A Doctor's Secret (Lifeline Air Rescue Book 2)

by Scott, Laura

  “Oh, I don’t think so. But thanks for asking.” She dipped her head, but he noticed a slight blush tinged her cheeks. “See you later, Reese.”

  “Sure. Later.” For a moment, he stood there and watched as she slid behind the wheel and dutifully put on her seatbelt. Since they both lived in the same apartment complex, he decided to follow her home. He quickly climbed into his truck before she could leave without him.

  Only she didn’t. When he realized there was something keeping her stationary, he left the warm interior of his truck to brave the cold. He tapped on her window. “What’s wrong?”

  She reluctantly opened the door. “My car won’t start.” Frustration laced her tone.

  “Battery,” he suggested, poking his head inside to look at the dash. He could troubleshoot helicopter engines much easier than car engines. Besides, it was too cold to stand out here for long. “Did you leave a light on? Or forget to close the door all the way?”

  “I don’t think so. Could be my battery needs to be replaced, though. I think my mechanic mentioned something to that effect last year.” Samantha curled her fingers into fists, and he could hear the defeat in her tone. “Guess I’ll have to call a tow truck.”

  “Why don’t you let me take you home?” Reese quickly offered. He could jump-start her car, but then it may not work again the next morning. Her car would be safe in the parking lot outside the Lifeline hangar. And yeah, if he were honest, he’d admit he was looking forward to spending more time with her. “We can take care of your car tomorrow. Look on the bright side, at least we don’t have to be into work early.”

  She hesitated in a way that made it clear she wasn’t keen on going with him. It hurt to know she didn’t trust him enough to give her a lift. Samantha stared out through the windshield for so long he had to stamp his feet to keep his toes from freezing in the chilly air. Maybe he should have simply fetched his jumper cables. Car trouble wasn’t the end of the world. This was just a friendly offer to help, and he was about to say so when she finally nodded.

  “Sure, I guess you can take me home.”

  “I promise your car will be okay here. And we’ll get a new battery replaced in the morning.”

  She nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Since she seemed to be accepting her fate, he couldn’t help pushing his luck. “And what about dinner? I mean, we need to eat, right?”

  With a wry grin, she eyed him suspiciously. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you sabotaged my car on purpose.”

  His eyes widened in horror. “I didn’t! I would never do something like that.”

  She smiled at his reaction. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s your style. All right, dinner, too.”

  Reese couldn’t prevent a huge grin from spreading over his features. Maybe he was a fool, but he hadn’t looked forward to spending time with a beautiful woman in what seemed like forever. Ignoring the warning signals bleeping urgently in his brain, he opened her door and offered his hand. She hesitated only for a moment, a motion so slight he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been so in tune with her every nuance.

  Then she placed her ungloved hand in his. He liked the feel of her small, strong, very capable hand. Awed by her trust, he slowly drew her to her feet. In that moment, he knew his fate was sealed.

  He could no longer stay away from Samantha any more than he could give up flying.

  6

  Sam knew she was in trouble when Reese’s warm fingers curled firmly around hers. This deliberate touch seemed much different than the impulsive hug she’d bestowed on him earlier. Despite the cold, heat skipped along the nerve endings in her arm. When they were flying together, his voice was a rudder in a turbulent sea. But now his touch heightened the sense of an impending storm. She needed to pull away, to establish some space between them.

  Heck, she needed to breathe.

  His truck was parked right behind her car, so he didn’t hold her hand for long. As soon as he’d tucked her into the passenger seat, he slammed the door and jogged around the truck to slide in beside her.

  There, much better. Or so she thought, until he turned the key in the ignition and turned toward her. He was close. Much too close. “So, what are you in the mood for?”

  You. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from blurting out the ridiculous truth. Food. He’d asked what she wanted to eat.

  Nibbling on him wasn’t an option.

  “Hmm, really, I don’t care. Whatever you feel like is fine with me.” The way her stomach clenched, she doubted she’d be able to eat anything, no matter what he chose. Despite the fact that he’d played it cool, it still felt like a date.

  Except she didn’t date. She didn’t go out with men at all.

  In the dark interior of the truck, she couldn’t read his expression. “Chinese takeout?” His voice held a distinct note of hopefulness.

  She took pity on him. “Sure, sounds good.”

  “You like Chinese?” He divided his attention between her and the road.

  “Doesn’t everyone?” She clasped her hands in her lap to keep them warm. The air vents were still blasting frigid air. She should have worn gloves. Then she wouldn’t have had this insane reaction to the touch of his palm against hers.

  “Not necessarily,” Reese argued softly. “Some women insist on always eating salads. Drives me crazy, as I tend to have an adventurous appetite.”

  “Really?” Sam wondered if he meant he had an appetite for something other than mere food but chose to ignore the innuendo. “So, what’s your favorite Chinese dish?”

  “Yu-Hsiang chicken, but a lot of places don’t have it. They tend to cater toward the American style of Chinese cuisine. I’m not picky, though. Anything wrapped in an egg roll works for me.”

  She tilted her head to look at him. She’d gotten the impression he’d been at Lifeline for a while, but she didn’t know much about Reese’s past or the secrets he may have buried deep beneath the surface. “Have you actually been there? To China?”

  “Nah.” He flashed a quick, lethal grin. “I just like to eat. I’m the guy who goes to an ethnic restaurant and orders whatever the house specialty is. You’d be amazed at the weird stuff I’ve eaten. Snake, rabbit . . .”

  “Don’t tell me,” she joked, raising a hand to make him stop. “I don’t want to ruin my appetite.”

  Reese pulled up at a small Chinese restaurant a few blocks from their apartment complex that she hadn’t even known existed. She offered to wait in the car, but he insisted she accompany him inside, encouraging her to help pick out a variety of items. When they had enough white boxes to feed half the population of Beijing, he carried them outside and stashed them in the back seat.

  A spicy scent filled the interior of the truck, making her mouth water with anticipation as they drove. Soon the Oak Terrace apartment buildings loomed into view. He paused at the intersection of the complex, glancing at her questioningly. “Your place or mine?”

  “Mine.” Her breath caught in her throat as he turned into the drive leading to the north building. She wanted to place a hand over her racing heart. Good grief, she needed to get a grip. This was only dinner. She hadn’t agreed to anything more.

  Although, inviting Reese into the intimacy of her apartment made her wonder what it was like to kiss him. What was wrong with her? She had no idea why her hormones had begun to run amuck.

  Reese carried the huge bag holding their dinner as he followed her inside. Sam glanced around the interior of her apartment, reassuring herself that the place was reasonably neat, before opening the door wide to let him in.

  “I’ll call a friend of mine who owns the garage to see about your car, if you don’t mind opening boxes.” He set the bag on the table. “If I call him now, it’s possible he’ll get a chance to work on your car first thing in the morning.”

  “Of course.” Samantha willed her fingers to stop shaking as she pulled several containers out of the bag and began to open them. Surely she could share a meal with a friend
without making a big deal out of the situation.

  She listened as Reese gave his buddy the details about her car, including the directions to where they’d left the vehicle along with the information about her apartment so he could come and get the keys. She pulled plates, silverware, and glasses out of the cupboard, set them on the table, then glanced around her stark apartment with dismay. What she wouldn’t give for a little background music. She toyed with the idea of opening her music app on her phone but then began to stress over what kind of music Reese might like compared to her preference toward country rock.

  There she went again, worrying about things that were unimportant. Why did she care what Reese thought of her favorite type of music?

  She was letting Dennis mess with her head.

  Reese hung up and eyed the spread of steaming white boxes on the table with glee. If he noticed the barren walls and lack of interior decorating of her living space, he didn’t comment. “Looks great.”

  “Dig in,” she invited. Her eyes widened as Reese heaped food on his plate, taking a sampling from every single container. He still wore his flight suit from work, and she wondered where on his lean frame he put all the food.

  When she spooned sweet-and-sour chicken and broccoli over her rice, her appetite returned with a vengeance.

  “I was hungrier than I realized,” she admitted a few minutes later, taking a break from her meal.

  Reese’s brown eyes darkened as his gaze met hers. “I’m glad.”

  His eyes seemed to hold her captive. Samantha’s hand froze halfway to her mouth, and a big drop of sweet-and-sour sauce plopped onto the table beneath her fork. She swallowed hard and dabbed at the spot with her napkin.

  Tension simmered between them. Oh boy, she was in over her head. Way over. The silence was deafening.

  Until her doorbell buzzed loudly. She startled so badly her fork clattered to her plate.

  If Reese noticed her obvious overreaction, he didn’t let on. “Must be Vince.” Reese nonchalantly stood as if he hadn’t tried to singe her with his heated gaze. He held out his hand. “I need to give him your keys.”

  “What? Oh, ah, sure.” She stood and crossed over to fumble with her purse until she found the keys and handed them over. This needed to stop. She hated feeling like a green medical student at her first autopsy. She was almost a board-certified emergency medical physician. About time she acted like one. She was in control of her life and planned to stay that way.

  In a matter of minutes, Reese had given Vince her keys with instructions to call him in the morning with the status of her car. Vince left with a cheerful wave. Sam resisted the urge to call him back.

  Reese shut the door behind him and turned to face her. “So, where were we?”

  “Eating a friendly dinner.” She added emphasis to the word friendly.

  “Of course.” He returned to his seat across from her. “Everything tastes wonderful.”

  “You say that as if I slaved all day over a hot stove.” Sam rolled her eyes and pushed her empty plate away. “Thanks for calling Vince to take care of my car.”

  “No problem.” Reese ate until he’d cleaned every last speck of rice from his heaping plate. She couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed watching a man eat. Reese might consider himself adventurous, but it was better than what she was used to. Dennis had quirky tastes when it came to food. He would only eat certain things prepared a specific way. And more often than not he’d claimed she’d done it wrong.

  Whoa, enough of those thoughts. Sam stood and began to close the boxes that still contained food. “You’re going to have to take these leftovers with you. I’ll never be able to eat all this.”

  “Yum, breakfast.”

  She shook her head with a hint of amusement. “I’m sure there’s enough here for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

  “I bet you’re right.” He caught her hand as she placed a box in the original bag. “Thank you, Samantha.”

  She went still, caught off guard by his obvious sincerity. “For what?”

  “For sharing dinner with me.” His thumb lightly stroked the back of her hand. “I really didn’t want to eat alone.”

  “You’re welcome.” Sam needed to sit, or she knew she would fall flat on her face. Her physical reaction to Reese was crazy.

  He slowly stood, still claiming her hand. When he stepped closer, she sensed his intent and told herself to step back, out of reach.

  Her feet didn’t listen to her brain’s feeble command. As if she were a puppet dangling from a string, she watched him lean toward her. His mouth brushed hers, lightly at first as if testing the water, then when she didn’t pull away or protest, he kissed her again.

  Deeply. Hungrily. His mouth possessed hers. Heat flared, hot and needy. She wrapped her arms around his lean waist, savoring the taste of his mouth on hers. His strong arms cradled her close without overwhelming her.

  When her head began to spin from lack of oxygen, he slowly ended the kiss, dragging his hands from her shoulders to her arms and then to her hands. She reluctantly stepped back, struggling to breathe.

  His voice was low and husky with desire as he stepped away. “I’d better go.”

  “No,” her body screamed in protest. “Yes,” her mind insisted.

  He’d made it to her door before she stopped him. “Reese.”

  He swung around to face her. “Yeah?”

  “I—don’t think I’m ready for relationship.” The words came out in a rush, but it was only fair to warn him. As wonderfully nice as he was, this thing—whatever it was between them—couldn’t go anywhere.

  His smile was crooked. “I know. Me either. Except I think it’s too late.”

  “Too late?” What did that mean?

  “I don’t seem to have a choice where you’re concerned.”

  Her dismay must’ve shown in her eyes because he quickly smiled. “Hey, there’s no need to panic. Just promise me one thing.”

  “If I can,” she hedged. Her fingers curled around one of her kitchen chairs for support. She didn’t give promises lightly. Not anymore.

  “Promise you’ll let me help keep you safe, at least for the next few months until you finish your training at Lifeline.” His gaze turned somber. “As a friend, Samantha, if that’s what you prefer. Once you graduate from training, I’ll let you go.”

  Madness. What he proposed was sheer madness. She wasn’t in any real danger other than some of the routine risks of her job. The last thing her heart needed was to be tangled up with another man. Even more, she couldn’t afford to give up her newfound independence. Reese had no idea how much he was asking of her.

  “I don’t know if I can,” she confessed.

  He didn’t yell or protest, just gave her that same even look. “Okay. Just think about it. I’d never ask for more than you’re willing to give.” He opened her apartment door. “Good night, Samantha.”

  She didn’t want him to go but forced herself to stay where she was, far too tempted to reach out to the man whose strength drew her as much as the glimmer of sorrow in his eyes. He was long gone before she answered in a quiet voice, “Good night, Reese.”

  REESE DIDN’T REMEMBER MUCH about getting home.

  He could still taste Samantha on his lips. Could see the wide, dazed expression in her eyes when he lifted his mouth from hers. With a groan, he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, every nerve in his body shimmering with awareness of what he’d held, savored, then lost.

  He wanted Samantha. In a way he hadn’t wanted a woman in a long time. She wasn’t ready for relationship. A rusty laugh strangled in his throat. He could relate to that. But he’d told her the truth. He’d sworn not to get involved, yet here he was, tangled into knots over a tiny redheaded flight physician. Tumbling headfirst into what certainly resembled a relationship, pitfalls and all.

  With an effort, he pulled himself away from that line of thinking. Samantha wasn’t ready for a relationship, so he’d honor the terms of his propositi
on. He really did want to keep her safe, at least while she was flying under his care.

  Surely they could remain friends, at least until she’d finished her training.

  He must’ve drifted off to sleep at some point during the wee hours of the morning because when he abruptly opened his eyes, bright light poured through the window of his bedroom.

  Blinking, he peered outside. The temperature was probably well below freezing, but the sunlight gave the impression of warmth. A perfect day to spend outside. And on his day off, too. What would Samantha say if he proposed a little outing?

  He mentally smacked himself in the head. She only wanted friendship, nothing more. He needed to find something else to occupy his mind.

  The ringing of his phone startled him from thoughts of Samantha. Praying there wasn’t some sort of problem at Lifeline, he warily picked up the receiver. “Yeah?”

  “Reese?”

  “Hey, Vince.” He relaxed at the sound of his buddy’s voice and padded to the kitchen. “What’s up? Don’t tell me you’ve already looked at Samantha’s car?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.”

  “Was it the battery? She thought it might need to be replaced.” Reese tucked the phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could dig the leftover Chinese food out of the fridge. He never minded eating leftovers, although they would’ve tasted far better if Samantha were here to share them.

  “Sort of.”

  Reese frowned as he opened the containers. Vince’s tone was weird, evasive. “What do you mean, sort of? Samantha’s car trouble is either the result of a defunct battery or not.”

  “The battery is defunct all right. But not by accident.”

  A shiver of dread slithered down his spine, and he carefully set the container of Chinese on the table. “Someone messed with her battery on purpose? How can you tell?”

  “Gee, maybe by the round indentations made by a hammerhead where it smashed the battery? Hard enough to crack the casing. Battery acid has leaked all over the place, creating a big mess.”

  “A hammer.” Reese sank into a chair and tunneled his fingers through his hair. “I bet her ex, Dennis Markowitz, wrecked her battery on purpose.”