She was also extremely lovely, he thought, which had nothing to do with her medical condition, but had definitely caught his attention.
Her features were exquisite, visible despite the dirt and blood on her face. There was just the right amount of womanly slope to her jeans’ -clad hips, and the legs he’d probed for broken bones had been slender and long. Small, firm breasts pushed against the thin, torn material of her blouse.
And on her left hand was a wide white circle that indicated she’d recently removed what might have been a wedding band.
Enough of this, Ben thought. He had to stay focused and get her out of this mess.
The woman stirred, moaned, then her dark lashes fluttered.
“Here we go,” Ben said gently. “That’s it. Wake up. Open your eyes and say hello. Come on. You can do it.”
Oh, my, the woman thought, there was a magnificent voice floating over her, caressing her like a comforting blanket. So deep, so rumbly and rich, was this man’s voice.
He wanted her to open her eyes and speak to him. Well, that was a reasonable request, she supposed, although she wasn’t quite certain where she was, or why she was sleeping in the first place.
So, all right, she’d open her eyes but—oh, the pain, the sudden pain. Her head hurt so badly and her entire body seemed to be on fire and no, no, she was going back to the dark oblivion, back to sleep where there was no pain.
“No,” she whispered.
“Yes,” the man said. “I realize you have a helluva headache, but we’ve got to get you out of here so I can do something about that. I’m a doctor. My name is Ben Rizzoli, and I want you to open your eyes and say, ‘Hi. Ben.’ You can do it. I know you can.”
Dark lashes fluttered again, then the woman opened her eyes slowly, revealing the biggest, bluest eyes Ben had ever seen.
Beautiful, he thought. Absolutely beautiful.
“Hi, Ben,” the woman said softly.
Ben’s heart did a funny little two-step at the husky sound of the woman’s voice, then he smiled at her.
Hi, gorgeous Ben, she thought hazily. Goodness, this man, this Dr. Ben Rizzoli, was so ruggedly handsome. He had thick, black hair that needed a trim, dark eyes, tawny skin and... He was really very good-looking in a rough-hewn sort of way.
Well, so much for feasting her eyes on the magnificent doctor. She was going back to sleep and escaping from this terrible pain.
“Whoa,” Ben said as the woman’s lashes drifted down again. “No, you don’t. Stay awake so we can work out a plan to get you up to the top. Tell me your name. I’m Ben and you are...”
The woman opened her mouth to respond. Ben watched her frown in confusion, then widen her eyes in an expression of sheer terror.
“What’s wrong?” he said. “What is it?”
She pressed trembling fingertips to her temples as tears filled her expressive blue eyes.
“I—I don’t know who...who I am,” she said, her voice quivering. “I can’t remember my name or—oh, God, what is happening to me? Ben, I don’t know who I am!”
Ben gripped her hands gently, pulling them from her face and sandwiching them between his own.
“Take it easy,” he said. “You’ve suffered a nasty bump and momentarily lost your memory, that’s all. It’s not unusual, under the circumstances.”
“But—”
“Hey, I realize it must be scary not to know who you are right now, but it will all come back to you and you’ll be fine. The first order of business is to get you out of these bushes and up to solid ground.” Ben paused. “Do you remember where you are? What city?”
She hesitated a moment, then shook her head, “No. Oh, my head hurts so much.”
“Well, you’re in beautiful Prescott, Arizona, home of friendly folks and perfect weather.” Ben released her hands and slid one arm across her shoulders. “Up you go. Easy now. Slow and easy.”
A wave of dizziness swept over her as she came to a sitting position and she closed her eyes for several seconds before meeting Ben’s gaze again.
“Here’s the plan,” he said. “I’m going to give you a piggyback ride, just like when you were a little kid.”
“You’re assuming I was a little kid,” she said, managing to produce a small smile. “I can’t remember anything more than waking up here with a roaring headache.” And staring at the most ruggedly handsome man she’d ever seen. “This is a nightmare.”
“Well, you’ll wake up from your nasty dream soon and be as good as new.” Ben smiled. “Ready for a ride?”
“Yes, but first I want to thank you for everything you’re doing for me,” she said, looking directly into Ben’s dark eyes. “I have no idea how I came to be here, but I shudder at the thought of what would have become of me if you hadn’t come along and been willing to help. Thank you very much, Ben Rizzoli.”
“You’re welcome, Ms.—well, we’ll fill in that blank in short order.”
They continued to gaze at each other. Neither moved, nor hardly breathed. Their precarious perch on the side of the hill was forgotten as heartbeats quickened and heat began to churn and swirl, build within them.
Ben became acutely aware that his arm was encircling the woman’s shoulders, causing him to lean close, so close to her, his lips mere inches from hers.
Her kissable lips, he thought rather hazily. Beckoning lips, waiting for him to capture them with his own, taste the sweet nectar, delve his tongue into her mouth to meet her tongue and—
Damn it, Rizzoli, he admonished himself, tearing his gaze from hers. You’re a doctor. This was an injured person and he was behaving so unprofessionally it was a crime.
“All right.” He cleared his throat when he heard the husky quality of his voice. “Move slowly, because we don’t want to go toppling farther down this incline. Get onto my back, wrap your arms around my neck, your legs around my waist. It’s going to be a killer for your headache, but it’s the only option open. Ready?”
She nodded and did as instructed, gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her head and every ache in her battered body that the movements caused.
She settled securely onto Ben’s back, nestling her head on his shoulder, inhaling the aroma of him in the process.
So strong, she mused. Ben was so strong, so powerful, yet he could be gentle when needed, as evidenced by his voice and the way he’d clasped her hands between his.
Desire. She had felt it thrumming within her when he’d pinned her in place with his mesmerizing dark eyes. Yes, that had been the heat of desire and she knew, just somehow knew, it was different from anything she’d experienced before.
Ben flattened his hands on his thighs and pushed himself to a standing position, immediately grabbing hold of bushes in front of him. He glanced upward at the rough terrain he had to cover, took a deep breath, then started his trek.
“Hang on tight,” he said. “I just found you, and I sure don’t want to lose you by having you fall off. There are rules about this stuff, you know. I found you, so I get to keep you.”
What a stupid thing to say, he thought, making his way slowly upward. She was his now to keep? Yeah, right. For something that ridiculous to have come out of his mouth, it would appear that he was the one who had gotten whopped on the head.
But, oh, man, this delicate little lady had definitely gotten to him for a moment there. The heat of desire had exploded through him so fast it had sent him up in flames before he could even attempt to control it.
In fact, he thought dryly, he wasn’t in that great a shape right now. Her small, firm breasts were crushed enticingly against his back, and he could feel her soft breath whispering on his neck. Those long, slender legs were hugging him tightly and—
Damn it, Rizzoli, concentrate.
If he didn’t give total attention to where he placed each foot, they were liable to go tumbling down the mountain. No way. She’d been through enough. He was here now, making certain no more harm came to her.
She wasn’t very h
eavy, weighed less than some backpacks he’d toted on overnight hikes. But no backpack he’d ever owned had molded to him with such perfection.
I found you, so I get to keep you.
Slowly and very carefully, Ben made his way upward, directing his full attention to the goal of reaching the top. He moved gradually to the right, wanting to avoid the tall boulder blocking the way to flat ground.
Up...up...slowly...so very, very carefully...his precious cargo clinging tightly to him as he made the treacherous ascent.
“Almost there,” he said finally, his breathing labored. “Get ready to slide onto the ground.”
“Yes, all right.”
Five more feet...three...one...
“Made it,” Ben said.
She moved off of him and landed with a thud on her bottom on the ground, immediately pressing both hands to the sides of her throbbing head. Ben crawled the rest of the way over the edge and lay on his back, his chest heaving.
“Whew,” he said. “I thought I was in decent shape but...” He took a deep breath, exhaled, then turned his head to look at the woman. “How are you doing?”
“Okay,” she said quietly, her hands still on her head.
“Dumb question, right?” he said, rolling to his feet. “You feel like hell. Well, all we have to do is get to my vehicle...I’ll carry you...then I’ll drive you to the hospital and have you checked over.”
“I can walk,” she said. “You’ve done enough, definitely above and beyond the call of duty, even for a knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Yes, I’ll walk.”
“Bad plan, but...” Ben raised both hands. palms out. “Give it a try.”
She got to her feet, weaved unsteadily as dizziness assaulted her, then took a step forward. Two steps. Three. Then she began to stagger.
“Oops.” One long stride and Ben scooped her into his arms before she hit the ground, one arm across her back, the other beneath her knees. He held her tightly to his chest. “I rest my case.”
“I feel so foolish,” she said, struggling against threatening tears. “So helpless. And I can’t even remember who I am, and that’s so frightening, and...” Two tears slid down her cheeks, leaving tracks in the dirt and smears of blood. “...and my head hurts, and my body aches from top to bottom, and you’re being so patient, so nice, so wonderful, and—”
Ben kissed her.
He hadn’t intended to kiss her. He didn’t think it through before kissing her. He simply kissed her, because she was definitely on the verge of hysteria, and he had to stop her before she totally lost it.
And so, he’d kissed her.
Her eyes flew wide open at the shock of Ben’s mouth on hers, then in the next instant her lashes drifted down and her arms floated up to encircle his neck.
Oh...my...goodness, she thought, this kiss was ecstasy. She didn’t want to think about how scared she was, nor dwell on her aches and pains. No, no, she just wanted to savor this kiss she was sharing with Ben.
Ben drank of the sweet taste of her, while having the irrational thought that he’d waited a lifetime for this kiss. Heated desire was rocketing through him with licking flames, heightening his passion more with every wild beat of his heart.
Heaven and hell, he thought. Sharing this kiss, having this delicate, sensuous woman nestled in his arms was heaven itself.
And the hell? It would come in the form of fury...at himself once the kiss ended.
But, oh, man, his self-directed disgust at his behavior would be worth every rotten name he’d call himself, because this kiss was unbelievable. Fantastic. Sensational.
And this kiss had better be over right now, because he was aroused to the point of pain.
Ben broke the kiss and took a shuddering breath. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him, causing him to nearly groan aloud as he saw the smoky hue of desire reflected in her beautiful eyes.
Ben cleared his throat. “I suppose I should apologize... I fully intended to, in fact...but I can’t, because I now realize I’m not sorry that I kissed you. I just wouldn’t want you to think that I go around kissing all my attractive patients. Then again, I wasn’t in my doctor mode when I kissed you so...” He paused and chuckled. “Now I’m the one who is babbling. Maybe you should kiss me to shut me up.”
She matched his smile. “Okay. It’s the least I can do. You kept me from blathering myself into a crying jag.”
“Hold that thought,” he said, starting to walk forward. “It wouldn’t be a good idea for you to kiss me right now, because we might never get out of these woods. You owe me one, though. How’s that?”
“Fair enough.” She paused, her smile fading. “Thank you, Ben. For everything.”
He nodded and kept walking.
Over an hour later, Ben restlessly paced the waiting room of the hospital in Prescott. During the drive into town he’d decided he wasn’t in the proper mental place to be the one to examine his damsel in distress.
He’d carried her into the hospital, asked that Dr. Mike Hunt be paged, then handed the patient over to his friend and colleague.
Perfect choice for the physician of record, Ben thought. Good old buddy Mike.
Now he waited, having never been on this end of the emergency room scene before, and not liking it one damn bit.
What in the hell was taking so long?
Mike appeared in the doorway and Ben hurried to stand before him.
“Well?” Ben said. “Talk to me.”
“She has a concussion, which has resulted in retrograde amnesia. You know yourself that it’s anyone’s guess how long the amnesia will last, or how much she’ll remember when her memory returns.”
“Right,” Ben said, nodding.
“She’s badly bruised from the fall, and will be pretty sore for several days. I should admit her to keep an eye on that concussion. Unless...” Mike raised his eyebrows.
“Unless what?”
Mike shrugged. “She needs to be wakened through the night, count fingers—the whole drill. Why don’t you take her home with you and tend to her at your place?”
“Me?” Ben said, splaying one hand on his chest. “Home? Take her—me?”
Mike laughed. “You sure are a smooth talkin’ son of a gun, Rizzoli. Hey, she’ll rest better at your place in peace and quiet. Hospitals are notoriously noisy, so why not? Besides, she’s terribly frightened because of the amnesia. She’s comfortable with you, doesn’t feel so alone. I realize it’s a tad unorthodox for her to go home with you, but I honestly feel it’s the best thing for her. I imagine the police will have inquiries by tomorrow at the latest. Someone will certainly have missed her by then.”
“Yes, of course,” Ben said quietly. “You’re right. She has a life somewhere beyond the woods where I found her. As crazy as it sounds, I guess I forgot that for a moment.”
Mike frowned. “Yes, but what kind of existence is it? There’s something you should know, Ben, doctor to doctor.”
“What is it?”
“There are old bruises on her torso, plus the bruised imprints of fingers on one of her upper arms. The X rays show a fix that was cracked at some point, and a now-healed broken wrist. In my opinion, some scumball has been using that pretty little gal for a punching bag. All the signs are there. She’s been physically abused.”
Chapter Two
Before Ben could reply to the shocking statement, Mike’s name was called over the hospital paging system.
“I’ve got to go,” he said. “Listen, Ben, this situation with your mystery lady could get very complicated. If there’s a man looking for her, does she even want him to find her? See what I mean? Take her home with you where she’ll be safe until this mess can be straightened out. I’ll talk to you later.”
As Mike hurried from the room, Ben allowed the white-hot fury within him to erupt in a muttered string of earthy expletives.
“Damn it,” he said finally, attempting to rein in his anger.
He began to pace the ro
om again, dragging one hand through his hair.
He’d like ten minutes alone with the louse who had been abusing that vulnerable, warm, beautiful woman. Ten minutes to make the sleaze know how it felt to be hammered on.
Ben stopped, planted his hands on his hips and took a deep, steadying breath as he stared up at the ceiling.
Calm down, he told himself, resuming his trek around the room. He couldn’t allow his anger to be evident in any way, as it would only upset and confuse her more than she already was. He had to be the same man he’d been out in the woods.
Oh, yeah? he thought dryly. That man had kissed her, and she’d returned the kiss in sweet, sensuous abandon. There would be no more of that stuff.
She needed to be protected, not seduced. And damn straight he was taking her home with him. If some yo-yo turned up claiming to be her husband, or lover, or whatever, before she had regained her memory, there was no way in hell he was turning her over to him with no questions asked. Nope. Not a chance.
There were a lot of pieces missing from this puzzle and little by little he was going to put them all together to get the true picture of what was going on here.
“Dr. Rizzoli?”
Ben spun around to find an attractive nurse standing in the doorway.
“Hi, Katie,” he said, producing a passable smile.
“The woman you brought in is ready to be released if someone is going to tend to her concussion,” Katie said. “Dr. Hunt said I should speak with you about it.”
“Right.” Ben crossed the room to stand in front of her. “Sign her out to me, Katie. I’ll accept responsibility for her care.”
“All right. Are you going to notify the sheriff that she’s with you? Since she has amnesia—”
“Yes,” Ben interrupted. “I’ll see to it.”
“Oh, be still my heart,” Katie said, rolling her eyes heavenward. “Every time I think about the new sheriff the mayor appointed, I get hot flashers. That is one hunk of a man.”
“Is that a fact?” Ben said, chuckling. “I haven’t met him yet. I saw his picture in the paper when Clyde up and retired in the middle of his term, but I can’t say that I was swept off my feet.”
The Most Eligible M.D. (The Bachelor Bet #3) Page 2