Cedar Bluff's Most Eligible Bachelor (Cedar Bluff Hospital)

by Laura Iding

  Hailey smiled warmly. “It’s no wonder you’re such a great doctor. I can tell you really care about your work, Simon.”

  He shrugged, pleased with the compliment. Because she was right. His patients were important to him. Although somewhere along the line, his personal life had become important too.

  “I do. Very much.” Which was why he was trying so hard to keep his distance from Hailey. To ignore his unwavering physical attraction to her. His expression turned serious. “I’m sorry Hailey, but I hope you can see where I’m coming from. I can’t afford to screw up this opportunity.”

  Her smile faded and she dropped her gaze. “I understand, Simon. Although, I’ve already tried to explain that I’m not interested in having a romantic relationship with you.”

  Her blunt statement stabbed deep. He ignored the pain, telling himself this was exactly what he wanted. So the kiss they’d shared didn’t mean as much to her as it had to him. Fine. Better for both of them. “Good. Then we’re in agreement. I hope we can remain friends.”

  The expression in her gaze was difficult to read but she readily agreed. “Of course. Friends.”

  There was a long, awkward silence. Time to change the subject to something neutral. He glanced around. “Ah, what time do you work tomorrow?” he asked.

  She lifted a shoulder. “I can go in anytime, as long as I get the work done. Theresa made it clear I could only work four hours a day, regardless. Apparently they don’t want me to overdo things.”

  “Sounds reasonable to me.”

  She grimaced. “I’d rather work full-time, but after that mess today, I’m just grateful Theresa is willing to keep me on at all.”

  He could relate. “I work day shift tomorrow, but I could come over right after work to pick you up,” he offered.

  But she was already shaking her head. “No, thanks, I would rather take the bus in.”

  He didn’t understand the flare of panic. Was this it then? Was she going to stop seeing him completely? He’d been banking on the fact that they’d continue to spend time together at least as friends.

  Quickly, he considered his options. “Actually, that would work out great, Hailey. Why don’t you come in around eleven? You can use my office since I’ll be staffing in the department, caring for patients, and then I can drive you home after my shift is over.”

  For a moment she looked like she might argue, but then she slowly nodded. “Sure, that might work. I’ll see how I feel in the morning.”

  For a moment he wondered if she was just stringing him along, but then he pushed the idea aside. Surely Hailey wasn’t looking forward to riding the bus. While she was on crutches he wanted to help in any way possible.

  His stomach rumbled and he realized they’d missed lunch. “Are you hungry? There’s a Chinese place nearby that delivers.”

  She looked taken aback by his suggestion. “I was planning to relax and watch a movie tonight. Really, Simon, you don’t have to stick around to entertain me. I’ll be fine.”

  “I need to eat too and I don’t have any plans for the evening,” he assured her, getting up from the sofa and pulling out his cell phone. “And luckily I have Chang Lee’s number in my cell phone directory. Chang Lee’s has the best Chinese food in town. Anything in particular you want to eat or should I get a variety?”

  There was a pause and he waited, hoping she wouldn’t tell him to get lost. “A variety.”

  He couldn’t help but grin. It was nice to have a woman who shared his taste in food. Erica had been the queen of eating salads. Except she hadn’t eaten them, she’d picked at them. Had driven him nuts. “Perfect.”

  He gave their order to Mrs. Chang Lee herself, and then picked up the movies she had sitting on top of the DVD player. They were both romantic comedies, but as he’d invited himself over, he wasn’t about to complain. “Which one did you plan on watching?” he asked.

  “The Princess Bride,” she said instantly. “It’s my favorite.”

  He’d never watched it, but tried not to grimace at her selection. He was sure he wouldn’t like the chick flick, but staying there with Hailey for a few hours watching something he didn’t like was better than going home to sit in his empty house all alone.

  His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the screen, wondering who was calling. He frowned when he saw Unidentified number on the display.

  Every day for the past week he’d had hang-up messages on his answering-machine at home. Up to five a day. He figured the telemarketers would give up sooner or later.

  But would telemarketers call on his cell phone? He pushed the button to send the caller to voice mail. The caller with the unidentified number could just leave a message.

  A few minutes later his phone chirped again, announcing he had a voice mail message. Planning to listen to it later, he tucked his phone away.

  He loaded the movie into the DVD player. Ten minutes into the movie, their food arrived. They ate while they watched, and he hated to admit that the movie wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d anticipated.

  Sappy, sure. But enough action to make up for it.

  There was only about six inches of space between them on the sofa as Hailey had stretched out in her search for comfort, her broken leg propped up on several pillows. Her eyelids drooped, as if she was exhausted.

  He seriously considered pulling her into his arms, knowing she’d be far more comfortable, but instantly rejected the idea. He was the one who’d set the boundary of friendship. So he kept his gaze on the movie, subtly watching her out of the corner of his eye.

  Very soon her head dipped down to the right, her chin practically resting on her chest.

  Her breathing evened out and he realized with an amused grin that she’d fallen asleep. When she slid further toward him, he debated only a moment before drawing her close, so she could rest without suffering a crick in her neck.

  She turned her face into the hollow of his shoulder. He held his breath, waiting. Was she awake? When she didn’t move for several long moments, he bent to lightly rest his cheek on the top of her head. Her scent filled his senses and he nearly groaned when his body tightened with need.

  He ignored the urge to kiss her awake. Maybe, if the stars were aligned in his favor, she’d stay close to him like this for a while.

  Pathetic, sure, but he was willing to take what little bit he could get.

  When the movie was over, he didn’t want to disturb her so he used the remote to change the channel to a ball game. Luckily, there was a double header playing. He put the sound on mute and watched the action silently.

  But he couldn’t have told anyone who won the game. Soon he closed his eyes, and held Hailey in his arms as she slept, secretly wishing things could be different.

  Wishing he deserved a personal relationship—a future with someone like Hailey.

  Hailey gradually became aware of her surroundings, realizing very quickly from the deep rumble beneath her ear that she was not alone.

  Sucking in a quick breath, she froze and became instantly wide awake, blinking in the dimness of the room.

  Simon was holding her in his arms. A soft snoring sound filled the air, confirming he’d fallen asleep. There was some old black and white sitcom flickering across the television screen and from what she could see out of her living-room window the night was pitch black.

  She guessed the time to be well after midnight.

  How on earth had this happened? The last thing she remembered was watching The Princess Bride. But not the end, she realized with a frown. Darn it, she’d missed her favorite part.

  Holding herself still, she breathed in Simon’s musky scent, enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against him a little too much.

  She should wake him up and send him on his way. Sleeping in Simon’s arms was not in keeping with their deal.

  Friendship. All he wanted from her was friendship.

  After hearing about what had happened in his previous relationship, and how his personal life had ruined his car
eer, she really couldn’t blame him for not wanting to get personally involved.

  There had been a tiny part of her that had wanted to protest, telling him she was not like his ex-girlfriend. She’d never start a fight with him in the middle of the emergency department.

  After all, she worked there, too.

  Since the flashbacks after her bike accident hadn’t returned, she’d hoped that she’d successfully put the past to rest. Although, if she was honest, she’d admit the familiar cloak of guilt remained.

  She wasn’t the right woman for Simon. He could do far better. She knew he could easily find someone else. Someone worthy of his love. Possibly someone who didn’t work with him in the emergency department.

  But maybe, just for a brief time, enjoying what they had would be heavenly. Because being with Simon like this, in his arms, however accidentally, made her feel alive.

  Steeling her resolve to get up, putting an end to the ridiculous fantasies, she placed her hand on his chest and gently pushed herself upward.

  Simon’s arm tightened around her, holding her in place. “Hailey,” he murmured.

  Her breath lodged in her throat. Was he dreaming about her? The way she’d dreamed about him?

  No, maybe he was awake. “Simon,” she whispered. “We have to get up. We fell asleep.”

  In the dim light of the TV she saw his eyes were open and he was staring at her intently. He shifted and suddenly she was lying more fully against him.

  She sucked in another breath, acutely aware of the rigid hardness of his groin pressing against her.

  “Hailey,” he said again, his tone husky and pleading at the same time. Before she could respond, he lowered his head and kissed her.

  She fisted her hand in his shirt to push him away, but when he angled his head to deepen the kiss she lost the battle with her common sense. With a groan she returned his kiss, eagerly pressing against him, desperate for more.

  She didn’t want to be Simon’s friend.

  She wanted him like this. Holding her and kissing her like he’d never let go.

  The heat of his hand scorched the bare skin of her back when he slid it beneath the thin fabric of her loose top. She nearly wept with intense pleasure.

  Too long. Fourteen long months since she’d been held like this. Kissed like this.

  Made love to like this.

  She shifted to the side, giving him better access to her breasts. Her hand lowered and caressed the rock hardness straining against his zipper.

  He groaned again, pressing deeper into her caress, but when she stroked him again more firmly he froze. She sensed he was about to pull away.

  “Simon, please,” she whispered, stroking him and eliciting another low groan. “Don’t stop.”

  There was a long silence, and she hoped she’d gotten through to him, but then suddenly he pulled his hand from beneath her shirt and grasped her wrist, halting her caress. “No, Hailey. We can’t do this.”

  For a moment she wanted to rail at him. Why was he doing this to her? First he’d said no, then he’d invited himself for dinner and then he’d fallen asleep on her sofa, holding her in his arms.

  One minute he’d been kissing her and the next he was telling her they couldn’t do this.

  She resented feeling like a yo-yo.

  With a spurt of anger she pushed away from him. She swung the leg that had the cast onto the floor and sat up, putting as much distance as possible between them. She grabbed her crutches and levered off the couch, crossing the room so she wouldn’t be tempted to smack some sense into him.

  “If you remember, I didn’t ask you to stay, Simon,” she said in a clipped tone. “You’re the one who over-stayed your welcome.”

  He let out a heavy sigh. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  His apology only made her angrier. “I don’t want you to be sorry, Simon! I want you to make up your mind. Are we friends? Or are we something more? Because quite frankly the signals you’re sending out are so damn confusing I can’t figure them out.” She gripped the hand rests of her crutches tightly. “What do you want from me?”

  He rose to his feet, stumbling a bit before he got his balance. “I want to be your friend, Hailey. I wish I could… But it doesn’t matter. All I can offer you is friendship.”

  She stared at him. “I can’t do this. I changed my mind,” she said abruptly, swinging away and walking toward the kitchen, flipping on the light as she went. Too bad she didn’t have a bottle of whiskey because right now she could use a shot. She put her crutches aside and opened the fridge, settling for a glass of orange juice instead.

  “Changed your mind about what?” he asked, following more slowly. The way he limped and kept stamping his foot on the floor made her suspect his leg had fallen asleep.

  Too bad. She was too upset with him to give a damn. She downed the orange juice in one gulp and then leaned against the edge of the counter, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. “I changed my mind about being your friend, Simon.” Her words stopped him in mid-step. “I think it would be best for both of us if we stopped seeing each other completely.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “NO WAY.” Hailey was surprised at the vehemence in his tone and the stark anguish on his face. “Please don’t do this. I want to help while your leg is healing. Don’t throw me out of your life completely.”

  She stared at him. And suddenly she was tired of arguing. Obviously the only thing that was going to get through to him was the blunt truth. “I can’t do this, Simon. I can’t treat you like a friend when I want more from you.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, searching for the courage to bare her soul. “I want more than friendship. I want what just happened on the sofa. And since you’ve made it clear you can’t or won’t return my feelings, it’s better for me if I don’t see you at all on a personal level.”

  For a long moment he didn’t answer, myriad emotions playing across his features. But then he came closer, the rest of the way into the kitchen. She would have taken a step back, but she was already up against the kitchen counter.

  “Okay,” he said finally.

  Okay what? He was going to leave her alone? Fine. That was exactly what she wanted. She ignored the sharp stab of disappointment, swallowed hard and tilted her chin, determined to see this through. “I’m glad you understand.”

  “Oh, I understand exactly where you’re coming from, Hailey. Because I want you, too.”

  Nonplussed, she stared at him. He came closer, lightly grasping her shoulders in his hands. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

  “So you’re basically telling me that it’s all or nothing between us, right?” His dark eyes pierced hers. She nodded, unable to speak. His expression twisted wryly. “In that case, I choose all. Everything.”

  “What?” She found her voice, but it was her turn to backpedal. She’d thrown out the challenge but hadn’t expected him to actually take her up on the offer. And what about his determination not to get involved with someone he worked with? She tried to gather her scattered thoughts. “But…on the sofa, you stopped…”

  “I was stupid. I panicked. Give me another chance, Hailey.” He nuzzled her hair, his voice low, husky. “This time I promise I won’t stop.”

  When she pulled back to stare at him, he took her silence for acquiescence and kissed her again. Urgently. Desperately. Showing her without words how much he wanted her.

  And, heaven help her, she wasn’t strong enough to push him away. She slipped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. The endless kiss was only broken by the all-too-human need to breathe.

  “I can’t let you go after all, Hailey,” he murmured. “Don’t ask me to.”

  His confession made her heart swell with hope. When he swung her into his arms she gasped, realizing his intent. “Simon, are you sure about this? I won’t—I won’t quit my job for you.”

  “We’ll need to be discreet,” he said, planting a kiss on her temple as he strode confidently down the hal
l to her bedroom. “And careful. Neither one of us is going to quit our jobs, but we need to keep our personal feelings out of the workplace. But no matter what, I can’t walk away, Hailey. I can’t imagine leaving you.”

  “But—” she tried again.

  “Don’t. Let’s just take this one step at a time, hmm?”

  Making love seemed like a giant leap rather than a single step, but when he gently set her on the bed and began to strip off his clothes, she couldn’t find the strength to protest.

  Naked, he was simply amazing, all hard sculpted muscles and lean hips. When he reached for the hem of her scrub top, drawing it slowly up and over her head, she quelled a spurt of panic. She hadn’t been with a man in years, not since Andrew.

  “God, Hailey, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered huskily nuzzling the valley between her breasts after he tossed her bra aside. “I don’t deserve you.”

  That made her laugh. If only he knew. “Oh, Simon. I don’t deserve you, either.”

  His eyes glittered in the darkness. “I guess that means we’re perfect for each other.”

  She wasn’t so sure that was true, but when he kissed her again, following her down onto the mattress, their naked limbs entwined, she gave herself up to the wonderful sensations. When he kissed his way down her body, exploring every inch, she stopped thinking at all.

  No matter what happened between them, she wouldn’t regret one moment of being with him like this.

  Simon prised his eyes open, instinctively knowing it was time for him to get up. His internal alarm clock never failed him and when he blinked the sleep from his eyes, glancing at Hailey’s clock on her dresser, he saw it was five in the morning. Just enough time to get home, shower, change and then get to work.

  Hailey murmured in protest when he untangled himself from the bed. “Shh,” he murmured. “Go back to sleep.” He soothed her with a gentle kiss.