by Doctor Me Up
"You can't mean that, Liz. I know you want to find someone worthy of you. I know you want to settle down eventually."
"Not really. I'm tired of always giving and getting nothing in return. Every guy I've been with has been conceited, egotistical and selfish."
"Maybe you're looking at the wrong men."
The thought had occurred to her on more than one occasion, but she really didn't think that was the cause of her inability to find the right man. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look at those you've went out with. Most are businessmen, high-powered executive types, thus your self-centered, all about me attitude with them. You need to find a nice cowboy."
"Not my style."
"Please." She could almost see Natalie roll her eyes, even through the phone lines. "Aren't you the least bit attracted to a man in tight jeans with a pair of nice cowboy boots on his feet?"
The image of Marcus popped into her head. She had to admit, even if only to herself, she did find him physically attractive. "Not a bit."
"You're a liar too." Natalie laughed. "I'm sure I could find you a nice guy around here even just to hang out with for a bit while you're home."
"I'm not dating anyone while I'm here, Nat. I want to relax, spend some time with my family and chill out before I hit Billings." Elizabeth twirled the phone cord around her finger, wondering if she should ask Natalie about Doctor Melton. She didn't want to sound overly curious, but the man had piqued her interest even if only for a moment. Surely, she wasn't attracted to him. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Dad said you're friends with Doctor Melton."
"Marcus? Yes, we are. He treats all the animals in the area since Doc Alexander retired. He's a nice guy and hot if you know what I mean. Why?"
"He was here when I got home working with a laboring mare. I think Dad is playing matchmaker." She shot her father a scathing look, but he grinned. "Doctor Melton seemed, I don't know, rakish?"
"Rakish? Now that's a term I haven't heard in forever. He is a ladies' man, but I think it's more the women chasing him than him running after them. What did you think of him besides rakish?"
Giving Natalie any indication she thought of the guy as anything besides being the vet, would be a bad thing. The woman was like a dog with a bone. With something to chew on, she'd growl and snap until you moved on, leaving her alone. She took after her grandmother like that.
"I don't know. He seemed nice I guess. Really flirtatious like he knew me or something."
"Well, I'm sure you two will get along famously once you get to know him."
"I don't want to get to know him."
"If you say so, Liz." She heard a snicker. "What's it hurt to have another friend?"
"A guy friend?"
"Why not? Is there something wrong with having a guy who is nothing more than a friend? I have Kale but I'm also friends with several women too, like Laurel. There something about having a guy you can talk to about male things who'll give you a straight answer when you can't talk to the one you love."
Worry rushed through her, settling low in her gut. Were her two favorite people in the world having problems? "You and Cade are doing okay, right?"
Natalie laughed. "We're fine. Don't worry. I can ask Cade just about anything, but there are times when I want a man's opinion about something other than my husband’s. He tends to be a little more cautious with what he tells me where Kale isn't."
"You had me scared there for a minute."
"You need to come over for dinner one night or we need to have a girl's night out so we can talk."
"Talk about what?"
"You and how you're doing."
The breakup with Ari hurt, but her world hadn't stopped spinning. For the last two weeks, she realized how much of herself she'd lost in her relationship with him. She almost forgotten who she was and where she'd come from. When he'd cruelly pointed out her upbringing in the middle of the airport terminal, she’d come to realize she liked being a small town girl from Montana. The morning after, she'd finally been able to look in the mirror and liked the person she saw. Yes, her heart ached for love. She wanted it—needed it with every fiber of her being, but she wasn't willing to give up herself to find love. It would come along when the time was right, not a moment sooner. "I'm so over this whole thing, Natalie. I don't need a man in my life right now."
"Let's make a date then for Saturday. We'll hit Boots 'n' Spurs for a few drinks—some girl talk."
"All right. Until then, I'm staying right here and doing nothing."
"Sure, honey. You keep telling yourself that. We know damned well you'll be out mucking stalls or ridin' fences. You know, all the other cowgirl things you've forgotten you loved while you were hanging out with all the stars in Los Angeles, inside two days."
For the first time in a long time, she laughed. Natalie was right. She missed spending time on horseback, watching the cattle silently graze on the long, swaying grasses of the pasture around her parent's house, missed the moonlight night sky over Montana, the blue skies hugging the tops of the jagged mountains in the distance during the day. A long sigh escaped her lips.
"See? I can hear the longing in the sigh. You'll be on horseback tomorrow, I bet."
"Probably." She glanced at the clock with a frown. Dinner would be soon. Doctor Melton, that disturbing enigma of a man, would be back. Why she felt so curious about him, she wasn't sure. "I better go. Supper will be on soon and we're having company."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Dad invited Doctor Melton for supper. He accepted, although a bit reluctantly." The laughter in Natalie's voice made Elizabeth wonder what was so funny.
"Marcus is coming over for dinner? Boy, I want to be a fly on the wall for that one."
"Why do I get the feeling you're keeping something from me?"
"Who me?Not at all. I think you'll find Marcus a very interesting dinner companion. Bye, Liz. Have fun at dinner."
The line clicked as Elizabeth stopped to stare at the phone. Something was up. She knew Natalie enough to know her sister-in-law had to be plotting some mischievous plan.
* * * *
Marcus sighed as he drove back up to the ranch style house of the Double D. Several excuses had crossed his mind when he thought about the dinner planned for this evening, but he couldn't bring himself to back out. The need to know whether Elizabeth recognized him or not, spurred him on. Could she feel the electrical pull between them? Would she see the need and desire in his eyes? How could he hide his attraction for her? The last thing he wanted in this world would be to do anything to hurt her. If she found out he is the same man who kissed her last October, it might screwed up her marriage.
With a twist of the key, he shut the engine of his truck off to stare at the front of the house. The first time he'd seen the wide porch, plantation shutters and flowers encircling the front, he'd fallen in love with the place. The huge barn in the distance and the open fields of the pasture around the ranch called to his soul. The buffalo grasses swaying gently in the cooling breeze of the evening made him sigh. He'd always wanted a ranch. Playing cowboy was his favorite pastime during his childhood. His brothers and sisters wanted to play space aliens or some other such thing, but not Marcus. He always loved being the cowboy with his horse camping out in the open prairie, shooting bad guys and saving the lady at the end of the day.
No use putting it off. Mitchell Weston walked out of the barn wiping his hands on a towel as Marcus climbed from his truck. "How's the mare?"
"She's doin' fine, Marcus. I think she's about to deliver so I'm glad you're back. I'm hoping the foal isn't turned wrong. She's laboring pretty hard."
"Let me check her." The mare lay in the same position he left her in. Not a good sign. Her sides heaved with each breath as worry laced through him. He slipped on his exam sleeve to protect his shirt and his rubber gloves. "Rest, girl." Kneeling behind the mare, he shifted close to her tail, inserting his hand to the elbow. The horse grunted.
"What's w
rong?" Elizabeth said, stopping next to the stall door.
"The foal is trying to come out in the wrong position. I'm going to have to try to turn it." He glanced up, locking gazes with Elizabeth. Her worried eyes touched his heart. Her lips parted as she ran her tongue across the bottom one. His cock went rock hard in an instant. Great.Turning a foal with a major hard-on. Not my idea of a good time. He shifted and slipped his other hand inside the animal. The mare tried lifting her head.
Elizabeth slipped inside the stall, dropping on her knees next to the horse’s head. "Easy, sweetheart. It'll be okay. Marcus will take good care of you."
His name on her lips sent shivers down his spine. The soft caress of the syllables made him wonder what it would sound like coming from her mouth in the moment of an explosive orgasm. Shaking his head, he concentrated on the work at hand. Exactly as he feared, the foal needed to be turned in order to come out in the correct position. After several tense moments of sweating, pushing and pulling, he had the baby turned. Within seconds the foal slid out of his mother in a gush of fluid.
"He's beautiful, Daddy," Elizabeth said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'd forgotten how wonderful these moments are."
"Take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." Mitchell laughed. Elizabeth beamed, a huge smile on her lips.
The mare struggled to her feet, nudging the colt with her nose. The colt wobbled to a standing position and took several unsteady steps closer to his mother.
Marcus sighed, wiping his forehead on his shirt as he peeled off his protective gear from his arms. In the ruckus, he'd forgotten his rubber apron. He now had fluid from the horse all over his clothes.
"Hmm. I guess I won't be stayin' for dinner after all."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, rising to her feet too.
He glanced down with a grimace. "I can't be good company with this all over me."
"You and Dad are about the same size. I think you could borrow something to wear. Right, Dad?"
"Sure, Marcus. No need for you to go without dinner. We're having enchiladas. I know how much you love those."
Damn. I thought I could get out of this meal. "I'd appreciate it, Mitchell. I sure do love Mexican food."
"You two follow when you're ready. Dinner is about done. I'll grab you those clothes and leave them by the door. There's a bathroom just inside the back door you can use to change." Mitchell disappeared out the barn doors, leaving the two of them alone. Tension crawled down his back at being this close proximity and not touching her.
"You did fabulous with the mare."
"All in a day's work." Her lips lifted in a radiant smile. He forgot to breathe.
"I hope I have the same bedside manner with my patients."
He chuckled running his hands down his wet thighs, glancing at his damp clothes. "A little different I would think. I know I couldn't handle humans as patients. At least animals can't complain about their treatment."
"Why did you want to become a veterinarian?" she asked, handing him a towel.
"I've always loved animals of any kind, but especially horses. It's one of the reasons I settled in Red Rock. I'd love to have some land someday."
"Have you ever been married?" She blushed, dropping her gaze to his boots. "Never mind. That's really none of my…"
"No, I haven't. Not even close."
"Me either."
"But I thought…"
"Thought what?"
"Never mind. It's nothing."
She grabbed the spare towel from the low stall door as he stepped closer, running the edge of the rough material across his cheek. "You've got some on your face," she whispered. The riot of curls around her face looked so soft. Her blue eyes burned like the center of a flame. Soft looking lashes framed the dilated orbs. The whisper of her breath wafted over his lips. His whole body hummed as her tongue peeked out, wetting the surface in the most erotic gesture he'd ever been privy to witness. After a moment, she cocked her head to the side and frowned. "Have we met before?"
"I…uh."
"Marcus? Elizabeth? Dinner is ready."
She stepped back as she turned toward the door. "Coming, Dad."
Once he shut the stall, he sighed heavily, following behind. Her sweetly shaped ass wiggled slightly as she walked toward the house. He had to fight with his cock not to react to the scent of jasmine or her luscious body. When his feet hit the porch, she held the door for him and pointed to the clothes lying on the bench.
"There are the clothes. The bathroom is through the door there to your left."
"Thank you. You're a very gracious hostess."
The pink color in her cheeks delighted him and made him edgy at the same time now that he knew she hadn't really gotten married. Getting involved with her would be wrong on so many levels. If she didn't get married, it meant she was probably on the rebound from a breakup. Those types of relationships never last. Not that he thought of her on a long-term basis. They were too different. He'd grown up poor whereas he knew by the look of the house and the land surrounding it, she'd grown up fairly well to do. Yes, he had a thriving practice, but at the moment ends barely met. He hardly had time for any type of relationship anyway.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, she dropped her gaze to the floor and he headed for the bathroom to change. The sooner he could leave the better. The more time in her presence, the more apt she would be to guess his identity.
Mitchell kept up the conversation during dinner as Marcus listened to the two of them tease each other and laugh. The sound of her laughter made him smile. The throaty chuckle drew his balls up tight against his groin as his fingertips tingled to trace her smiling lips.
"Do you have siblings, Marcus," she asked, her attention now on him as she slipped the tines of the fork between her lips.
"Yes, two brothers and one sister."
"Oh, I bet you all tortured her terribly while you were growing up."
"Not so much. We protected her more than anything else. Of course, she says we never let her have any fun."
"Where do they live?"
"Boston."
"I thought I heard a hint of a New England accent. What brought you to Montana?"
He shrugged, focusing on his plate. He hated talking about himself.
"Oh, come on. Something drew you to our fair state," she said, wiping her mouth with the napkin.
"It's kind of embarrassing actually."
"It certainly can't be any more embarrassing than my love of riding fences and branding cattle."
Surprise whipped down his spine. "You brand cattle?" The sexy laugh made him hold his breath waiting for her answer.
"I can brand 'em with the best, huh Dad?"
"You bet, honey. She's one of the best wranglers and ropers I had until she went off to Los Angeles for school." Mitchell patted her on the hand as he took another bite.
"Remind me not to give her any rope."
"You would be in so much trouble."
His cock pulsed behind the fly of his jeans, riding the zipper so hard he imagined the teeth of the fly gouging his engorged flesh. Fuck. This is getting out of control. Easy man. She's off limits.
With their plates clean, they all pushed back from the table and moved toward the kitchen.
"Why don't you two grab a beer and head out back? I think you two probably have a lot in common. I've got some work to do on the books, but it's a beautiful night. Might as well enjoy it."
"I would love to be able to talk to someone about doctor stuff. There aren't too many people I can talk to who understand at least a little of what I'm saying. What do you say, Marcus?"
"I really should be getting home. It's been a long day and I—"
"Just for a few minutes?"
He sighed, mentally kicking himself as the words spilled from his lips. "All right."
The moment they stepped outside, she moved toward the swing to sit down. "Dad's right. The night is gorgeous. I'd forgotten how pretty the night sky is
here. In L.A., you can't see the stars very well."
"Do you miss California?" he asked, taking a seat next to her even though he knew it was a bad idea.
"No. Things got bad right at the end of my schooling. I'm glad to be out of there."
"Do you want to talk about your situation?" Stupid Marcus, really stupid. "I mean you don't have to if you’d rather not…"
She inhaled a sharp breath before saying, "I found out my boyfriend was using me while he fucked around with everything in a skirt between home and Singapore." A quick brush of her fingers across her cheek revealed the wetness that tore at his heartstrings. Her rueful laugh sounded hollow and forlorn. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a little bitter. I found a receipt from one of the jewelry stores on his desk. I thought he was about to ask me to marry him. When I went to meet him at the airport on his return trip from New York, I got a really rude surprise."
Unable to stop himself, he reached over to grab her hand, squeezing it in comfort. "Any man would be a fool to do something so stupid to you."
"Thank you," she replied, turning to look at him full on.
Moonlight spilled across her face as she frowned, pulling her hand from his grasp. Crap.
"Are you sure we've never met?"
"I—"
After a sharp inhalation, she said, "You're him. My masked stranger."
Chapter Three
"I'm not sure what you mean, Elizabeth."
The perplexed look on his face almost made her think she might be wrong, but no. She knew those eyes, the striking blue color had mesmerized her from the moment she'd stared into them. "The guy from the ball last year. In the tux. We danced. You kissed me!"
"Elizabeth, I…"
She followed him to the rail, forcing him back around with a hand on his arm. Tingles raced down her spine as her breathing sped up, pushing her straining nipples against the rough fabric of her shirt. What the hell? Indignation rushed through her. He'd deliberately kept something from her. The lack of a relationship between them didn't matter. He knew all along who she was and he didn't say a word. "What kind of game are you playing?"
"I'm not."