The Best Blind Date in Texas

by Victoria Chancellor

  Amy closed her eyes so she wouldn’t see the smiling faces of all the people they were deceiving. The one with the biggest grin was her dad.

  Chapter Eleven

  To prepare for tonight’s New Year’s Eve party, Amy settled her plum jersey dress over her head, let it slide down her hips and then zipped it up in back. The dress was plain, but hugged her body in all the right places. Since the party tonight wasn’t formal, she’d dressed for comfort. The tight sleeve caught on her newest piece of jewelry.

  She’d been wearing Gray’s ring for almost forty-eight hours, Amy thought as she stared at the sparkling emerald-cut diamond. Already she felt as if she’d been engaged forever. With a sigh, she wiggled the dress into place before making sure no loose threads were caught in the mounting.

  She hadn’t handled the situation very well on Friday night, she admitted as she slipped on her strappy sandals. For one thing, she’d been surprised. She wasn’t good with the unexpected. Once, at the Fort Worth clinic, her colleagues had thrown a small surprise birthday party. She hadn’t known what to say. Instead of enjoying cake and ice cream, she’d thought about her waiting patients and piles of paperwork. No, surprises weren’t a favorite.

  Although she had to admit Gray had handled “popping the question” rather well. She’d found out later that he hadn’t invited all the Ranger Springs residents. They’d found out he was taking her to the restaurant from Ethan, who’d let it slip to his daytime dispatcher, Susie. They’d come out of curiosity and love, so she couldn’t be too critical of their participation in her engagement. They’d assumed her tears were those of joy, not of fear and confusion.

  She pinned the diamond-encrusted caduceus onto the bodice of her dress, admiring the workmanship and detail. Gray certainly had a good eye for jewelry. Her engagement ring sparkled in the lights of the vanity. She paused once more to admire it, resting her hand against the dark fabric of her dress. He’d really picked out a beauty. She was going to miss this ring.

  When they were no longer engaged, she hoped he could get his money back on the diamond. Or at least use it in another mounting—maybe for himself. After all, he’d vowed never to marry again, and she believed him. He held a part of himself back, as if he was afraid he might fall in love if he let his guard down. She knew he was attracted to her, but she didn’t presume that she could make him fall in love with her, even if she wanted him to. Her previous experience with men, from boys in high school throughout professionals in her medical career, had proved that attractions were fleeting. The kind of love that had true staying power was rare, something she’d never experienced except inside the family with her father and mother.

  She had a strong suspicion she could fall hard for Gray, if only he’d open himself up a little. And that knowledge frightened her. She didn’t want to fall in love with a man who wouldn’t love her in return. She never wanted to make someone love her.

  GRAY HAD BEEN TO THE country club in Dripping Springs several times in the past, but he’d never enjoyed a social function as much as he was this New Year’s Eve party. The difference existed in the woman beside him, the woman who wore his ring. A fierce sense of joy swept through him whenever he saw that diamond on Amy’s finger.

  Not that she belonged to him. Never that. But she had accepted his ring, the one he’d chosen to make a statement to the world. She’s mine. The feeling was unexpected. What had begun as a way to avoid unwanted dates had turned into so much more. He wasn’t sure in what direction the relationship was going, but to something beyond convenience. Something beyond pretending to be involved for the sake of others.

  “Having fun?” she asked him, bringing his attention back to the present. She looked beautiful tonight with her dark hair swept up in some sort of clip, strands teasing her neckline. The dress she wore fit perfectly, showing her curves and graceful posture. The pin he’d given her for Christmas was the only jewelry she wore except for some small sparkling earrings and the engagement ring.

  Maybe for Valentine’s Day he’d get her some diamond earrings to match the ring. They’d look beautiful on her delicate ears. He smiled at her, wishing they were someplace private. “Only because you’re with me.”

  “What a nice answer! I wish I knew if it were true.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sometimes you’re so perfect I can’t decide if you’re real.”

  Her answer angered him. Quick, hot anger that swept through his body. He had the irrational urge to show her how imperfect he could be by pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless, right here in the elegant country club ballroom. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, press his body against her, take her—

  “Gray?”

  He took a deep breath. “What?”

  “You looked…strange. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just a little upset that you seem to believe I’m lying to you.”

  She appeared shocked. “I never accused you of lying!”

  “You said I was too perfect to be real.”

  “That was a compliment.”

  “It sounded like an insult.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Are we having our first argument as an engaged couple?”

  “I suppose we are.” He took another deep breath, then leaned closer. “I have an irrational urge to kiss you—hard, not one of those easy, slow kisses. And I’d like to stretch you out on that buffet table, right between the little cheesecake squares and the strawberries with whipped cream. I’m using all my concentration to keep from acting on my impulses, because the logical part of my brain knows that you would not appreciate being treated like dessert.”

  She smiled, her lips turning up in a secretive, seductive way that made his fingers clench tighter around the glass of single malt Scotch he’d been sipping all night. “Funny you should mention dessert. The other night, at the German restaurant in Wimberley…”

  “Go on.”

  “Right before you gave me the ring,” she said, flashing a smile and the diamond, giving him another fierce surge of pride, “I had a similar vision. I was thinking that you—”

  “Amy! How wonderful to see you again.”

  The strident voice cut through the wonderful fantasy she’d begun to weave. He turned to see who had so inconveniently interrupted them.

  “Maryanne,” Amy said with feigned enthusiasm. He’d been around her enough to recognize that polite tone of voice she used when she had to say the appropriate words.

  “I just noticed you across the room.” As she’d done at the medical fund-raiser in Austin, Maryanne hugged Amy politely and placed an air kiss near her temple. “How wonderful you look tonight.”

  As if she didn’t always look great. He smiled politely.

  “If I’m not mistaken, this handsome man was also your date at the charity event a few months ago.”

  “That’s right,” Amy said, giving him a mischievous look as she placed her left hand on his arm. “Maryanne Perkins Bridges, may I present my fiancé, Grayson Phillips?”

  AMY FELT A STRONG SURGE of pride when she introduced Gray to Maryanne again, this time as her fiancé. She watched her former rival closely, detecting a bit of jealousy as Maryanne’s gaze roamed over Gray’s well-tailored charcoal suit, his precisely cut hair and his handsome features.

  He did appear almost too good to be true, but she wasn’t going to accuse him of deceiving her again. She hadn’t meant the remark that way, but she had spoken without thinking. Gray wasn’t a naturally deceptive person, she sensed, even though he was a deliberately private one.

  If they were really getting married, she’d expect him to be more open. Since they weren’t…

  “Engaged!” Maryanne shrieked. “How marvelous. When did all this happen?”

  “Friday night,” Amy answered. Gray put his arm around her and smiled at Maryanne.

  “Why, you’re only just engaged. And so soon.”

  “I feel like I’ve known Amy forever,” Gray said. “Being without he
r another moment was out of the question.”

  “How romantic,” Maryanne sighed. Her distinguished-looking husband approached them, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder.

  “Darling,” he said, “introduce me to your friends.”

  Amy recognized Weldon Bridges, the much older doctor Maryanne had married several years ago, but he obviously didn’t remember her. While still a striking man, he and Maryanne looked more like father and daughter than husband and wife. Apparently Hollywood didn’t have a monopoly on these May/December relationships.

  They chatted about the party, the weather and the traffic for a few minutes before Maryanne directed her attention back to Amy. “How is the medical clinic in Ranger Springs?”

  “Just fine, thank you. I’m enjoying being back home.”

  “Still, it’s sometimes difficult to compete against the larger clinic in the cities, especially the ones with more technology.”

  “I’m planning on updating the equipment very soon.”

  “Really? Well, that’s admirable. Tell me,” she said, taking a sip of champagne, “have you ever thought of selling to a corporation who could provide that type of technology?”

  Selling? No, the thought had never crossed her mind. The Wheatley Medical Clinic needed to be independent. A Wheatley should be the physician, not some stranger who didn’t know the community.

  “No, Maryanne, I know I can speak for my father when I say we’re not interested in selling.” She wanted the clinic to go on for a long, long time, even after her father retired. She wanted life in Ranger Springs to continue uninterrupted, even with friends who meddled in your life and patients who questioned your qualifications.

  She’d just gotten her life settled—or as settled as possible, given the situation with Gray—and she didn’t want anything to disrupt it. Perhaps she was too young to be considered a stick-in-the-mud, but where her personal and professional lives were concerned, she didn’t want change. She needed stability more than excitement, more than wealth.

  “What a shame. My husband and I are creating a chain of clinics in smaller towns. We’d love to consider yours as a candidate.”

  “Sorry, I’m not interested.”

  “It’s nearly midnight, sweetheart,” Gray said, leaning close to her ear. He smiled at Maryanne and her husband. “I’d like to spend the first moment of the new year alone with Amy. I’m sure you understand.”

  Maryanne sighed, clearly displeased by either her response or by Gray’s artful excuse for them to leave. She was also staring at him with an appreciative gleam in her eyes.

  “Nice to meet you, Dr. Bridges,” Gray said.

  “Yes, nice to see you both again,” Amy added as Gray looped her arm through his.

  Within moments he’d snared two glasses of champagne and steered her into a corner, behind a potted palm. “I don’t want to risk getting sidetracked by any other acquaintances.”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking a drink of champagne. “I certainly didn’t want to talk to Maryanne and her husband any longer. What made her think we’d ever sell the clinic?”

  “Probably greed on their part. I’m sure she hadn’t really thought about how you feel about it.”

  Gray rubbed her shoulder. “Don’t worry about her.”

  “I’m not. She just irritates me.”

  “Let’s not start the new year thinking about Maryanne.” He took both glasses and set them in the potted palm. Then his arms came around her and he pulled her closer.

  “What should we be thinking of?”

  “How about us?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “I thought ‘we’ are all settled for the moment.”

  “I don’t feel settled.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you so much. I can’t stop thinking about last week. About Tuesday night.”

  “Your furnace?” she said weakly, trying to lighten the moment.

  “Your body. Your passion,” he whispered in her ear. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  Her pulse pounded fast and hard. “What are we going to do about it?”

  “Spend the night with me. Tonight. Let’s go someplace private where no one will interrupt us, where no one will carry tales back to the café.”

  The band began to play and the countdown to the new year began. A new start, with new opportunities. She rested her left hand on his chest, the diamond sparkling even in the low light. “Yes.”

  “Three-two-one,” Gray whispered. “Happy New Year.” And then he kissed her, masterfully, thoroughly and passionately. Her arms crept around his neck and she put everything into kissing him back, showing him how very special he was to her. How much she wanted to be alone with him.

  “Happy New Year to you, too,” she said softly when the kiss ended, as cheers celebrating the new year faded away, as the band played “Auld Lang Syne.” “Now, where was that hotel room?”

  INSTEAD OF HEADING INTO Austin, Gray drove to a new chain hotel on nearby Highway 290. Amy felt pleasantly surprised that he’d spend New Year’s in something less than plush. Gray always seemed so far above the norm, as though he wasn’t part of the regular world. Just another indication of how strong an image he presented.

  “I made a reservation earlier,” he explained, “just in case.” When he reached into the back seat of the Lexus and pulled out a gym bag, Amy raised her eyebrow.

  Gray shrugged. “I wanted to be prepared. I didn’t think you had a toothbrush and deodorant in that little purse of yours.”

  Amy shook her head and smiled. “No, I didn’t, but to tell you the truth, the morning after is the last thing on my mind.”

  He parked in front of the room, then opened the lock with one hand while he kept the other arm around her shoulders. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said as he pushed the door open.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, turning in his arms as the door shut, “except into that bed.”

  “Not yet.”

  He eased both hands into her hair, loosening the strands with his fingers. The clip that held the loose curls fell to the carpet. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

  She closed her eyes as he massaged her scalp. When his lips touched hers, she was surprised for an instant, but then gave into the sensation of his warm, firm mouth. The stroke of his tongue. The seal of his lips over hers. She matched his passion, giving back equally until they were both breathing hard, their bodies trembling.

  Gray looked deeply into her eyes as his fingers found the zipper of her dress, sliding it down until cool air touched her back. She shivered, moving even closer against the wall of Gray’s chest. He was solid and warm, hard where she was soft, a perfect fit.

  A temporary fit. No, she didn’t want to go there tonight. Especially not now, when his hands were moving on her flesh, searching, seeking.

  “Wait,” she whispered. She pulled away, ready to be out of this clinging dress, ready to show Gray what she’d worn beneath. She tugged her sleeves down, exposing her shoulders, then the top of her breasts. The dress caught, so she hooked her fingers in the bodice and pulled it lower, past the lace of the strapless bustier.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” Gray said through tense lips.

  “I’m trying my best.” She wiggled the dress lower, over her hips, until she stood before him in the raciest underwear she’d ever worn.

  “Where did you get that outfit?”

  “This old thing?” she asked, running her index finger along the top edge, from the swell of her breast to her exaggerated cleavage. “Mail order.”

  “I didn’t know Ranger Springs allowed X-rated catalogs.”

  “It came in a brown-paper wrapper,” she teased. “Actually, this is pretty tame. I could have gotten something even naughtier.”

  “Not if you want me to live.”

  “Remember,” she said, “I know CPR.”

  “To hell with the bed,” Gray said, reaching for the bare strip of skin above the lacy bikini
panties, “the dresser is closer.”

  She laughed, feeling joyous and free. Free to make love to him. Free to show him how she felt, with her body if not with the words clogging her throat.

  “Oh, no. The first time was fantastic, but we were wild for each other. I let you set the pace. This time I’m taking charge.”

  He pulled her against his arousal, pressing hard against her so she couldn’t misunderstand the urgency in his eyes. “Take charge fast. I’m still wild for you.”

  “Where’s your legendary self-control?” she asked as she loosened his tie, pulling it free. With a smile she hoped was both teasing and seductive, she began unfastening the buttons of his white shirt, revealing his firm chest inch by enticing inch.

  “When I get you alone, I don’t seem to have much.”

  “Hmm. Interesting,” she said, running her hands up his abdomen and chest. He sucked in his breath, his muscles rippling with the effort, and then shuddered when she lightly scraped her nails across his flat nipples. “What do you think that means?”

  “Enough talking,” he growled, grabbing her hips and pulling her close. “I’ve decided you can take charge the second time.”

  “Do you always get what you want?” she asked, her lips just a fraction of an inch from his.

  “Always.” He kissed her fiercely, as though he could draw her into his soul. His tongue coaxed and demanded, and she complied, molding herself to him, reveling in the firm grip of his hands, the insistent press of his arousal. When he pulled her closer, her nipples rubbed against the lace of her bustier, pushing her desire higher.

  Her fingers worked first the belt, then the button and zipper of his slacks as he walked her backward toward the bed. Despite vowing that he wasn’t going to let her take charge, he moved back so she could run her hands around his waist, beneath the elastic of his briefs. When she moved her hands to his shoulders and pressed him onto the bed, he sat down.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting you naked.”

  He smiled tightly as she knelt, removing his shoes and socks.