He met her gaze directly. Challengingly.
A full twenty seconds passed as she studied him, and he could practically see her brain working overtime. He just hoped it was working to his advantage.
“No,” she finally replied quietly. “You don’t sicken me.”
“You don’t want me touching you.” She glanced away, her cheeks flushing. His heart leaped at the tell-tale reaction, but he kept his tone steely. “Answer me.”
“I like your touch,” she mumbled.
It was pretty obvious by her bodily reaction to his touch, but hearing it made him smile. Inwardly. If he smiled outwardly, he was going to blow his plan apart. Not gonna happen. “So that just leaves the question of you liking me.”
“I don’t know you.”
Eureka! Baby, you are so caught! “Good.”
“Good?” Startled, she looked up at him.
“Yes.” Reaching for his wallet, he slipped it into his pocket while placing one hand in the small of her back and propelling her towards the door. “We’re going to remedy that, starting now.”
“What?” She halted.
“We’re going to get to know each other over a simple meal.”
“But I don’t—”
“Are you going somewhere? On shift tonight?” He raised his brows questioningly.
“Well, no, but—”
“Expecting anyone?”
“No.”
“Your cats fed already?”
“Yes. But—”
“So here’s the perfect opportunity to start getting to know each other better.” Not that he needed it, but his shy flower obviously did, so he was prepared to sacrifice a few hours. Or days. Please, God, not days. “What do you fancy?”
“Rick, I…”
Looking down at her, seeing the confusion and wariness in her face, he felt the protectiveness flow through him…admittedly with a strong dash of male determination. He gentled his voice. “Cherry, a few hours, some talk, a nice meal. Is that so much to ask?”
She bit her lip again. God, he was going to blot his Heavenly score if she kept that up.
He didn’t take his hand from her back, but neither did he say anything, he just waited, biding his time, giving her time, knowing full well that if he lost this round the fight wasn’t over by a long shot.
Finally he felt her relax a little, but her glance up at him was still wary. “Just a meal?”
“And talk.”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
Round one to him. Resisting the urge to pump one fist into the air, he propelled her to the door. “Where would you like to eat?”
“I’m not really dressed for a restaurant.”
“Nor am I.” He grinned down at her. “Feel like pizza?”
“Not offering me salad?” She looked horrified as soon as the tart words had spilled from her lips.
He grimaced. “Salad and pizza are not a nice mix. Do you like pizza?”
“Um…yes.” She had the grace to look embarrassed.
He wanted to kiss her on the spot but refrained. Another score on Heaven’s book. By God, he was racking them up tonight. If he got hit by a bus right now, he’d go straight to the land of angels, harps, and wings.
“There’s a pizza place right around the corner.” Shutting the door behind her, he turned the key in the lock and pocketed it. “It’s a nice balmy evening. Let’s walk.”
Feeling immensely satisfied, he took her hand and started walking.
Cherry had two options – pull away from him or walk beside him. There was the slightest of hesitations before she fell into step beside him.
Ah yes, it was a nice balmy evening and he had his curvy little honey by his side. Life was great.
Chapter Six
Walking down the street with the hunky Dr Rick Reed by her side, Cherry was even more conscious of the group of young teenagers approaching wearing their tight jeans and barely-there tops. The teens glanced at Rick and giggled, one of them brazenly licking her red-glossed lips.
Rick didn’t seem to notice, his gaze ahead and his hand warmly clasping hers.
The blonde teen noticed their clasped hands and her eyes widened. She spoke quietly to her friends as they neared and they all looked disbelievingly from her to Rick.
Cherry was going to die. Her shoulders stiffened and she could barely meet their gazes. Their giggles and whispers scorched her ears and she wished she’d refused Rick’s invitation.
“Don’t even think it,” Rick murmured, his hand tightening around her smaller one.
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.” He gazed seriously down at her. “They’re silly young things that have no idea of life yet, or what it’ll throw at them. Nor have they learned to value what is behind a person’s outward appearance.”
“So you think my outward appearance is less valuable.” For God’s sake, why had she said that? Why was she spoiling for a fight? Almost straight away she mumbled, “Sorry.”
“I’m not even going to go into that.” Rick steered her to the front door of the pizza restaurant and opened the door. Placing one hand behind her back, he ushered her ahead of him.
Grateful to have her attention focused elsewhere, Cherry looked around. The restaurant was almost full, and the smell of cooking cheese, onions, and assorted meats filled the air. Delicious.
Coming to a stop, she immediately felt the warmth of Rick right behind her. Even more delicious.
Right up against her.
Heat flashed through her and she swallowed. His chest was against her back, his thighs cradling her bottom, his hard abdomen against the small of her back. He was that close. When one big hand came to rest on her hip, her breath caught.
He shifted behind her and she could swear she felt a hard length push against her buttocks. All thought fled when his breath brushed her ear. “There’s a table over there, and a waitress coming now. Good. I’m starving.” He straightened. “In more ways than one.”
“Huh?” Unsure what he meant, Cherry glanced up over her shoulder to find him as disturbingly near as he felt.
The grin he flashed at her held an unmistakable heat, but it disappeared when he looked at the waitress as she came to a stop before him, and there was no indication of anything wrong as he requested pleasantly, “Table for two, please.”
“Right over here.” The waitress moved ahead of them.
Wouldn’t you know it. Cherry sighed a little. The waitress was about sixty years old and had a neat little white apron tied tightly around a very trim waist. The hem of the loose silk blouse Cherry was wearing fluttered around her bottom. No little white apron was going to be tied around there and still have heaps of ties flowing down elegantly behind her.
A warm hand was suddenly on her own oh-so-not trim waist. “Something wrong, love?”
Mentally shaking off the gloomy thought, Cherry moved forward. “Nothing.”
“I’m so hungry.” Rick’s voice was deeper than normal, but when she again cast him a sharp glance over her shoulder, his face was serious. “I could eat anything.”
She had to stop imagining these insinuations.
“I could eat a heap of pizzas,” Rick continued conversationally as they neared the table.
What the hell was he going on about? He’d already mentioned he was hungry.
“But I want to eat you.” The words were a low, shockingly heat-inducing growl in her ears. The heat of his breath against her nape accompanied by the words made her freeze.
The waitress turned at the booth. “If you’ll both sit down, I’ll be back in a minute to take your orders.”
Feeling as though her heart was in her throat, Cherry slid into the seat and watched as Rick slid with a little more smoothness into the vinyl seat opposite. His smile was friendly as he thanked the waitress and took the menu from her.
Had she imagined it? Surely not. He’d said it, hadn’t he? Cherry stared at him over the top of the menu she opened. Maybe he hadn’t said it, mayb
e those hot, suggestive words were a figment of her imagination. He looked so cool, so friendly, so innocent as he pursued the menu with interest.
When he didn’t look up, she studied the menu, trying to ignore the disturbed thoughts roiling around in her brain. She had to have imagined it, there was no other explanation.
“Mmmm,” Rick mused. “I do like the double bacon and cheese pizza. How about you?”
Cherry peeked at him over the top of the menu. He was engrossed in his own menu. “I rather like the chicken and bacon myself.”
“Maybe I’ll switch to the supreme spice.” He glanced up at her and his teeth flashed whitely. “I like some spice.”
“Really?” she managed, avoiding his gaze by looking back down at the menu and hoping her cheeks weren’t red. “I like a milder version.”
“Spicy is a little more adventurous.”
“I’ve never been partial to a lot of spice.”
“Shame. I’ll just have to show you how delicious spicy can be.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Cherry took a tighter grip on the menu. He doesn’t mean anything by it. Nothing sexual. He’s just talking about food. Get a grip! “Can’t convince me.” Rather proud of how unaffected she sounded, Cherry glanced up coolly...and met hot eyes.
Rick’s grin was pure sin. His voice was like seductive silk across skin as he answered low, “A challenge I’m going to relish.”
Ye gods! Her hands actually shook a little, but she miraculously maintained a cool façade. “Nevertheless, I’ll stick with the chicken and bacon.”
“Each to their own.” He practically purred like a lion. “I’m going to have me some spice when the time comes.” His eyes definitely had a predatory glow in them. “I’m also partial to sweet. I like some cream.” His gaze slid down the front of her to where the rest of her body disappeared below the table, and she knew exactly what he was insinuating.
“Stop it,” she hissed.
That damned eyebrow arched up in silent amusement.
“Are you always this irritating?”
“You bring out the best in me.”
“It’s not very obvious.”
“You have no idea at the beast you bring out in me.”
“The what?”
“The best. I said the best.” Those green eyes sparkled with laughter. And heat. Most definitely heat.
The waitress arriving at their table stopped further conversation for a few blessed moments.
“One bacon and chicken, and one supreme spice,” Rick drawled, adding with a wicked glance at Cherry, “Extra spice. I enjoy some extra spice.”
“Extra spice,” the waitress repeated. “Honey, you’ll go on fire with the spice on this food.”
“You have no idea,” Rick replied. “I’m looking forward to it.” His eyes raked over Cherry boldly, but his smile was all pleasantness at the waitress.
Cherry didn’t think she was going to last the dinner time if he kept teasing her like this. Or maybe it wasn’t teasing. Maybe he did like tasting. Her pulse picked up pace and she drew a shaky breath. Was he into…oral sex? There, she’d thought it. Glancing at Rick to find him calmly giving a drinks order to the waitress, she studied his mouth.
Oral sex. That mouth on her. Oh God, it didn’t bare thinking about. He was just teasing. He was only teasing.
Flustered, she looked away, trying to banish the sudden image of his head between her thighs – like that was ever going to happen. Cripes, she was creaming just thinking about it. Creaming? No, not creaming! Damn him for even putting that thought in her mind as well.
As if he was going to see her naked anyway, or get close to her thunder thighs with that handsome face and that wicked mouth. Not happening. No way.
The thoughts rampaging through her brain had her going hot and cold all at once. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. There was no way anything could happen between them. It was a mistake.
“So where did you get the cats?”
It took several seconds for Cherry to realize that Rick was watching her with interest, every sign of sinful teasing gone. “Pardon?”
“Your cats. You have two of them. Where did you get them?”
Not quite trusting the change of the conversation, she eyed him suspiciously. “From the cat shelter.”
“Have you had them long?”
“Three years.”
“They were lucky you took them.” He shook his head. “So much animal cruelty. Were they dumped?”
Cherry relaxed a little. “Good guess.”
“Not really. People don’t sterilise their animals, and when they have too many puppies and kittens, the heartless ones dump them.” The distaste was clear in his voice. “They’re the same colour. Siblings, or just coincidence that you chose the same colours?”
“Brother and sister, the only two survivors of being dumped. The others were already dead when the man found them and brought them to the shelter. The staff there told me that it looked like they’d been attacked by some dogs.” Leaning forward, Cherry folded her arms and rested them on the tabletop. “I was looking for a kitten or cat for company, I didn’t mind which, but when I saw those two little scraps all skinny and frightened, huddled in the back of the cage, I couldn’t resist taking them both. I’m glad I did, they’re such good company.”
“You love them,” he stated quietly.
“Yes.” Immediately on guard for ridicule, Cherry unconsciously stiffened.
“I know how you feel,” he surprised her by saying. “I cried when Tim had to put my old dog to sleep.”
She relaxed again. “I’m sorry. Was that long ago?”
“Two years now, but I still miss him.” Rick leaned his arms along the back of the seat and stretched out his legs, his calves brushing hers beneath the table. “He had arthritis and I kept him going on anti-inflammatories, but eventually it got too much for him to cope with, me too, to be truthful. I knew he was in a lot of pain but I couldn’t bring myself to do the right thing and have him put to sleep.”
Sympathy filled her. “So what happened?”
“Tim came down to stay for a few days, saw what was happening, and gave me a stern talking to. He was right, I knew it, so I got him to do it while he was there. Tim helped me bury him in the backyard, then we went back inside and got drunk.” Rick gave a rather wistful smile. “He knew Blue as long as I had had him. Tim’s been my friend from primary school. We both mourned his passing.”
“Did you get another dog?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I was renting and no pets were allowed.” He flashed her a sudden grin. “I just sneakily fed the neighbour’s cats and let them inside on rainy days when the neighbours were away.”
Cherry laughed.
“And tomorrow I move into another rental house, so getting another dog isn’t something I can look at straight away.”
“That’s a shame. Why don’t you just buy a house, then you can get a dog?” A sudden disturbing thought occurred to her. “Or aren’t you planning on staying?”
His direct gaze slid over her face, a small smile playing around his mouth. “Oh, I’m staying all right. Just waiting for the right place to open up.”
She ignored the small, relieved feeling. “What kind of place are you looking for?”
“Nothing fancy. I’ve got my eye on one place already, but it’s going to take some talking to get into it.”
“Name the right price and it could be yours.”
“The owner’s going to take some convincing.” His grin grew wider. “But I’m up to the challenge.”
“I just bet you are,” she replied dryly.
The waitress appeared and set their glasses on the table before leaving again.
Picking up the glass, Cherry took a sip of Diet Coke and looked in surprise at Rick.
“I saw you had a fair bit in your ‘fridge,” he explained. “So I knew it would be your drink of choice.”
“Are you always that observant?”
“Only with those I care about.” He drank down half a glass of Coke Cola. “You have to admit, it’s refreshing.”
Cherry burst out laughing and he arched one brow inquiringly.
“You sound like a bad advertisement.” She took another mouthful of drink and pushed the glass to the side as two trays of hot pizza were placed on the table. “Smells good.”
“I bet it tastes even better.” His eyes held a now familiar glint. “Sure you’re not ready for the spicy yet?”
As the waitress placed a plate before each of them, along with knives and forks, Cherry rolled her eyes.
“Plenty of time to change your mind.” Taking a steaming slice of pizza, he placed it on his plate and followed it with a second slice. “But change it I will.”
Completely relaxed now, Cherry took a slice of her own pizza. “Dream on.” She inhaled and closed her eyes. “Smells like Heaven.”
“Heaven and spice—” He stopped and laughed when she looked at him warningly. “Okay, let’s just eat and save that for another time.”
He was a good dinner companion, she had to admit. While they ate, he talked about his family who, it turned out, lived in a country town two hundred kms away. His best friend, Tim, had moved to the city a couple of years ago, and his mother was the renowned paediatrician, Margaret Clarke.
Margaret Clarke was a good doctor but a cold-hearted bitch as far as Cherry was concerned, though she wasn’t about to say so. She’d had a couple run-ins with her in the past. Good with the hands and brain, poor with the bedside manner.
Rick ate with gusto. Normally when out with friends, Cherry ate the same way, but in his presence she refrained from having more than three pieces.
“Not hungry?” Rick finally asked as he picked up his fifth slice.
“No.” Inwardly, she drooled at the thought of a fourth piece.
“The pieces are cut quite small.” He took a big bite.
Lucky bastard. “True.”
“So have another bite.”
“I’m fine.” She caught the waitress’s attention and held her glass up. The waitress nodded and headed over. After handing her the glass, Cherry turned back to find Rick regarding her while chewing slowly.
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