Read Online Playboy Doctor by Kimberly Llewellyn - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Llewellyn
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broke into a steady run along the ocean's edge, painfully aware he could never run from his troubles back in London. Blake's disloyalty had Shayne running from country to country to teach. His own brother had committed an unforgivable act.
Seeing the photo of himself with his brothers last night had ambushed him. The image in the frame reflected a happier time, which came to a crashing halt. Where love once resided among brothers, bitterness had slipped in and taken its place. The surprise attack on his emotions last night brought back the pain he tried to evade. And Willow had gotten caught in the crossfire. Something she didn't deserve.
With dogged determination, he'd said good night and left her there on the sofa. He had no excuse for the way he'd shut her out, except selfishness. Plain and simple. To lead her on in the first place had been unfair. He never should have drawn her into his world, nor alluded to the demons of his past, only to cast her aside. Having Willow witness a weak link in his steel-like armor ate at him. He'd worked hard to keep his private life just that... private.
Willing his legs to pump harder, Shayne picked up speed in his run. The resistance of sand dampened by last night's storms forced the muscles in his calves to stretch and strain. He pounded away at the shore. Each shearing force of impact helped him push through the torturous grief still battling through him. Perhaps he'd soon be rid of his dour mood.
A mile or so of beach later, he slowed his pace in a cool down before reaching the flat. He stripped off his sandy running shoes in the foyer, then entered deeper into the flat.
Only to be met with those killer blues eyes.
With coffee in hand, Willow had been leaning against the balcony, admiring the view before she looked up at him brightly. Her welcome made it easy to relax. There was a way about her, a calming sensibility she tapped into, which came in handy for a pediatric ER nurse.
She was dressed in scrub pants, but still wore his shirt, the shirttails tied into a knot at the waist. How on earth did she make scrub pants and a simple white shirt look so good? Puzzling, to say the least.
"Is everything all right?" Willow tilted her head just so. A gentle breeze toyed with her sun-kissed hair. She was like sea and sky. Light, airy, and fluid in her every move.
He was more than all right just watching her.
"I'm fine," was all he could utter to keep his wits about him. He tried not to think about how he'd claimed her mouth last night.
"I freshened up the best I could. But my scrub top had blood on it so it's too far gone to put back on. I have a spare at work, along with toiletries. I hope you don't mind if I wear this a little while longer. I'll have it laundered." She fingered the collar of the shirt that was buttoned up more respectfully this morning. Her eyes became distant, wistful, as though she drifted back to a different time.
To last night perhaps?
Just as quickly, her faraway gaze vanished.
"You're up early," she said in haste, then took a sip of coffee. "I thought I'd be long gone before you woke."
"I went for a run. Helps clear my mind." But this morning's workout did nothing to get Willow out of his head.
"Yes, I saw you." Her eyes stole a quick peek to his legs before she turned her attention back toward his face in an attempt to cover her action. But he caught the glimpse nevertheless.
"Coffee?" she asked. "I took the liberty of making a pot."
"I'd love some."
More importantly, he'd love to apologize to Willow for how he'd stolen those kisses from her. What a gentleman he turned out to be.
Willow turned from the balcony and sauntered past him. Attraction thickened the air. He groaned. Heaven help him, but he'd have to keep his physical reaction to her cordoned off if he were to get through this morning.
"I found a broom in a closet and cleaned up my mess in the kitchen," she said.
"I'm sorry about that."
"Oh, don't be. I'm the one who broke the
Seeing the photo of himself with his brothers last night had ambushed him. The image in the frame reflected a happier time, which came to a crashing halt. Where love once resided among brothers, bitterness had slipped in and taken its place. The surprise attack on his emotions last night brought back the pain he tried to evade. And Willow had gotten caught in the crossfire. Something she didn't deserve.
With dogged determination, he'd said good night and left her there on the sofa. He had no excuse for the way he'd shut her out, except selfishness. Plain and simple. To lead her on in the first place had been unfair. He never should have drawn her into his world, nor alluded to the demons of his past, only to cast her aside. Having Willow witness a weak link in his steel-like armor ate at him. He'd worked hard to keep his private life just that... private.
Willing his legs to pump harder, Shayne picked up speed in his run. The resistance of sand dampened by last night's storms forced the muscles in his calves to stretch and strain. He pounded away at the shore. Each shearing force of impact helped him push through the torturous grief still battling through him. Perhaps he'd soon be rid of his dour mood.
A mile or so of beach later, he slowed his pace in a cool down before reaching the flat. He stripped off his sandy running shoes in the foyer, then entered deeper into the flat.
Only to be met with those killer blues eyes.
With coffee in hand, Willow had been leaning against the balcony, admiring the view before she looked up at him brightly. Her welcome made it easy to relax. There was a way about her, a calming sensibility she tapped into, which came in handy for a pediatric ER nurse.
She was dressed in scrub pants, but still wore his shirt, the shirttails tied into a knot at the waist. How on earth did she make scrub pants and a simple white shirt look so good? Puzzling, to say the least.
"Is everything all right?" Willow tilted her head just so. A gentle breeze toyed with her sun-kissed hair. She was like sea and sky. Light, airy, and fluid in her every move.
He was more than all right just watching her.
"I'm fine," was all he could utter to keep his wits about him. He tried not to think about how he'd claimed her mouth last night.
"I freshened up the best I could. But my scrub top had blood on it so it's too far gone to put back on. I have a spare at work, along with toiletries. I hope you don't mind if I wear this a little while longer. I'll have it laundered." She fingered the collar of the shirt that was buttoned up more respectfully this morning. Her eyes became distant, wistful, as though she drifted back to a different time.
To last night perhaps?
Just as quickly, her faraway gaze vanished.
"You're up early," she said in haste, then took a sip of coffee. "I thought I'd be long gone before you woke."
"I went for a run. Helps clear my mind." But this morning's workout did nothing to get Willow out of his head.
"Yes, I saw you." Her eyes stole a quick peek to his legs before she turned her attention back toward his face in an attempt to cover her action. But he caught the glimpse nevertheless.
"Coffee?" she asked. "I took the liberty of making a pot."
"I'd love some."
More importantly, he'd love to apologize to Willow for how he'd stolen those kisses from her. What a gentleman he turned out to be.
Willow turned from the balcony and sauntered past him. Attraction thickened the air. He groaned. Heaven help him, but he'd have to keep his physical reaction to her cordoned off if he were to get through this morning.
"I found a broom in a closet and cleaned up my mess in the kitchen," she said.
"I'm sorry about that."
"Oh, don't be. I'm the one who broke the
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