by Robin Gianna
“Since you could be anything you wanted to be, how did you decide to go into medicine?”
“From the time I was small, I was fascinated with anatomy, dissecting worms and frogs with my tutors. Later, I insisted on studying the animals butchered on our land to feed the royal household and its guests, much to my mother’s horror.”
Her dazzling, real smile came back, lighting the darkness of their corner table. “I can imagine that might be alarming. Did she think you might grow up to be an axe murderer?”
“Probably. Or, worse, a livestock farmer. Facing the options of her son’s occupation being murderer, farmer, or doctor, she reluctantly accepted the latter.”
“A wise woman. So how did you decide to become an OB/GYN? Or is that something personal I don’t want to know?”
Her soft laughter had him staring at her mouth, and he wished that, just once, he could taste it. Just to see if it was as soft and sweet as it looked like it would be. “My reputation isn’t as bad as you might have heard, so it’s not the reason you’re thinking. You of all people should know the amazement and joy of assisting a new life. I had that experience totally by accident, when I was visiting a sheikh friend whose wife went into labor unexpectedly. Being there with my friend and his wife to bring their newborn into the world was such an amazing experience, I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
“That’s a wonderful story. You could have just spent your life traveling the world in search of fun, but instead want to make a difference in people’s lives. I really respect that.”
The way her eyes shined at him in genuine admiration had him nearly confessing to the many failings he was all too guilty of, but letting her think he was wonderful was far preferable. “I went to medical school with James Rothsberg. We learned what hard work and drive could accomplish, no matter which world you’re born into.” Especially when that world always looked to find the worst in you, instead of the best. Set examples he had no interest in following, like tethering yourself to a permanent marital relationship for no reason other than convenience.
Her expression turned even more admiring, and as she opened her mouth to ask another question he realized he’d already said too much in terms of true confessions for the night. “Would you care for coffee? How about a look at the dessert menu? I’m guessing you’re still not quite full.”
“Again, your comment could be interpreted as an insult instead of an offer. But I’ll let it slide, since I did put teeth marks on my spoon.”
“And the price of a replacement spoon will doubtless be added to the bill, but just this once I’ll take care of it. So, dessert?”
“No, thank you.” Her fingertips covered a small yawn that morphed into a big one, until she laughed about it. And what was more adorable than a woman who could poke fun at herself? “I’m sorry, but I’m really, really tired. Worked several double shifts, then stayed with Cameron for the past two days. And she needed a thing or two over all those hours that interrupted my dozing.”
“I can only imagine,” he said dryly, picturing Cameron wanting any number of luxuries as she’d lain in that bed. “And can also imagine you giving her the best of care, regardless of the way it was requested.”
“Do I deserve all that credit if I was sometimes secretly irritated in the midst of it?” Her grin was interrupted by another yawn, this one audible. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. I need to get home to sleep.”
“Yes, you do.” He quickly scribbled on the check and rose to take her elbow, helping her from the chair to guide her out the door. It was apparent she’d been pushing herself past her limit for days, and he was struck with a sudden, surprising desire to take care of her. A wish that he was close enough to her to have the right to tuck her into bed for a long, well-deserved rest.
But he wasn’t and couldn’t be. Problem was, only moments after she settled into the leather seat of his car, she fell fast asleep.
So what was he supposed to do now? He drove toward the clinic, the original plan being to drop her off so she could drive her car to her own home. If he had any idea where that was, he would simply drive her there himself. But he didn’t have a clue if she lived east or west or north or south of the clinic.
He glanced at her for the tenth time, noting the way the peach-blonde fire of her hair had slipped across her face. Tangling in her long lashes, the silken strands caressed her cheekbones and lay across the corner of her lush lips. Pulling to a stop in the clinic lot, he reached over to gently smooth her hair back, letting his fingers linger on the softness of both her cheek and hair.
“Gabriella? Gabby?” For the first time he used her nickname and found he much preferred her given name, which he’d enjoyed the sound of the moment it had first rolled off his tongue. Gabriella. It suited her. Beautiful and feminine. Strong and intelligent. “Wake up. Do you want me to take you home, instead of you driving there? Where do you live?”
No response at all. Just the sound of gentle breathing through slightly parted lips. He did the usual things. Shook her slender shoulder. Asked the same questions louder. And when she still slept like an angel, he made up his mind.
Instead of rousing her enough to get her in her car to drive home, possibly still dangerously half-asleep, he’d take her to his house and tuck her into one of the comfortable guest suites. That way, she’d be sure to get the long sleep she obviously desperately needed. After all, it was his fault she wasn’t already in bed, having insisted she dine with him tonight.
Hopefully the paparazzi weren’t lurking around the house he was renting. He was pretty sure they’d only watched him the first couple of weeks after he’d arrived in L.A., then moved on to more exciting prey when he’d behaved himself.
He studied her delicate profile. Her straight nose and a slightly stubborn jaw that suited her. The appealing dip above her pretty lips, soft and sweet in sleep. Yes, getting her to his house was the best way to handle the situation. Gabriella would sleep well and be grateful in the morning, ready to tackle her day at work with her usual energy.
But, a little later, as he swung her soft, warm body into his arms, carrying her fast asleep into the house, that surge of testosterone hit him even harder than before. The feel of her sweet curves pressed against him shortened his breath and sent his heart rate into double time, and neither had anything to do with the exertion of carrying her dead weight. It was then he realized, too late, the big downside of his decision.
Gabriella would get a good night’s sleep. But he had a feeling she’d be the only one in the house who did.
* * *
The sensation of silky-soft sheets and light, cozy down wrapped Gabby in a snug cocoon as her senses slowly came to consciousness. Feeling more comfortable than she’d ever felt in her life, she lay there in tranquil warmth, a small smile on her face. Feeling wonderful. Feeling indulged and pampered, but why that was, she wasn’t sure.
Her palms slowly stretched across the linens, over the fluffy comforter enveloping her, eventually wrapping her arms around herself, savoring the sensation.
Where was she? Not in her little apartment. On a vacation in some exotic place? No, she hadn’t been vacationing. Obviously this was some hedonistic dream and she’d be waking soon.
Somehow she managed to crack open her heavy eyelids. And realized it wasn’t a dream. She really was in this ridiculously comfortable bed, but where that bed was, she had no clue.
Abruptly, her eyelids shot wide open and, heart tripping, she sat up, trying to get her eyes accustomed to the darkness. Trying to figure out whether or not her beautiful, comfortable dream was really some horrible nightmare.
And realized this was, for certain, most definitely not her bed. So whose was it? Dragging in a rattling breath, she uttered an involuntary shriek and leapt out of the bed, blindly stumbling toward the shadowy door she thought she could see across the room. Fumbling with the l
atch, she yanked it open, through it into freedom, only to smack right into something large looming across the threshold.
Something hard but smooth. Something warm to the touch, with a rough covering that felt like hair. Something immovable that grasped her arms, holding her. Imprisoning her.
A full-fledged scream tore from her lips. “Let me go!” She writhed to free herself from the monster, to no avail. “Let. Me. Go!”
“Good Lord, Gabriella.” The words were tense but soft as the hold on her loosened. “It’s me, Rafael. Please stop screaming. It’s all right.”
Another scream about to rip from her throat, she blinked up to see a sculpted jaw, and though the mouth above it was tightened into a thin line, they were obviously the sensually shaped lips of Rafael Moreno. Relief had her sagging against him. “Oh, my heavens. I woke up and...didn’t know where I was.” And still didn’t, and that realization brought her fully alert. “So...what in the world happened? Where am I?”
“In my home. You were sound asleep in my car. In a near coma really—I couldn’t rouse you.”
His lips had softened into a smile, and his eyes gleamed at her through the darkness. The bizarreness of the situation finally sank in, and she started to get suspicious then angry. What grown woman would fall asleep so completely she wouldn’t wake up when someone tried to, as he’d said, “rouse” her?
She realized her palms were pressed flat against his hard pectorals and soft, hair-roughened skin. Heat seemed to pump from that wide, masculine chest, enveloping her and making it hard to breathe. She yanked her hands off like she’d touched the sun, flinging them to her own chest to do a quick check of what exactly she was—or wasn’t—wearing, then jerked out of his hold completely. Relief that she still had on the clothes she’d worn on their dinner date didn’t temper the anger making her start to physically shake.
“I can’t believe you brought me here, then inside your house to...to put me in bed like a child. Why would you do that? I thought for a minute you must have drugged me or something. And...and taken advantage of me.”
Infuriatingly, instead of looking contrite or insulted, his arrogantly amused smile widened. “Believe me, belleza, I don’t have to drug women for them to wish to come home with me, nor do I have to take advantage of them. They are, instead, quite happy to take advantage of me.”
She parted her lips to say something caustic in response, but nothing came out. Because she’d just realized he stood there not only shirtless but was wearing only boxers on his bottom half. Boxers that hung low on his hips, and even in the darkness she could see the ripples of muscles across his middle and the big, sculpted quadriceps of his legs beneath the hem that stopped well above his mid-thigh.
It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. And never one with so much potent masculine appeal, it should be illegal. She sucked in a breath so she could finally talk, but unfortunately brought his scent inside her nose and nearly felt dizzy from it. “Well, I’m not one of them.”
“Sadly, I’m aware of that. In fact, you’ve crushed my ego. Never have I had a woman fall asleep in my company unless it was after a long night of making love.”
The rumble of his voice combined with his deliciously drawling accent and his inappropriate mention of lovemaking sent shivers across her skin. Or maybe she was just cold, having left the comfortable bed and the heat of his body. A peculiar tension curled through her body, and she had an almost irresistible urge to snuggle up against that firm, warm chest, imagining how good it would feel against her.
Which was ridiculous. The man had all but kidnapped her. “I doubt if anything could crush your ego, Dr. Moreno. But now that I’ve woken from my coma, I’d appreciate it if you’d take me home.”
“If you insist.” The polite inclination of his head was regal, despite the fact he stood there practically naked. “But it’s four a.m. and I, for one, would like to get a few more hours of sleep before work. Surely it would be best for both of us to go back to bed for a few hours.”
Back to bed. What in the world was wrong with her that his words made her think of something very different from sleep? Involuntarily, a slightly hysterical giggle left her lips.
“Something amusing?”
“Just that I was thinking that, since you’re a prince, you should have tried kissing me when I was asleep. I wonder if that would have worked, like in the fairy tales?”
Lord, she must be delirious. Appalled that she’d blurted her thought out loud, the feeling faded as their eyes met. His seemed to blaze at the same time his lids lowered in a look that made her quiver. “Excellent question, bella. Next time, I’ll try that to find out, hmm?”
“There won’t be a next time. But I guess you’re right about it being silly to go home right now.” She gulped, searching for her common sense. Time to shut down this sensual back and forth between them that she had a feeling could easily get out of control. “I’ll just get back to sleep and we can leave for work in the morning. I always keep extra clothes there, anyway.”
He inclined his head again. “Bueno. We will leave here at eight. Sleep well.”
And then he was gone, taking all that heat and testosterone that had shimmered in the room with him.
Gabby shoved her fingers through her hair with a sigh and sank back into the bed, pulling the covers to her chin. She should be glad the bizarre interaction between her and Rafael was over with. Instead, she felt revitalized but at the same time there was an odd hollow in the pit of her stomach. A disappointment that he hadn’t responded to her ridiculous remark about a prince kissing her awake with an actual kiss. And why had she said it, anyway? Probably because, unconsciously, she’d been thinking about it all evening as she’d stared across that candlelit table at his beautiful lips.
She flopped onto her side, trying to ignore the tense, letdown feeling around her heart, deciding not to make too much of it. The man was physically gorgeous enough to make any woman swoon, right? And she was a woman who hadn’t felt much of anything for a man besides disillusionment in a long, long time.
CHAPTER FIVE
“READY FOR WORK?” Rafael asked, breaking the silence between them as he drove them to the clinic in the powerful car she barely remembered getting into after dinner last night, which made her blush all over again. “I trust your middle-of-the-night awakening didn’t interfere too much with the sleep you obviously needed.”
“No, thank you. I slept well.” Which was a total lie. She hadn’t gotten a wink after he’d left her room, imagining how awkward it would be in his house together in the morning and on the way to work. And awkward was an understatement. She’d taken the world’s fastest shower in the stunning bathroom attached to the room she’d slept in, wondering if the man might not be the gentleman he seemed but instead a prince who thought he had the right to walk in on her. Then, nervous and uncomfortable, she’d stood in his kitchen, nerves twitchy, clutching her purse and ready to go, while he’d sat relaxed, drinking coffee and having a croissant.
She’d steadfastly declined his invitation to join him, partly because she’d wanted to get going and partly because he’d had a vaguely amused expression on his face. Obviously he wasn’t used to women wanting to dash out his door. She didn’t doubt it was usually quite the opposite.
He swung out of the car, looking smooth and handsome and not even remotely tired, like she knew she unfortunately still did. She pushed open her own door, about to get out and hurry inside as fast as she could, when he appeared, holding out his hand to her, eliminating any chance of a quick escape. She tried to walk fast, but he simply kept pace with her at her side. As they walked together to the clinic’s big double doors, she blushed scarlet from head to toe.
The walk of shame. This was what friends of hers had talked about in the past! Out on a date, spend the night, and show up somewhere wearing the same clothes for all the world
to see. Except she hadn’t even enjoyed what people would think she had, damn it. Shamed without reason.
“I’m late for work. I’ll...um...see you around.” She walked faster, trying to get inside and to her locker fast, praying no one had paid attention to what dress she’d worn the night before.
Rafael caught up with her. She stared straight ahead, but he dipped his head to look at her, drawing her gaze to his. To green eyes that now danced with amusement. “Are you worried people will talk, bella, if they see us arrive together?”
“Yes!” she hissed. “So please go wherever you need to go and goodbye.”
“Not goodbye. We’re seeing a patient together in twenty minutes. Until then.” He reached for her hand, his eyes twinkling above it as he pressed his lips to it. She snatched it away and practically ran down the corridor toward the women’s locker room. The imprint of that quick kiss still tingled on her skin, and she had a bad feeling that meant she was in for a very long day.
Freya Rothsberg, the clinic’s PR guru and also James’s sister, raised her eyebrows at Gabby as she tore down the hallway, and she forced herself to slow down.
“Good morning, Gabby,” Freya said.
“Good morning.” Was it her imagination, or was Freya’s voice a little questioning? Or was she just being completely paranoid? “I...need to get into scrubs to see my first patient. Have a great day.”
Finally able to hide in the locker room, Gabby flung off her dress, quickly hung it up, then got her scrubs on. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against her locker door. Clearly she wasn’t up for middle-of-the-night adventures, innocent or not.
Ten minutes later, she felt almost normal and composed, putting a smile on her face as she went into her patient’s room. Then every ounce of composure slid away when she saw Rafael standing there, talking with the woman.
