She said, “It’s hard to explain what I meant, Luke. It’s just that for a while my life was so very different. I was busy working and going to nursing school and then later I got married. I wasn’t thinking about living anywhere else except in Reno. I had…well, on the surface it looked like I had everything. You see, my ex-husband was, or I should say still is, extremely wealthy. He and his family own a very successful investment firm. Anything I wanted, he bought it for me. Nothing was too good or too expensive. In that aspect he was a very generous man. And even when I divorced him, he tried his best to give me a pile of money and a valuable list of assets. But I refused to take any of it. Those are things. I didn’t want things from him.”
He frowned as he dug into the slab of salmon on his plate. “If he was offering money and assets that you were entitled to, you must have felt bitter to have turned them down.”
“When I found out about his mistress I was very bitter. I can admit that. But later, I never regretted not taking money or anything else from David. It would’ve felt dirty to me.”
A stretch of silence passed and as Paige watched him eat, she wondered what he was thinking now that he knew some of the details of her failed marriage. Was he thinking she’d married David because he was wealthy?
It doesn’t matter what Luke is thinking about you, Paige. He’s not in the market for marriage. And even if he did want a wife, what makes you think he’d pick someone like you? He’s out of your class. Just like David was out of your class. You need to face that fact right now—tonight. Before you start getting blinded by the foolish stars in your eyes.
He said, “Sounds like you made a major change in your life when you moved to your grandfather’s farm.”
The sound of his voice interrupted the disparaging thoughts whirling around in her head, and as she looked over at him, she fought to keep her mind on the present.
“It was major,” she admitted. “Before that time I’d only been around my grandfather for short visits. I’d always adored him, but I wasn’t sure how it would be living under the same roof day after day. But thankfully, he lets me be me. And he’s self-sufficient, so I stay out of his way and let him be. Except for a few things,” she added wryly. “Like tonight he was drinking beer and I warned him not to climb in the truck and drive over to see his girlfriend.”
“He has a girlfriend?”
“Hatti. He won’t admit to calling her a girlfriend. He says her complaining gets on his nerves, but I can tell he likes her—a lot. She lost her husband a few years ago and the poor thing doesn’t know how to cope.” She paused and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Luke. I’m rattling on about things that I’m sure you find boring.”
He smiled at her and Paige felt her heart do an acrobatic leap.
“Quite the opposite,” he said. “I’m thinking how full your life is. Especially compared to mine. I’d hate to admit to you what my off-duty time is like.”
She savored a bite of the delicious salmon before she replied, “I imagine you keep busy with something. Do you have a hobby?”
“Once in a blue moon I play a round of golf with Chet Anderson. Otherwise, I hike around the lake, or fish. That is, when the weather permits.”
“Do you snow ski?”
He chuckled. “I’ve tried it. But I’d need lots of practice before I could call myself a skier. What about you?”
“Same here. I went with a few friends to Squaw Valley once. I ended up sliding on my rump more than anything. But it was fun.”
“I have a feeling you have fun at anything you go to do.”
She shot him an impish smile. “Well, emptying a bedpan isn’t exactly fun. But I can handle it.”
*
Another hour passed before they finished their meal. By then it was growing dark and a crescent moon flickered through the treetops.
As Luke helped her up from the table, he said, “I had hoped we’d have enough daylight to take a walk along the shoreline. But I’m afraid by the time we made it down to the water’s edge, we wouldn’t be able to see much.”
“That’s okay,” she told him. “Perhaps we can visit the lake another time.”
“I’m certain I could arrange that.”
Paige didn’t say anything to his reply, but she was definitely thinking about it as he placed a hand to her back and guided her through the restaurant and out to the parking lot. Was he implying he intended to have a second date with her? Over the course of their meal, she’d gotten the impression that he was enjoying himself. But as for wanting more from her, she wouldn’t let herself think beyond tonight.
As he helped her into the car, he said, “We could go to my place. I have a lighted pier. You could get a close-up view of the lake there.”
His place? The mere thought of being entirely alone with Luke shook every feminine particle in her body. If she had any sense at all, she’d simply thank him and decline the offer, she thought. Then she quickly berated herself for being such a coward. Luke was hardly a wolf trying to seduce her and she was a mature woman who could control her own urges.
“Is your home far from here?” she asked.
“It’s about fifteen minutes away.” He started the engine, then slanted her a furtive glance. “But if you’d rather not go, we’ll do something else. There’s a nightclub not far from here that has a nice house band—we could dance. Or we could go to the casino and try our luck. Or there’s bowling, miniature golf or a movie? How does any of that sound?”
In spite of the risk to her common sense, nothing sounded as good as spending time alone with him. “I’d love to see your place, Luke.”
“We’re on our way.”
Luke drove away from the restaurant and as soon as they reached the main highway, made a turn to the west. Soon the car began a climb into the mountains, where a forest of evergreens blocked out the moonlight. Eventually, Luke steered the vehicle onto a private graveled road, where the narrow path wound through the ponderosa pines and low-growing underbrush. Eventually they crested a sharp rise and once they started a descent on the other side, Paige spotted a sprawling structure nestled against the side of the hill.
“Is this it?” she asked. “Or is this one of your neighbors?”
“This is my place. I don’t have any close neighbors to speak of.”
From first glance, it was clear to Paige that he owned an impressive piece of property. She’d expected him to have a nice home, but this was beyond nice, she thought, as they neared the split-level home built of native rock and rough cedar. To her, it was clearly extravagant.
He parked in front of a three-car garage, then escorted her over a redwood sidewalk illuminated by solar foot lamps. When they reached the front entrance, Paige glanced out at the perfectly manicured yard, with its strategically placed flower beds and blooming bushes. He certainly didn’t have time for such meticulous yard work, she thought. Which meant he hired a gardener to keep up the grounds.
Paige was hardly surprised by the fact. The hospital probably paid him a gigantic salary for his services. And for all she knew, Luke could’ve been wealthy even before he’d become a doctor. No, she decided, the worth and upkeep of this place didn’t surprise her, but it did make her curious. Had he bought this place just for himself? Without a woman or children in mind?
“It’s very quiet,” she said as he unlocked a wide front door decorated with blocks of stained glass. “You don’t have a dog?”
“No dog. No pets. I figure a pet needs attention and the hospital already gets most of mine.”
“You’re here during the day,” she pointed out. “You might find you’d enjoy some furry company.”
He opened the door and with a hand at her back guided her into a dimly lit foyer furnished with a parson’s bench and a potted fig tree.
“When I was a kid I had several pets. Dogs and cats. One thing or another would happen to them until I finally decided it hurt too much to lose them.”
She would’ve never expected him, a doctor who dealt in life-and-death s
ituations on a daily basis, to feel that way. The notion saddened her greatly. She didn’t want to think of this man hurting over a lost pet or patient, or loved one. She didn’t want him to hurt over anything.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“It’s nothing to be sorry about. That’s just the way it is.”
With a hand on her arm, he guided her out of the foyer and into an enormous living room with ceramic tile and a high beamed ceiling. At one end of the room a large fireplace was cold and dark, but Paige could easily imagine how bright and warm it would feel in the wintertime.
“I rarely use this part of the house,” he told her as he paused long enough for her to survey the room. “Let’s go down to the den. It’s more comfortable there.”
“All right,” she agreed.
He directed her to an opening on the right side of the room and from there they walked down a long hall. Along the way, they passed two open doors. In one, she caught a glance of a huge desk and executive chair in what appeared to be a study. A few steps onward, on the opposite side of the hall, another room held a few pieces of gym equipment.
On their left, the remaining door led them down three wide steps and into a long room with rows of paned windows facing the south. Since there were no curtains to block the view, Paige could see a long deck stretching beyond the windows. Moonlight was filtering through the pine boughs, making a pattern of silvery lace upon the redwood planks.
“Sit anywhere you’d like,” he implored her as he switched on a pair of table lamps. “Would you like something else to drink? Coffee?”
“Maybe later,” she said, as she glanced around the room. Even though he’d called it a den, it was richly furnished with everything neat and in its place. There were no magazines tossed around, or house shoes kicked under the coffee table. No empty glasses or cups, or even a television set to imply any sort of entertainment went on in this room. Which only proved to her that Luke Sherman was no ordinary man.
“The kitchen is on the opposite side of the house,” he told her. “A few doctors I know have cooks, but I do for myself.”
She eased down on a fawn-colored couch. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
He sank down beside her. “You think I’m chintzy, huh?”
She let out a short laugh that was filled with far more nervousness than humor. The scent of him was enveloping her like a dreamy fog and even though several inches remained between them, the heat of his body was radiating out to hers.
Trying to breathe in a normal rhythm, she said, “No. I don’t see you as a penny pincher. I think you’re too particular to put up with anyone in your kitchen. You want things done your way.”
“Ouch. You make me sound very…demanding. But you have called me worse,” he added wryly.
A blush stung her cheeks. “We’re supposed to be forgetting that night. Anyway, when I said you were particular I just meant that you want things done right. And that’s a good thing. Grandfather always says if you’re going to go to the trouble to do something, then at least do it right.”
Smiling, he reached over and picked up her hand and Paige’s heart instantly sped into overdrive. What was she doing here? Had he lost his mind, or had she? They had a doctor/nurse relationship. Not a romantic one. And yet everything about him tonight seemed to be tugging on her heart.
“Your house is beautiful, Luke. You must be very proud of it.”
“It’s just a house.”
“Do you like living here—by the lake?”
He shrugged and Paige couldn’t help but notice the way his shoulder flexed beneath the smooth fabric of his shirt. He was a solidly built man who moved with the power and grace of a mountain lion. What would he think, she wondered, if she reached over and unbuttoned the garment and slipped her hand across his warm skin?
Forget about what he’d be thinking, Paige. What would you be thinking? Have you lost your mind? Having sex with a man you work with isn’t a bright idea. In fact, it would probably be the downfall of you.
She was trying to dismiss the reckless voice in her head, when he finally answered her question. “I didn’t want to live in the hubbub of the city. That’s why I bought this place. And for the most part, I like it.”
“Do you get much snow here in the mountains?”
“At times. If the roads get too bad for the car to handle, I have a four-wheel-drive Jeep that makes the drive into work fairly easy. What about you? Do you get snow over by Fallon?”
She shook her head. “Not very much. An inch or two maybe in December and January. Otherwise, we stay fairly dry. Grandfather has to irrigate the hay crops.”
He didn’t say anything to that and Paige was about to decide that the subject of crops and farming probably bored him. But suddenly he squared around on the cushion and studied her with an open curiosity that made her cheeks grow warm again.
“Tell me about your animals. You mentioned chickens and goats. Do you have them for fun or other reasons?”
She smiled. “I love having the animals around. But we do sell the eggs—that is when the hens are laying regularly. And we sell goat’s milk, too. Actually, there’s a big demand for it. I could use more nannies, but the milking takes more time than I have. And I don’t want Grandfather to have to deal with all the chores by himself.”
He leaned forward and traced the tip of his finger along her cheekbone. “All that goat milk must be giving you an extra dose of vitamins. Your skin is beautiful.”
She let out a breathless chuckle. “What you’re seeing comes out of a jar. I slather it on every morning and night.”
A smile spread his lips and Paige tried not to notice how his white teeth glinted against his tanned skin, or think about how it might feel to have the sharp edges sinking gently into her flesh.
“You’re funny, Paige,” he said softly. “I’ve never known you to be funny before.”
His finger continued to linger against her cheek and the simple touch was sending shards of fire down the side of her neck. “That’s because you only know Nurse Winters,” she said, her voice slightly breathless. “Paige the woman is a little different.”
“Yes, I can see that and more.”
His hand cupped the side of her face and Paige’s heart began to pound as she forced her eyes to meet his.
“Did you bring me here to seduce me?” she asked bluntly.
His hand moved to the back of her neck and gently tugged her face toward his. “No. But the idea is definitely coming to me.”
Shaking inwardly, she struggled to breathe. “Luke, I—”
The rest of her words never came as suddenly his lips were on hers, forcing them apart, searching hotly from one corner of her mouth to the other. The air instantly whooshed from her lungs and before she recognized what she was doing, her hands settled upon the ridges of his shoulders.
The taste of him was like a dark potion, ripe with desire. The gentle rocking motion of his lips upon hers was setting off hot explosions behind her eyes. The starry blasts sent aftershocks radiating to every part of her body.
When he finally eased his head back from hers, Paige was loopy with desire and somewhat embarrassed for allowing herself to become so carried away by his kiss.
“That was, um—” More than she’d bargained for, Paige thought. “Not something I’d planned to do.”
He rubbed his nose against the tip of hers, then nuzzled her cheek. “Kissing isn’t supposed to be planned. It’s supposed to happen on its own—like making love.”
Her heart was pounding at a sickening rate as Paige eased away from him and rose to her feet. Blindly, she walked over to the wall of windows and tried to gather her rattled senses. But Luke didn’t give her the opportunity to do more than draw in a deep breath before he was standing behind her, wrapping his hands over her bare shoulders.
“Why are you running away, Paige?” he asked gently. “Do you think I’m going to ask you for something you don’t want to give?”
Yes! Without even kno
wing it, he was asking for her heart. And she wasn’t ready to give it. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Bending her head, she squeezed her eyes shut. “Of course not! You’re a gentleman, Luke. It’s just that—” Lifting her head, she turned an anguished look on him. “I don’t know you, Luke. I know Dr. Sherman, but not this man standing in front of me.”
“I’m the same man, Paige. The one you’ve worked with for the past three years.”
Her head swung back and forth. “That Luke Sherman never asked me on a date. And he certainly never wanted to kiss me. Yell at me, yes. But not kiss me. This change in you—I’m confused, Luke. And I—”
“All right, Paige, I’ll confess. It’s been years since I’ve wanted to kiss anyone. I thought wanting a woman was all over for me. And then when you got angry and were gone from the ER for a week—being without you did something to me.” His hands gently urged her forward until the front of her body was pressed to his and his hands were roaming her back, drawing her closer and closer. “All of a sudden I wasn’t numb anymore. I was seeing and feeling and wanting. And I had to admit to myself that you were more than a nurse to me.”
Doubt mingled with desire as her gaze frantically searched his face. Just like she could find real answers on his roughly chiseled features, she thought ruefully. She figured she could spend every day for the next ten years with this man and he’d still be a complex mystery to her.
“I don’t know what to say or think,” she whispered hoarsely. “You can’t be serious about me. We’re from different worlds.”
“You’d be surprised just how close our worlds are, Paige. Besides, as far as I’m concerned, none of that matters. Having you here in my arms like this feels real and right. And I believe it feels that way to you, too.”
It felt like she’d flown to paradise and landed in the perfect spot. She didn’t want his arms to leave her. She wanted to taste his lips again and again. But where would she be once she woke up from this dreamland?
She groaned. “You’re crazy. This is crazy.”
“No. This is living,” he said against her lips. “And I’m ready to start living again.”
Her Kind of Doctor Page 9
