She’d never really noticed how cute he was before tonight. Actually, she’d made a point of not noticing, which in itself spoke volumes. Perhaps being single minded and purposeful had paid off but, now that she might need to use him for her own gains, Denver had looked at him long and hard and liked what she saw. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the dimple in his chin that gave him the “cute” factor. It wouldn’t be a hardship being seen on his arm.
It had hit her when he took her hand in his to help her into the truck for their date. Her stomach had tightened with anticipation, leaving her heart fluttering more than she had wanted. How long had it been since she’d had a sexual encounter that left her breathless? She had a feeling it would be all or nothing for Evan and the anticipation left her hoping it was soon. It would be so easy to fall for this quiet, unassuming man. He wasn’t loud, in-your-face sexy. It was a subtle vibe that hummed through the contact between them that had her keen to explore.
He was a local born and bred, and someone who was knocked back for the job he’d set his sights on which made him vulnerable in her opinion. Maybe he would be easy to convince to make the move with her. It seemed to be the most logical step and he was already infatuated with her, last night was proof of that. How well it had all come together. Nobody said they had to stay married once she got what she wanted either. Look how Blake had treated her. Wooed her, made her feel wanted until he got what he wanted then quickly dumped her. Not a wonder she steered clear of other doctors until now.
But perhaps he would be the perfect person to keep by her side. He wasn’t one for making waves or wanting to grab the attention like her last boyfriend. Easygoing and perfectly respectable. And, the more she thought about it, sexy as hell.
Her head ached with trying to figure things out. Denver turned over, punched her pillow, and looked at the bedside clock. There was less than four hours before the alarm would go off. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. Everything would fall together, it would.
The jarring of the alarm woke her barely minutes after she’d fallen asleep. She rolled over and groaned, the pulsing behind her eyes reminding her how much she hated not sleeping well. How she got through her residency, she would never know. You survived on bad coffee and no sleep for the first few years until you became immune to both of them. Once you progressed along the food chain and got more regular shifts, the body clock became soft again. Sleep became her savior, the state where all of her problems disappeared and she woke fresh and determined. Usually.
Denver threw back the blankets and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She couldn’t be late this morning. There was a procedure she needed to be on time for. A pregnant mother with complications had been admitted yesterday and required amniocentesis testing—one of Denver’s more enjoyable rotations had proven she had a knack and just the right touch for the finicky procedure.
Her steady hands and cool head under pressure made her the perfect person and the specialist often called her in to give her more experience as it was one of her areas of interest. She plodded on leaden feet into the bathroom, flicking on the shower before lifting her nightgown over her head.
Last night Evan escorted her to the elevator door and that’s where she’d stopped him. “It really is rather late and I have a procedure I must do that requires all of my attention span.” She smiled at him to soften the disappointment on his face. “I would like to invite you up for a coffee, but I think we talked ourselves almost hoarse at the restaurant and I need to sleep.”
He’d played the perfect gentleman and agreed, just as she knew he would. “I’ll see you tomorrow then at the hospital.” Evan cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her. Tentatively at first and, when she didn’t protest, he deepened the kiss.
Her heart picked up the beat, surprising her in its reaction. Normally cool and unflappable, Denver found herself off kilter for the first time in a very long time. There was a certain chemistry between them she couldn’t begin to understand, nor did she want to. They were total opposites. Evan wanted to work close with people, she wanted the challenge of administration. He came from a broken family in a small Western cowboy town and she was a city socialite with a large trust fund and a career plan that she didn’t intend to change.
Evan could have any nurse on duty if he so wanted because of his easygoing nature but Denver had rarely seen him with anyone and the rumor mill didn’t link him to anyone that she knew of. She, on the other hand, had plenty of eligible bachelors nipping at her heels, most she turned away claiming she was too busy with her work. She’d had the odd affair but nothing in the last few years no matter how hard her father tried to set her up.
Denver had been taken in with the last man her father had decided was perfect for her. And look how that turned out. He’d played the game until he got what he wanted, a position of power with the backing of the senior Dr. Sinclair. Then he’d publicly dumped her for another woman, one Denver was sure had been waiting in the wings for the axe to fall on her head. That now made her scared of commitment unless it was a stepping stone to where she was headed and she was the one in control of the situation.
Denver and Evan were worlds apart. She doubted a marriage between them would work even if they did fall in love because they had such different goals. She was more driven than him and that might have the tendency to scare him off.
She stood under the hot running water and let it soak her shoulders, easing the tension from her tired muscles. Apart from wanting, she needed this new job, and without a husband to take along, she would have to talk herself into it at her next appointment. If that failed, Evan fit the bill. Plain and simple. His kiss last night convinced her he would be perfect. They could live as husband and wife. She needed and enjoyed sex the same as any red-blooded woman did and she could divorce him any time she wanted to.
Convincing him to marry her and move back to his hometown was going to be the tricky part but Denver was up to the task. After seeing how keen he was to go home for the wedding, she could tell he missed living in the backward little town of Marietta. The question was, how on earth would she cope with it after the city?
Dating was one thing. Taking it to marriage and packing up home in a matter of weeks was another. She’d have to play the game right starting now just in case things didn’t go the way she planned at the meeting. If it did, she could count this interlude as just that: a quick affair she needed to have.
*
Evan finished off the coffee, and grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet and let himself out of his townhouse.
He hurried down the stairs to the garage and flicked the key for his truck. When he slid into the seat and turned the engine on, his thoughts were with last night’s date. Who would have guessed that Denver would open up so much? Finally, he’d cracked through that hard shell she showed to the staff at the hospital. The impenetrable layer that kept her at arm’s length had finally shifted and he liked what he saw.
She wasn’t what he’d expected. She was warm and funny, as well as easy to get on with, unlike the professionally cool but still caring doctor she showed everyone at work. They’d talked over dinner and long after their plates were cleared away. It was close to midnight when Evan walked her to the door and as much as he would have liked to continue the evening, he understood why she backed off.
Humming to himself, Evan walked into the triage room, past the nurses’ station toward the closet, and pulled on a clean set of scrubs. He smiled at the nurse filling in patients’ records and grabbed the list from the last shift. Once he’d scanned it and caught up with what was happening in the department, he went to the first cubicle to deal with the latest emergency. Within minutes, he became lost in the routine he loved.
A warm hand snaked around his waist as he poured himself a coffee in the break room later that morning. The lingering smell of Denver’s exotic perfume gave her away before she could speak. “Dr. Watson. If you’re pouring, then the answer is yes please.” She walked away and he hea
rd the scraping of a chair as she pulled it out.
“How did the procedure go?” Evan placed the coffee in front of her and sat opposite.
“I think it went well. Still waiting for the results from the lab, but I’m quietly confident the baby will be fine. Probably preemie. I expected that anyway.” She picked up the cup and took a sip, sighing as she swallowed. “I needed this.”
“Thank you for last night. I really enjoyed myself.” He watched the subtle pink stain her cheeks.
She blinked and met his gaze. “So did I. I have to admit I didn’t expect to. I’ve avoided all dates with hospital staff because I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m glad I let my guard down last night, Evan.” Denver smiled and Evan’s heart soared. Last night was the best date he’d been on in a long time. She was easy to talk to, regardless of their different backgrounds, and he was keen to take it to the next level. Denver was just the kind of person he wanted to get to know better. Much better.
“Have you checked your schedule yet?” He could already imagine her as his date for the big day. Showing her around his hometown had been foremost in his mind when he fell asleep last night and he was looking forward to going home with Denver more than he thought possible.
“Yes. I rearranged a couple of appointments, and I have vacation time owed to me, so if the offer is still open, I’d love to come with you.” She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands, a small smile playing on her lips. “How long are you planning on staying?”
“How long have you got?”
“Hmm, I guess I could take five or six days at least. The country air might be a nice change from the city. It’d be great to get some walking or riding in.” She looked down at the table. “I’ll understand if you have to cut the visit short and get back here.”
Evan swallowed his excitement. “No. I’m pretty much a free agent after this weekend. I haven’t signed a new contract yet and I have leave to use up. A week would be wonderful. We can drive up in my truck if you’re happy with that. It’s a long trip but I enjoy it.” The thrill of seeing home and his brothers was almost unbearable. “The view of the mountains as we get closer to Marietta is well worth the drive, I promise you that.”
Chapter Four
“It’s so damned good to see you, Evan. It’s been too long.” Chance wrapped his arms around his shoulders and lifted him off the ground. Evan closed his eyes, knowing this was going to go the way it always did when he came home. A shout of joy followed by a head-spinning turn and then he was unceremoniously dumped back on the ground. He took a second to stabilize himself before he opened his eyes.
“Wow. You don’t grow up, do you? Still the same big brother with the same lame tricks up your sleeve.” Secretly he was pleased nothing had changed since the last time he was here.
“Yeah well, if I changed, you’d only worry.” Chance nodded his head. “Who’s the gorgeous lady?”
“Denver. Dr. Denver Sinclair.” He turned and waved her forward. She’d offered to stay in the truck while he greeted his brother, much to his amusement, and wouldn’t come out until they’d finished their back-slapping, man-hugging greeting. She seemed afraid of getting in the way of his reunion. “We work together at the hospital. She’s something else, beautiful as well as brainy.”
She stepped forward and Evan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Denver, this is my brother, Chance.”
She held out her hand and smiled. “It’s lovely to meet you, Chance. I’ve seen you on the circuit once or twice.”
“Really? Welcome to the ranch, Denver. It’s nice to see little brother bring someone home for a change. Usually we have to put up with his annoying habits. I can see this time we might actually have a bit of fun.” He looked down at the barn when a dog barked, a secretive smile on his face.
Denver stiffened beside him and clutched his arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Sorry. I tend to get a little wary around dogs. I got caught between a couple once when I was younger and suffered a nasty bite on my leg. Rather safe than sorry, I’m afraid.”
“That’s Sherbet. An Australian cattle dog. She won’t hurt you, I promise.” Chance stepped forward so he was between Denver, Evan, and the approaching animal.
Evan noticed the dog bounding around the legs of a denim-clad lady, her face shielded by her hat. Long legs encased in old dusty work boots strode the distance between the barn and the house with intent.
“Who’s that?”
“Callie. My wife.” Chance watched her walk toward them with a smile on his face.
“What? You never told me. Chance, what the heck is going on here?” Evan looked at his brother, Callie, and then Denver. Why wasn’t I told about something this important? Had he done something to annoy Chance? “How come you didn’t tell me that when you spilled the beans on Rory?”
Callie stepped into Chance’s arms and kissed him before glancing at the visitors. She smiled and held out her hand. “Hey, you must be Evan, the doctor of the family. I’m Callie, nice to meet you.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter and he liked her immediately.
“I did try to tell you. Seems you were in some god-awful hurry to an important meeting and didn’t listen. Not my fault, Brother.” He nodded at Denver. “This is Denver, Evan’s date for the wedding.”
“Nice to meet you. Welcome to the ranch.”
“Not from around here, are you?” Evan couldn’t pick the accent, but he could tell the sparks that flew between her and his brother were real love. He’d never seen Chance look this contented before. “Nice to meet you too, by the way. Regardless of my brother’s inability to make sure he repeated the news when I called back”—he glared at Chance and was rewarded with a head shake—“I have to offer my congratulations.”
“Thanks. He can be a bit of a tease at times, so I get the confusion. And yes, you’re right. I’m not from around here, I come from Australia.”
Denver held out her hand in greeting. “I just love that Australian drawl you have. What brought you to America, Callie?”
“This guy. He placed an advert I couldn’t refuse and here I am.” She smiled and looked between the two of them, lips twitching.
Evan swallowed his shock. “An advert. You placed an ad for what, a ranch hand, a worker, a cook, what exactly?” He reached for Denver’s hand and twisted his fingers through hers, craving the stability she gave him.
“None of the above. I wanted a wife.”
*
Denver grimaced when Evan squeezed her fingers. Not that she could blame him considering the shock he’d just received. Fancy the man who ruffled the feathers of every red-blooded female in America advertising for a wife. Denver might be a society girl but like a lot of younger girls, she harbored a secret desire to be a cowgirl when she was a teenager and had taken up riding for that very reason. It hadn’t hurt that the lady that taught her was head over heels in love with Chance Watson. His posters were all over the tack room in the stables where Denver spent every Saturday learning to ride before she started med school. Her one vice the last few years had been reading the trashy magazines to help her brain unwind from a busy day and every now and then, Chance would be in there. He never seemed short of a starlet or model on his arm so why get a mail-order bride?
“Forgive me here; I know it’s none of my business…but why?” She couldn’t help it, Denver had to ask.
“Let’s go inside and get a bit more comfortable, shall we? You might want to see your room and freshen up after the trip.” Callie winked at her husband and led the way indoors. They had no choice but to follow.
Denver climbed the stairs after Callie and walked into the bedroom they’d prepared for her. “I hope this is okay. Evan’s room is next door and we weren’t sure if you wanted your own space or not. Don’t care either way; we’ll leave that up to you.” She walked over and opened a bathroom door. “Feel free to freshen up and come back down when you’re ready. Chance is probably lighting the fire in the lo
unge room.” She wiggled her fingers and left Denver standing alone.
“Um, where did you want your case?” Evan stood at the door, her luggage in his hand.
“Just on the bed is fine, thank you.” She licked her bottom lip and made a snap decision. “I thought we might be sharing and if you don’t want to, that’s fine, I’ll understand.” Her heart beat faster and she watched the expressions on his face go from disbelief to what the heck is she saying to hell yes.
“Really? I mean, sure, whatever you like. I didn’t want to rush you or anything, Denver. I mean to say, you know I’ve wanted to date you for the last couple of years. I don’t expect you to sleep with me straightaway.” His throat worked overtime and she almost smiled. “If you didn’t want to, that is.”
“You’re a very sweet guy, Evan, and I really like you, otherwise I wouldn’t be here this week. I want to be with you, in every way. I made my mind up about that before I accepted your invitation.” She took a breath and spoke again. “How about we sleep together, just sleep, and when I feel comfortable, we can progress to the sex side of the relationship? Does that work for you?”
“Sure. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable.” He put the case on the floor and stepped over to her, cupping her face in his hands. “You’re so beautiful, Denver. You have no idea what you do to me.” Evan kissed her and she melted against him. It wasn’t going to be hard to have an affair with him because she was attracted to the man anyway. And that’s the reason she’d made up her mind he was going to be great husband material, however temporary that might be.
Rather than feel guilty over what she planned, she would consider it an arranged marriage and do her best to make it work. The least she could do was go into this with the intent of making Evan as happy as he could be if it was a conventional marriage. And if it was good enough for his big brother to advertise for a wife, well…
Chapter Five
The Doctor's Husband (The Watson Brothers #3) Page 3
