Finding the Perfect Man

by Marie Higgins

  “Thank you,” she whispered, afraid of her own voice.

  “My privilege.” His gaze swept over her hair, then her face, and rested on her lips. “I’m surprised to see you, Doc. What do I owe the pleasure?”

  Her mind went blank. Pleasure? He thought meeting her was pleasurable? “I—I—I actually came looking for you.”

  He laughed. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  He gestured toward the bartender. “Can I buy your drink?”

  “You don’t have to. In fact, I should buy you one for what you did a moment ago.” She couldn’t stop herself from looking over his wide chest again. His black cotton shirt fit him extremely well, emphasizing his muscles and hard stomach.

  “Can I?” she asked.

  He kept that charming smile on his face. “Can you what?”

  Tremors ran over her skin, making her heartbeat quicken. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  “No, but you can keep me company.” He glanced toward one of the empty booths in the corner of the bar. “Over at my table.”

  “You have your own table?”

  “Today I do.” He took one step back and held out his hand. “Dare to join me?”

  She swallowed hard. Dare she?

  FIVE

  Jordan’s heart pounded against her ribs, threatening to break them. Dare she go with him? Yet, this was the very reason she sat across from him at the bar, staring into his hooded expression. This afternoon, she’d get to know him and discover if the sparks were more than one-sided.

  Jordan placed her hand in Rocky’s. Her small hand became engulfed in his large one. On unsteady legs, she allowed him to lead her to the empty booth. This part of the room was darker, and thankfully, less smoky. Her heart took on a different rhythm, making her more alive than she’d ever been before. She’d thought about being wild and crazy and not worrying about trying to control a man, but could she really go through with it? Doctor Jordan Reed certainly wouldn’t. Right now she wasn’t the professional, but a woman.

  A lonely woman who needed companionship.

  She slid into the booth first, then he joined her, sitting close beside her with his arm resting on the top of the seat behind her. She inhaled his intoxicating scent. He turned his body toward her, blocking out anybody who would happen to pass by.

  “So,” he began, “what brings you here looking for me?”

  She laughed uneasily. “I—I just wanted to continue the conversation we’d started last week.”

  “I thought you never came to bars like this.”

  “I usually don’t.”

  He put his hand on her knee, and her breathing became irregular. Would he notice? She hoped so.

  “Then why are you really here?” he asked.

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and since I have a long lunch, I thought I’d come to see if you were here. I—uh—thought we could get to know each other better.” She swallowed hard.

  He leaned in closer to her. She smelled a whiff of mint on his breath, not liquor. Her respect for him grew.

  “How long do you have for lunch?”

  “At least two hours.”

  “That doesn’t give us much time to get to know each other, does it?” His voice came out huskier than before.

  She swallowed hard. “We’ll have to make the most of the time we have then, won’t we?”

  Had those words really come from her mouth? She felt almost proud to be flirting. Definitely not Doctor Reed-like behavior. With a little practice, she could become good at this flirting thing. It wasn’t as difficult as she thought. At least with the right man.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I suppose we’ll have to.”

  She swallowed, realizing how dry her mouth was. Maybe she needed a stronger drink, yet she didn’t drink alcohol, so naturally she’d have to get a regular Coke instead of diet.

  The hand on her leg lifted to her chin, his fingers gently caressed her skin. “Do I make you nervous?”

  She wanted to deny it, but her body shook so bad he’d see through the lie. “Yes, a little.”

  “Tell me, Doc.” His thumb stroked her bottom lip. “Have you ever done this before?”

  “Done what?”

  “Flirted with a strange man in a bar.”

  “No.”

  “Really? So I’ll be your first?”

  “Yes.”

  “I like that.” He grinned. “But I’ll confess I’ve never flirted with a doctor before.”

  “You’re doing just fine now.”

  Chuckling, he shook his head. “That’s good to know. I definitely don’t want to say anything to turn you away.”

  She stared at him through half-closed lids, feeling very relaxed around him now. Why was it one minute she was nervous as a cat in a dog farm, and a moment later she wanted to tell him everything about herself? “Are you this polite to all the women you meet?”

  “Only when they dress like a lady.”

  Her cheeks heated from his compliment. “So tell me Rocky, do you work here or is this just where you hang out all the time?”

  “I work here. I co-own this bar with my friend Charlie.”

  “Oh, good.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Why do you think that’s good?”

  She laughed lightly. “I hope you don’t think me a snob, but I was hoping you were a working man and not one who lived at a bar and drank all day just to pass time.”

  “You’re not a snob for thinking that. In fact, sometimes I get upset at some of our regulars who think this is their life. I usually have to call them a cab…or their wives to come get them.”

  “That’s pretty sad.”

  He nodded. “It is.” He leaned in closer, his minty breath fanned her face. “Now it’s your turn for answers, Doc.”

  Once again her mouth turned dry and this time a lump was in her throat, making it hard to swallow. “Sure.”

  “What is a classy looker like yourself doing in a bar trying to pick up one of the bartenders?”

  Embarrassment washed over her, yet at the same time, pleasure filled her from his compliment about her appearance. “Who says I’m trying to pick you up?”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “You did come in here looking for me, remember?”

  “Oh, and suddenly that means I’m picking you up?”

  He chuckled. “Then what do you call it?”

  “Uh…I’m getting to know you. I felt bad that we couldn’t talk the last time we met. I was having a lousy afternoon, and I wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone new.”

  “And you’re in the mood now?”

  She wasn’t sure she liked the innuendo or the way his voice deepened just now. Then again…maybe she liked it too much. “Yes, I’m in the mood to meet new people. Is that a crime?”

  “Not in my book.” He winked. “But now I want to know why you don’t have some overbearing boyfriend trying to keep you away from guys like me.”

  Tilting her head, she studied him closer…well, as close as she could in the dimly-lit room. Even though he was still very close to her, she couldn’t see him as clearly as she’d like. However…there was something familiar about his eyes, and the tilt of his nose, and even the curve of his lips. For a fleeting moment, she thought she’d met him somewhere before…but then quickly convinced herself she was remembering what he looked like when they first met. Yeah, that had to be it.

  “Honestly, I don’t have time for overbearing boyfriends…or any kind of boyfriends.”

  “What?” His eyebrows lifted. “No time for dating?”

  “None.”

  “Why is that?”

  She shrugged. “Probably because I don’t make the time. I have other things I want—or need—to do that I think are more important.”

  Slowly he shook his head and tsked. “That’s not healthy, you know. A pretty woman like you needs to go out more.”

  “But I’m here now.”

  He lifted his hand and brushed his fingertips across her jaw.
“Yes, you are, and you’re all mine at this moment.”

  She gulped hard. “I am.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth and he inched his way closer. “That’s all the encouragement I need,” he whispered before pressing his lips against her.

  Sucking in a quick breath, she clung to his shirt. Although she had anticipated the kiss, she wasn’t prepared for how warm and soft his lips were, or how pleasure spread through her as the seconds ticked by. Dang, he was a good kisser. Was it bad of her that she didn’t want him to stop? When was the last time she’d kissed a man on their first date? Then again…she and Rocky were not on a date!

  With great reluctance, she broke the kiss and pushed him back. His expression was tight with confusion so she offered a tender smile. “I…I’m sorry I had to stop that, but…well, I think we should stop.”

  “Stop? Honey, we haven’t even started.”

  She laughed lightly. “What I meant was that I didn’t want to get carried away.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. “You were getting carried away, huh?”

  “Not really, but I could have.”

  He pulled away, but still had his arm around her shoulders. “That’s good to know…very good to know.”

  Breathless, she tried to regulate her quick breaths. Kissing him nearly had her forgetting everything and anything. She couldn’t let that happen…not the control-freak kind of doctor that she was.

  “I’d better get going back to the office.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I need to read up on my next client before their appointment.”

  He nodded and scooted out of booth before taking her hand and helping her out. “When can I see you again?” he asked.

  She panicked. If he knew what kind of doctor she was, it would drive him away, just like it had driven all the other men in her life away. She glanced down at her hands clutching her purse. “I’m sorry, Rocky, but this was the first and last time.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “No.” She tried to move past him, but just like his name, he was a rock and he wouldn’t budge. “Will you please let me by?”

  “Not until you promise you’ll come back.”

  She lifted her gaze and met his stare. Her heartbeat hammered faster the longer she gazed into his beautiful face, a face she still couldn’t see very well in the dark.

  “Say you’ll come back, and you’ll meet me here tomorrow,” he said sweetly.

  Heaven help her, but she wasn’t going to lie. “Okay, I will.”

  * * * *

  Brock watched Doctor Reed walk out of the bar and sat back down in the booth. He couldn’t stop the victorious grin from touching his mouth. She hadn’t known. Not even suspected. Of course, he didn’t look at all like her pathetic client.

  It surprised him to see her back at his bar. What a coincidence she showed up the same day as his appointment. He relaxed his smile, when he thought of their session. He’d definitely disturbed her, which was exactly his goal.

  Unfortunately, his plan had failed. He clenched his jaw. She was stronger than he figured she’d be. Even though she’d allowed him to hold her and kiss her neck during the appointment, she covered up the mistake by saying it was role-playing…and it was therapy for him. The patient seducing the doctor would have been the perfect way to get her license revoked, but she remained the professional doctor.

  Not now…a few minutes ago, anyway.

  Then again, she wasn’t his doctor. He wasn’t her client. Not here at the bar. To her, he was Rocky. There for a minute while flirting with her, he’d almost forgotten his goal. When he kissed her, he knew he’d lost his mind—if even for a few seconds.

  Crazy. Why would he allow her sweet kisses to fog his mind?

  He looked up just in time to see Eddie stumble on to the seat in front of him. Under the man’s arm was a newspaper, and he still held the same glass he had earlier. Stupid drunken fool.

  “Hey Hammull,” he slurred. “Glad t’ see the woman was nicer t’ you than she was t’ me.”

  Brock nodded. “Thank you for being her distraction and making me look like a knight in shining armor.”

  “No problem.” His hand rubbed at his neck. “But I really thought ya were goin’ t’ punch the daylights outta me.”

  “I was about to. You degrade her again and I won’t hesitate to punch you in the face. In fact, I won’t let you back into the building.”

  Eddie’s eyes widened, making him look like a bug-eyed frog. “You can’t do that.”

  “I certainly can, since I own half of the bar.”

  “But Charlie likes me, and he owns the other half.”

  “Charlie likes me more.”

  Eddie nodded. “Okay, you win.” He scooped up a handful of pretzels from the small bowl on the table and plopped a few in his mouth. “Have ya read the personals in the newspaper? Ya won’t believe what I found.” He set down his empty glass first, then opened the paper, smoothing out the crinkled edges before turning the page.

  “Here it is.” Eddie pointed to the ad. “Some woman is seeking a man t’ be her business partner.” He glanced up at Brock and grinned. “Sounds interestin’ all ready, dunnit?”

  “What kind of business? Does it say?”

  Eddie looked down where his finger pointed. “Must be charmin’ and witty. Must be older than thirty, younger than forty-five.”

  Brock laughed. “Well, that leaves you out.”

  Eddie scowled. “I can lie, can’t I? ’Sides,” he continued, “it says must have actin’ ability.” He puffed out his chest. “I was top man in drama durin’ my senior year in high school.” He glanced back at the paper. “It says t’ call and arrange an interview.”

  “If you want my advice, I’d say forget it. She’ll take one look at you and see you’re not the man she’s looking for.”

  Eddie snorted. “And ya think yer better qualified?”

  Brock picked up a pretzel and bit it in half. He knew he was more qualified than Eddie. He certainly was pulling off a great acting job with Doctor Jordan Reed, but he wasn’t interested in the advertisement. “Yeah, I’m more qualified, but right now I have plans of my own.”

  Eddie snickered. “Gettin’ chummy with that woman ya were just with?”

  Brock grinned. Eddie didn’t know how true that was.

  “Let’s just say I’m trying to impress her. She’s a sophisticated lady. A far cry from the women I’ve been out with lately, and I’m looking forward to the challenge this lady will bring.” Among other things.

  Eddie nodded. “Well, let me know if ya need my help.”

  “No thanks, Ed. I don’t need you. Never did.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do.”

  After Eddie walked away, Brock picked up his cell phone to call Jordan’s office to make another appointment. The sooner he discovered Jordan’s weakness, the sooner she’d lose her license. He couldn’t let another client fall victim to her unprofessional tactics. He shuddered to think they’d have the same fate as his poor sister.

  He stopped his fingers before pushing another button. Yet he had discovered the doctor’s weakness. Passion. Jordan would be a bigger challenge than he first expected. The slender woman with shapely legs was a knock-out, and so very zealous. Perhaps this was the way to bring her down in front of the professional world? The other doctors might like to know what the good doctor had done in a bar this afternoon with a total stranger. Now if he could just make those kind of moves on her while he was her patient, he’d be golden.

  He snapped his fingers and smiled. Look out Dr. Reed. Scenes flashed through his imagination, and excitement grew in his chest. Oh, yes. This was going to be good.

  SIX

  Dumbfounded, Jordan stared at contestant number two. Eddie, the drunk from the bar, sat in her office, waiting to be interviewed. He had a lot of nerve responding to her newspaper advertisement. His blond hair had been slicked back, and he smelled like he’d sprayed himse
lf with vanilla. Granted, he tried to look presentable, but his gray slacks had no crease, and his Kelly green blazer was wrinkled. Kelly green? What was the man thinking? Who wore Kelly green nowadays?

  She couldn’t wait to see how he would pull off being financially secure. It surprised her he didn’t recognize her, but she was glad for it. At the bar, she wasn’t the professional doctor. Now she was.

  “I appreciate your interest in my advertisement,” she began as nice as she could be. “I had a situation come up in my personal life, and this is the only way I know how to handle it.”

  “Oh, Doctor Reed, I understand. I just flew in from Augusta, Georgia or I would have responded to the ad sooner. You see, I won the Master’s Golf Tournament last week, and they gave me this green coat.”

  She almost laughed. At least that explained the jacket. Not that she believed a word of it. The man was an odd duck, but she still continued the interview. “Anyway, keep in mind as we go over the questions, I’m looking for a business relationship only.”

  He grinned and leaned forward in the chair, linking his fingers over his knees. “That’s exactly what I’m looking for, too. We must be a match made in heaven.”

  Hell was more like it. She almost gagged.

  She nodded instead and picked up the question sheet. “Are you married?”

  He chuckled. “Nope. I don’t have time to settle down and raise a litter of kids. I’m a woman’s kind of man, and the ladies just flock to me. Do ya know what I mean? You must have seen me on TV last month. I’ve even walked on the moon. People on the street recognize me from being in the newspapers and on tv so much.”

  Oh, brother! She nodded, clenched her teeth, and tried her hardest to keep a straight face. “Oh, I’m sure you were.” She wrote down his answer. “Is there anything else you’d like me to know?”

  Eddie puffed his chest like a strutting peacock. “I own half of Charlie’s Passions. If you don’t know what that is, it’s the hottest bar in town.” He scratched his ear. “It brings in tons of money a night. Any day now we’re gonna change the club’s name to Moon Walker...after me, of course.”