The Doctor's Bargain Read online

  He’d spotted her bending over the water fountain, a blue sweater hugging the gorgeous rear-end directly in his line of sight. He stood close on purpose, waiting to see if the woman’s face was as interesting as her body. He hadn’t expected her sudden brush against him or the jolt her touch stirred in his body. Or his reaction to her intriguing parted mouth and her perfect lips. A glistening bead of water lingered above her chin, enticing him to lick it off with his tongue.

  Christ. He’d had a weak moment. He didn’t have those. No woman had kindled even a twinge of desire since the fiasco he’d barely escaped.

  He should have known better. Regina had not introduced him as Doug, or her friend, or Sheldon’s friend. She said “Doctor.” The moment Sandi learned he was a doctor, her entire demeanor changed. Another female after a label, after a man destined for greatness and wealth. Women threw themselves at him. At first, he enjoyed the ride. A good time and no strings. It had gotten old real quick. Generally, all women were after money, for once they discovered his profession, they clung to him like gum on a man’s shoe.

  Hell. He was more than his profession. He was a man. Flesh and blood, with feelings and hopes and dreams. But Regina had called him “Doctor.” Sandi looked at him with ambitious interest. Another female who was more attracted to his occupation than to him.

  When Sandi had first turned around, she’d looked at him with awareness, and he’d been drawn to her. Who could resist this sexy woman, with her tight shirt hugging her firm breasts? Seeing her long legs encased in thigh hugging jeans had made his mouth dry, and he’d wanted to lick his lips.

  Hell. He was a man.

  Yet, her response when Regina introduced them made it easier for him to distance himself. Made it easier to ignore the gut reaction she’d created in him with her beautiful eyes before she’d found out he was a doctor.

  Several reasons had initiated his relocation from his home in Pittsburg. Clinging females who cared more about his profession than the man himself were one of those reasons. Fresh out of college, he’d fallen for Cherry, a girl who’d attended the same medical school. His one attempt at getting close to a woman failed nastily. He’d made a mess untangling himself from her and had barely gotten out of the relationship by the skin of his teeth. No way would he get involved with another glory-seeking female.

  Shame, really. Sandi was a knock-out. He wouldn’t mind a dance or two between the sheets. But that only led to more complications when a woman set her sights on having a man. Besides, he was at a point in his life where he wanted more. A wife. A family. If only he could find a good woman.

  Chapter 2

  “You do realize once you sign that contract, you’re stuck.”

  “Are you trying to get me to change my mind?” Doug glanced up from the official looking forms that apportioned him fifty percent of the practice.

  “Hell no,” Sheldon replied. “It’s taken me too long to talk you into accepting a partnership.”

  During their internship at the University of Virginia, Sheldon had come up with the idea of opening a practice together. But Sheldon lived in Virginia, and Doug wanted to go back home to Pennsylvania. Moving back was not a well-thought-out decision, because he froze his ass off in the winters, and his brothers ended up moving across the map.

  Virginia had mountains, and four seasons; being south of Pennsylvania, the state had longer summers and an actual spring and autumn. At least it was warm a few months out of a year. His old roommate kept in touch and never stopped suggesting the two doctors work together. The last time Sheldon asked, Doug accepted.

  He forced a grin and focused on the moment, signing his name with a flourish. Even he had difficulty trying to decipher the specific letters in his signature. Sheldon added his own, then reached out his hand.

  “I’m glad to have you in the practice. You won’t regret this decision. The hospital is pleased you’re here as well. They don’t have many surgeons who are as experienced as you,” Sheldon said.

  “They pointed that out to me when I met with the Board of Supervisors. They were also quick to show me their financial records and plans for the future of the hospital, including offering me a seat on the Board.”

  “They’re afraid you might go back to the big city. A seat on the Board, to them, would seal the deal and keep you here.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I’m not planning on going anywhere.” Doug leaned back in the comfort of his leather chair. “I like it here.”

  “So, the past few weeks didn’t scare you off or bore you to death?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m really looking forward to the slower pace. Seeing regular patients as a general MD will suit me just fine.”

  Sheldon shoved the signed document into a manila envelope. “When I heard a new section of medical offices were being built, I jumped on it. Booked a physician’s office and the minute it became available, I moved in. The spaces filled up immediately.”

  “It’s a perfect location,” Doug observed.

  “Five minutes from the hospital, which you can see, by the way, from the waiting room. I think knowing the hospital is close brings comfort to some of the patients. For those who don’t want to see it, they can sit on the other side and gaze at the Blue Ridge mountains right out the window.” Sheldon took the papers and placed them in his briefcase.

  “I like the atmosphere you’ve created. You’ve made the waiting room comfortable for the young and the older set. I like the brighter colors, and the place is cheery. Browns and grays are depressing.” Doug shook his head, expressing his dislike. Dull colors made a dull ambiance. Most patients thought going to see a doctor was miserable enough, they didn’t need the front area gloomy as hell. A visit to the doctor didn’t have to be undesirable. This office space had a welcoming environment.

  “Regina had a hand in that,” Sheldon pointed out. “She studied Interior Design.”

  “She did a good job. She help you with your house, too?”

  “Are you suggesting I couldn’t do it on my own?”

  Doug raised a brow in obvious doubt. When they were in college, neither of them gave a shit about décor or pictures on the walls.

  “Yes, she did,” Sheldon answered with a laugh. “I’d already made up my mind about her. She was going to be my wife, so I gave her free rein. Right after the house was furnished, I proposed and she moved in.

  “You found a good woman. Very rare and hard to come by.” He should know.

  “There’s someone out there for you.”

  Sheldon’s remark made Doug’s shoulders tense. So far, he’d avoided this conversation. Looked like his luck was up.

  “Look,” Sheldon said. “You got a bum rap. Cherry was a bloodsucking leech.”

  “Yeah. That insight came a little late.”

  “I didn’t realize you’d fallen so hard for her.”

  Doug stretched his legs and crossed his ankles, thinking back to their breakup. “Being deceived bothers me more than anything else. I thought I knew everything. Thought I could read people. But she fooled me into believing her. I’ll never be that dense again.”

  “You know not all women are like that.”

  He met Sheldon’s gaze. “I know you’re lucky you found Regina.”

  Sheldon’s smile damn near split his face. “Yeah. I am. She’s pretty special.”

  “You love her,” Doug said, perceiving the sappy expression on his friend’s face.

  “I sure do. I’m going to put a wedding band on that gal’s finger and keep her for the rest of my life.”

  “You do that,” he said, keeping the focus on Sheldon.

  “Hey man, don’t be cynical.”

  Doug scratched his beard. “I’m happy for you. Really.”

  “I hear a but.”

  “Glad it’s you and not me.�
�� For the moment anyway. Perhaps one day . . .

  “All you need is to find a good woman. Get back on that horse.”

  “I like my horse just fine, thank you.” Doug leaned back, locking his fingers behind his head. “I came here to get away from covetous females with greedy hooks.”

  “Regina wants me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night.”

  “I have to wait until tomorrow? That woman knows I love her cooking.”

  “It has to be tomorrow night.”

  The hair stood on the back of Doug’s neck. Somehow this invitation sounded a bit different than previous invites. He recalled the incident at the hospital where Regina eagerly introduced her friend.

  Shit.

  This smelled like a set-up. He had no intention of getting tangled up with any woman in the immediate future. Even though he hadn’t revealed particular details, his buddy knew about his relationship with Cherry and should understand his reluctance to an obvious match-making scheme.

  “Look, Sheldon, I appreciate the gesture. I like Regina. But if this dinner invitation is anything other than just dinner, I’ll have to decline.”

  Sheldon rubbed the back of his neck. He did that when he was hiding something.

  Hell.

  “Come on, man.” Exasperated, Doug stood. “I know you. You’re trying to set me up, aren’t you?”

  “Not me. Regina. She has this friend—”

  “Everyone has a friend. No thank you.” Doug removed the stethoscope from around his neck and tossed it on the desk.

  “The last thing I’m trying to do is fix you up with Sandi. She’s a good woman, and I’m not targeting her for one of your seduction numbers.”

  “Believe me, Sheldon—”

  Wait a minute. Did he say Sandi? Wasn’t that the name of the sexy blonde with Regina at the hospital? He groaned.

  “What?” Sheldon asked. “That’s not the groan of a tired man. You sound guilty. Did something happen with one of the patients?”

  “What name did you say?” Just in case he’d heard wrong or had the woman’s name on his mind, which he shouldn’t have, he needed to hear Sheldon repeat it.

  “Sandi. Sandi Jones.” Sheldon’s brows lowered in a frown. “Why? How would you recognize her name? I don’t remember mentioning it before.”

  “I met her. She was at the hospital with Regina.”

  “When? Regina doesn’t . . . you mean yesterday?”

  Doug gave a nod. “I got the impression those two were up to something. They created quite a stir with the head nurse.”

  “Phoebe? She’s hard on her residents, but usually nice to everyone else.”

  “That woman has a mean stare. And those two were definitely on her shit list.” He remembered seeing the short woman with an attitude of a tiger addressing Regina. She didn’t look too happy. But then he hadn’t seen a smile on Phoebe’s face since he’d been here.

  “Really? Come to think of it, Regina had a flimsy excuse for being there. Sandi must have been waiting outside. I didn’t see her. I wonder what Regina was really doing there.”

  “Sandi, the blonde with a curvaceous body?” At Sheldon’s nod, Doug continued. “That was her. You don’t think Regina was trying to set me up then, do you?”

  “What? No.” Sheldon shook his head but his expression said he wasn’t totally convinced.

  “So, Sandi will be at this dinner?”

  Sheldon slapped Doug on the back. “Why don’t you just bite the bullet and come over? You’ve got to eat, and you like Regina’s cooking.”

  “She’s a great cook.” As for Sandi, she was hot and sexy as hell. If he had any sense, he’d stay as far away from her as he could get.

  “You’ll like Sandi. Or is the sexy Sandi too tempting for you? The Doug I know wouldn’t resist.”

  “That was before Cherry.”

  “With a name like Cherry, what did you expect?”

  “Evidently, more than I should have. Look, maybe Sandi is nice, but I have about as much interest in getting entangled with another female as I do in being castrated. Damn if Cherry didn’t almost succeed in doing that.”

  “Yeah, buddy.” Sheldon slapped him on the back. “I’m sorry about that. But you won’t have to worry about Sandi. She’s nothing like Cherry and not like other women.”

  Sure. Doug might have believed that before he saw her eyes light up as soon as Regina informed her he was a doctor.

  “Let’s forget it. I’m here to make a new life. Without a clinging female.”

  Sheldon laughed. “Sandi’s not the clinging type. In fact, she’s just the opposite. Very independent. Regina has tried to fix her up before, without any luck.”

  The guy must not have been a doctor. Or must not have had a job making big money.

  “Dinner is at seven. Be there,” Sheldon threw the words over his shoulder as he stepped into the corridor.

  Doug glanced at his watch. Four-thirty. One more patient and then he could finish his paperwork and go home to an empty house. He didn’t mind being alone. After the traffic and noise of a big city, he thought he might like an old house in the country with a big porch along the front where he could sit out on the steps and listen to nothing but the crickets chirp or the wind blowing in the trees. The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. He’d have to tell his realtor.

  Dinner. Tomorrow. A nice home-cooked meal.

  The only time he got a good meal was when he visited his mother. Even living in the same city, he’d seen her less than he should have. Focused on his career, he worked himself to exhaustion—at least that had been the diagnosis.

  He dropped back into his chair and shoved his hands through his hair.

  Exhaustion.

  Him.

  Allegheny General was rated in the top 100 hospitals in the United States. Being on staff there, he hadn’t needed to exercise in a gym. On a normal day he ate little, rose before dawn, and never left the hospital before midnight. Day in and day out he’d performed one surgery after another and thrived on the rush of adrenaline flowing through his veins. Some people thought he’d driven himself because of Cherry, but his true obsession came from being ambitious, and he enjoyed his chosen career. His surgical skills were incomparable, his reputation exceptional. Although, concerning Cherry, he’d buried his head in his work, punishing himself for his stupidity.

  Yet he moved to Monterey.

  Doctor’s orders.

  No more twenty hour days. No more hellish stints at the hospital. It would take some getting used to, but the last few weeks of forced seclusion had tamed him. He’d managed to convalesce without climbing the walls, so he should be able to handle a small practice without compulsively killing himself with work.

  Dinner.

  What harm could there be in just dinner? Sheldon was his friend and Regina was a doll.

  The exception.

  If Regina’s friend tried cozying-up, Doug would just have to put the little gold-digger in her place. He smiled. It might be entertaining, giving Miss Jones the brushoff.

  Chapter 3

  Sandi twisted her napkin into a knot while Doug’s eyes stayed locked with hers. He’d been an absolute beast from the moment she arrived. What happened to the polite man she met at the hospital?

  This man sitting across from her was an imposter. His smile was cold, his eyes hard. Nothing like the sensual gaze he’d given her upon their first look at each other. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she was his enemy. Despite the animosity he made the appropriate responses. Used manners when applicable. Genuinely charming when he directed his attention to Regina. But when he turned his gaze upon her, his eyes chilled her to the bone.

  For the life of her, she could not figure him out. The most gorgeous man she’d e
ver seen, whom at first glance she thought was a creature from the gods, now looked at her with repulsion. His actions could not be blamed on a bad day. His behavior suggested he’d had a bad friggin’ year.

  He hated her. That’s all there was to it.

  But, what the hell had she done?

  Nothing!

  So, if the cad wanted to be shitty with her, then he’d get the same thing back. She gathered her wits and pasted on her best smile.

  “Regina, this flounder is delicious. Don’t you think so Dr. Baker?” If the ass didn’t like her, she’d be damned if she called him by his first name.

  “The flounder is superb, Miss Jones.” He gave her a tight smile.

  “You don’t need to be formal, Doug. Her name is Sandi.” Regina tried to make light of the situation, but Sandi saw the confusion in her eyes. Nothing about this evening made sense.

  “As always, dinner is magnificent, Regina,” Doug said. The asshat gave Regina a real smile.

  “Sandi is a good cook, too.”

  “I can vouch for that,” Sheldon spoke up.

  “I’ll take your word for it,” Doug said in a bored voice. Sheldon shot him a look and hiked his brow. The underlying currents at this table could choke a horse.

  Unable to resist, she taunted him. “Afraid I might poison you?” His smile turned his face into a whole new level of smugness. She shouldn’t have risen to his bait, but his pissy mood irritated her.

  Regina tried smoothing things over. “Doug is from Pittsburg.”

  Who cares?

  Instead, she said, “How nice. Would you pass me the butter please?” At Regina’s frown, Sandi wanted to kick her under the table.

  “Steelers had a good year, this year,” Sheldon said.