Prince Charming, M.D.

by Susan Mallery

  He was flirting with her. That she could accept. It was her eagerness to respond that made her cranky. “I don’t think there will be a shortage of volunteers for that job,” she told him, trying to ignore the excitement spreading through her.

  An odd light glimmered in his eyes. Something that made her think he was thinking about kissing her. She told herself she should be insulted if he imagined she was that easy to manipulate. And yet...the thought of his kiss made her lips tingle and her body hum. She remembered his kisses, the strength of him, his power, his taste, the sensation of drowning in something sweet and wonderful.

  “Bye, Dana,” he said, then straightened and reached for the door.

  He was going to close it behind her, without kissing her. She was both disappointed and confused.

  “Bye,” she told him as she stepped off his porch and headed for her own place.

  “Dana?”

  She paused and turned toward him. “What?”

  “Don’t believe everything you hear. The truth isn’t as exciting as people want it to be, but that doesn’t make it any less the truth.”

  He shut the door before she could ask him what he meant.

  She stalked toward her place, annoyed that she regretted leaving him. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t possibly want anything to do with him. But she hadn’t wanted to go and... As she paused in front of her door, she pressed her fingertips to her temples. She felt as if she’d just been on a roller-coaster ride that had left her hanging upside down for too long.

  Hours later, she was just as confused and out of sorts. It was nearly nine on a Saturday night and she could hear Trevor moving around next door. As far as she could tell, he didn’t have company. Did that mean he was actually staying in? Had she been wrong about him? If so, did that mean she was wrong about what had happened fourteen years ago?

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to know that. If Trevor hadn’t betrayed her, she’d had no reason to hate him then and no reason to mistrust him now. But she sensed with a certainty she couldn’t explain that it was necessary to go on mistrusting Trevor. Especially if she wanted to keep her life sane and her heart in one piece.

  Chapter Three

  Trevor leaned against the balcony and inhaled deeply. If the town house were about fifty miles due west, he would be able to smell the Pacific Ocean. He hadn’t liked all that much about living in Los Angeles, but he did miss his daily jog along the beach. Still, giving that up was a small price to pay for coming home.

  Home. He smiled at the thought. He’d worked so hard to get away—college in three years, a fast-track through medical school, internship and residency—and here he was, back where he’d started. Considering all, there was no place he would rather be.

  He moved away from the railing and sank onto the white plastic chair tucked in the corner. The night was cool but clear. He told himself he should go in and grab something for dinner. It was nearly nine and he hadn’t eaten yet But instead of stirring, he relaxed and let his head rest against the chair back. Here it was, a Saturday night, and he was all alone. Who would believe it?

  One corner of his mouth twisted up. His reputation was an amazing thing. He’d always been impressed with the stories that circulated about him. How did they get started and why did people believe them? If he went out as often as the rumors claimed, he would be existing on less than three hours’ sleep a night. If he was intimate with as many women as those rumors maintained, he would have the libido of Don Juan and the endurance of a triathlete, not to mention the IQ of a gnat. In this day and age, casual sex was more than stupid—it was deadly.

  The irony usually amused him. The contrast between what the world believed and reality was as great as that between water and fire. The truth was, he spent most nights alone...even Saturday nights. He preferred it that way. But sometimes he thought about what it would be like to have a special woman in his life. As he’d told Dana earlier that day, he might not regret leaving Vanessa, but he did miss being married.

  Dana. The quirk at the corner of his mouth turned into a genuine smile. He was sorry he’d missed the look on her face when she’d realized they would be neighbors. She’d probably wanted to spit nails, but instead she’d been gracious. Some of that, he knew, was because of his father’s presence. She wasn’t about to curse him out in front of the chief of staff. Ironically, Walter was the person she should blame for Trevor’s current living conditions. That sly old dog. Matchmaking again.

  Trevor thought back to his parents’ multiple attempts to fix him up with women. “Nice ladies,” his father called them. Women with humor and brains; some pretty, some not; all the type to be put off by his reputation. He’d dated a couple and they’d been among his most successful relationships. Both his parents had warned him about Vanessa, not wanting to interfere yet wanting him to know she was more interested in marrying someone as attractive as herself than in a genuine relationship. She’d wanted to be part of a handsome couple. Unfortunately, her pretty face hid the morals of an alley cat His parents had been right about her. He wished he’d seen it sooner. Once he’d decided to move back to Honeygrove, his father had started a subtle campaign to remind him of a girl he’d dated in high school. What his father didn’t know was that Trevor didn’t need any help remembering Dana. If anything, there were days he would like to be able to forget her.

  A car pulled up nearby. He couldn’t see the vehicle, but he heard it stop and the doors open. A man and a woman stepped out, their voices carrying on the faint breeze. Another door opened, then a young girl laughed. From her conversation and the sound of her voice, she was around five or six. The family talked together as they headed for their town house.

  Trevor swallowed the envy that welled inside him. He’d hoped for children, but Vanessa had convinced him to wait. At the time he’d been devastated, but now he was glad. He wouldn’t want her to be his child’s mother. Not after he’d learned the truth about her. But his ultimate goal hadn’t changed. He wanted what that couple had, what so many others had found. A loving mate, happy children, a contented home life.

  The elusive dream. He closed his eyes and asked, as he had a thousand times, what combination of features and characteristics, what movements, what words, conspired to make people—women—assume the worst about him. He was not interested in sex for sex’s sake, nor did he crave a different woman every night If the world knew the few number of ladies he’d actually made love with... He grimaced. No one would believe him.

  For the most part he ignored the rumors, until they hurt someone he cared about or kept him from someone he really wanted to know. Someone like Dana.

  He told himself the past was long over and getting lost in it again was a waste of time. He reached for the bottle of beer sitting on the plastic table next to him and took a drink. He tried to think of other things, of the surgeries he had scheduled for next week, of the two patients he’d admitted to the hospital that Saturday morning. He even toyed with the idea of renting a video. But it wasn’t enough. Silent and unwelcome, the past intruded, slipping by his defenses and swirling through his mind like thick fog.

  He didn’t even have to close his eyes to remember. The image was so clear, so striking, it was almost like looking at a life-sized photograph. He could see Dana in black jeans and a fuzzy peach sweater the exact color of her tempting mouth, clutching her books to her chest. She’d been all of fifteen, a sophomore in high school. Big eyes and a smile that lit up the room.

  He’d told himself she was too young. After all, he was a senior, only a few months shy of graduation. But something about her had appealed to him. Maybe it was the way she blushed every time he caught her looking at him. Or the faint stutter when she’d managed to return his casual “hi” after the championship basketball game.

  He told himself not to go there—the past would offer nothing but heartache. The past was finished and couldn’t be changed. He was ten kinds of fool for wanting to relive it. Still, he relaxed in his chair and closed his
eyes.

  He could smell the rain of the afternoon. Ironically, it had been April, as it was now...only a lifetime ago. He recalled standing by his locker as one girl after the other said hello to him. Even then he’d had an undeserved reputation for having a way with “chicks.” They, his friends joked, playing on the word, “flocked to him.” At seventeen, he hadn’t understood the phenomenon any more than he did now, but back then it had seemed more of a blessing than a curse. He could get as many dates as he wanted, with any girl he wanted. After taking out a few of the prettiest ones, he found he needed more than someone to look at He wanted to care about the girl he was with; he wanted to be intrigued. Which was why he’d finally gathered the courage to talk to Dana.

  Trevor smiled at how nervous he’d been. He’d felt terror that she would notice his shaking and sweating or that his voice would betray him by cracking. She’d been standing with her two close friends, Katie and Lee, friends who were still important to her. The three girls had looked at him, but he’d seen only Dana.

  “Hi,” he’d managed, pleased his voice didn’t crack.

  She’d blushed, but had managed to hold his gaze. “Hi, Trevor.”

  Idiotically, he was thrilled she knew his name. In his head he understood that he was a popular senior and many underclass students knew who he was. But this was Dana. That she had taken the time to figure out who he was made him feel he could conquer the world.

  “How’s it going?” he asked.

  “Fine.” Her voice was low and soft.

  He pointed to her math text. “You taking Murphy’s class?”

  She nodded.

  Mr. Murphy was known for his Friday tests and not grading on a curve. “How are you doing in algebra?”

  “Pretty good. He’s hard, but I like math, so I don’t mind.”

  He tried to think of something funny to say, or something that would put her at ease. But his usual wordplay had deserted him. He could only think about how much he wanted to make her smile, and maybe hold her hand.

  “I was, ah—” he cleared his throat “—going to the library tonight to study. About seven-thirty. You want to come?”

  Technically, it wasn’t a date. In the peculiar world that was Honeygrove High School, the library was considered neutral territory. A safe place for a potentially interested boy and girl to test the waters. Many a relationship had blossomed or fizzled between the tall rows of dusty books.

  From the corner of his eye he saw Lee and Katie exchange amazed glances. Seniors didn’t date sophomores. Trevor knew he would take some heat from his buddies, but he didn’t care. There was something about Dana. Something that made him—

  “I’d have to be home by nine-thirty,” she said, and squeezed her eyes shut. “Dumb, huh? But it’s a school night and my mom insists.”

  When she didn’t open her eyes, he realized she was waiting for him to mock her. Instead, he wanted to grab her in his arms and give her a bear hug. Or shout his pleasure to the world. In a roundabout way she’d just said yes.

  “No problem.” Now that he’d been accepted, his ability to be cool returned in spades. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”

  Her eyes popped open, along with her mouth. She blinked. “You will?”

  “Sure. See ya.”

  He walked casually down the hall, greeting friends, acting as though nothing extraordinary had happened. Of course, no one knew that his heart pounded like a jackhammer as he worried about finding a secluded table at the library and at the same moment tried to figure out how he would have time to wash his car before he picked her up.

  When he reached his classroom, he glanced back. Dana stood with her friends. The three girls were talking frantically and gesturing. Dana’s smile was so wide she looked as if she’d just been crowned a beauty queen. His lips curved up in response. Tonight couldn’t come fast enough.

  *

  It was 9:16. Trevor let his wrist rest casually over his steering wheel so she wouldn’t know he’d been checking the time. Dana’s mother had been pretty impressed with him. Parents usually liked him well enough, so he doubted Mrs. Rowan would mind if her daughter was a few minutes late. But he was determined to get Dana inside on time. He’d learned that by sticking to the rules from the beginning, he and his date found it easier to negotiate changes later. Besides, he didn’t want to make Dana uncomfortable. A voice in his gut told him this wasn’t going to be a casual relationship. He was in it for the long term and he could afford to take it slow.

  Which didn’t mean he wouldn’t kiss her. If she cooperated.

  She was staring at the algebra book on her lap. Her left index finger traced the edge of the spine up and down. He could feel her nervousness, her uncertainty, and he guessed she’d never been out with a boy before. Which probably meant she hadn’t been kissed. The thought of being her first pleased him.

  He leaned forward slightly and rested his right hand on her shoulder. “I had a good time.”

  She looked up, eyes wide like a cornered animal. She nodded. “Me, too.”

  “You’re pretty smart.”

  Dismay filled her face. “Oh. Sorry.”

  “No. Don’t apologize. I like smart girls. I can talk to them. They say stuff back.” He grinned now, remembering their heated discussion about the right way to solve a word problem. “You’re not afraid to tell me what you think.” “My mom says I’m too outspoken.”

  She was warm and the peach sweater was as soft as it looked. He moved his hand closer to her neck, then stroked the delicate skin under her ear. Her breath caught and he felt a shiver race through her.

  “Outspoken is good,” he said lightly, relieved it was dark in the car. She wouldn’t be able to see his predictable reaction to her nearness. It was embarrassing. He’d gotten hard the second he’d seen her and things hadn’t changed in the past two hours.

  “You think so? I’m not sure. My mom says—”

  He leaned over the console between them and angled his head. She stopped talking and froze in place, her mouth slightly parted, her eyes still wide. His lips touched hers.

  Lightning ripped through him. Heat and need and feelings he’d never experienced before. He was trembling and felt as if he were about to explode. Fighting the desire to haul her hard against him, he kept the kiss light and still, trying to give her time to get used to what they were doing. After about a minute, he drew back somewhat.

  Her eyes were closed, her mouth still parted. She smiled and touched a hand to her lips. “Wow.” Her eyes opened and she covered her face with her hands. “Oh, no. I didn’t really say that, did I?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, you did, and I’m glad. I thought it was a ‘wow,’ too.”

  She peeked at him between her fingers. “You did?”

  “Promise.”

  He cupped the back of her neck and drew her closer. This time she melted against him. Her slender arms settled around his neck and he felt the tentative touch of her fingers in his hair. Her mouth yielded to his. He thought about deepening the kiss, but he was conscious of the time and of not wanting to go too far, too fast She was special and he wanted to enjoy every moment they had.

  “Dana, I have to take you in,” he murmured against her mouth.

  “Oh.” She nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Can I see you tomorrow?”

  “Yes!” she said eagerly. “Of course. I’d like that.”

  He loved that she wasn’t grown up enough to be sophisticated. In time she would learn to pretend a lack of interest, to be coy and hold back. But her enthusiasm only made him like her more.

  “Tomorrow is Friday. How about getting something to eat, then going to a movie. What’s your curfew?”

  She chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know. I’ve never been—” Even in the shadowed light of the Mustang’s front seat he saw her blush. “That is, you’re sort of my first, well...date.” The last word came out as a whisper.

  “I’m glad.” He climbed out of the car and walked ar
ound to her door, then escorted her to her small apartment. “You can let me know tomorrow at school. I’ll talk to you at lunch.”

  “Okay.”

  When he took her hand, she stared at him in wonder, then smiled. His chest tightened with pleasure. She was very special, he told himself as he waited while she unlocked the door and stepped inside. He’d finally found a girl he could really like and he promised himself he would do everything in his power to make this work.

  *

  “Trevor,” she breathed, her voice thick with passion. “I think I like this.”

  He’d fallen for her, he thought with wonder. It had only been a few weeks and already he didn’t know how he’d managed to survive without her. Around Dana, he felt able to take on the world. The rumors about his playing around didn’t matter. He was hers and she knew that She believed in him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed that belief, until she’d given it so completely. Her honesty, her intelligence, her humor, her adoration, all conspired to make him love her. Which he could handle. It was their sensual playfulness that was getting him into trouble. Her shirt had long since been discarded and he was fighting the temptation to remove her bra.

  “This is a mistake,” he muttered, searching for control. He could hear his hormones laughing at his feeble attempts.

  “I’m glad your parents are away for the weekend,” Dana said, and dropped a kiss on his mouth. “This is fun.”

  She rubbed against him again and he groaned. “You can’t keep doing that. Dana, I’m serious. You can feel what’s happening to me. It means I want you. I know you like the kissing and touching, but you’re not ready for anything else.”

  He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her off him, then rolled into a sitting position and tried to think pure thoughts.

  Dana came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to tease you. I like what we do together. But you’re right. We should stop.”

  The lamp on the nightstand provided the only illumination in his room. He stared at the bookshelves in front of him, at the familiar trophies for football and track, at a few car models and some books. But he didn’t see any of them.