Finding Dr. Right (Contemporary Medical Romance)

by Lisa B. Kamps

  “You’re insane!”

  “No, I’m not. C’mon, put on the helmet.” He lifted the helmet higher, urging her to take it. She stepped backward.

  “It’s February! It’s forty degrees out, freezing, and you’re driving a motorcycle!”

  Nathan shrugged, indifferent, and stepped closer. “I’m from northern Minnesota. This is considered warm. Now here, put this on.” He placed the helmet on her head and adjusted the chin strap before she realized what he was doing. She shook her head and reached up to take it off, but was stopped when he gently took both of her hands in his. He lowered his head so his eyes were level with hers and stared at her, searching. His gaze was warm, serious, and Catherine fought her sudden nervousness.

  She could handle him when he was joking or when he was cocky. At least, she told herself she could. But the look he was giving her now, the fire in his gaze that seared through her, this was new to her. It filled her with trepidation and fear, and something else she didn’t want to examine. All her survival instincts screamed to get away from him but she was helpless to move, locked in his gaze like a frightened animal. She wondered how much time she had left before he robbed her of what little common sense she still possessed.

  “Come with me, Catherine.” His husky voice hypnotized her and she felt herself nodding, agreeing to the quiet demand. He smiled and stepped away, breaking the spell so abruptly that Catherine wondered if she’d imagined the whole thing.

  Nathan stepped off the curb and straddled the bike, bringing it to life with a powerful kick before motioning for her to get on. She stared at him for a split second, wondering if she had any choice left at all, then climbed on and wrapped her arms around him.

  Catherine released her death grip from Nathan’s waist and tried to flex her hands, wincing at the cold numbness that had seeped into her joints. “I c-c-can’t feel my f-f-fingers.”

  “Let me see.” Nathan climbed off the bike and removed his helmet in a single graceful move then reached out and took her hands in his. He rubbed them lightly then pulled them to his mouth, blowing softly. A wave of heat washed over Catherine and she yanked her hands away, shoving them into her coat pockets.

  “N-never mind. They’re fine.” She tried to climb off the motorcycle, stumbling as her foot caught on the kickstand. Strong hands reached out and steadied her, helping her regain her balance and making her feel as graceful as a three-legged elephant. She shrugged off his help and straightened, pointedly ignoring his expression of wry amusement as she looked around.

  They had been driving aimlessly for little more than an hour, finally stopping on a side road that wound through the reservoir. The sound of water rushing over a man-made waterfall echoed around them, its noise loud against the silence of the surrounding woods. In a few months, when the weather warmed and the trees began to bud, the area would be filled with people eagerly welcoming spring. But it was deserted now, desolate with the bare trees and patches of brown grass. Catherine noticed the No Trespassing signs and wondered why Nathan had stopped here.

  “Let’s go for a walk.” He didn’t look at her, didn’t stop to see if she would follow, just started walking. A shiver stole over Catherine at the sound of crunching grass under her feet; she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to shake the emptiness that wanted to grip her. Nathan stopped and looked down at her with an unreadable expression.

  “What?”

  “Are you okay?”

  No. I’m lonely and scared, and I don’t know why. She pushed the thought away and forced a smile. “Me? I’m fine. Why?”

  He continued to watch her then shrugged and turned away. She started to follow again, then stopped when she noticed he was climbing out onto the dam.

  “Where are you going?”

  “There’s something I want you to see,” he called over his shoulder.

  “But you can’t go out there!”

  Nathan stopped and turned around, his hands on his hips in a pose of pure masculine frustration. “Why can’t I?”

  “Because you’re not supposed to, that’s why. See that sign?” Catherine pointed to the sign clearly posted at the railing, warning trespassers away from the dam. She had no trouble hearing his sigh as he walked back to her.

  “And do you always follow the rules? Never mind, I already know the answer.” He held his hand out, clearly expecting her to take it. “Forget about the rules, Catherine.”

  The tone in his quiet voice carried so many meanings, all of them terrifying. She saw the quiet reassurance in his eyes and looked down at his outstretched hand and wanted to reach out and grab it, feel his long fingers intertwine with hers. She wanted to forget the rules, to forget fear and responsibility and duty. For once she wanted to live, to do something just because. She pulled her right hand from her pocket and willed it to reach out, but let it drop at the last second.

  “I can’t.”

  Nathan studied her with a sadness that disappeared so quickly she thought she imagined it. Silence hung between them. Catherine lowered her head, afraid to meet his direct gaze, not willing to acknowledge the sudden guilt she felt.

  “You asked for it.”

  “Wh —” Catherine shrieked as Nathan rushed toward her, scooping her in his arms and lifting her in one fluid movement. They were halfway across the dam before she realized what happened. A surprised yelp escaped her when she looked and saw nothing but water more than fifty feet below her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

  A deep rumble shook his chest, and she realized he was laughing. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her grip, unable to see any humor in the fact that one misstep could cause them to topple over the edge of the dam to an icy death below.

  “You can let go now. We’re across.”

  Catherine realized they had stopped moving and she slowly peeled one eye open, surprised to see they had reached the other side safely. A sigh of relief escaped her and she loosened her grip, expecting Nathan to lower her to her feet. She looked up and felt the breath catch in her throat at the intensity of the gaze he fixed on her. Her eyes darted to the soft fullness of his lips and she wondered briefly if he would kiss her again. She looked away in embarrassment when the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

  “I wasn’t going to drop you.” The laughter in his voice made her face grow warmer and she mumbled something unintelligible, not sure herself of what she said. He released his hold on her legs and lowered her feet to the ground, letting her body slide down his, so close and slow she could tell that she wasn’t the only one affected by their nearness.

  “Nathan, I —”

  “Shh.” He wrapped his hand around hers and tugged, pulling her behind him with a mischievous wink that sent tingles straight to her nerve endings. “I want to show you something.”

  Catherine bit down on her lower lip. There were so many questions she wanted to suddenly ask him, but she was afraid. Afraid of the questions, afraid of the answers he might give her, afraid that she even wanted to ask them. She lowered her eyes to concentrate on her steps and felt her face heat when she realized she was staring at a prime piece of his anatomy. Her embarrassment fled, replaced by guilt when her gaze dropped and she noticed he was favoring his left leg. Probably from carrying her. She stopped midstride and pulled her hand from his.

  “You’re limping!”

  Nathan turned and fixed her with a look of impatience that would have made her laugh if she hadn’t felt so guilty. He closed the distance between them, took her hand again and started walking. “It was a rough first practice.”

  “But you shouldn’t be —”

  “Quiet. Now come on.” He tugged but she refused to move.

  “But your knee…”

  “Catherine.” She was startled by how fast he spun around to face her, by how close he was and by the laughter in his eyes. “Do I need to find a way to keep you quiet?”

  The meaning hidden in his words was not lost on her and her jaw snapp
ed shut. His laughter was deep and rich, infectious, and she fought against her own answering smile. Nathan rested a single finger against his lips, motioning for silence, then turned and led her along a barely noticeable path.

  Minutes crawled by, broken only by the sound of dried leaves and breaking twigs under their feet, the occasional scurry of a small animal darting just out of their view. And by the tormented taunts of her mind. Catherine questioned, not for the first time, what she was doing with him. Why she had followed him so trustingly. Why her common sense seemed to desert her when he was around. She swallowed a sigh, afraid to make even the smallest noise, and watched the sleek power of his body as he walked, his hand still firmly wrapped around hers.

  If she had been smart, if she had possessed any common sense at all, she would have turned and run from her office the first minute she had seen him. She recalled the sense of danger she had felt at that first meeting nearly two months ago.

  It seemed impossible that only two months had passed. So much had happened, so much had changed in that short time that Catherine’s mind swam. Matty had become a different boy, laughing more than ever before, adapting to his prosthesis with greater ease than she would have thought. She had changed, so subtly that even she would have trouble describing how. And all of it was because of Nathan. By pure chance he had entered their lives and Catherine wasn’t sure how she felt about it or him.

  Or maybe she did, and that was another reason for the anxiety that seemed to grip her at the most unexpected times.

  She looked up at Nathan and realized they had stopped; he was watching her with that intense gaze that saw too much. She flinched under his scrutiny and ducked her head, afraid he might see the thoughts swirling through her mind.

  “Look around, Catherine.” It was a quiet demand, one she was helpless to ignore. She raised her head, determined not to look at him, and took in their surroundings. A soft exclamation of surprise left her on a hushed breath. He had stopped at the edge of a stream, its clear waters gurgling over smooth rocks polished with years of caressing. Across the stream was a huge fortress of twigs, leaves and a mixture of nature’s castoffs. As she watched, a furry animal lifted his head and fixed them with an impatient glare before diving under the water’s surface, its flat tail kicking up water in indignation.

  “A beaver!” The giggle that escaped her was unexpected and she covered her mouth with her hand, surprised the youthful noise had come from her. She looked at Nathan, saw the wide smile that curved his lips and felt her face flame in answer. Electric awareness hung between them, so thick and alive that Catherine swore she could hear the beating of his heart. She swallowed, expecting him to lean forward and kiss her. Disappointment flooded through her when he released her hand and stepped away, breaking the spell.

  “I thought you might enjoy seeing it. Not what you would call a fancy date, but…” His voice trailed off as he walked to the edge of the stream. He lowered his lean body onto a flat rock, stretching his left leg in front of him. Catherine’s stomach did a funny lurch at the word date but she was determined not to make anything of it.

  Nathan patted the rock beside him, motioning for her to sit. She hesitated, questioning the wisdom of getting too close to him, then decided it was already too late to worry about that, at least for now. She sat down, making sure there were a few extra inches between them. “So why did we come here?”

  “I just get the feeling that you’ve forgotten how simple life can be. That it’s not all worries and responsibilities.”

  She stiffened at his words, even as she told herself the comment hadn’t been intended to hurt. But the pain that sliced through her was real, sharp and accusing, made worse because it was true. She wanted to run, to hide from the painful truth. Nathan must have sensed her intent because he reached out and took hold of her chin, gently urging her to turn and face him.

  “Catherine, look at me.” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. “That’s not always a bad thing. As long as you aren’t deliberately trying to run away and hide.”

  “Sometimes I think I am.” The admission tumbled from her, stinging like a scab picked from a fresh wound. She sighed and pulled her face from his gentle hold, not wanting to look at him, afraid she would see pity staring back at her from the depths of his golden eyes. “You must think I’m a mess.”

  “You don’t want to know what I think right now.”

  “That bad, huh?” Catherine hunched her shoulders, wanting to hide her head like a turtle. She spun toward him at the sound of his chuckle, not understanding the reason for his amusement.

  “Hardly.” The look he gave her was hot and intense. His meaning was clear and her mouth dropped open in a soundless O. She shifted, too aware of him, too wary to trust herself. Her eyes darted around, finally resting on his knee, and she retreated behind the front she was most comfortable with.

  “How’s your knee?”

  “It’s fine.”

  Catherine fixed him with a pointed glare, not believing for a minute that it was fine. She shifted position and leaned closer, resting her hands on either side of his knee. His leg jerked under her touch, the muscles of his thigh tight under the faded jeans. “Does that hurt?”

  “No, but —”

  “Relax. I’m just going to rub it.” She gently pushed down with her fingers, rocking them back and forth in an effort to ease the obvious soreness. His leg became more tense and she released a sigh of frustration. “You need to relax. Getting tense like that isn’t going to help.”

  “Catherine —”

  She looked up at the sound of his choked voice and couldn’t understand the reason for his sudden discomfort. “If you don’t relax, it’s just going to get stiff.”

  His strangled laughter was immediate, the flash in his eyes too clear and Catherine suddenly realized they were talking about two different things. She pulled her hands from his leg with lightning speed and jammed them in her pockets, her jaw clenched against the keen embarrassment that swamped her.

  “Catherine, look at me.”

  “Um, I think maybe we should go now.” She pulled her legs under her to stand but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

  “Catherine.” His voice was husky, drawing her. Against her will her head turned, just enough to see the fire in his eyes as he leaned closer. She swallowed, afraid of what she saw in his gaze, afraid of her body’s uncontrollable response to the man next to her.

  Nathan pivoted on the rock, trapping her between his legs. He freed her hands from her pockets and held them in his, one callused thumb rubbing the pulse that throbbed in her wrist.

  “I want to kiss you, Catherine.” He reached up and ran a hand along her jawline, caressing softly, running his thumb along her lower lip. “Will you let me?”

  The deep huskiness of his voice wrapped around her like a web, weaving its magic so completely she was helpless to do anything but nod. One corner of his mouth twitched in a quick smile as he leaned closer, closer until his lips barely touched hers, rubbed against them in a soft kiss. A flame of desire and need erupted inside her and she leaned forward, eager for his touch, nearly crying out when his mouth claimed hers.

  Catherine pulled her hand from his, placed it against the warmth of his neck and drew him closer. Her fingers tangled in the edges of his hair, feeling the softness of each strand against his neck. The tip of his tongue darted out, swept across her lips in an insistent demand that she open to him, a demand she eagerly met. A soft moan escaped her as Nathan pulled her closer.

  A rush of cold air drifted under the edge of her sweater, replaced by a fiery touch as his hand swept across her stomach and up her back, kneading her flesh, pulling her to him as he leaned back, farther still until she was lying across him. She moaned in frustration when he pulled his lips from hers, sighed when the tip of his tongue trailed a hot path along her neck and around her ear. Dizziness washed over her as one sense after another crashed under the onslaught of his touch.

  Her ha
nds wandered over his chest and she felt the heat of his body through his shirt, the slight trembling of the hard muscles and the thudding beat of his heart under her palm. She wanted to touch him, feel the warmth of his flesh against hers, see if his body was as magnificently sculpted as it felt. She fumbled with the edge of his shirt, urging it free of his jeans, muttering in frustration when it became snagged. Her hand lowered farther, brushed up against the thick length of his erection and she froze, realizing what she was doing. Realizing how much of her control she had lost.

  Nathan murmured her name softly against her ear, reclaimed her lips in a kiss meant to make her forget where they were, who he was. Who she was. Catherine tensed. She was afraid to give up so much of herself yet hesitant to pull away from the feelings and desires that cascaded through her. Feelings and desires that were foreign in their intensity.

  Nathan must have sensed her silent battle because he gentled the kiss and slowly, reluctantly, pulled his lips from hers. His arms tightened around her when she would have pulled away. A long finger pushed the hair from her face as his eyes searched hers, seeing too much, saying too much.

  “I knew I shouldn’t have waited so long to kiss you.” His hoarse voice was light and teasing, one corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. Her face heated but she didn’t look away, was too mesmerized by the sight of his smile to give in to her embarrassment. Nathan shifted on the rock and eased her head onto his chest, holding her with one arm while his hand made lazy circles on her back. Catherine closed her eyes, wishing for nothing more than the ability to purr.

  Minutes may have passed by, or merely seconds, as she lay curled on his chest. She had no way of knowing and wouldn’t have cared except for the damp chill seeping through her leg. She shifted and felt the rough scratch of the rock under her hand, realizing that while she may be comfortable, Nathan had nothing to cushion him. She pushed herself up, suddenly guilty that she had been thinking only of herself.