She ate a cookie and was on the second one when she narrowed her eyes at him, apparently becoming aware that he wasn’t eating. She offered the plate to him.
He accepted one. While he ate, he noticed the roominess of the queen-size bed and dragged his gaze away with an effort. “Nice room,” he complimented her. “Very pleasant. I like the colors.”
“Men do. Blue is their universal favorite color.”
He wondered about the men who’d seen the room. Mmm, the rumor was that Jenna and her friends, also nurses, had all been artificially inseminated. Now why would a beautiful woman like her need to go to a clinic to get a baby?
Some part of him wondered if he would have volunteered for the job if she’d asked. The idea sent the blood whirling through his veins at warp speed.
She yawned when she’d finished the snack. “Now I’ve got to brush my teeth again,” she complained, but with a smile.
While he finished off the last two cookies, she went to the master bathroom. He heard the water come on and the sounds of her brushing and rinsing.
Memories interrupted the hard pound of hunger. His wife had been six months pregnant the last time he’d taken a shower with her, a few days before the stupid quarrel that had sent her from the house in a fury…and to her death.
He pressed the bridge of his nose as pain and guilt washed through him, then carefully forced the useless emotion at bay. Guilt would never bring her and their child back. They’d been expecting a girl—
“All done,” Jenna announced and returned to bed. “You must be exhausted. I’m fine, so you can go home.”
He shook his head. “I’ll stick around for a while.”
She studied him for a moment, then shrugged and slipped down in the bed and tucked the sheet under her arms. When he carried the tray and used dishes out, she flicked off the light. He heard her sigh as if weariness had overtaken her.
In the kitchen, he rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher while he considered what to do. He couldn’t leave, not yet. Jenna might go into labor or something during the night. The kid must have hit her pretty hard in the stomach to cause her to lose her breath.
Going into the living room, he made a decision. The sofa looked comfortable enough. He could sleep there as well as at the empty house where he lived.
Hmm, there was a guest bedroom upstairs. He’d be closer to Jenna… He thought of her and the queen-size bed. On second thought, it was better to stay down here, farther from temptation but close enough to hear if she needed help.
He kicked off his shoes and stretched out. The sofa was about two inches too short. He turned onto his side and let his feet hang off the edge. The bed upstairs would be long enough for him and a companion, too.
His body hardened again at the thought. He frowned and wondered what the hell was the matter with him tonight. The situation called for the skills of a doctor, not those of a lover. He sighed wearily.
He hadn’t expected the passion.
Chapter 3
Jenna woke shortly after six. A groan escaped her when she tried to move. She’d never been so sore and stiff in her life. Carefully assessing her aches and pains, she rose from the bed and toddled into the bathroom.
All parts present and accounted for. Including the baby. She patted her tummy and smiled, then decided to get dressed and have breakfast. This morning she would have her five-month sonogram and maybe find out if her child was to be a girl or a boy.
After a quick shower, she blow-dried her hair, put it up in a ponytail and pulled on her first pair of maternity slacks and the matching top, both in perky blue with flowers embroidered across the front. She’d bought three outfits on sale two days ago.
She checked herself in the mirror on the bathroom door. Really, she didn’t look preggie at all. She smoothed the top over her tummy. Well, maybe in the side view she did.
Grinning, she slipped on her favorite sandals and gingerly went down the steps, holding the railing and trying not to groan each time she shifted her weight.
At the bottom of the steps, she halted as a shock of recognition sped through her. On her sofa, sound asleep, lay her Good Samaritan.
Crossing the carpet soundlessly, she tiptoed to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Getting bacon from the freezer, she cooked several slices in the microwave oven.
Thank goodness the aroma no longer sent her rushing to the bathroom, a hand clutched over her mouth. She scrambled eggs and put bread in the toaster.
“Good morning,” a deep masculine voice spoke behind her.
She gasped and whirled, then grabbed the counter as the room spun ominously. Hands clasped her upper arms and steadied her.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Laying her palms on his chest, she said, “That’s okay. I’m not used to having another person around, especially first thing in the morning.”
His dark gaze went to her stomach. Several unexpected flutters went through her.
“When the little one comes, I guess I’d better get used to it, huh?” she quipped. “Breakfast is almost ready. Coffee cups are, oh, but you know where they are.”
“Yes.”
When he moved away from her, she breathed in relief. His nearness did things to her…like frazzling her nerves and making her act stupidly.
She’d always thought he was an attractive man, but he’d also been married. She’d met his wife at parties and hospital fund-raisers and dedications to those who contributed generously. He’d had eyes for no one but her.
Just the way it should be, Jenna acknowledged, feeling a tiny bit of envy for women who had such good fortune.
Her own luck in the happily-ever-after department hadn’t been so great. During high school and college, she’d thought herself in love two or three times, but the longer she’d known the guys, the less she’d found to like about them.
Deciding she was too quick to take the other person at face value, she’d become more critical of her own feelings and attraction toward the opposite sex. She’d learned to deal with men on a logical, unemotional level and be wary of instant attractions.
Mmm, what was she to make of the tug she felt toward this man? It certainly wasn’t instant…well, she had instinctively liked him from the first. They worked together like two halves of a whole, hardly needing to speak. The more she knew of him, the more she liked and admired him.
And he was undeniably good-looking.
She kept her smile to herself at this last thought. Physically, she found him quite compelling. The stray thought had once crossed her mind to ask him if he would father a child with her—
No! That was just too ridiculous, not to mention the complications that would arise, given that they worked together and also that he wasn’t the type to sire a child and not take part in its raising.
While he poured a cup of coffee, she took up the eggs on two plates, buttered the toast and set the food on the table in the breakfast nook. She adjusted the blinds so they could see the duck pond and tennis courts without the sun glaring in their eyes.
“Nice,” he said, taking his seat. “How do you feel this morning?”
“Fine. As long as I don’t move.”
He studied her for a long minute. “You should take tonight off. Better yet, a week. Stay off your feet while you work the kinks out.”
“Is that an order, doctor?”
“A mere suggestion. I’ve noticed you do whatever suits you in most cases.”
She couldn’t decide if she’d been insulted or not. “Are you implying I’m willful?”
He laid a hand over his heart. “Never,” he vowed in the dry tone that passed for humor with him.
Their eyes met and they both smiled at the same instant. Her nerves went all fluttery again. “Better not smile too often around me,” she told him. “It does weird things to my insides.”
His gaze zeroed in on her like a hunter sighting prey. “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned, then added grimly, “I�
��ve got enough of those for both of us.”
She was so startled and intrigued by his confession, she couldn’t think of a comeback. “Well,” she finally murmured and concentrated on scooping a bite of egg on her fork. “Well.”
“Yeah, a deep subject.”
He sounded so dismal and looked so forbidding, she thought better of pursuing the conversation, no matter how intriguing it might be. They finished the meal in silence.
She heard a thump outside. “The newspaper has arrived. I’ll get it—oh!” She couldn’t help the exclamation as she started to rise. Pain laced through muscles she didn’t know she’d had before this morning.
“Sit still,” he ordered. “I’ll get it.”
He took over and soon she was reading the headlines of the paper and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee while her guest put the dishes away and straightened the kitchen.
“This is nice,” she told him when he joined her again.
Glancing up from the sports section, he asked, “What are your plans for the day?”
“I go for a sonogram at nine. I’m so excited. I hope we can see whether the baby is a boy or girl.”
“You prefer to know which it is?”
“Yes. Did you and your wife know—” She broke off, but it was too late to take back the words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…it’s none of my…I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
But it did. She’d seen the flash of agony in his eyes and felt dreadful about it. Her and her smart mouth. It was time she learned to think before she spoke.
“I need to go home for a change of clothes,” he continued. “I’ll swing back by here at eight-thirty and pick you up.”
She tried to figure this out. “Why?”
“To take you to your appointment.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can drive. Really,” she added at his skeptical snort. “As soon as I get my car—”
“It’s too dangerous. Your reaction time will be slower while you recover. Take next week off,” he ordered. “Keep your feet elevated. Your ankles looked swollen last night.”
He’d noticed her ankles? She tried to figure out when. One thing for sure—things were getting very interesting.
Cool it, she advised her overactive libido. Since becoming pregnant, her whole body seemed to be much more sensitive to fine nuances.
Or—were the funny sensations caused by proximity to the man across the table, who resembled a wooden totem at the moment? His confession to having ideas about them wasn’t the type of thing a woman could easily forget.
Sympathy stirred in her breast. He still felt guilty over his wife’s death. He needed to get past that. After all, it took two to have a fight, and his wife had made the decision to rush out in a huff and drive off…
Mmm, maybe that was the reason he was worried about her driving. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her and the baby. Put in that light, she couldn’t refuse.
“That’s very kind of you,” she said sweetly.
He cocked one sardonic eyebrow while studying her as if she were a new bacterium he’d just discovered. “Don’t go mushy on me,” he advised. “It isn’t your way.”
Annoyed, she ignored him until he got up to leave. “Lock the door on your way out,” she said and kept her nose buried in the paper. She barely nodded at his grunt of assent as he left.
She wondered if he would return and tried to decide if she wanted him to. Well, she did, but for what purpose?
Pressing a hand to her chest, she went very still. Hunger pinged through her, making her aware of her body in ways she hadn’t even thought of in ages. She’d liked the brush of his body against hers as he came to her aid. She’d liked the way he’d been concerned for her and the baby. The man was attractive in many ways….
She tried to think logically about all this. Should a woman, a five-months-pregnant woman, be feeling this way?
Thirty minutes later, she heard a sharp rap on the door knocker. Dr. Eric Thompson was indeed a man of his word.
With a groan, she picked up her purse and went to answer the door.
Eric’s mind buzzed with half-formed thoughts and impressions as he drove Jenna to the clinic. Her doctor was the same one he and his wife had used.
So?
The appointment had nothing to do with him. Jenna was a friend he was helping out. That was the extent of his involvement. He didn’t have to worry about her or take responsibility for her health or that of the baby.
He continued in this logical defense of his actions during the short trip to the medical building. After parking, he got out and went around to help her to her feet. Although she didn’t complain, he noticed the slight grimace each time she moved.
She was also a bit distant and introspective. She was probably irritated with him for insisting on driving her to the clinic. Tough.
Her moods were changeable, a thing that was common for pregnant women, he reminded himself when she tried to pull her arm away from his clasp. He held on and she acceded to his determined help.
After she signed in, they sat on a small sofa and each looked through a magazine. Her name was called ten minutes later. He escorted her to the examining room where a medical technician was setting up the equipment.
“Hi,” the man said cheerfully. “Ready for a picture of the papoose?”
Eric felt like socking the guy for reasons he couldn’t define.
“You don’t have to stay,” Jenna said.
“I want to make sure the baby is okay.” He wasn’t leaving the room until he was positive of it.
The technician looked from one to the other. “Did something happen? Did she fall?”
“She was knocked down by a kid on a skateboard,” Eric explained.
“You okay?” the man asked Jenna.
She nodded.
Eric stared out the window while she was hooked up to the machine. The doctor came in, glanced at him in surprise, then at Jenna. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said.
When she didn’t elaborate, Eric filled the obstetrician in on the details of the accident.
“Kids,” the doctor said. “A woman in Texas was killed not too long ago. Same thing. Three kids were racing down a hill on their skateboards and hit her.”
Jenna looked stricken. “That’s terrible.”
Eric wanted to strangle the doctor for mentioning the case. Jenna didn’t need to be upset over some unfortunate woman a thousand miles away.
“Well, what have we here?” the doctor said, peering at the monitor and moving the sonogram wand over her tummy.
“Oh,” Jenna said, her face filled with wonder and delight as she glanced at Eric.
She held her hand out. He had no choice but to let her grasp his hand while they stared at the image on the screen.
“Eric, a boy,” she said, her eyes bright with tears. “A darling little boy.”
He held on to her hand as the floor shifted under his feet. He felt as if he was standing in quicksand and sinking fast. He looked from the baby to her, then back to the baby. He could see the beat of the infant’s heart, the cord that gave it life and nourishment from its mother’s body and the tiny penis that proclaimed it a male child.
A giant, invisible hand squeezed his heart into a tight ball. He was sinking…sinking… Unable to stop, he bent forward and kissed Jenna on her soft, trembling lips.
Passionately. Tenderly. Endlessly.
He had no idea what made him do it.
Chapter 4
The telephone was ringing when Jenna opened the door to the condo. She tossed her purse on the sofa and groaned, then lifted the portable phone and groaned, and settled into her favorite chair and groaned.
“Jenna? Is that you?”
“Yes,” she replied to Rachel. Rachel was a couple of months farther along in her pregnancy than Jenna. “You sound excited. What’s up?”
“That’s what I want to know
. What’s going on with you and Eric Thompson?”
Jenna was instantly wary of the question. She’d known word would get out about them going to the clinic together, but this was unusually fast. “Not a thing that I know of.”
“The new girl in the lab is dating a guy in Security. She said that he said that Dr. Thompson called in last night and said you’d been hurt and that he was taking you home and for them to keep an eye on your car. Are you okay?”
While the city might be large, the medical community was rather small, Jenna reflected. She should have known word of her mishap would soon be the latest news.
“Yes, I’m fine. In fact, I just got back from my sonogram and guess what? It’s a boy!”
“A boy? Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “That’s wonderful!”
“I think so, too. Poor Eric, I just couldn’t stop talking about it the whole way home, or rather, to the hospital so I could get my car—”
“Wait a minute,” Rachel interrupted. “Are we talking about the same person? Are we speaking of silent-as-the-grave Dr. Eric Thompson, trauma specialist and head of E.R. at our own dear Portland General? That is the Eric to whom you so intimately refer and who accompanied you to the clinic for the sonogram?”
Jenna had to laugh at her friend’s disbelief. She laid a hand on her abdomen. “Don’t make me laugh,” she pleaded. “It makes me hurt.” She explained about the skateboard accident and Eric insisting on driving her home and then staying in case she had a problem.
“He what?” Rachel broke in.
“Spent the night. On the sofa,” Jenna added. “Then he went home to shower and change clothes and came back to drive me to the clinic. I nearly had to throw a tantrum to get him to let me drive my car home. Even then, he followed to make sure I arrived safely. I walked in the door just as you called.”
“Wow, wait until I tell Lily.”
“Really, there’s nothing to tell. The incident is over and all can go back to normal. I did agree to take tonight off, though, when he insisted. He said I might endanger a patient if I couldn’t function normally. Since I’m sore all over, I decided to take his advice.”
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