Playboy Surgeon, Top-Notch Dad

by Janice Lynn

  Addy, too.

  Whatever feelings Blair had for him, he’d killed when she’d walked away from his bed and he’d told her he just wanted to be friends.

  Idiot.

  And last night, what had he done? Pushed her to trust him when he hadn’t trusted her.

  He hadn’t, not with his heart.

  Stephanie cleared her throat, causing him to look at her. “Tell her, Oz. Tell her before it’s too late.”

  Could he tell Blair how much he cared? To do that would give her the ultimate power over him. Would give her the power his father had held over his mother. Would cast him in the role of his mother if Blair didn’t feel the same, if she couldn’t trust him with her heart.

  The MC motioned for Oz to take the stage.

  Blair didn’t have to prove anything by watching women bid on Oz.

  “Can you keep an eye on Addy for a few minutes?”

  Reesee nodded, giving Blair a sympathetic look. Her sister knew exactly why she was leaving the room.

  “Mommy, you’ll miss Dr Oz.” Addy’s big eyes looked at Blair as if she were insane to leave now. “We have to bid on him ’cause I miss him. And his date is sailing. And I love sailing.”

  Blair’s mouth opened, but she didn’t know what to tell her daughter. She looked at her sister, hoping for help, but Reesee only shrugged. “She loves sailing. Buy the kid a date with the man.”

  Like Blair could afford him, even if she wanted to bid on Oz, which she didn’t.

  “Addy, hon, we can’t buy Oz’s date.”

  “Why not?” Addy frowned at her mother. “I want to go on Dr Oz’s boat again. I’m a good captain and we need to do more bilfering and blundering.”

  “Pilfering and plundering.” Blair waited for the panic to set in. The panic that always hit her when she thought of sailing. The thought of Addy being on a boat would likely send her into ventricular tachycardia.

  Only her heart kept beating normally.

  Because Oz would never put Addy in harm’s way. Never. He’d protect her with his life.

  “Addy, I can’t buy Oz’s bid. I know you don’t understand, but things are complicated.”

  “Don’t you want to go sailing with Dr Oz?”

  She couldn’t lie to Addy. “I do want to spend time with him, but like I said, things are complicated. His date will go for a lot of money and I don’t have a lot of money.”

  Addy’s face squished with confusion. “But Mommy, we don’t need lots of money. Dr Oz takes us places for free.”

  “I’m sorry, Addy, but I’m not bidding on Oz.” She glanced at no one in particular. “Excuse me.”

  She left the table before anyone could try to convince her to stay.

  Blair made it to the edge of the room and was on her way into the hallway in search of a bathroom when Stephanie caught up with her.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the bathroom.”

  “Now? Oz is up for bid.”

  Did everyone think she was oblivious to that fact? If only.

  “And Oz being up for bid matters to me how?”

  Stephanie frowned at Blair’s snappish question. “He matters to you a great deal. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

  “Then you’ll understand why I have no desire to watch women fight over him.”

  “Why aren’t you fighting for him?”

  Blair stared blankly at Stephanie.

  “If you care about him, why did you let him walk away so easily? He told you he wanted a relationship and you walked away, Blair. Why?”

  “I didn’t understand why he said that last night. Not at first, but tonight I realized. He thinks our being involved would make Dr Talbot happy, that’s why he said what he did. Because he loves Dr Talbot and would do anything to make him happy.”

  “Surely you don’t believe that bunch of bull?”

  Her eyes watering, Blair blinked at her friend. “He’s going to leave, Stephanie. What then? Am I supposed to beg him to stay?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “If that’s what it takes. Loving a man like Oz isn’t easy, but nothing worth having ever is. The real question is—do you love him enough to risk everything to be with him? Even knowing it might not last, even knowing you’d be devastated if it doesn’t? Is the risk of pain worth the joy of loving?”

  Blair stared at Stephanie, a woman in love with a man full of cancerous lesions, a man she’d likely lose to death sooner rather than later. “I do care about Oz.”

  “I’m not the one you should be telling. You need to tell him, right now.”

  “He’s on stage.”

  Stephanie shrugged. “Life’s too short to let something like that stop you. He wants you to buy his date.”

  “This is crazy, Stephanie. I can’t bid on him.” His date was sailing. “I won’t bid on him.”

  Looking disappointed in her, Stephanie shrugged. “Oz wants you to trust him, Blair.”

  Damp heat flushed her skin, darkened her vision.

  “Do you love him?”

  Blair couldn’t speak.

  “Do you?” Stephanie demanded, shaking Blair’s arm.

  “Yes.”

  “Then perhaps it’s time you showed him just how much.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  OZ SCANNED the crowd, but the stage lights prevented him from seeing beyond the first row of tables.

  Blair hadn’t returned to her seat. She’d caught his eye when he went onto the stage, but he hadn’t been able to spot her since. Had she left?

  She’d cared for him, but he’d been a fool and lost her.

  Hell, he’d pushed her away.

  He’d been right about one thing. He didn’t deserve Blair.

  But he wanted her.

  With all his heart.

  Prior to meeting Blair, Oz would have winked at the busty redhead bidding on him. He would have grinned at the leggy blonde raising the stakes. These days he only had eyes for one woman.

  Because he was nothing like his father.

  A curvy little brunette had captured his heart.

  And she’d left.

  Out of love for Dr T, he kept a smile pasted on his face, but his heart wasn’t in the auction.

  His heart was wherever Blair was.

  Damn it. As soon as the auction was over, he was going to find her, make her listen, make her understand.

  Then he was going to do what he should have done to begin with after they’d made love, what he should have said last night when he’d made such a mess of telling her how he felt.

  He was going to ask Blair to marry him.

  He’d win her heart.

  Win her love.

  Win her trust.

  In the process he’d win his own happiness.

  Because when he’d been with Blair he’d been happier than he recalled ever being.

  His mother had warned him about being led astray by women. Oz had taken her advice to heart. He’d planned to learn from dear old Dad’s mistakes.

  But Blair wasn’t a mistake.

  Losing her, however, would be the biggest one of his life.

  God, would this auction hurry and end? He had to go find Blair and beg her to forgive him. To marry him.

  He’d never be like his father. He’d earn Blair’s trust and cherish her love. He’d spend all his days glorying in the fact that she’d chosen him to love, chosen him to spend her life with.

  He wouldn’t consider the alternative.

  Hands shaking, Blair motioned to the MC.

  “Looks like we have a new bidder, ladies and gents.”

  Oz glanced in the direction the MC had looked, but Blair knew he couldn’t see her. Still his gaze landed on where she stood and she couldn’t help but wonder if he sensed her.

  “We have a counter bid.” The MC played to the crowd.

  Blair nodded to the bid taker, who’d moved near where she stood.

  The MC shouted in delight at Blair’s bid, calling out for someone to go higher. Someone did.

 
; Blair cringed. She’d have to sell her soul to come up with the cash to cover her bid if she went higher. Still, the money was going to Dr Talbot.

  She bid higher.

  But so did whomever she was bidding against.

  Blair looked at the man onstage, noted that he was worth whatever it cost to make him hers. What guarantee did she have that he’d even give her a chance to tell him how she felt? To tell him how foolish she’d been?

  None whatsoever if she didn’t win this date.

  She would win his date.

  She would go out on his sailboat with him and while out there she’d show him how much she loved him. She’d give him her heart for all time.

  Blair wasn’t surprised when the MC glanced back in her direction for another bid. Fine, what was another five hundred dollars at this point? She motioned to the bid taker, who flashed in her bid.

  “Going once, going twice.”

  Blair held her breath, praying she’d win Oz.

  “Sold. To the cute little blonde in the front.”

  “What?” Blair demanded of the bid taker who’d taken her bid. “I bid. You saw me. You gave him my bid.”

  The poor volunteer shrugged in confusion. “I guess he didn’t see me.”

  Oh, this would never do. She’d go onstage and demand the bid be opened back up, demand her bid be given fair opportunity. No cute little blonde in the front row was going sailing with Blair’s man. Uh-huh. No way.

  Determined to set things straight, she marched toward the stage.

  “Mommy!” Addy exclaimed as Blair stormed past. When she didn’t stop, Addy grabbed her dress. “Mommy, I have a surprise!”

  Blair paused, glanced at her daughter. She didn’t want to dampen Addy’s excitement, but she was desperate to correct the MC’s oversight. “Addy, honey, Mommy needs to talk to the MC a minute about Dr Oz’s date.”

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” Addy grinned, wiggling back and forth in her princess dress, then throwing her arms wide. “Surprise.”

  “Huh?”

  “Aunt Reesee and I bought Oz for you. Dr Talbot and Stephanie helped, too.”

  They’d…

  “Oh, Addy.” Tears stung Blair’s eyes. She’d been bidding against her daughter for a date with Oz. The absurdity of it caused laughter to bubble up her throat. She stooped down and hugged her cute little blonde. “You bought Oz for me?”

  Grinning proudly, Addy nodded. “’Cos we love him, right?”

  “We do, Addy. Mommy loves him so very much.”

  “But do you trust him?”

  Blair spun toward Oz, her face pale as she realized he’d heard what she’d said. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but her words had made his hopes soar. Had she meant her claim? Did she love him?

  God, he hoped so.

  Blair stepped toward him, looked unsure of herself.

  “How do you feel about me, Blair?” he asked, then realized he was taking the easy way out again. He held up his hand. “No, don’t tell me. Listen, instead, to how I feel about you.”

  “I know how you feel about me. You told me last night.”

  “You know that I want to marry you?”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “Say yes, Mommy,” Addy encouraged from beside them. “Yes, Dr Oz, we will marry you.”

  Oz glanced toward Reesee, and she immediately retrieved her niece, who was unhappy about leaving.

  “Because of Dr Talbot?” Blair’s green gaze bored into him. “Is that why you want to get married? Because you know it’ll make him happy?”

  Oz digested what she’d said and put his heart on the line. “How about marrying me to make me happy?”

  Blair blinked. “Why would you want to marry me?”

  “For the same reason most men want to marry a woman.”

  “Which is?”

  “I love you, Blair. I think I have from the moment I first met you, but I was too blind to see it.” He took her hand in his. “My parents weren’t happily married. Not at any point during any of their many marriages. I decided long ago that I wasn’t going to venture into love or marriage. I didn’t realize I wouldn’t be given a choice.”

  “There’s always a choice, Oz.”

  “Then I choose to love you, Blair, and want you to choose to love me.”

  Sincerity shone in his eyes. He was serious. He loved her.

  Blair closed her eyes. “I’m afraid I’ll lose you. I couldn’t bear it.”

  “You won’t lose me, Blair.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

  “I do.” He cupped her face, stared into her eyes. “What happened with Chris was an accident.”

  Blair bit her lower lip. “What if another accident happens?”

  “It won’t.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “No one can ever be sure of something like that. I’ll sell the boat, if that’s what you want, Blair, but this isn’t really about the boat, is it? It’s about taking a chance on loving someone, on possibly getting hurt. It’s about trust, so I have to ask again—do you trust me?”

  He was right. It wasn’t about the boat.

  “Trust me, Blair.”

  “You’ll catch me?”

  He nodded. “Always.”

  “I trust you, Oz. With my heart, with Addy, with my future.”

  “I want you, Blair. Forever. I want you to be my wife, my partner, the mother of my children.”

  “I am yours. Probably from that first day Dr Talbot introduced us, but you scared me.” She pressed her palm to his heart, stared into his eyes and smiled. “I’m not scared anymore, Oz. Not as long as I have you by my side. I’ll marry you if that’s what you want.”

  Tugging on his bow tie and pulling it free from his neck, Oz grinned, feeling as if he could take on the world and win. He took his bow tie, tied it around her wrist. “I don’t have a ring, so for tonight, this shows the world that I belong to you.”

  “That you belong to me? Or vice versa?” Blair laughed.

  “Both.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Blair twined her arms around his neck, stared into his eyes. “I love you, Oz.”

  “Just so you know—” he pressed a kiss to her lips “—I’m going to hold you to that love every day for the rest of our lives.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-5053-0

  PLAYBOY SURGEON, TOP-NOTCH DAD

  First North American Publication 2010

  Copyright © 2009 by Janice Lynn

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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