The Doctor's Damsel in Distress

by Janice Lynn

  “I like you.”

  Not an answer to her question. “You like me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “I’m taking things slowly.”

  Slowly? Turtles moved faster than he did. Based on the speed which the snapping turtle had high-tailed it back into the lake, turtles moved a lot faster.

  “Why?”

  “Because I like you.”

  Okay, but they weren’t in first grade.

  “Yes, we’ve established that but, Levi, you haven’t even held my hand. Not unless we count you demonstrating proper pole technique a few seconds ago.”

  “I have held your hand. At the picnic, after I saved you,” he reminded, a tic twitching at his jaw. “You should appreciate the fact I’m taking my time.”

  “Maybe I should,” she admitted, surprised he remembered holding her hand following her ice-cube disaster. “But, honestly, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to qualify for Medicare benefits prior to actually having your lips against mine.”

  His gaze snapped to hers, a predatory lethalness shining there she’d never seen before. A lethalness that thrilled her, made her want to plunge into danger.

  “I wanted you to kiss me a few minutes ago and I thought you were going to, but you choked.” Yes, she was playing a dangerous game, like poking a stick at a lion, but how else was she going to hear his roar? And after all, wasn’t she a player now? “Not what I expected from a man with your reputation and who has warned me that he isn’t nice.”

  He scowled. “You’d have me try to get in your pants on our first date?”

  “This isn’t our first date.” Lord, where was her boldness coming from? She hadn’t listened to that many motivational tapes. Well, she had, but she hadn’t been convinced they were working. “Which means you can do more than just kiss me.”

  His pupils narrowed. “You’d have me in your pants on our second date?”

  What would a playgirl say here? Her gut instinct was, no, she wouldn’t have him in her pants on date two, but that was the old Madison speaking. What about the new Madison?

  “Perhaps.” Lowering her lashes, she pouted in what she hoped was a seductive move, hoping she didn’t look a fool.

  His jaw flexed, his chest rose and fell. “I didn’t want to scare you away by moving too fast.”

  “You think not moving at all is the only pace I can handle?” Frowning, she tightened her grip on her fishing pole, telling herself she would not hit him with it if he said the wrong thing. She wasn’t a violent person. Apparently fishing brought out the she-woman in her.

  “No,” he answered slowly, studying her. “But maybe it’s the only pace I can handle where you’re concerned.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “I want you so much if I touch you I won’t be able to stop until I’ve had you. I’d like to enjoy what’s happening between us rather than rushing to the finish line.”

  “Oh.”

  “I like women. Always have. Always will. At the moment, I like you in particular.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Although I’m beginning to wonder why.”

  She looked at where the red and white bobber floated on the shiny water surface. One. Two. Three. She counted to ten in her head. Back again. No good. She couldn’t get what he’d said out of her head. He wanted her. Really wanted her. To the point he was restraining himself.

  She turned toward him. He’d stooped to pick up his abandoned fishing pole. Madison abandoned all caution, laying everything on the line, being the player she kept telling herself she was.

  Heart knocking against her sternum, she licked her dry lips. “I need you to kiss me right now.”

  His fishing pole once again forgotten, Levi stood, wiped his hands down the front of his jeans. His expression tight, he stared at her for long moments, seeming to weigh the pros and cons of her request. Really, if he was having to think about it that long, what did it say? Definitely not that she made him lose his head the way he made her lose hers.

  “Never mind,” she mumbled, embarrassed heat flushing her cheeks.

  “Come here,” he growled, pulling her to him.

  Startled, she practically stumbled into his arms, eyed him cautiously. He was going to kiss her. Levi was going to lock his lips with hers. Oh, yes!

  Taking his time, he brushed his finger across her cheek, slowly, sensitizing every cell along the way. He stared into her eyes, cupped her cheeks, and bent his head, his lips finally covering hers.

  In the same instant, his fishing pole took off towards the lake. Seeing the movement from the corner of her eye, she dove for the pole. Levi did, too. They both missed, but on his second try Levi got the handle and reeled in a large fish.

  Madison couldn’t say the fish was pretty exactly, but the way the sunlight hit the shimmery green scales did make them sparkle with color.

  “A large mouth,” he said with pride. “A keeper, too.”

  “A keeper?” She stared at how he held the fish by its mouth and gently removed the hook.

  “Meaning we clean him and have him for supper.”

  Horrified, Madison grimaced. “I’m not eating that fish.”

  “No?”

  “And I’m certainly not going to ‘clean’ him.”

  Levi laughed. “I know you’re not a vegetarian, Madison.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not used to my food having looked at me prior to me digesting it, either.”

  He laughed again, not seeming upset, not even seeming to remember that moments before his mouth had been on hers and tension had sizzled between them like grease over an open flame.

  She eyed the fish. “If he goes free, I’ll buy dinner tonight.”

  His gaze shot to hers and without hesitation he agreed. “Since that means I get to spend more time with you, you’ve got a deal.”

  Madison sat down in the fold-out chair Levi had brought for her and watched as he released the fish. As if nothing had ever happened, the fish swam away, quickly disappearing into the depths of the lake.

  “So much for gratitude.” She laughed.

  Levi baited his hook with a fresh worm, cleaned his hands in the water, then sat beside her. They sat in silence, holding their fishing poles, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of the day. On the surface.

  Inside, Madison’s brain bubbled with questions, working overtime. “Why is it you want to take things slowly with me?”

  He stared out at the water for a long time, although she couldn’t discern what specifically he looked at. “The physical is usually the beginning, middle, and end to my relationships.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “Outside the physical, there isn’t anything else.”

  Her head spun at his admission. “That’s okay. I don’t want anything beyond the physical.”

  “Well, that’s where things get complicated. You’re different. I do want more.”

  Their chairs were close enough she could touch him. So she did. Leaning over, she placed her hand on his forearm, thrilling at the awareness shooting through her. Thrilling at the awareness she felt shooting through him.

  Levi wanted her. Not just physically. He thought her different, wanted more. What did that mean?

  What did she want it to mean?

  She wasn’t in this for a relationship, was she?

  Because that would mean risking her heart and she couldn’t do that.

  Wouldn’t do that.

  Would she?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  MADISON couldn’t stop staring at Levi’s mouth.

  He’d lain back on the blanket he’d spread out, his hands propped behind his head, his eyes closed, and his breathing so even she could almost buy that he was asleep. Almost.

  Something about the way he held himself, the slight tension in his body, suggested that, although he rested, he hadn’t fully gone to sleep.

  Still, his eyes were closed and she could stare at his mouth to her content. While she fished. Mentally, she snickered. Her—fishing. What a joke.

  Since t
heir arrival Levi had caught a half dozen fish, although none as big as that first one and none of the same type. She had yet to catch anything other than her turtle.

  Not that she really wanted to catch a fish. She just didn’t want to be a complete failure on her first fishing trip.

  Not that she’d consider any time spent with Levi a failure.

  No, most of the day she’d just wanted to pinch herself. Could he really be interested in her? For more than just a quick roll in the sack?

  But what did she know about him really? Just that she’d wanted him from the beginning and that he had a reputation of being a playboy.

  Maybe he seduced women by making them think he was trying to be a good guy, that she was different from all the other women he’d known. Just looking at him, she could feel each and every defense she might have once been able to muster against him fading away. Not that she would have put up much of a fight anyway, even if she weren’t a “modern woman”. Really, did Sleeping Beauty put up a fight when the Prince bent to kiss her? Did Snow White push her Prince away? Hardly.

  Feeling a slight tug on her line, Madison gave an excited yank to set the hook the way Levi had shown her.

  Unfortunately her line came flying towards her, nothing on the other end except a bare hook. She shrieked and tried to dodge the hook. To no avail.

  The hook caught her on the upper left arm, sinking into her skin with a painful stab.

  Having sat up at the commotion, Levi winced, moved close to her and eyed her dilemma with sympathy. “Madison, you weren’t supposed to hook yourself.”

  Yeah, even as a beginner, she knew that.

  Tears pricked her eyes. No, she would not cry in front of Levi. She’d choked and now this? She’d make like hooking herself was no big deal, even though really she’d just like to let out a big sob.

  “Ouch,” she whimpered, carefully holding in that sob teetering on the edge of her throat. She reached to pull out the hook in the hope the stinging pain in her arm would ease. Not that it was the worst pain she’d ever felt but, still, hooking herself wasn’t something she hoped to repeat, ever. Plus, she was feeling just woozy enough to worry she might pass out if she didn’t get the hook out pronto.

  “Don’t.” He stopped her, eyeing where the hook was embedded in her flesh. “I’ll do it. It’s going to have to be pushed the rest of the way through, otherwise the barb is going to cause more tissue damage.”

  More tissue damage? Nausea roiled her stomach and black spots danced before her eyes. Okay, as a nurse she should be able to tolerate such a minor injury, but when it was her skin, her life blood leaking out (okay, so it was just a tiny drop, but still), it was a different story altogether.

  “Get it out.” She squirmed, willing herself to feel better once she was freed.

  “I have a first-aid kit.” He kicked into doctor mode. “Just a minute, and I’ll disinfect that. Is your tetanus up to date?”

  No longer letting her gaze connect with her piercing, she nodded. “When I started at Angel Creek I had to provide copies of my immunizations. Everything is up-to-date.”

  He pulled out a sandwich-sized blue-and-white plastic box, snapped the lid open, and pulled out some disinfectant solution packets. “This may sting a little.”

  She frowned. Like the hook stuck in her arm didn’t?

  He dug into his pocket to remove his utility tool, then clipped the end of the hook that held the line, leaving room to hold onto the metal tip with his pliers. He grasped the end of the hook and carefully pushed the hook forward, causing the tip to pierce her skin a second time, creating an exit wound.

  Madison tried not to watch, but couldn’t help herself. She gritted her teeth as the end of the barb pushed through. She let out a whoosh of held breath, grateful the hook was out, wondering if she could be any more of a klutz around him, wondering why looking at him eased her pain, made her forget everything except that he was touching her, focused completely on her.

  Frowning at the lightly bleeding puncture on her arm, he dropped the ruined hook into his tackle box. His eyes dark with concern, he brushed his fingertip across her jaw. “You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”

  A little pale? No wonder, after he’d touched her. All her remaining blood had headed south at that tender touch. How did he do that? Electrify every nerve cell with the stroke of his finger? If he’d touch her like that again, perhaps in more interesting locations, she’d hook herself again. Lowering her gaze, she tried to look not so affected by his touch. “I’m a big girl.”

  He eyed her curiously and she wondered if he somehow knew what she’d been thinking. Not about hooking herself but about his touch, about him and how he affected her. But that was ridiculous. He couldn’t really know, could he?

  “You barely reach my shoulders.”

  Okay, so he wasn’t reading her mind, just trying to distract her from her injury maybe. “You think I’m being a baby?”

  “About this?” His eyes sparkled in that way that made her want to lick her lips. “No way. You’ve been a real trouper.”

  She beamed at his praise, but even more so at her name on his lips. Oh, the ways she’d like to hear him say her name. Over and over. Again and again. She blinked, trying to clear her pheromone-laden brain so she could focus on the conversation and not her fantasies. “I did say ouch.”

  “I’d have said a lot more than that. Most of which would have gotten my mouth washed out by my mom back in the day.” Having gathered the necessary supplies, he cleaned his hands, then set about caring for her injury. He opened another packet of disinfectant solution.

  “Tell me about your family,” she urged, partially to distract herself from what he was doing to her arm, partially to distract herself from the direction her brain always seemed to go when he was involved. Partially because she wanted to know more about him. “You’ve mentioned your mother and your grandfather. Do they live close by?”

  He swabbed the area, starting in the center of the piercing and working outwards in a circular motion meant to drag any germs away from the wound rather than into the opening. “My mother died when I was seventeen. My grandfather died the following year.”

  Her heart ached for him. She placed her hand on his arm, gave a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Levi.”

  Not looking up from his wound care, Levi nodded, wondering why he was telling her these things. He didn’t share personal information. Never. But he wanted a relationship and sharing this kind of thing was part of that, right?

  “It was a long time ago.” He made as if the fact he’d told her was no big deal. “My parents were divorced and I rarely saw her except during the summers anyway.”

  “Seriously? That’s sad.”

  He glanced up at the sincerity in her voice.

  “What about your father?”

  Levi’s stomach plummeted. The last thing he wanted was his father encroaching on his day with Madison. Hadn’t he interfered enough this week?

  “He travels a lot, but does keep a house in Angel Creek.”

  “Oh, I’m glad you still have family, Levi. Family is important.”

  “Your family live nearby?”

  She shook her head. “No, not close. They live in Winston-Salem.”

  “The town where you lived prior to moving to Angel Creek? Why did you move away?”

  “Long story and not one for today, but it had nothing to do with my family. They’re great for the most part.”

  But a story he’d like to hear.

  “I’ve got time.”

  “Sorry, not today.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her gorgeous eyes. Her gaze flickered around then glanced toward her wound. “I can’t believe I caught myself.”

  Levi glanced up from where he tended to her arm, studied the wary expression in her eyes and decided to let the subject go for now. “Best catch of the day.”

  Her green eyes shone with gratitude at him letting her change the subject away from why she’d left Winston-Salem.

&nb
sp; After he’d sufficiently cleaned the area, he dabbed on some antibiotic ointment, squirted a small line onto the non-adherent gauze portion of a plastic bandage, and pressed the bandage over her injury. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Levi bent, pressed a light kiss to the top of the bandage. “All better.”

  Inhaling sharply, she clashed gazes with his. The heat there this time almost made his knees buckle.

  He wanted her. Enough that he’d really like to push her down on the blanket, spread her legs, and push inside her with all the impatience running rampant through his veins.

  “It is now.” She didn’t look away, just stared into his eyes, making him feel weak and ten feet tall all at the same time. How did she do that? How did she make him instantly get rock hard?

  “Thank you, Levi.” She placed her hand on his, effectively shutting off all blood flow to his brain.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Rather than pick up her pole, she forwent more fishing to sit on the blanket, next to where he’d been relaxing. She wrapped her hands around her raised knees, propped her chin there.

  Levi sat back down, not sure them sitting so close on a spread blanket in the sunshine at a secluded spot at his favorite place in the world was such a good idea.

  “Rescuing me is quickly becoming a habit,” she mused, staring out at the water.

  “You’re just a regular damsel in distress,” he teased, grateful for the conversation to take his mind off the direction his brain had headed. “You make men like me look good.”

  Rolling her eyes, she laughed softly. “You look good regardless and you know it.”

  Her tone hadn’t been purely complimentary, so he shrugged and gave her an honest response rather than something flippant. “Looks aren’t everything.”

  “No, definitely not,” she agreed, shaking her head, her face pinched. “But that’s not what I meant. You’re fun, kind, intelligent, caring, easy to talk to, sensitive to your patients and their families. A white knight who comes to the rescue every time this damsel in distress needs you.” Her lips lifted in another soft smile. “A really great guy.”