by Pamela Toth
“I haven’t been much of anywhere,” she replied on a surge of renewed hope.
“Do you want to have dinner after work tomorrow?” he asked.
Zoe came to a sudden decision. If he still wanted to see her, even knowing the eventual outcome, she was going to indulge herself. “I’d like that.”
After they settled on a time for him to pick her up, he tipped up her chin and leaned closer. Briefly his fingers increased their pressure as he covered her mouth in a hot, hard kiss. She felt the sizzling contact right down to her toes, but before she could respond, he released her.
His eyes blazed into hers. “See you tomorrow.” Without waiting for her response, he opened the door and left.
Wrapping her arms around her quivering middle, Zoe watched his departing figure until he turned up the street and disappeared into the night. Not once did he look back.
When Chris reached his car and slid behind the wheel, he could still feel the touch of her lips against his mouth. Leaving her tonight had been damned difficult, but he didn’t figure the sense of loss was anything compared to the wrenching separation he was going to feel when the time came to let her go. Her future plans might be set in concrete, but his were suddenly filled with questions whose answers he was determined to explore.
“Are you seeing Dr. Taylor again?” Vadivu asked when she walked into the locker room a few days later.
Zoe had changed into jeans and a thick sweater for her visit to his ranch. “Afraid so,” she replied as she pulled on her boots.
When she got to her feet, she smiled at the other woman’s reflection in the mirror. “We’re stopping for burgers and then we’re going to his place so I can help with the animals.” She wrinkled her nose. “That should be fun.”
Over dinner at Sebastian’s the other night, Chris had suggested to her that they end the speculation at work by having lunch together in the cafeteria the next day. According to the grapevine, they were now a couple.
Vadivu worked lotion into her hands. “Have you thought about what you’ll do when your residency is up?” she asked. “Might you stay on here?”
Her question raised issues that Zoe had been doing her best to ignore. “Hey, slow down,” she said with an artificial laugh as she applied fresh gloss to her lips. “I’ve only been seeing Chris for a short time. We aren’t serious.”
Although he had kissed her passionately on several occasions, he had made no attempt to sleep with her again. Zoe wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed by his restraint. Mostly she was just plain frustrated.
“It may not be serious yet,” Vadivu warned as she ran a brush through her heavy black hair, “but I’ve seen the way he looks at you in the E.R. It’s very romantic.”
Zoe shook her head as though doing so could ward off Vu’s words. Zoe wasn’t about to discuss the amazing physical compatibility she had with Chris. “We’re just having fun, but we both know it can’t go anywhere,” she said instead.
Vadivu rolled her dark eyes. “Tell Dr. Taylor that, not me.” She had begun hanging out with a lab tech from Bombay and she’d confided in Zoe that both of their families approved.
“You’ve got romance on the brain because of John,” Zoe retorted.
Giggling softly, Vadivu sprayed perfume on the honey-tanned skin of her throat. “At least we haven’t made it to the hospital grapevine top-ten list like some people in this room.” She sighed dramatically. “I have to tell you, though, that you’re old news since last night’s slugfest in the parking lot between the ICU nurse and her husband.”
“I heard he’d been drinking,” Zoe replied as she twisted her hair into a knot on top of her head, letting the shorter strands hang loose. “I feel bad for her.”
“So do I.” Vu dug through her oversize purse until she found her cell phone. “Have a good time cleaning stalls.”
“You, too.” Zoe made a face before she left. As she drove to old town to meet Chris a few moments later, she rehashed the other resident’s comments. If Chris was falling for Zoe as Vadivu claimed, why did he seem content with a kiss at the door?
Her father had called on her cell phone this afternoon, returning the message she’d left him three days ago. He made no effort to remember her schedule even though she e-mailed it every week, so it was sheer luck that he’d caught her on a break. As usual, he had asked how she was and then barreled ahead without giving her a chance to respond before handing her off to his wife. Frustrated, Zoe ended up trying to explain to Marcus that she had to go back to work.
“I’m worried about Juliet,” Chris said as he drove Zoe out to his place after they left The Hitching Post. Talking about the pregnant waitress beat trying to analyze Zoe.
She had been unusually quiet during dinner, making him think she might beg off going home with him, but she hadn’t. “I don’t think she’s taking good care of herself,” he added.
“I know. The poor girl looks tired.” Zoe rested her hand on the console between them. When he gave it a squeeze, she linked her fingers with his. How pathetic he had gotten that such a simple gesture would make his nerves tingle with anticipation.
For the last week he had reined in his desire to make love to her again in order to show her that he wanted more from her than sex. A couple of times when he had forced himself to let her go, he’d thought he’d glimpsed a reflection of his own frustration on her face.
He didn’t know how much longer he could resist temptation, not when the memory of losing himself in her woke him up at night bathed in sweat and hard as a railroad spike.
“Do you know whether Juliet is planning to stop working soon?” Zoe asked as his house came in sight. “Being on her feet so much can’t be good for her.”
“She seemed to appreciate your interest,” Chris replied. “If I were pregnant, I think I’d prefer a female doctor.”
“Honey, if you were pregnant, you’d have your choice of any doctor you wanted,” Zoe chuckled. “Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.”
Chris tightened his grip on her hand. “I should have seen that coming.”
“Seriously, I promise to save my lecture on the need for more women’s health care until another time,” Zoe added.
It was an opening he couldn’t ignore. “Then I’ll save my comment about the town’s need for another OB/GYN until then, as well.”
Her silence didn’t surprise him. Perhaps it was too soon to mention the future, but he was falling hard. Already the thought of losing her scared the hell out of him.
Releasing her hand, he turned into his driveway. “Well, here comes the welcoming committee,” he said when he saw Ringo.
What had Chris expected Zoe to say—that some guy she’d started sleeping with was suddenly more important than the career she’d worked so hard to accomplish? How would he feel if the situation was reversed?
As soon as Zoe opened her door, the dog ran around to her side of the car as though Chris had ceased to exist. He hoped that Ringo would remember his manners and not jump up on her.
“Hey, boy.” Zoe extended her hand. “Remember me?”
The dog promptly sat on his butt in the driveway and extended his paw, ears pricked and tongue lolling. Where the hell had he learned that?
Not from Chris, who was tempted to follow Ringo’s example.
Chris tried to picture the small ranch through Zoe’s eyes as she looked around. This place had been home for as long as he could remember. There was nowhere he would rather live.
In the glow from the porch light, did the house hold any charm for someone like Zoe? Did the stable and the corral fences look run-down in the cold glow from the utility pole? Did the smell overwhelm her?
He took her hand, wishing she would speak.
“Before we visit the animals, could I use your bathroom?” she asked.
As Zoe followed Chris up the front steps, she could imagine sitting on the wide porch in a pair of matching rocking chairs as the evenings grew milder and the chores were done. Something tugged at her
when she thought of how relaxing it would be to discuss the events of the day as they rocked in unison, admiring the view.
After Chris unlocked the front door, he reached inside to switch on a light.
“Welcome,” he said, stepping back to let her go in first.
“I thought you country types didn’t believe in locking your doors,” she said, unzipping her jacket.
“Never used to,” he replied as he slipped it from her shoulders, “but one of the neighbors had a break-in a couple of months ago. Even with Ringo on guard, locking the doors seemed like a good idea after that.”
The dog, who had followed them inside, cocked his head at the sound of his name.
“I’d almost forgotten what a pretty place this is,” Zoe commented as she stood in the entry and looked around.
“Powder room’s still down the hall,” Chris told her. “I’ll feed the pooch and get some coffee started unless you’d rather have tea.”
Zoe rested her hand on the bathroom door frame, which had been refinished to a satin sheen. “Coffee’s fine, thanks.” No one got through medical school and internship without developing a fondness for caffeine.
When she came back out, the furnace was humming as it took off the chill and she could hear Chris in the kitchen. Without being straight-out nosy, she took the opportunity to look around again on her way back through the house.
Although it was definitely old-fashioned with its high ceilings and the rock fireplace in the living room, its appeal was growing on her.
As she ran her hand over the dark wood banister, he appeared in the doorway wearing a concerned expression.
“What is it?” she asked, hoping he hadn’t been called back to work while she’d been in the powder room. “Is something wrong?”
He crossed the room and took her face in his hands. “Yes, something is very wrong.” His voice was deeper than normal as he brushed one thumb across her lower lip. “I haven’t kissed you in way too long,” he whispered.
The warmth of his fingers on her sensitive skin and the intensity of his gaze sent reaction flooding through her. She gripped his wrists to keep from sinking to the floor in a boneless heap.
“Zoe, I’m crazy about you,” he said right before his mouth covered hers. “Stay with me tonight, please.”
Chapter Eleven
Zoe could hardly pull away in the middle of a kiss—a very hot, openmouthed kiss—to ask whether he was talking about her spending the night with him now or staying on in Thunder Canyon. When he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, she forgot to think at all.
By the time he finally let her go, she was in no condition to formulate a coherent question. Her heart was hammering like the drum in a marching band and she nearly forgot to breathe.
Face flushed, Chris managed a devilish grin as he tucked a strand of Zoe’s hair behind her ear with his finger. His other arm was still curved around her, his hand splayed on her hip to anchor her against him.
“Ready to help me clean stalls?” he asked.
Zoe blinked up at him as he let her go and reality sank in. “I think some fresh air will do us both some good,” she agreed. Lifting her arms, she made sure the clip in her hair was secure.
“Lead on, MacFarmer.”
“That’s MacRancher to you,” he retorted as he grabbed her hand. “The coffee should be ready. Let’s take a couple of mugs with us.”
While her body still simmered from the heat of their embrace, he apparently had no trouble switching from passionate lover to joking companion. One thing was for sure, her opportunity to ask exactly what he had meant earlier was now gone.
Minutes later they carried their coffee through the cool evening to the stable. In the corral a group of horses crowded eagerly against the fence. Ears twitching, feet stamping, they nickered an impatient welcome.
“They’re beautiful,” Zoe exclaimed.
“Come on,” Chris urged when she would have lingered to visit. “Let’s get the stalls ready. You can make friends after I let them inside.”
He showed her how to measure out the grain and fill the hay nets while he shoveled up the soiled bedding from each stall. Although they bantered and teased each other while they worked, Zoe could feel the awareness building between them. Sneaking glances, imagining him all hot and sweaty, made her want to strip off his clothes right in the stable and run her hands all over him.
When he caught her watching him, his smile disappeared. He set down the wheelbarrow and stalked toward her, never taking his gaze from her face.
Zoe began to tremble and her mouth went dry. Her feet had lost the will to move. When he reached her, he grabbed her hips and hauled her up against him without saying a word. As he lifted her, she clung to his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist and straining against him through two layers of denim. She kissed the warm salty skin of his throat while he carried her through an open doorway into a small room and set her on the edge of some sort of low cabinet.
He kissed her, his tongue sliding against hers. She yanked open the snaps of his shirt and pulled it free from his jeans. When her hands reached his bare skin, sliding up his torso, he groaned.
His breathing was harsh as he shrugged out of his jacket and unzipped her parka. When she lifted her arms, he peeled her sweater over her head and fumbled with the front clasp of her bra. Frantic to feel his hands on her, she freed it for him and leaned back on her arms.
He covered her breasts with his hands and stroked her sensitized nipples with his thumbs. When she gasped her pleasure, he bent his head. After a moment she cradled his jaw in her hands and fused her mouth to his while she reached for the buckle of his belt.
He pulled away with a groan. In a few deft movements, he yanked off her boots and stripped her from the waist down. Tossing a folded blanket onto the cabinet, he set her back down and kissed her again. Amid their mingled gasps and sighs, she unzipped his fly and freed him. As she pushed down his jeans and shorts, she realized vaguely that his Broncos cap was still on his head.
He caressed her intimately with his long clever fingers, making her forget all about the damned cap. Burning with need, she slid to the edge of the cabinet and spread her legs wide, offering herself. He braced one arm against the wall behind her as she guided him into her. For a moment he held himself still. Hands on his hips, she pressed against him, sobbing when he started to move.
He felt so good that she thought she would come apart. As he drove into her, she shattered around him, muffling her cries against his shoulder as the spasms shook her. His body went rigid and then he began to shudder as she held on tight.
When he collapsed against her, neither of them moved as they both struggled for breath.
“Are you okay?” he asked eventually, untangling himself.
“Mmm,” was all she could manage. Her entire body was limp, as though her bones had dissolved and all her circuits had melted. She shifted herself around on the blanket with her legs discreetly closed. “Oh, yeah,” she finally added as she recovered. “Okay is definitely an understatement.”
He had pulled up his jeans and tucked in his shirt-tail. He bent down and picked up her clothes.
After he had put his jacket back on and she’d turned her jeans right side out, he laid his hand against her cheek.
“The shower back at the house is big enough for two,” he said, buckling his belt. “I’ll let you put yourself back together while I bring in the horses. I’m surprised they haven’t knocked down the fence.”
A little while later, Chris stood in the doorway to the living room and studied Zoe as she sat curled in front of the fire wearing his maroon velour robe. They had made love a second time in the shower and then again on his king-size bed.
The pan of frozen lasagna he’d stuck into the oven earlier was nearly ready. He wasn’t sure about her, but he’d managed to work up a considerable appetite.
Something must have alerted her to his presence in the doorway, because she looked up at him and smiled. The
deep V of the robe framed the shadowy cleavage between her breasts. Briefly he considered turning down the oven so the lasagna wouldn’t burn while he took her back to bed, but his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
“Dinner’s nearly ready,” he said. “How about some wine while I warm the bread?”
“Wine sounds lovely.” She tightened the belt of his robe when she got to her feet. “If you’re going to indulge, don’t forget that I’ll need a lift back to my car.”
“Why don’t you stay over?” he suggested. “I’ve got to go in early tomorrow, so I can drop you at your car on my way.”
Her smile faltered. “I can’t stay. Tomorrow’s my day off. I was planning to sleep in and then I’ve got a list of chores.” She rested her hands lightly on his chest, her eyes full of secrets. “I’m sorry. Do you mind?”
“When you look at me like that, how can I resist?” He kept his tone light while he smoothed her lapel. “The robe looks better on you than it ever did on me.”
“Even so,” she replied, “I think I’ll get dressed, if I have time.”
He waved her away. “Go ahead.” It was plain to see that she was intent on establishing boundaries and regaining a sense of control. “Anything to get out of setting the table, I suppose,” he added as he went back to the kitchen.
When she joined him, he saw that she had pinned her hair back up and put on lipstick. In her simple white sweater and snug jeans, she took his breath away.
He handed her a glass of wine. “You’re the best-looking stable hand I’ve seen in a long time,” he murmured, saluting her with the other glass. Since he’d be driving, it held about an inch of ruby liquid.
“That’s the nicest toast that I’ve ever heard,” she replied after they’d each taken a sip, “and the lasagna smells wonderful. Suddenly I’m starving.”
“I thought we’d eat in here,” he replied. “It’s cozier.” He had lit a fat candle in the center of the small round table to go with the trio burning on the granite counter.