort of,” Viv shrugged. “Mostly I sounded like an idiot.” She frowned at the memory of her inept attempts at conversation. “Anyway, he comes here every so often to work at an orphanage, giving vaccinations and such.”

  Sam clapped her hand over her heart and batted her eyelashes outrageously. “Could he be more perfect?”

  “He could be married. We need to find out,” said Evie, ever the sane, levelheaded one.

  Sam turned to her. “He accepted dinner. He wouldn’t do that if he were married.”

  “Some men do,” Viv said.

  Sam nodded. “Yes, they do, and you know what? We should Google him. We can find out if he’s taken or gay or otherwise off the market. And if he’s not, bring condoms,” she winked. “Big ones.”

  Viv held up a hand, “Ladies, promise me you won’t Google him yet. Let’s just see how this unfolds, or doesn’t unfold. It’s not a thing and I just,” she shrugged, “I don’t want to jinx it.”

  Evie patted her arm, “We won’t,” and then she turned to Sam, “Will we, Samantha?”

  Sam shrugged, “I can’t get a good connection here anyway.”

  7

  Daniel hesitated for a momen
t before he dialed the phone. There was something about Vivienne he could not shake, and, frankly, didn’t want to shake. Before he even left her room the first time, he wanted to know more, wanted to know her more.

  He dialed the hotel number and asked for her room.

  “Hello?” It was Vivienne.

  “It’s Daniel. I hope I didn’t wake you. How you are feeling?”

  Vivienne felt a delicious shiver inch up her spine. “You’re quite the doctor, checking on me like this.”

  She caught herself smiling into the phone. Not having him in the room to distract her was helpful. She felt a bit more herself, like she could have a conversation without sounding mentally challenged.

  “I have an ulterior motive for calling.” He paused for a moment, and she could hear noise in the background, children’s voices. No doubt he was calling from the orphanage.

  “I’d love to have dinner tomorrow night if you’re free.”

  “Oh, um, sure, I-I would love to take you to dinner,” she said.

  “No, Vivienne. I’m asking you for a date, if that’s okay. I know you’re here on vacation and all, but well, you seem…” he seemed to fumble his words. Was the handsome doctor nervous? “I’d like to get to know you better,” he finished in a rush.

  “I’d love that,” she said, and then scolded herself for saying yes too quickly.

  “Great, tomorrow night, then. I’ll call you with the details.” Vivienne could hear a child yelling, “Dr. Daaaannn!” in the background.

  “Sorry, it’s a bit chaotic here.”

  “You need to go,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  With a quick goodbye, he was gone, and Vivienne flopped back onto the bed with a sigh. She had a date with a handsome and hopefully eligible doctor. She tried not to get ahead of herself, but it was hard not to. She hadn’t had a date in, hmmmm, let’s see, forever. And the flutter she felt just thinking about him was a welcome distraction.

  . . . .

  Daniel set the old phone back on its cradle. He was in his makeshift office—a small room with a worn desk, chair, and a phone that occasionally worked. But he didn’t care about the office. He rarely used it anyway. He was here for the kids, and they were all he cared about.

  Well, until now. Vivienne’s face floated into his mind. Thinking about her light green eyes, that smile, and her copper curls made his heart race. She was beautiful, like a delicate, porcelain doll.

  But he knew better, or he thought he did.

  It was just dinner, he told himself. A simple invitation. But he suspected nothing about it would be simple. The attraction he felt was very different—odd, and good at the same time.

  It was a mistake, of course, all of it.

  In the first place, he was still interning at NYU and had little or no time for anything that even remotely resembled a life. Sure, he’d had girlfriends, and they tried to be understanding, but it was hard. And he never blamed them when they walked away.

  But every time he thought of Vivienne, his heart sped up. There was something about her, something that made him want to at least find out if she was as interested in him as he was in her.

  8

  Daniel suggested dinner at a seaside restaurant off the beaten path of tourist attractions. It was nestled on a cliff a short drive from her hotel. Small, intimate, and quiet. Vivienne wore a soft pink dress, one she wore for one of the many book launch parties when her book was first released. She had decided to pack it just in case and was glad she had. It was sleeveless, had a back that plunged midway down her torso, and the flowy skirt fell to just above her knee. She wore a pair of white strappy sandals with it and let her hair fall in curls around her face.

  “Have I mentioned how lovely you look?” Daniel flashed her a heart-stopping grin.

  His smile was nothing but pure, unadulterated trouble, and at the sight of it, the devil on her left shoulder woke up and jumped up and down. Oh, please, can we have him?

  Daniel was wearing a light blue shirt, a tie, and a tan linen suit. With his dark hair, dark eyes, chiseled jaw, and quite perfect nose, he could have been a model.

  “Thank you,” she said. Croaked, actually. What the hell was wrong with her? She’d been around handsome men before. Vivienne sipped her wine and tried to steel herself against the clamoring hormones that kept distracting her.

  “The last time I wore this dress was at my book launch.”

  His expression perked up. “You’re an author?” he asked. “Really?”

  Vivienne nodded, “I am, though my first book came out under a pen name, because, well, it’s a long story.”

  He leaned forward and smiled again. Damn it, there went her heart.

  “I love long stories.”

  Vivienne paused. Took a deep breath. Looked out the window. She hadn’t planned to share her life’s secrets with this man, but he seemed different, trustworthy, so she looked back at him and said, “My uncle was a famous writer, and when my first book was published I didn’t want to…”

  “Ride on his fame,” Daniel finished for her.

  “He was best known for The Fall,” she began, and Daniel stopped mid-sip, setting down his wine glass.

  “You mean Allan Lavigne was your uncle?”

  “You know his work?”

  Something flashed across his face. Vivienne wasn’t sure what it was exactly, and then he said, “Yes, I know it well. I read The Fall, then After the Fall, which I think I actually enjoyed more. But my family—well, my father—is in publishing, so I sort of grew up with his work.”

  Vivienne was starting to feel more at ease now. They had things in common. Having a family member in publishing wasn’t unusual. New York, regardless of its size, was often a small town.

  “He was an amazing writer,” Daniel finished, and Vivienne nodded.

  “He was, and I could never hope to live up to that, so I used a pen name. Then I decided it was silly, but it was already too late. So my first book was published under Riley O’Neal, but the second one will be under my name.”

  “Your publisher sounds very understanding. Most publishers will tie you to your pen name, won’t they? I mean it’s considered branding, isn’t it?” He shifted in his seat, looked around the room. “Where is that waiter?”

  “I’m with a great house,” she added. “In fact, it was named after my uncle: Lavigne House. My sister-in-law Kate runs it. Have you heard of them?” Something again flashed across his face, and he looked away briefly.

  . . . .

  This was starting to get extremely awkward, and he needed to say something, tell her about... But he knew if he did, she’d get up and walk out.

  Instead he leaned closer and said, “I’m going to buy your book for my Kindle app tonight and start reading it.” He took another a sip of his wine, resisting the urge to down it all in one gulp.

  “Or you could wait for the movie,” she winked.

  “A movie, too? Wow, I’m on a date with a celebrity.” He reached across the table and touched her hand, just lightly, but enough to spark something that sizzled along his arm. He held her hand for a moment, and then pulled back.

  Later, when the waiter took away the last of their plates, Daniel said, “You up for a walk along the beach?”

  He wondered what the hell he thought he’d accomplish by postponing the inevitable. Maybe. She was certainly worth it. Just looking at her made him imagine all sorts of things he shouldn’t be remembering, and especially not relishing. Like what it had been like to hold her slender body in his arms and carry her to her cottage.

  Vivienne gave him that bone-melting smile of hers, and he scooted his seat back and went around the table to pull out hers. When she stood, he could feel her warmth along his torso, her shoulder grazing his chest.

  “Shall we?” he offered her his hand. When she nodded, he folded his hand around hers while their eyes connected and he led her outside into the night air.

  “It’s cooler now. Would you like my jacket?”
r />   Her eyes sparkled like he’d offered the crown jewels, and his conscience poked him, hard.

  “No, thank you. It’s just lovely out here. And look at the sky!”

  The sky was cloudless, and the stars formed a creamy sweep across the black canvas. Daniel led her down a few stairs and onto the sand, where they removed their shoes and walked hand in hand down the beach.

  They talked about their lives in New York, Daniel asked her about the movie, and she talked about how exciting and intensely boring being on a movie set could be. But she was excited that her book would be shared with a whole new audience and in a whole new way.

  The waves crashed onto the shore as they walked on, the full moon marking a path across the ocean and illuminating the sand, making it almost sparkle under their feet.

  “I was so afraid,” she began, “when I went under. I had no idea what was happening.”

  Daniel turned to her and they stopped walking, “I think I saw you go under that first time, and I wasn’t sure whether I could get to you in time.”

  “Thank God you did.” Her voice was quiet and edged with a remnant of fear.

  “It’s okay to be afraid of going back into the water, Vivienne. It’s a perfectly normal response. When you’re ready, you’ll go back in, but it might not be on this trip.”

  She nodded, “I love being here. But when I look at the water like this I just feel…” She swallowed and studied her feet for a minute, and then looked up and said, “terrified.”

  He touched her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “No doubt. Near-drowning is a horrifying experience.”

  He studied her eyes and for a moment while he fought the urge to kiss her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and feel her lips and press his mouth to hers and taste her tongue. He fought the urge with everything he had, because it was a truly bad idea in so many ways.

  “Vivienne,” he began, his hand still cupping her face, “Are you interested in seeing the orphanage, maybe tomorrow? The kids would love to meet a pretty lady who can tell them about how movies are made.” He heard his words and could hardly believe what he’d just done.