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This could not be happening. Not now. Not when she d just worked up the confidence to attempt a
relationship with him. Every fiber in Beth s body yearned to run to him, say, to hell with whatever
reason brought him here, even as she struggled with the uncertainty squeezing her heart.
First things first, and right now she had to get through this moment as gracefully as possible.
 It s nice to meet you, Dr. North. I hope you ll be happy working with us here at Ridgemount. She
struggled to maintain an even, unaffected tone, but her voice came out a little tremulous, a bit on the
husky side. He hesitated only a second before picking up on her cue to keep the fact that they d
already met to themselves. His fingers tightened around hers, just enough to reassure her they were on
the same track& and send a sizzle of heat up her arm.
 Thank you, I m sure I will be. His eyes bore into hers, confident and sure. Trust me. The
command was there, as surely as if he d spoken it aloud. A flicker of hope sparked in her heart.
The persistent chirp of the CEO s pager pulled Beth back to the moment. She tugged her hand from
Gabe s, curled her fingers into a loose fist, and let it drop to her side.
Brad clipped the pager back on his belt and glanced at his watch. With a grimace, he turned to
Beth.  I have a conference call waiting. Would you mind orienting Gabe to the ER and then show him
his office? He took a set of keys out of his slacks pocket, handed them to Gabe, and shook his hand
again.  Good to have you aboard, Gabe. I leave you in very capable hands. His phone rang again as
he walked through the door, leaving it open for Beth and Gabe to follow him out.
Questions continued to buzz through Beth s head until she was dizzy with them. Staring up into
Gabe s soft brown eyes, Beth struggled to comprehend the turn of events.  I m sorry, but I m having a
little trouble with what just played out. What are you doing here?
 I m your new medical director, he said, giving her another hormone-scrambling smile.
Cursing those weak-assed hormones for turning her knees to jelly, Beth cut Gabe a don t-give-me-
any-shit look.  I m not in the mood for jokes.
The amusement faded from his eyes. Bracing one hand on his hip, Gabe rubbed the back of his neck
with the other.  Yeah, I can see that.
 Why didn t you tell me you d taken this position when we spoke earlier?
 I tried to, but you were interrupted. Besides, I wanted to tell you face-to-face.
 Well, you re here now. She snatched up her papers, held them in front of her chest like a shield.
A tumble of confused thoughts and feelings bombarded her joy that he was here and a sense of
betrayal that he had taken this job without her knowledge. She wanted to push him away, demand
answers and throw herself into his arms at the same time.
 You re pissed. I understand. I crossed a couple of lines, and I m sorry. He rubbed his hand over
his head, tugged at the ponytail at the nape of his neck. His gaze dropped to the papers she clutched to
her chest.  Hell, you probably feel like I m stalking you.
Some of her anger evaporated at his self-castigating tone. She forced her scattered emotions into
order.  No, I don t feel like you re stalking me. Gabe s shoulders sagged with relief and he took a
step toward her. Beth shook her head.  Why did you take this job? You could have gone anywhere.
He moved quickly for a man of his size, closing the distance between them in an instant. His hands
framed her face, forced her to look up at him.  Because this is where you are. His jaw tensed even
as his thumb gently grazed her bottom lip.  I came here for you.
The raw urgency in Gabe s whispered confession swept the last vestige of doubt away. Her breath
slipped out in a tiny gasp just before his lips came down to claim hers.
The gentle ferocity of his mouth melted her bones. Passion was there, but it couldn t compete with
the strength of the other emotions passing between them.
Lifting his head, Gabe pinned Beth with a heated look that all but singed her panties.
 I m here because I can t get you out of my head the way you blush, the way you squirm around in
a chair and squeeze your legs together when you get hot. I m here because when I lie down at night, I
can still hear that soft sound you make when you come apart in my arms, and I want to make it happen
again. I m here because when I m with you I don t feel empty inside. You make me whole again. He
dragged in a breath and reclaimed her lips.
Beth felt as if she were drowning, swimming through a haze of euphoria and lust. She was about to
go under for the third time when the sound of voices in the hallway as they passed the office door
brought her back to the surface. Placing her hand on Gabe s chest, she reluctantly pushed him back.
 At the risk of sounding repetitive, this isn t the place, she said, drawing in a shaky breath.  While
the hospital is happy to welcome you to the staff, I don t think this is what they had in mind as part of
the welcoming committee.
 Nothing wrong with a little PDA, Gabe said, and reached for her again, but she skillfully evaded [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]