Read Online Finding Dr. Right (Contemporary Medical Romance) by Lisa B. Kamps - Free Book Online Page B

along the street, muffled sounds of music drifting into the night from the doorways of the different pubs, the steady
thump-thump-thump
of car tires along the cobblestone street. Nathan took a deep breath and wished for a way to draw Catherine out of the silence and into the life that ebbed and flowed around them. Forcing her had proved to be a mistake. Short of bodily dragging her, he could think of nothing else.
    “Maybe we should just leave now.” Her quiet voice pulled his attention back to her. She was watching him with those dark eyes, her hair a protective veil that fell across her face. He stared at her for a minute, trying to read her thoughts, but he couldn’t see through the wall that surrounded her. He took a deep breath and pulled the keys from his pocket, trying to smile and failing.
    “Sure, no problem.” He motioned for her to lead the way and watched as she stepped from the curb, following her with his eyes and wishing there was some way to reach her. She stopped next to his car and turned, looking lost again. Nathan squared his shoulders and walked toward her.
    Tonight could have gone a lot better. She wasn’t as untouchable as he first thought, and he wanted to find some way to breach her protective barrier and get to know her better.
    He just needed to figure out the best way to do it.

Chapter Five
    “S o how was your date with Nathan the other night?”
    “It was not a date.” Catherine didn’t even bother to look at Brian. His snort of laughter told her he knew better but she ignored him anyway.
    “Okay, so it wasn’t a date. But how did it go?”
    “It didn’t.”
    “What do you mean, ‘it didn’t’? He took you out, right?”
    Catherine sighed, knowing he wouldn’t give up until she told him the whole embarrassing truth. She leaned back in her chair, took a deep breath and let the words fall in a rush. “We went out. Not a date. I hit his knee, fell on him, cried on him, he dropped me off at my car. End of night, end of story.”
    “What?”
    Catherine leaned forward and pointed a stern finger at Brian, not caring for the way her hand shook. “Please, not a single word. It was the most humiliating night of my life, and I don’t need you making it worse!” Not that it could be any worse, she thought. The memory of the quiet ride back to her car still made her shudder. She had no idea how to act around Nathan and it was worse than humiliating. It made her realize how out of touch with life she really was.
    “But what happened?”
    “How would I know? It was stupid. I was stupid. The whole thing was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Catherine’s voice choked on the last words and she slammed her hand on the desk, still not believing the entire fiasco. She forced a shaky laugh. “The night started out with me in the dumps and got worse from there. Seems to be my credo lately.”
    “Oh, Catherine.” Brian’s voice was laced with sympathetic humor and she knew he was only trying to help. It wasn’t his fault that nothing seemed to go her way. It wasn’t even her fault. It just was. She should just get used to it and move on.
    “Yes, well, there you have it.” She draped the stethoscope around her neck, more out of habit since she had no more scheduled patients. Her fingers toyed with one earpiece, rubbing the smooth plastic until all sensation of touch dulled.
    “And here I was, hoping you guys would hit it off.”
    Catherine looked up at him, startled at the wistfulness in his voice. He was sitting across from her, lounging in the chair with his usual relaxed pose, an indefinable expression on his smooth face. It wasn’t like her not to be able to see what he was thinking. The feeling rattled her. “He probably thinks I’m a nutcase by now. You were right, he seems like a nice guy. Too bad I don’t know how to act anymore.” She forced a laugh, determined to find some humor somewhere. “Besides, you only wanted some free game tickets.”
    “Touché.” Brian waved