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Authors: Elisabeth Barrett
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him.
“You could take me out to dinner as a thank-you,” Cole suggested. Insisted .
“Could I?”
“Yeah. You could.” You should .
This was him, declaring himself to her. And she wanted it. Lord, she wanted to see what it would be like. To feel his arms around her. To taste his lips pressed against her mouth. To trace her fingers over the intricate tattoo over his ribs. To see what lay beneath his rough, hardened exterior. This man did something to her—he always had. But she wasn’t a girl anymore. She was a woman, with a career and a life. She needed to protect herself, both personally and professionally.
She waited just a fraction of an instant more before she spoke. “I’ll agree on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” he murmured, his voice low.
“I don’t date my patients. So as of this second, you’re no longer under my care.”
Cole stared into her eyes for another long moment. Slowly, Julie saw the corners of his eyes begin to crinkle and a corner of his mouth turn up in a half-smile. And she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t yet seen when he was looking at her. Admiration.
“Doctor,” he said, releasing her hand just enough to allow her to slowly slide it out between his thigh and his palm. He clenched his jaw as she did so, as if it were a struggle to keep himself in check. “You have yourself a deal. How ‘bout tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow is fine,” Julie said. The heat that had been suffusing her body began to dissipate as she stepped away from him. She felt something like relief, and also, curiously, something like disappointment.
“You are one cool customer, I’ll give you that.”
“You have no idea,” she replied. If he could feel the crazy pattering of her heart or get even a sense of her most intimate thoughts, he’d definitely think differently.
Cole gave her a slow, sensuous smile. “Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. I’ll pick you up at your place.”
“Fine. I’ll send Lisa back in to finish up and get you checked out,” Julie said. “Oh, and Sheriff?”
Cole raised his right eyebrow.
“I’m transferring your records back to the ‘geriatric geezers’ at the VA hospital in Boston. I don’t want to see you in my office again unless you’ve split your head open.” She gave him a slight smile. “And even then I’m not so sure.”
Before he could say anything, Julie opened the door, slipped through, and shut it firmly behind her. Briskly, she walked back to her office, sat down in her chair, and placed her elbows on her desk in a vain attempt to compose herself while she waited for the inevitable visit from Lisa. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Julie?” Lisa knocked softly on the door frame. “I heard you in the hall. Is everything all right?
Julie looked up at Lisa. “Everything’s just peachy. Please finish up with the sheriff, and when you’re done, close his file. We’re transferring everything to the VA.” Lisa just stared at her. “I have a date for tomorrow night. With Cole.”
Understanding dawned in her nurse’s eyes. “That’s great!”
“Great?”
Lisa looked behind her, checking to see if anyone else was listening. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’ve been really worried about you lately.”
“Worried?” Julie echoed. She was beginning to sound like a broken record.
“You’ve been working like crazy, and I don’t want to see you make yourself nuts. The practice is doing really well, and we’re in good shape for the rest of this year. I know you were concerned when some of Dr. Anderson’s patients left when you took over the practice, but you’ve more than made up for it this year. It’s time to focus on yourself now.”
Julie had been disappointed when the old doctor’s patients had left, citing Julie’s youth and inexperience as their chief reasons why. She might be young, but she was a good doctor, and she’d spent a lot of time and energy over the past year proving it. Her bottom
“You could take me out to dinner as a thank-you,” Cole suggested. Insisted .
“Could I?”
“Yeah. You could.” You should .
This was him, declaring himself to her. And she wanted it. Lord, she wanted to see what it would be like. To feel his arms around her. To taste his lips pressed against her mouth. To trace her fingers over the intricate tattoo over his ribs. To see what lay beneath his rough, hardened exterior. This man did something to her—he always had. But she wasn’t a girl anymore. She was a woman, with a career and a life. She needed to protect herself, both personally and professionally.
She waited just a fraction of an instant more before she spoke. “I’ll agree on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” he murmured, his voice low.
“I don’t date my patients. So as of this second, you’re no longer under my care.”
Cole stared into her eyes for another long moment. Slowly, Julie saw the corners of his eyes begin to crinkle and a corner of his mouth turn up in a half-smile. And she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t yet seen when he was looking at her. Admiration.
“Doctor,” he said, releasing her hand just enough to allow her to slowly slide it out between his thigh and his palm. He clenched his jaw as she did so, as if it were a struggle to keep himself in check. “You have yourself a deal. How ‘bout tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow is fine,” Julie said. The heat that had been suffusing her body began to dissipate as she stepped away from him. She felt something like relief, and also, curiously, something like disappointment.
“You are one cool customer, I’ll give you that.”
“You have no idea,” she replied. If he could feel the crazy pattering of her heart or get even a sense of her most intimate thoughts, he’d definitely think differently.
Cole gave her a slow, sensuous smile. “Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. I’ll pick you up at your place.”
“Fine. I’ll send Lisa back in to finish up and get you checked out,” Julie said. “Oh, and Sheriff?”
Cole raised his right eyebrow.
“I’m transferring your records back to the ‘geriatric geezers’ at the VA hospital in Boston. I don’t want to see you in my office again unless you’ve split your head open.” She gave him a slight smile. “And even then I’m not so sure.”
Before he could say anything, Julie opened the door, slipped through, and shut it firmly behind her. Briskly, she walked back to her office, sat down in her chair, and placed her elbows on her desk in a vain attempt to compose herself while she waited for the inevitable visit from Lisa. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Julie?” Lisa knocked softly on the door frame. “I heard you in the hall. Is everything all right?
Julie looked up at Lisa. “Everything’s just peachy. Please finish up with the sheriff, and when you’re done, close his file. We’re transferring everything to the VA.” Lisa just stared at her. “I have a date for tomorrow night. With Cole.”
Understanding dawned in her nurse’s eyes. “That’s great!”
“Great?”
Lisa looked behind her, checking to see if anyone else was listening. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’ve been really worried about you lately.”
“Worried?” Julie echoed. She was beginning to sound like a broken record.
“You’ve been working like crazy, and I don’t want to see you make yourself nuts. The practice is doing really well, and we’re in good shape for the rest of this year. I know you were concerned when some of Dr. Anderson’s patients left when you took over the practice, but you’ve more than made up for it this year. It’s time to focus on yourself now.”
Julie had been disappointed when the old doctor’s patients had left, citing Julie’s youth and inexperience as their chief reasons why. She might be young, but she was a good doctor, and she’d spent a lot of time and energy over the past year proving it. Her bottom
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