His hands gently cradled her face and Paige could feel her heart overflowing with longing and something that felt dangerously close to love.
“Oh, Paige, if that’s the way it’s been for you—” His words choked off and he bent his head to place a kiss on her cheek. “How can you be sure about this—with me?”
Snaring the back of his neck with her hand, she urged his mouth to hers. “I’m sure, Luke. Very sure.”
He kissed her again, then seemingly convinced, slid from the bed and stepped out of the boxers. When he opened a drawer on the nightstand, Paige realized he was taking measures to keep them both protected.
Once he rejoined her on the bed, he gazed down at her and as their eyes met, Paige realized she’d been waiting more than a few years for the right man to come along; she’d been waiting a lifetime.
“I’m very sure, too,” he said thickly.
She reached for him and this time he wasted no time in parting her legs and entering her with one smooth thrust. The connection filled her up and she couldn’t stop a cry of satisfaction from slipping past her lips.
As he began to move inside her, the delicious strokes boggled her mind with a pleasure that was almost too much to bear. In a matter of seconds, she was so totally lost, her body was no longer listening to her brain. Instead, instinct directed her hands to latch on to his shoulders and her legs to wind around his.
Over and over she arched her hips upward, meeting his every thrust with a hunger she’d never felt until now. A sense of recklessness was driving her to a point where all that mattered was the give-and-take of their bodies, the desire that was turning her into a hot, twisting flame.
Then just when she thought she could no longer breathe and her heart was going to burst into a thousand quivering pieces, she felt something inside her breaking away. Suddenly she was spinning, whirling about in a tight vortex of nothing but exquisite delight.
Totally unaware, she cried his name and clutched his arms in an effort to anchor herself from the hot wind that was threatening to carry her away. And then his lips were on hers, his tongue thrusting deep, filling her mouth, while his quickened strokes plunged them closer and closer to the edge of a bottomless crevasse.
*
Luke returned to earth in slow increments until finally, through a foggy haze, he realized most of his body was still draped over Paige’s and his shoulder had her cheek pinned to the mattress.
Dazed, his breathing still ragged, he rolled to his side and gathered her soft, curvy body close to his. Beneath the arm he’d wrapped around her, he could feel the rapid rise and fall of her breathing, the racing thump of her heart.
She’d given herself to him in every way and as he’d taken everything she was offering, he’d felt something chipping away at the protective walls he’d erected around his emotions. And now, as his senses returned, he realized those protective barriers had crumbled. Luke was at her mercy and he could only hope and pray she wouldn’t eventually crush what was left of his wounded heart.
He found her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “Are you okay?”
She gave his fingers a slight squeeze. “Are you asking as a doctor or a lover?”
“Both.” He nuzzled his face in her hair, loving the way it felt against his cheek and the sweet scent of delicate violets that filled his head.
“Then to Dr. Sherman, I’m feeling fine,” she murmured in a lazy, contented voice. “To Luke—my lover—I’m feeling incredibly wonderful.”
Her words caused his chest to swell and his throat to thicken. “No regrets?”
She shifted onto her side so that she was facing him and as Luke cupped his hand around her warm breast, he realized that making love to this woman for weeks or even months would hardly be enough to satisfy him. Years would be more like it, he thought. Long years of dreaming and sharing. Of living and loving.
“Why should I feel regretful about letting myself be a woman?” she asked.
“Because you don’t know just how much you can trust me. Like I don’t know how much I can trust you.”
The pad of her forefinger traced a loving trail over his cheek. Luke caught her hand and pressed kisses into the soft palm.
“We have to start somewhere, Luke. And if this flame between us burns out, then we’ll know we weren’t meant to be together. Not seriously together.”
Luke had never planned on being serious toward any woman again. He’d thought being alone was better than being deceived and used. But Paige was slowly and surely making him see that a body needed a human connection to feel whole and a heart needed love to survive.
“I’m not sure I expected you to be so…practical about this,” he admitted.
“I was a romantic fool one time,” she said wryly. “I won’t let that happen again.”
He should have been pleased that she wasn’t viewing this thing that had happened between them as romance. But damn it all, he wasn’t. He wanted to think their lovemaking had left her just as dreamy and besotted as it had left him.
Easing his head onto the pillow, he closed his eyes and wondered what was happening to him. He’d just had mind-blowing sex with a beautiful woman. Why wasn’t that enough? Why was he yearning for something more?
“This is a beautiful patchwork quilt,” she murmured. “It looks handmade. Where did you get it?”
He opened his eyes to see she was rubbing her hand appreciatively over the pieces of calico.
“My mother made it. Years ago. She gave it to me when I went off to college.”
She nestled her head against his shoulder and he gently stroked his fingers through her tangled red hair.
“That’s nice that you have a piece of her in this quilt. My mother was never the homemaker type. Or the sentimental type, for that matter. When I think about it, I can understand why my parents divorced. From what I can remember, Dad was the happy-go-lucky sort and wasn’t bashful about hugging and kissing. Mother was and still is the serious, standoffish sort. Where that cold sort of personality came from is a mystery to me. Grandfather is very warm and caring toward everyone.”
His hand glided over the valley of her waist and up the rise of her hip. Making love to her had turned everything inside him upside down. He felt raw and exposed. And very scared of the strange new feelings swirling through him.
“I’m glad you didn’t turn out like your mother,” he said.
Her face tilted toward his and he looked down to see a seductive smile tilting the corner of her lips. “I’ve been wondering about something, Luke.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “So tell me what’s going through that beautiful head of yours.”
“The clock. How much time do we have before we have to get ready for work?”
Groaning, he placed his thumb and forefinger beneath her chin and tilted her lips up to his. “Not nearly enough,” he murmured. “But we’ll make the most of what we have.”
*
“Marcella, I think I’ve fallen in love with Dr. Sherman,” Paige said into the cell phone.
Her longtime friend and coworker gasped. “What? Did I hear you right?”
Sitting home at the kitchen table, Paige glanced around to make sure her grandfather wasn’t within earshot. Not that she was trying to hide her feelings about Luke. In due course she would tell Gideon. But right now she needed to make sure that her relationship with Luke was actually going somewhere instead of headed down a dead-end street.
A week had passed since they’d first made love and though they’d spent every one of those days together, she’d not gotten any hint from Luke that he was falling in love with her, much less that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
“I’m afraid you heard me correctly.”
“Paige! Have you lost your mind? The man treats you like a doormat! How could you possibly love him?” Marcella demanded.
Paige sighed while absently wiping a hand over her sweaty brow. The day had been a scorcher and she’d spent most of it
outside, trying to catch up on the chores she’d let go in order to spend time with Luke.
“Things have taken a drastic change since you left on maternity leave,” Paige explained.
“Obviously!” her friend countered. Then after a short pause, she added, “I always had the feeling the man had a thing for you. But he was so busy cutting into you with orders and snide remarks I could never figure out his intentions. So you think you have?”
“I’ve been planning to call and check on you and the baby, but ever since you gave birth to little Daisy things have been in a whirlwind for me. It’s rather a long story.”
“Daisy is sleeping and the boys are out riding horses with their father. I have plenty of time. Start at the beginning.”
Paige quickly began by telling Marcella what had happened that night after she’d visited her and Daisy in the maternity ward.
Marcella marveled. “You’re telling me you actually had Chet transfer you out of ER? I can’t believe it.”
“You can believe it all right,” Paige told her. “And I’d firmly intended to stay there. If it hadn’t been for Helen pleading for me to return to the ER I would still be there. Anyway, after that it was like Luke was someone I didn’t recognize. He had a complete reversal, Marcella. He actually asked me to forgive him for his awful behavior.”
“And obviously you did,” she said wryly.
“I realize it doesn’t seem possible to you, but the man can be very charming and…sexy. He took me to the Green Lizard for breakfast and after that we’ve spent most of our spare time together.”
“Oh, my. That does sound serious.”
Paige released a heavy sigh. “That’s what worries me, Marcella. I think this thing between us is all one-sided. I’m afraid I’m getting into another situation where I’m doing all the caring and loving. And Luke—well, he’s not a cheater like David, but I don’t believe he’s in the market for anything more than an affair.”
There was a long pause before Marcella asked, “You mean it’s gotten to that point? You’re having an affair with Dr. Sherman?”
Even though Paige was completely alone in the kitchen, her cheeks flamed hot. “Uh, yes. It has—gotten to that point. Now you’re probably wondering how stupid your friend can get, right?”
“Oh, Paige, if you were here with me, I’d be hugging you. No matter what happens in the future with you and Dr. Sherman, you’ve taken a step forward. You have someone in your life. For a long time now, I’ve prayed that would happen for you.”
Paige’s throat was suddenly thick with emotion. “Marcella, that night when I held Daisy, I felt so empty. I kept looking at her precious face and thinking I’m thirty years old. Would I ever have a baby—a family of my own? Yes, Luke and I are together now, but I can’t allow myself to think much further than that.”
“What makes you think he won’t stick around for the long haul? Just because he’s divorced?”
Paige rose from the table and walked over to the kitchen window. As her gaze scanned the open field in the distance, she spotted Gideon on the tractor, moving a stack of alfalfa bales to a spot where they could be easily loaded onto a trailer bed. The sight of her grandfather filled her heart with bittersweet emotions. Her mother’s lack of affection had made her seem like an indifferent parent. As for her father, he’d treated her well enough until he’d divorced her mother. After that, he’d mostly forgotten he had a daughter by his first marriage. But Gideon had always remained a steadfast anchor in Paige’s life. He’d always loved her unconditionally and he cared about her happiness.
“Luke hasn’t told me why he divorced his wife. I’m not sure I want to know. But I don’t have to be a mind reader to understand that whatever happened between them wasn’t good. Still, that’s not why I’m having reservations. It’s because…we’re so different, Marcella. Even though you had your ups and downs before you got married, you and Denver were always on the same page. I’m not even in the same book with Luke.”
“Paige, love has no boundaries. If Luke really loves you, nothing will stand in his way.”
If Luke really loves you. For the past week, she’d relived his kisses over and over, the tender, passionate touches of his hands, the warm circle of his arms embracing her, sheltering her. All those things had felt like love. But she had no way of knowing what was actually in his heart.
“I’m not going to hold my breath,” Paige told her. “But for the moment I’m going to enjoy having a man in my life again.”
“Now you’re talking some real sense,” Marcella cheerfully replied.
The two women visited for a few more minutes before Paige ended the call with a promise to drive out soon to the Silver Horn Ranch for a visit with Marcella and her family.
Less than an hour later, she was getting ready to drive into Carson City to meet with Luke before their shift started, when she heard her grandfather entering the house.
She finished fastening a pair of silver hoops to her ears, then walked out to the kitchen to see him downing a tall glass of ice water.
“Dog days of August is right. It’s darned hot out there today,” he said, mopping his sweaty brow with the back of his forearm.
He looked her way, his eyes narrowed with speculation as he watched her smooth a hand down her pale pink skirt. No doubt he’d already concluded she was heading to town early to meet Luke.
“Didn’t you have the air conditioner on in the tractor?” Paige asked.
“Yep, but it’s going on the blink. I’m going to have to get a mechanic out here.” He directed a coy glance in Paige’s direction. “Or maybe Rob might know how to fix it. He’s pretty good at repairing things.”
Paige cast him a look of warning. “If you’re throwing a hint my way, then you’re wasting your breath. Rob Duncan is a nice man, but he’s not my kind of man.”
“He knows all about farming and machinery and livestock. He has good morals and he loves kids. He even makes a point to help his neighbors. Plus he isn’t bad to look at. What more could you ask for in a man?”
Shaking her head again, she said, “Grandfather I can see you’re worried about me seeing Luke, but you needn’t be. I’ve told you before—I’m not going to leave here. Not for Luke. Not for any man.”
“Hell, Paige, that’s not what’s worrying me.” He placed the empty glass in the sink, then fetched a bottle of beer from the refrigerator. As he twisted off the cap, he said, “I don’t know anything about this Dr. Sherman that you’ve been spending so much time with. Sure, he fixes people when they’re hurt or sick. I understand that much. And I’m sure he has plenty of money. But what kind of intentions does he have toward you? That’s what I want to know.”
Paige sighed. “Grandfather, it’s different nowadays. People don’t necessarily consider marriage important. Besides, I haven’t been dating Luke for very long. It’s way too early for you to be thinking of me as Luke’s bride.”
He snorted. “Well, I can tell you one damn thing, Rob Duncan wouldn’t waste any time marrying you. All you have to do is give him the word.”
Paige held a tight grip on her patience. It wasn’t like Gideon to butt in to her private life. Not that she’d had much of one since she’d moved here to the farm. “I don’t need to hear this kind of stuff right now, Grandfather. This is the first time since my divorce from David that I’ve felt like a woman again. I just want to enjoy this time with Luke. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t. That’s all.”
He plunked the beer bottle onto the table, then moved close enough to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to start chewing on you. It’s just that I can see you’re getting serious about this doctor. He’s put stars in your eyes and I wonder if you might be a little blinded right now.”
“You told me the other day that you trusted my judgment. That you believed I’d learned my lesson with David.”
He gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “That’s right. I did. So if you like this fella so much, then
you need to invite him out here to the farm. I’d like to meet him. And I’m sure he’d like to see how you live away from the hospital.”
Luke here on the farm? Her grandfather’s suggestion jolted her. All the private time she’d spent with Luke had either been in Carson City or at his place. She’d not imagined him coming out here for any reason. Mainly because she couldn’t picture him in this rustic setting.
She must have hesitated too long because Gideon suddenly asked, “Is something wrong about that? Are you ashamed for him to see this place?”
Scowling at him now, she said, “That’s an awful thing to say! I love this farm just as much as you. And I’ll invite Luke out for Sunday dinner. If that fits into both our schedules.”
His expression smug, Gideon reached for his beer. “Good. I’ll help you cook. But I won’t tell him you need a little help in that department.”
Laughing now, she playfully pinched his wrinkled cheek. “And I won’t tell Hatti that you curse and drink beer.”
A half hour later, Paige was sliding behind the wheel of her car when she heard her phone dinging an alert that she had a new text message.
Stabbing the key into the ignition, she fished the phone from her purse and scrolled to her messages.
Sorry, babe, but I have to fill in for Dr. Bradley this afternoon. See you at the evening shift. Luke.
Groaning with disappointment, she stuffed the phone back into her purse, but instead of climbing out of the car, she simply sat there, gazing through the windshield at the place she called home. The yard consisted of little more than sparse, scraggly grass and a few shade trees. The tin roof on the house was rusty in spots and badly needed a coat of aluminum paint, while some of the graveled tile siding had broken off on the corners. The simple wooden porch held no fancy outdoor furniture. Instead, Paige had scrounged up an assortment of colorful motel chairs and wooden rockers to provide seating for her and Gideon, and anyone else who happened to come by for a visit.
Nothing about the place was fancy. Yet it was home to her. She didn’t know what Luke would think once he saw it. He’d already implied that he’d hated his family’s meager existence back in West Virginia. He’d left there determined to change it all for his parents and himself. She couldn’t see him lowering his standard of living now. Not for her.
Her Kind of Doctor Page 12