“Mr. Arquette, I presume.”
The voice was definitely female, but it was deep and sultry and immediately sent tingles down his spine. There was no doubt in his mind that, under just the right circumstances, a voice like that could have easily enthralled a man—in fact, encompass his whole being. But, Sam reminded himself, this wasn’t the right circumstance.
Besides, even if it was, he wasn’t interested. He already had his hands full, raising his two young daughters.
Shaking himself free of those errant thoughts, Sam sat up straight and then turned in his seat to see a woman with shoulder-length brown hair standing just a few feet inside the doorway. She had a stethoscope around her neck, and she wore a long white lab coat over her street clothes. She had clear blue eyes and a full mouth that, for the moment, at least, lacked the semblance of a smile.
But her voice... It was deep, and throaty and incredibly sexy. Not just any woman deserved to have a voice like that.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Sam stood and quickly offered her his hand. “And you must be Dr. Lucas,” he said evenly. Get a grip, he told himself. He hadn’t thought—nor wanted to think—of a woman in quite this way since...well, since forever, it seemed. And, frankly, he was shaken to the core.
Amanda Lucas was shaken, too. The tall, muscular man standing before her was extremely good-looking, and for some reason that bothered her. She folded her arms across her chest and peered down at the hand he was offering her. He had strong, capablelooking hands. Still, Amanda was contemplating whether or not to shake hands. So far her impression of Sam Arquette was that he was impulsive and arrogant. Not only that, but she was almost certain he was the same person who had been going around town earlier in the day, asking questions about her. Several of her patients had told her about him. But, finally, she resigned herself to the inevitable and slipped her hand into his, only to discover his palm was surprisingly warm. Ending the handshake as quickly as possible, she straightened her shoulders. “I’m a very busy person, Mr. Arquette. What, may I ask, is so urgent that you had to see me about it today?”
“I need to ask you some questions about one of your patients.”
Amanda frowned. “Is that why you were snooping around town today, asking questions about me?”
“You know about that?” Sam asked, an incredulous look spreading across his face.
“Mason’s Grove is a small town. News travels fast here.”
“I can explain,” Sam said, moving a step closer to her.
He looked menacing in a sort of nonthreatening way. If that was possible. She was determined to hold her ground.
“Let me explain something to you, Mr. Arquette,” she said, giving him a hard glare. Still, her heart was beating wildly. Too wildly. She dropped her eyes from his as soon as she could. “Any information I have concerning my patients is strictly confidential between them and me.”
“I understand how you must feel about that, but—”
“There are no buts,” she said, interrupting him. Frankly, she wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible. She needed oxygen and there simply wasn’t enough in her office right now for the two of them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a busy schedule. I’ll have my receptionist show you out.” With that, she headed straight past him for the door.
“You’re making a mistake,” Sam said. “This could be a matter of life and death.”
A moment passed while Amanda paused in the doorway. Finally, she spun on her heels to face him. “Okay, Mr. Arquette. You’ve got my undivided attention. But this better be damned good.”
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6705-3
THE RANCHER AND THE AMNESIAC BRIDE
Copyright © 1998 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Letter to Reader
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Books by Joan Elliott Pickart
About the Author
Letter to Reader
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Teaser chapter
Copyright
The Rancher And The Amnesiac Bride Page 19
