Falling for the Billionaire Doc

by Amy Ruttan

“We just have to make an appearance. Have a drink, dinner and then I’ll take you home. Maybe if your cat doesn’t attack me, we can talk about it at your place.”

  “My cat?” she asked.

  “I sat on your cat,” he said, annoyed.

  She laughed. “Right, that’s what Mandy said. You sent Sif into a tizzy.”

  “Sif?”

  “Yes, but Sif isn’t my cat. She’s Mandy’s cat. Sif does claim me.”

  “I thought it must be yours, seeing how it hated me and all,” he teased, winking.

  Kiera laughed. “No. Not my cat, but I will have to give her a treat later.”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “So, do we have a deal?”

  “I’m still not comfortable with this.”

  “Well, think about it—most of the people at this fund-raiser tonight are people who have power. Power to give money to hospitals, money to give to keep certain free clinics open or possibly stop hospitals from closing.”

  He looked at her again and could see the wheels were turning.

  “Why are you taking me there? I thought your father wanted to stop me protesting?”

  “And I have stopped that. He doesn’t want you protesting in public, but I can’t stop you from talking privately to investors and those who have money and political sway, can I? I mean, I might be your fiancée, but I’m not in control of you.”

  Kiera grinned and he couldn’t help smiling. “I never thought I would say this, Dr. Brown, but right now you’re my favorite person and I like the way you think.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  HENRY HAD LOST track of Kiera. Once he had told her she had free rein to talk to anyone she wanted at the fundraiser—provided she keep up the pretense of being his fiancée—she had taken off, and he had watched her as she worked a room.

  She might like to hide, but when it came to Aspen Grace Memorial Hospital and that free clinic she was so determined to save, she came out of her shell instantly.

  It was like all these people his parents were schmoozing were the neighborhood boys and she was in that tree just pelting them with snowballs.

  He chuckled to himself as he took a sip of his champagne.

  Also, he liked watching her from a distance. Admiring her. She lit up the room And in that dress, he couldn’t tear his eyes off her. At least while she was schmoozing he couldn’t be tempted to take her in his arms, because that’s what he’d been struggling with all night as he watched her. She really was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time.

  He hated the fact that he was so attracted to her.

  He had dated other women, beautiful women, but this was different. There was something about Kiera that drew him in. She was infuriating, smart, sexy.

  She made his blood heat with lust, his pulse race with need.

  She wasn’t as shallow as the women he usually dated. She didn’t want to use him. He was using her.

  And he felt bad about that.

  He was using her because being engaged to her would annoy his father the most. He might have to do this last thing for his father, but he was going to get some enjoyment out of it.

  And that was picking someone who would irritate his father.

  But that wasn’t the only reason he had chosen her.

  She was like a breath of fresh air.

  She’s not actually yours.

  He had to keep reminding himself of that.

  Henry tore his gaze away from Kiera, wandered past the crowds and headed toward a more quiet section of his parents’ party. To a large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the mountains and the trees. He couldn’t see the trees in darkness, but he could see the mountain lit up and people skiing.

  Not long ago they had been saving someone’s life. The road had been covered in black ice while the snow fell.

  Now, it was like none of that had happened. It scared him how fast life moved on, that it carried on like everything was okay.

  “There you are.”

  He turned when he heard Kiera approach. His pulse raced when he saw her. His gaze raked over her curves, because that dress didn’t hide a thing and he liked what he saw.

  “I thought you’d ditched me,” she said.

  “No. Parties like this aren’t my jam. So I stay on the sidelines.”

  She cocked her head to one side. “You’re always at Hollywood parties.”

  “Not by choice,” he murmured. “Have you heard about the status of the patient we worked on? You didn’t mention it when I picked you up.”

  “I have. She’s stable and is expected to make a full recovery. That accident was bad, but it could’ve been worse. There were no fatalities.”

  “Good.”

  “Is something wrong?” Kiera asked.

  “Nothing. I just hate these kind of parties.”

  “So why do you attend them then?” she asked.

  He thought about it. “I don’t know.”

  Although he did. In this instance it was a condition of his bail from his parents. These parties reminded him of his loneliness.

  His parents preferred these types of gatherings to being with him.

  “You want to go?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you done working the crowd?”

  “I am. See, the thing is, these parties aren’t my thing either, but I don’t look a gift opportunity in the mouth. I’m ready to leave, and hopefully we can finish our conversation. You know, the real reason you asked me out.”

  “I would like that.” He set his champagne flute down on a table and held out his arm.

  “I forgot to tell you something,” she said, taking his arm.

  “Oh?”

  “You look really good in that tuxedo.”

  He chuckled, secretly pleased. “I’ll take the compliment, Dr. Brown. I haven’t had many from you since I arrived this morning.”

  Kiera was smiling, which he interpreted as a good sign.

  He was more than ready to leave. And he wouldn’t mind continuing their date in a more private location.

  This is just a business arrangement. This is not real.

  Suddenly he wished it was because he wanted her.

  “Henry!”

  He froze and grumbled as he heard his mother call him. He turned around, and his mother made her way through the crush of people.

  “You two are leaving?” his mother asked, exasperated.

  “We are, Mother. Kiera has work tomorrow and I have work to do for Father. Unless you have forgotten? We made an appearance like you requested,” Henry said stiffly. He was annoyed his mother had interrupted his plans to escape unseen.

  He didn’t want her intruding on this. He was glad he didn’t have to speak to his father, who was too busy wooing potential donors for his political career.

  So, what else was new?

  “Oh. Well, very well.” His mother looked disappointed. “Do be careful getting home. I heard the roads up the mountain have gotten bad.”

  “We will.” He gave his mother a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

  Henry’s parents hadn’t interacted with Kiera anyway. His mother had barely acknowledged her, but they had tolerated her here because she was a doctor and she was his fiancée. His parents saw Kiera as a political tool.

  She looked good on paper.

  Was he doing the same? His stomach knotted as that thought crossed his mind. He didn’t like it, but it was the truth. He was using her. Kiera didn’t know about his past or that he was here in Aspen because he owed his father.

  And she didn’t need to know.

  This wasn’t real.

  It would be over soon enough.

  Henry instinctively put his hand on the small of Kiera’s back as he led her away from his mother, from his parents so-called friends.

  He just wanted
to leave. They got their coats and waited outside for the car to be brought around. Only once they were in the car and driving away from his parents’ mountain lodge did he finally break the silence.

  “I’m sorry for dragging you to that.”

  “It was fine,” she said.

  “You don’t have to be nice about it.” He glanced over at her.

  She chuckled. “It really was okay. I did get to talk to a lot of powerful people and let them know what’s happening with Aspen Grace Memorial Hospital.”

  “You think you swayed them?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure whether I did or not, but at least I got to talk to them.”

  He was impressed with her. Her strength and the way she didn’t seem bothered by it all. Why couldn’t she have been this easy dealing with him earlier in the day?

  “Also,” she said. “I found they were easier to talk to when I mentioned that I was your fiancée. That they were talking to the future Mrs. Baker.”

  He smiled. “Don’t you mean Dr. Baker?”

  “Some of them weren’t too open to the idea of calling me doctor, but that’s sort of old-school. I’m the pretty wife,” she teased, and he laughed with her.

  “Well, that’s not a lie.”

  “What’s not?”

  “The pretty part.” And the moment he said it, he regretted it. It had slipped out. Not that he regretted saying she was pretty—that wasn’t it at all—but that he had let her know, had admitted he found her attractive.

  And he did find her attractive.

  It’s just that he couldn’t have her. He didn’t want to open his heart again. The risk of pain was too much for him to bear and the guilt of moving on with someone like Kiera, someone who reminded him of Michelle in spirit, was a big no-no.

  That’s why he dated the women he did.

  He didn’t date women who reminded him of Michelle.

  Yet, here he was with Kiera.

  They weren’t dating, but he was pretending to be engaged to her.

  “Thanks,” she said, her voice rising a bit, and he knew that she was uncomfortable with his compliment.

  An uneasy tension fell between them again. The only sound was his wiper blades, brushing the snow off his windshield. It made a horrible screeching sound, which just added an extra layer of tension.

  “So, we haven’t really gotten to talking about terms,” she said, finally breaking the silence.

  “Terms?”

  “Yes. What will I get, Dr. Baker? Or more importantly what will you give to Aspen Grace Memorial Hospital?”

  * * *

  Kiera had not been expecting to be taken to a function like that. At first, she had been completely unsure about the idea because she was already uncomfortable wearing the dress, but then it had worked out well.

  She wasn’t sure if what she said was getting through to anyone at the party, but at least she was talking. At least she was getting her viewpoint across to those in power.

  Talking about the hospital was easy.

  What unnerved her was the way Henry had looked at her. It had given her a thrill. It had made her pulse quicken, her blood heat, and when he had put his hand on the small of her back as they were leaving, it had felt right.

  It had made her want him.

  And she didn’t like that one bit. She didn’t have time for this.

  She wasn’t going to be hurt again.

  By anyone.

  She didn’t want him to talk about how pretty she was, even though she enjoyed it. She wanted to talk about how handsome he was in his tuxedo because he really did look good. The tuxedo was well tailored and fit his body like a glove.

  She couldn’t help admiring the way he looked.

  He looked good enough to eat.

  Her cheeks heated as the thought crept into her mind. She couldn’t think that way. She had to focus, and focusing on the hospital would do just that.

  “What will I give to Aspen Grace Memorial Hospital?”

  “Yes. I mean that was part of the deal, wasn’t it? I pretend to be your fiancée to get your parents off your back, and you help me and my hospital. You have the power. You’re a majority shareholder, you could convince the others to change plans.”

  “Changing plans isn’t that easy,” he said, and she could hear the exasperation in his voice. “Land has been bought.”

  “That free clinic gives quality medicine to those who won’t be able to afford the private hospital. Surgeons donate their time there.”

  Henry sighed. “It’s very noble.”

  “And a free clinic is not being considered for the new hospital, is it?” she asked.

  Henry didn’t say anything as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, his jaw clenched. She knew then it wasn’t in the plans. The free clinic cost a lot. She was aware of that, but it was important. People died and were hurt because they couldn’t afford proper care.

  “It’s not,” he finally said. “Perhaps, if you can come up with another idea, I can persuade—”

  “No. You promised me this if I pretended to be your fiancée. I’m coming to the conclusion that Aspen Grace Memorial Hospital can’t be expanded. It’s an old hospital.”

  His eyebrows raised. “So you’re finally seeing that the hospital is old.”

  “You’re right, but what I’m worried about is the people you’ll alienate by opening this new hospital. People who rely on our free clinic. And that’s my condition. That’s why I’ve been protesting. I want people who can’t afford to pay to be able to access health care.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” she asked, shocked.

  “Okay.” She was pleased, but she didn’t have long to relish her small victory as the car slowed down and they saw flares in the road.

  “What is going on?” Henry said.

  He pulled up beside a car that was on the side of the road. A man was waving his arms as they approached.

  Henry rolled down the window. “Can I help?”

  “Yes! Do you have a cell phone that works? I need someone to call an ambulance.”

  “We’re doctors, what’s wrong?” Henry asked, turning on his hazard lights.

  “It’s my wife. She’s in labor and we slid off the road. The baby is coming, the car is stuck and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do!” The man was frantic, not that Kiera could blame him.

  “You call the ambulance and I’ll check on the patient,” she said.

  “You’ll what?” Henry asked, but she didn’t stay to listen as she climbed out of the car. The snow was coming down heavier. Even if Henry got hold of the ambulance, it would be too late. It would take the ambulance some time to get there and given that the man was frantic, Kiera would lay money on the fact that his wife was probably crowning.

  Kiera climbed into the back seat of the car to see a woman, panting, her body covered in blankets.

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Brown,” she said. “Can I take a look?”

  The woman nodded.

  Kiera lifted the blanket and saw that the baby was indeed crowning. Yeah, the ambulance wasn’t going to make it there in time.

  “The ambulance is on the way. How can I help?” Henry asked.

  “I need a first-aid kit, if you have it. I need some gloves or something. This baby is coming.”

  “I have a kit in the car.” Henry disappeared.

  “What’s your name?” Kiera asked as she waited for Henry to come back.

  “Miranda,” the woman said. “Is my baby going to be okay?”

  “Your baby is on the way.”

  “Here’s the kit,” Henry said. He opened it and helped her sanitize and put on gloves. She grabbed the extra blanket that was handed to her.

  “Okay, Miranda when you feel that next contraction, I want you to push,” Kiera said.
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br />   Miranda nodded, and Kiera could feel the contraction as she examined Miranda’s belly to check on the baby.

  Miranda began to push and Kiera watched, keeping her eyes on that baby.

  “You’re doing so well, Miranda,” Kiera encouraged. “Keep going. Okay, now breathe.”

  The baby was coming fast, but everything looked good.

  The next contraction came, and Kiera coached Miranda through it. The baby’s shoulders were delivered. It took one more half push and the baby was born.

  A little girl began to cry as Kiera worked. She couldn’t cut the cord, because she didn’t have any clamps. She could hear the ambulance siren. The paramedics could take care of that.

  “It’s a girl.” Kiera tried to wrap the baby the best she could and handed the baby to Miranda as she waited for the placenta to be delivered, which came soon after. Once she checked it and wrapped it for the paramedics, she pulled off her gloves.

  The paramedics arrived, and she watched as Henry dealt with them. She climbed out of the back of the car, slipping slightly on the snow. Henry’s arms came around her to steady her.

  “Good job,” he whispered.

  “Thanks. I’m glad we were able to help them.” Henry’s arms were still around her as the paramedics finished clamping and cutting the cord and then got Miranda and her little girl out of the back of the car.

  “I’ve called a tow truck,” Henry told Miranda’s husband. “I’ll wait here until they come. You go with your wife and new baby.”

  The frantic husband smiled in appreciation. Kiera was so thankful that they had been able to help. It was a simple birth and delivery, except that it was on the side of the road, in a snowstorm, in the dark and in the back of a car. Thankfully, there had been enough blankets in the car to keep the new parents and the new baby warm on the cold winter night.

  “You acted fast,” Henry said. “It’s been a while since I’ve attended a birth.”

  “I wouldn’t think that plastic surgeons would deal with many,” she replied.

  “They don’t. I think the last time was when I was a resident. I’m glad you were with me. I’m not sure I could have been of help.”

  “I didn’t do anything but catch and coach the patient,” Kiera said.