Finding Dr. Right (Contemporary Medical Romance)

by Lisa B. Kamps

  Her nod unleashed whatever Nathan had been holding back. The desire in his eyes flashed and grew, engulfed her as he guided her hands in undoing his trousers and pushing them past his hips. Catherine felt the thick smoothness of his erection against the flat of her stomach, felt an answering wet heat between her legs. Nathan crushed his mouth to hers, taking and giving, feeding her own desire.

  She lowered her hand, felt him throb under her touch as she held him, caressing and stroking until Nathan groaned and grabbed her hand, dragging it upward until it rested in the center of his chest. Her fingers brushed against his skin, felt the crisp hair under her touch as he gently lowered her to the bed and followed her down before kicking his pants to the growing pile on the floor.

  He pulled her to him, tighter until they were flesh to flesh. Catherine leaned up and touched her mouth to his then ran kisses along his jaw and down his neck, eager for his touch, wanting him, wanting to touch him the way he had touched her. She pushed against him, rolling him to his back as she sprawled across him. She wanted him to feel the same need that coursed through her. She touched her mouth to his chest, dragged her mouth lower, across the hard flatness of his stomach and lower still until reaching the object of her search.

  Nathan tensed under her touch and groaned as she closed her mouth over him. His hands played in her hair then suddenly tightened around her arms, pulling her back up then under him as he rolled over, trapping her with his weight. He stared at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Catherine licked her lips nervously then sighed when he kissed her, his hand running down the length of her body then back up, pausing at the juncture of her thighs.

  A ribbon of pleasure curled through her and she cried out when Nathan eased a long finger into her. She felt him smile against her mouth as he continued to tease her with his finger, slowly until the pleasure grew and spiraled outward, then faster until Catherine’s hips tilted under his touch, searching for more.

  “Nathan…” She whispered his name, not sure why, couldn’t think anymore when he removed his hand only to replace the touch with his mouth. Catherine arched her back under the intimate touch, surprised at the escalating sensation, stunned by the intensity. She took a deep breath, held it then blew it out in a long gasp; everything inside her tightened, searching but unwilling to let go just yet. “Nathan…”

  “Shh.” His whisper was a hot breath against the inside of her thigh, nearly as exciting as the feel of his mouth and tongue on her, inside her. Catherine gasped for breath, moaned when he pulled away, cried out in frustration when he leaned over the bed and shifted through the pile of clothes. The rational part of her realized he was pulling out a foil packet, was sheathing himself with the condom even as she fought the impatience of losing his touch.

  Her impatience disappeared as Nathan repositioned himself between her legs and again lowered his mouth to her. The need built quickly, coiled tightly deep inside then shattered in a waterfall of colorful sensation. She arched under him, called his name and suddenly he was on top of her, covering her with his warm weight as his mouth dropped to hers. She arched her hips under him, searching, reaching for him before he grabbed her hands in his and held them over her head.

  “Shh. Not so fast, Catherine.” The words were a harsh whisper against her mouth and she arched her hips under him. “Oh, hell.”

  Catherine wasn’t sure if he muttered the curse in frustration or in surrender, didn’t care as he entered her in one swift move. Her reaction was immediate and shattering; she tightened around him and exploded again in a burst of pulsating fragments. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, nipped at his shoulder as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. There was a vague realization that Nathan hadn’t even moved over her, just held her as she slowly resurfaced from the pool of feeling she was drowning in.

  He lowered his head against hers and smiled against her mouth. Embarrassment coursed through her at the realization of how quickly and how thoroughly she had just climaxed, and she closed her eyes, turning her head away from him.

  “Oh. That never…I mean…I don’t…” Her words faded at Nathan’s chuckle and she turned her face to his, surprised at the amusement that flashed in his eyes. He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth, still smiling.

  “Catherine, don’t apologize. Not for that. Ever.” His eyes turned serious as he stared at her, the intensity of his look enough to ignite the heat possessing her. “I don’t do one-night stands, Catherine.”

  Her heart slammed into her chest at his words, bringing a hundred thoughts and questions to mind that she was afraid to ask, not sure what he meant. Instead she swallowed and shook her head, met his serious gaze with her own. “Neither do I.”

  “I know.” He claimed her mouth in a searing kiss that left her reeling. He moved against her, slowly, quickly reawakening her senses with each thrust, pulling her into his rhythm. Catherine wrapped her legs tight around him and followed him to the pleasure he promised.

  Nathan shifted against the warmth curled beside him and cracked open one eye at the unaccustomed sensation. A smile played on his lips as he gazed down at Catherine’s sleeping form, tucked protectively under his arm, her hair spread in wild abandon across her pillow. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer, last night still vivid in his mind. Never before had he given so much of himself to a woman. Dread came from that last thought but he quickly banished it, unwilling to let a split second of hesitation ruin what had been the most intense night he had ever experienced.

  They had made love two more times during the night, each time different, each time giving and receiving more than before. The intensity almost worried Nathan. So many things had clicked between them, surprising given the short and rocky time they had known each other. Minutes passed before she tensed beside him and he knew without looking that she was awake. He ran a finger lightly across her arm and propped himself on his elbow, dropping a kiss on her shoulder as he did. “’Morning.”

  Nathan fought the guilt that swept over him when she jumped in surprise at his voice and told himself that she wasn’t accustomed to waking up next to someone. Possessiveness stole through him as Catherine rolled over, the sheet and blanket held firmly in place under her chin. She studied him for a second longer than necessary before offering him a weak smile.

  “Oh. Um, good morning.” She pulled back a bit when he tried to kiss her. He raised his brows in question, studying her.

  “You don’t sound too sure about that.”

  “No. I…” She shook her head and pushed herself to a sitting position, still clinging to the sheet. “I’m sorry. I just…I didn’t expect you to still be here.”

  “I see,” he said, not seeing at all. “Mind if I ask why?”

  Catherine studied him for a full minute then lowered her head. He sighed and sat up, not bothering to cover himself with the sheet as he tried to peek through the curtain of her hair. A blush stained her cheeks; he turned so he was facing her, then curled one hand around her neck and pulled her to him until their lips met. The kiss he gave her was gentle and soft but he still felt the beginnings of desire stir inside him.

  “Did you want me to leave?” He whispered the question against her mouth then held his breath until she shook her head. She finally met his gaze, her anxiety clear in her dark eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just…” She waved her hand around them and let it fall back into her lap. “I’m not used to this.”

  Nathan almost asked her if it was something she wanted to grow used to, then choked back the words. Instead he leaned forward and claimed her lips in another kiss, sighing when she melted against him. He tugged gently on the sheet then moaned when she let the cool material drop away from her heated flesh.

  The kiss exploded between them with the same intensity of the night before. Nathan’s hands drifted across Catherine’s back, caressing before moving to the front where his thumb brushed against one tightened nipple. He wondered if their lovemaking would be the same this morni
ng when a harsh noise screeched next him. He jumped back, one hand over his ear as he glanced at Catherine in bewilderment.

  She scrambled to reach her nightstand, her hand fumbling across the cluttered surface until it slammed on a small brown object. The buzzing mercifully ended, followed by an unnatural quiet that echoed around the room. Nathan let out his breath and gave a questioning look at Catherine.

  “Sorry. I can be a heavy sleeper sometimes.”

  Nathan watched the faint blush spreading across her cheeks. He placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling until she rested against him, her skin warm where it touched his. She sighed as his lips brushed her temple and curled closer, snuggling. Nathan held her, enjoying the feel of her body next to his and the comfortable silence that cloaked them. He pressed another kiss to her face then looked up, groaning when he saw the bright red numbers on the clock. Nine thirty-five.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I didn’t realize how late it was. I should probably get ready to leave,” Nathan muttered, knowing he should get out of bed. Instead he sunk deeper into the soft mattress.

  “I thought you said you had to leave.”

  “I do.”

  “Oh.”

  Nathan ran his hand up and down her arm, felt her soft curves mold against him and tried to calculate how much longer he could put off leaving. He had practice in an hour and a half. The rink was less than thirty minutes away. Which left him just under an hour. Plenty of time, he thought.

  He brushed a kiss against Catherine’s soft lips, then a second and a third, ready to continue where they left off the night before when another thought ran through his mind and doused the stirrings of desire. He tensed and pulled away. “Do we have…I mean, what about Matty? Won’t he be home soon?”

  Her smile melted his tension and hesitation. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she shook her head. “Matty’s staying at Brian’s all day.”

  “All day, hmm?” Nathan smiled, considered telling her about his conversation with Dr. Porter the night before, then forgot all about it as Catherine’s mouth claimed his.

  Nathan’s heart rate soared as their passion escalated. His hands roamed over her body, enjoying the way she responded so openly to his smallest touch. Enjoying the way their bodies seemed to know each other so well. Enjoying the way each caress, each stroke, each murmured word fed their desire. He reached beside the bed, searching for another condom. His hand closed over the foil packet just as the phone rang.

  Nathan groaned, heard Catherine’s own sigh of frustration and decided to ignore the noise. On the third ring Catherine finally moaned and pulled away from him. She offered him a small smile of apology as she reached for the phone.

  “It could be the office. Or a patient,” she explained, yanking the phone from the receiver. Nathan sat up next to her and lowered his mouth to her shoulder blade, hoping it was a wrong number. “Hello? Oh, Brian, hi.”

  Nathan bit back his groan and leaned on one elbow, knowing that their time together had come to an end. He watched as her hair swung against her back, heard her voice as background noise and mentally calculated how many days it would be until they could be together again. He quickly changed the days to hours, surprised at how much he wanted this one woman.

  “What? What happened?” Her sharp voice jolted Nathan from his fantasies and he straightened, suddenly aware of the tenseness that throbbed around Catherine. He glanced at her face, saw her skin pale and her hand tremble. Her mouth moved but no words came out, just a breathy rasp. Nathan’s stomach clenched with foreboding; something bad had happened.

  He didn’t even think about his next move, didn’t consider the consequences as he reacted from instinct and took the phone from Catherine’s shaking hand. He brought it to his ear as he pulled Catherine to him. Her skin had turned to ice. “Hello?”

  “Who is this?” Dr. Porter’s voice was flat and Nathan cringed at his tone. He took a deep breath and let it out.

  “It’s Nathan. What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Nathan.” A sigh echoed in the line between them, and Nathan wondered if that was a good sign or bad. “It’s Matty. There was a small accident.”

  Nathan closed his eyes. “What happened? Is he okay?”

  “He will be. He broke his arm skating.”

  “What?” Nathan felt Catherine tense against him and realized he had failed to keep the surprise from his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Um, how?”

  Another sigh came over the line and Nathan sensed the doctor’s discomfort. The memory of Catherine’s reaction the first time she had seen Matty on the ice came back in vivid clarity and Nathan inwardly cringed. He didn’t want to be in the other man’s shoes when Catherine found out.

  “It was really all my fault, but that can wait. Right now I’m worried about Catherine. How is she? My guess is panicked.”

  Nathan chanced a quick glance at the woman beside him, noticed her pale face, trembling lips and icy skin. He nodded, then answered with a quick, “Yes.”

  “They’re getting ready to set his arm now, but I know Catherine won’t be happy unless she’s here. Is there…Nathan, she shouldn’t drive herself, but she will. Would you be able —”

  “Yeah, no problem. We’ll leave now.” Nathan hung up the phone. Catherine turned to face him, her eyes round with worry, and he gave her a quick hug. “Matty’s fine. He broke his arm.”

  “He what? But how? What happened? Is he okay? What did they say? Oh, God, what if it’s something else? What if the…” Her voice trailed off. Nathan watched as she tried to hide her fear. He pulled her to him, held her close and whispered in her ear.

  “Catherine, he’s fine. It’s just a broken arm, that’s all. Lots of kids get them.”

  “No, you don’t understand.” She pushed away from him, ran a shaking hand through her hair and stared up at him with wet eyes. “That’s what happened when…Matty broke his leg, and that’s when…how…they found the cancer.”

  Nathan’s stomach dipped and tilted at the sight of her anxiety, and he suddenly understood what it must have been like for her. He sighed, ran his hand through his own hair and debated the wisdom of telling her exactly how Matty broke his arm. The idea left faster than it appeared. He had the impression that she wouldn’t welcome the news, and he didn’t want to be the one on the receiving end of her anger when she found out. But he didn’t want her to worry needlessly the entire way to the hospital, either. He decided on a compromise.

  “Catherine, it was an accident, not cancer. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but Dr. Porter himself said it was nothing to worry about. Now he wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t true, would he?” Nathan wasn’t sure exactly how far her friend would go to protect her, and he hoped he hadn’t just made up the biggest damn lie ever just to ease her worry.

  “No. No, he wouldn’t.” Catherine took a deep breath, shook her head and tried to smile.

  “Good. Now get dressed, and I’ll drive you to the hospital.” Nathan leaned over and grabbed his clothes from the pile on the floor, shaking the wrinkles from them when Catherine rested a still-trembling hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her, surprised at the emotion in her eyes.

  “I thought…but you have practice.”

  Nathan shrugged and offered her a small smile. “It won’t hurt if I miss one.” Much, he added to himself. He saw the gratitude flash in her eyes, in the warmth of her smile before she pulled the sheet around her and climbed out of bed. Nathan followed her movements until she disappeared into the bathroom.

  An insignificant fine and verbal chewing-out from Sonny LeBlanc was nothing compared to helping Catherine and Matty.

  Chapter Ten

  Catherine’s tennis shoes squeaked against the polished floor of the corridor leading to the emergency room. Her fists balled against her sides, her nails dug into the skin; she was thankful for the pain, thankful for its diversion.

  The lead ball in her stomach had grown
during the ride to the hospital. Nathan seemed to understand how she felt and had simply reached over and held her hand, the warmth of his touch temporarily easing her anxiety. She was aware of him now, walking beside her, silently offering his support.

  She wanted to accept that support, wanted to lean on him for strength, but part of her fought against it. Already she was questioning the wisdom of last night, wondering how things could change so quickly with the coming of a new day. Guilt grew inside her, consuming her, and she wondered how she could have possibly thought of anything besides Matty.

  Matty, who was in the E.R. with a broken arm that he wouldn’t have if she had been with him instead of with Nathan.

  Catherine took a deep breath, held it to the count of three and released it slowly, hoping to calm her nerves. They reached the door leading to the emergency room. Catherine reached out to grab the handle but Nathan beat her to it. She looked up at him, so solid, so attractive. And wearing last night’s clothes.

  Her eyes drifted to the sleeves of the suit jacket, searching for the ruined cuffs of his shirt. A blush heated her face as she recalled exactly how the cuffs had been ruined. She suddenly wanted — needed — for him to stay behind, not to go any farther with her for fear of what everyone would think. Her son was in the hospital because she had been too busy enjoying herself instead of protecting him.

  Catherine swallowed nervously and opened her mouth to ask Nathan to wait, but it was too late. Nathan was pulling open the door, holding it for her, looking at her expectantly.

  She brushed by him, telling herself that the only thing that mattered was Matty as she briskly closed the distance to the triage station. One of the interns looked up from his report, gave her a quick smile and motioned down the hallway with his pen. “Hey, Doc. Matty’s back in room four. They’re almost done with the cast.”