Kitabı oku: «In the Doctor's Bed», sayfa 3

“Dr. Campbell?”

She blinked, realizing he was waiting for her to say something. “They are talking.”

He raised his brow and a guarded look appeared on his face, and she wondered the reason. “Who’s talking?”

“Everyone. They know. Or they think they know and those who don’t are trying to figure it out.”

He leaned back in his chair and simply stared at her, but it was a stare that made tiny flutters appear in her stomach. “I think you need to tell me just what you’re talking about,” he said in a gentle tone, so gentle it made her want to tell him everything, especially her misgivings about letting him know about Terrence and how everyone was trying to figure out just who told. But she wanted to go even farther and spill her guts about how she felt about him, how she dreamed about him at night and how she often envisioned him naked. Most important, how her desire and love for him kept taunting her day in and day out. However, she knew she couldn’t tell him any of those things. She wouldn’t dare.

“I’m talking about the Matthews lawsuit,” she finally said. “That’s all everyone has been talking about all morning. They’re determined to find out who snitched on Terrence.”

“They won’t.”

“Can you be absolutely sure of that, Dr. De Winter?” she asked in frustration, fighting back tears that threatened to fall any minute. When she’d come to him to report Terrence’s problem she had hoped that in addition to protecting the hospital in the long run she would be protecting Terrence as well. He needed help. She knew firsthand what drugs could do to a person and didn’t want an addiction to rule his life like it had ruled her brother’s, Kevin’s.

“Yes, I can be absolutely sure of it, Dr. Campbell. You are protected by the privacy act. What you told me was in confidence and that is equivalent to doctor-patient privilege. I don’t have to reveal my source to anyone. Besides, it doesn’t matter. He didn’t pass the random drug test that was given to him that day.”

“I know, but what if their attorneys force the issue? Then what? I thought I was doing the right thing in telling you about it, but now I—”

“You were doing the right thing. You knew one of your fellow interns was involved in something unethical and you brought it to my attention. I repeat, you did the right thing.”

There was something in his gentle and understanding tone that pushed her to the edge. There were so many emotions she was trying to deal with. The issue with Terrence was just one of her problems. But beside all that, her feelings for the gorgeous doctor was another issue all together. She’d always been pretty level-headed when it came to men, but she felt way out of her league with Lucien De Winter, mainly because she knew she’d fallen in love with him the moment she’d set eyes on him. She was too old to consider it merely a schoolgirl crush. She’d stop thinking of it in those terms months ago. She was experiencing the wants, desires and needs of a woman with the man she loved.

Now there was no telling what would happen. Once word got out she was the snitch, the hospital would probably have to send her away to downplay all the negative publicity. That meant she wouldn’t see Lucien ever again. She would leave without his having a clue how she felt about him. But what did it matter? she asked herself. Her feelings weren’t reciprocated.

“Look, maybe I should not have requested this meeting today,” she said standing, unable to fight the tears any longer. The do-gooder didn’t always save the day, she reminded herself. Not all the time. “I have to go,” she said swiping at the tears falling from her eyes.

He stood as well. “No, not this way. Not with tears. I don’t want to see you cry.”

In a move that surprised her, he stepped around his desk and pulled her into his arms. The moment he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a shoulder to cry on, she took it and began sobbing.

“Shh, things are going to be all right. You’re going to have to trust me. The Matthewses will eventually discover that money can’t buy everything.”

Jaclyn knew for her to be standing here sobbing her heart out in her supervisor’s arms was inappropriate, but she couldn’t pull away. He smelled good and the way his hand was gently stroking her back felt wonderful.

And then, as if he realized where they were and what he was doing, his hand stilled. She swallowed and lifted her head from his chest to take a step back. But instead of letting her go, he reached out and tenderly cupped her chin in his hand and forced their gazes to connect.

The look she saw in his eyes had her senses reeling. At the same time sexual tension, as thick as it could get, began surrounding them, capturing them in a mist that was saturated with desire. She felt it and knew he had to feel it as well. If it wasn’t for the beat of her heart marking the passage of time she would not have known how long they’d been standing there, staring at each other with deep hunger entrenched in their gazes and heat radiating between them.

He moved closer and slowly began lowering his head until his warm breath fanned across her lips. She wanted to blink but couldn’t. His hot, possessive gaze was keeping her eyes wide open and glued to his. Her pulse quickened with every inch closer to her mouth that his lips came.

The room was charged with something she’d never experienced before, a kind of static electricity that increased the flow of blood rushing through her veins, made her world turn upside-down, then right-side up. His hand on her chin began moving, allowing his knuckles to tenderly caress the side of her jaw. Her vision blurred when a heated sensation took over her senses and every part of her body.

He lowered his head still more and his mouth came within a breath of taking possession of her lips. Suddenly the alarm on his desk sounded and they knew what that meant: 911 in E.R.

Without saying anything they both rushed toward the door.

Chapter 4

Lucien glanced around. E.R. was in chaos. Doors were flying open with people being wheeled in on stretchers. He stopped one of the nurses. “What do we have?”

“Twelve-car pileup on the interstate. There were four casualties on impact—three of them children in different families. Life flight is on its way and rescue is unloading others as we speak,” she said.

“We need all hands on board. Contact all medical staff, even those off duty,” Lucien said. He then raced off to assist an injured teenager. Jaclyn was right on his heels. Lucien treated one patient after another, seeing to everyone’s needs, and making sure those needing surgery were taken care of.

He glanced over at Jaclyn and saw she was busy as well and couldn’t help admire how she was handling things. He had a feeling this would be a long day.

It was close to four in the morning before things had settled down in the E.R. Jaclyn thought it was so quiet the place appeared eerie. Of the thirty-four people who’d been involved in the twelve-car accident, six hadn’t survived and four were still in critical condition. The others had been fortunate to receive minor injuries.

She couldn’t help but be proud of her fellow doctors and how they had handled each patient swiftly, confidently, compassionately. Then there had been the media who had swarmed inside looking for a story. And then the family members who’d come to see for themselves that their loved ones were all right. Through it all, she admired the way Dr. De Winter had handled himself and the entire situation. Now she knew why he was one of the top physicians at the hospital and especially why he was in charge of the interns. They respected him and when it counted they had pulled together to make it happen and had saved lives.

She felt good. Exhausted but good. This was the career she had chosen and helping others gave her a high.

A shiver ran through her when she recalled what had almost taken place in his office, right before the alarm had sounded. She refused to believe she had imagined the heat and the desire she had seen in his eyes. It had been real. And he had come within seconds of kissing her.

She pulled her tired body out of the chair beside a patient’s stretcher. Ten-month-old Stacia Minestrone, the youngest survivor of the multicar accident, had only minor injuries but was waiting for a bed in Pediatrics. Even though she was presently under Tamara’s care, Jaclyn had agreed to observe the precious little girl while Tamara touched base with family services. Stacia’s mother hadn’t survived and the little girl’s father who lived in Wisconsin had been notified and was on his way.

Jaclyn glanced up when Tamara returned. “Thanks for watching her for me. I guess you’re ready to leave this place about now.”

Jaclyn stood, stretched her muscles and glanced at her watch. She was to have gotten off work more than eight hours ago. Tamara had been spared the initial arrival of E.R. patients because she’d been assisting in O.R. But like the others, once she’d arrived she had quickly joined in to do what was needed to be done.

“Yes, I can’t wait to get home to my bed,” Jaclyn said. “I’m going to the locker for my backpack and then I’m out of here.”

It didn’t take her long to gather her things. She was on her way out the hospital’s revolving doors when Dr. De Winter called out, “Dr. Campbell, wait up.”

She turned around and the moment she did so, her pulse quickened at the sight of him jogging toward her. He had removed his lab coat and was wearing jeans and a shirt. She wondered if he was aware of the effect he had on women, especially the effect he had on her.

The man exuded so much raw masculinity that she simply stood there while memories came flooding down on her. She couldn’t help but recall that moment in his office when they’d almost kissed. Now that the crisis in the E.R. was over, she fully understood her predicament. No matter what almost happened in his office, which she still hadn’t gotten over, she was an intern and Dr. De Winter was her boss. She would do well to remember that and not do anything to put her job and her career in jeopardy. That was probably why he was in such a hurry to talk to her.

She knew what he was probably going to say. She’d been crying and he’d only taken her into his arms as a way to comfort her and nothing else. Anything else that she assumed she saw or thought transpired was a figment of her imagination.

When he came to a stop in front of her a lock of hair fell in her face and she pushed it away at the same moment she shifted her backpack to another shoulder. “Yes, Dr. De Winter. Is there something you need me to do before I leave?”

Lucien thought that was a loaded question if ever there was one. He could easily respond by saying yes, there was something he needed her to do before she left. Returning to his office so they could finish what they’d started earlier would be nice.

Then he could take her mouth, make love to it, mate with it without any distractions or interruptions. Or if she didn’t want to go to his office, they could go anywhere. She could name the place and he wouldn’t hesitate to take her there.

“No, there isn’t anything I need for you to do,” he said, studying her features. She looked tired, but exhaustion in no way detracted from her beauty. “You did a hell of a job in there today. I appreciate everything you and the other interns did. The group was awesome.”

One thing Lucien subscribed to was that it didn’t pay to bully his group of interns. He was not one who believed in group spankings. He dealt with those individually who did not pull their weight. On the others he didn’t mind bestowing compliments when they were due. After what had gone down in E.R., praise was certainly called for. He would tell her now and the others when he saw them again.

Although he’d given her a compliment, what was on his mind more now than anything else was the kiss they’d almost shared in his office. A part of him knew in a way he should be grateful it didn’t happen and regret that it almost did. But the truth of the matter was that the memory of holding her in his arms, inhaling her scent, bringing his lips so close to hers sent a flood of heat rushing through his veins and made his breath catch in his throat.

“Thanks,” she said. “You did an outstanding job yourself. It amazes me how well you do what you do and know just when to do it, seemingly without thought.”

He chuckled. “It comes with practice, trust me. Don’t forget I was an intern once and made my share of mistakes. Thankfully none of them cost anyone their life, but still. One day you’ll look back at these years and smile and accept them as your growing period.”

She smiled. “I hope you’re right.”

“I am.” He glanced at his watch. “I can’t believe how late it is—or how early, depending on how you look at it. We never did finish our discussion from earlier today.

I know a coffee shop across the bridge that stays open twenty-four hours. This time of morning there won’t be a lot of people around so we’ll be able to hold a private conversation.”

He paused when she hesitated in accepting his invitation. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable and think she had no choice in meeting with him, so he added, “Of course I’ll understand if you prefer going home. You’ve pulled a double today so I’m sure you’re tired.”

Jaclyn couldn’t help but smile. She doubted she could ever be tired enough to not want Lucien’s company, regardless of the reason. “No, I’m fine and yes, we can finish our conversation from earlier.”

In a way finishing up their conversation wasn’t what she really wanted. She believed she had done the right thing in turning Terrence in, and she figured the stress, frustration and all kinds of emotions had gotten the best of her earlier and had driven her to a mental meltdown. The activities in E.R. had revived her, given her an adrenaline rush.

“You sure?” he asked.

She felt her heart slamming against her ribcage with his question. Was she absolutely, positively sure when she didn’t know what he would say to her? For all she knew he might criticize her for giving in to a crying spell earlier today. But she would take her chances. “Yes, I’m sure.”

He smiled. “We can take my car.”

“All right.”

Lucien wasn’t surprised they couldn’t make it out of the hospital and to the parking lot without encountering someone he’d rather not have seen. Nurse Tsang was walking toward them as they were leaving. She stopped, causing them to do the same.

“Good morning, Ms. Tsang,” he said, his tone formal.

“Dr. De Winter.” The woman then glanced over at Jaclyn with a speculative eye. “Dr. Campbell.”

“Good morning,” Jaclyn acknowledged.

“The two of you are leaving?” the woman then asked.

Lucien lifted a brow. “Yes, we’re going to get coffee. I think we’ve earned the right because we’ve been here for the last eighteen hours. We had one hell of an emergency.”

“So I heard,” Ms. Tsang said drily. She then looked over at Jaclyn and then back at Lucien. “Need I remind the two of you of the hospital’s nonfraternization policy when it comes to managers and their subordinates?”

Lucien looked down at the woman. He smiled a little, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “No. Just like I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the hospital’s contact policy whenever an emergency occurs. I understand no one could reach you yesterday, Ms. Tsang. Nor did you call in.”

Her gaze sharpened. “It was my long weekend and I caught the train to New York. That’s why I couldn’t be reached.”

“I’m sure you had a nice time,” he remarked.

“Yes, I did.”

“Glad to hear it. Now if you will excuse us.” He didn’t wait to see if she would excuse them or not, nor did he care. He and Jaclyn walked off, leaving the woman standing there staring at them.

The woman had a problem with sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. He had mentioned it several times to Dr. Dudley, especially when the interns had come to him complaining, but it seemed the chief of staff always found some excuse or another for Ms. Tsang.

“If you want to cancel our having coffee, I’ll understand, Dr. De Winter,” Jaclyn said.

He glanced over at her and he knew the smile he gave her was a lot different than the one he’d bestowed upon Ms. Tsang earlier. This one not only reached his eyes but it also spread throughout his entire body like a beacon of light. “There’s no way I’m going to let Nurse Tsang’s nosiness dictate what I do and how I handle my business.”

He opened the car door for her, paused a moment and then asked, “I guess I’m the one who should be asking you if you still want to share a cup of coffee with me.”

She smiled up at him as she slid onto the leather seat of his car. “Yes, I still want to share a cup of coffee with you.”

He held her gaze. “You sure?” She nodded. “I’m positive.”

Jaclyn knew without a doubt that Lucien had no idea just how positive she was. Regardless of Nurse Tsang’s remark, she had no intention of turning down Dr. De Winter’s invitation to go someplace where they could talk. It didn’t matter that the only discussion they would have was about the Matthews lawsuit. All she cared about was that she would be sharing his space again somewhere across the bridge that hopefully wasn’t frequented by their colleagues.

“I like your car,” she said after she’d buckled her seat belt and waited for him to do the same. It was a silver 1980 Trans Am, all shiny and clean and expensively upholstered.

“Thanks.”

“And it sounds good. So what’s under the hood?”

He glanced over at her and chuckled. “This baby was a limited edition Indy car. Turbo, 210 horsepower, 4.9 cubic inch motor and it rides like a dream.”

“I hear. What’s the torque?”

“Three hundred forty-five pounds.”

“Um, four speed manual, V-8 and an 8-trac player that plays CDs. Very impressive, Dr. De Winter,” she said.

He took his eyes off her to return to the road. “Thank you, and because we’re away from the hospital a first-name basis suits me just fine.” He glanced back over at her. “Is that okay with you?”

She nodded, swallowed deeply and said, “I have no problem with it.”

“Okay, so tell me, Jaclyn, how do you know so much about muscle cars?”

“My dad made a living as an auto mechanic, but not just any auto mechanic. Back home people came from far and wide just to get him to look under their hoods. He was known as the Muscle Car King.”

“Now I’m impressed. Where is back home?”

“Oakland, California.”

“Any siblings?” he asked her.

“A brother who’s four years older.”

“The two of you are close?”

She chuckled. “Yes, but he stopped counting when he married a woman who became the sister I never had and they gave me a niece who everyone thinks is mine. It’s uncanny, but she looks just like me when I was her age.”

“Then she must be cute as a button.”

“Thanks.” Had he just given her a compliment? Was he insinuating he thought she was cute? She shifted positions in the seat while thinking she should probably take a chill pill because all her thoughts were wrong. He’s probably being nice to you because he doesn’t want to say anything to make you burst into tears on him again.

“Are both your parents still living?”

She chuckled. “Are they? They take the word living to a whole new level. At fifty my father bought a Harley and he and Mom think nothing of hitting the road crossing state lines. And then at fifty-five he bought a boat and we can’t keep them off the water. He’ll be sixty in a few years and my brother and I are bracing ourselves for what they’ll get next.”

“They sound like a fun pair.”

“They are. They were high school sweethearts who married before either of them were twenty. Then they took turns going to college while raising me and my brother.”

She paused a moment and then asked, “What about you, Dr…. I mean Lucien. Any siblings? Your parents still alive?”

“I have one sister. We’re a year apart. And I understand both my parents are alive … somewhere.”

She glanced over at him. “Don’t you know?”

“No. I haven’t seen my mother since I was five. She left Jamaica and swore she would never return. I was raised by my grandmother. My mother had me when she was fifteen and I never knew my father,” he said quietly.

“Oh.” She couldn’t imagine growing up and not knowing her father because he had always been a part of her life. Although she was close to both of her parents, everyone knew she’d always been a daddy’s girl.

Deciding to change the subject, she said, “I’m glad they were able to contact the father of Stacia Minestrone. I understand he and his wife divorced last year and he moved away. Her neighbor said they were trying to make a comeback and now she’s gone. It’s sad.”

He nodded. “And what’s even sadder is that according to one of the police officers involved in the investigation, the accident was caused by a twenty-year-old college student texting her boyfriend.”

He paused a moment and then added, “In the end six people died, four are still critical and she was able to walk away with a few scratches. Then again maybe she won’t be walking away from everything. I saw the police place her in the patrol car.”

Jaclyn had seen it as well, but at the time she hadn’t known why. It was sad. No, it was worse than sad. It was a sin and a shame. That text message had ended up probably being the deadliest the young woman had ever sent.

A few minutes later, Lucien pulled into a parking spot in front of a quaint-looking café of red brick with shutters at every window. Day was breaking and the sun was just coming up over the horizon. Although her budget dictated that she live outside the nation’s capital, she enjoyed whenever she crossed the bridge over to D.C. And this neighborhood was the one she enjoyed the most. Georgetown, one of the oldest sections of town. She loved the tree-lined streets of old row homes drenched deep in D.C.'s history. She loved the numerous upscale boutiques, restaurants and cafés that lined the narrow cobblestoned streets. What she liked most of all was being surrounded by the beautiful flower gardens, where the cherry blossoms and gladioli were in full bloom.

Moments later they were walking through the door of a café that had only a couple of patrons sitting at the counter sipping coffee and tea. Lucien led her over to a booth in the back, and a waiter, an older man with a beard who greeted Lucien by name, quickly gave them menus.

“Nice place,” Jaclyn said, deciding that in addition to a cup of coffee she’d like to try an omelet on the menu called the George Washington. It had all the ingredients she liked. Lucien told her she would not be disappointed.

Within minutes a waitress appeared to take their order. He ordered the George Washington, with coffee as well. After the waitress left, Jaclyn glanced at Lucien and smiled. “I take it you come here a lot.”

He chuckled. “Practically every day. I live in the area.”

“You live in Georgetown?”

“Yes. My sister lived with an older couple while attending Howard. When the couple decided to retire to Florida they gave Lori the option of buying their home before anyone else. They even financed it for her. When she got a job offer to move to L.A. she talked me into relocating here from Atlanta. At first I thought she was crazy to even suggest a thing. Why would I want to leave Hot-Lanta for docile D.C.? But I came and stayed a week and fell in love with the area. Then I knew I had to live here. And I fell in love with the house. I thought it was just what I needed, real nice although at times I think it’s way too big for a bachelor. I ended up convincing her to sell it to me.”

She bet his house was nice. Too bad she probably would never get to see it. “I need to apologize to you, Lucien,” she said, deciding not to put off saying what she needed to say any longer. Besides, that was the reason he’d brought her here. “I’m usually more together than that. I didn’t mean to start crying earlier today.”

“It’s okay. You were frustrated and needed to let it out. It can happen to the best of us.”

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing, Jaclyn,” he said softly. “I can understand your frustration. I don’t know what the Matthewses are trying to prove by filing that lawsuit. The hospital will suffer unnecessarily when what they should be doing is getting their son the help he needs. Denying that Terrence has a problem isn’t helping the situation or him.”

“But what if their attorneys demand to know who told you about Terrence?”

“Like I told you, they can’t force us to give them the information. And as far as the staff trying to figure out who told, sounds to me they have too much time on their hands. But realistically, there’s no way to stop them from talking. Your secret is safe.”

She certainly hoped so. They refrained from talking when the waitress returned with their food and set the plates in front of them. She hadn’t known the omelet was so huge and told Lucien so.

He lifted an amused brow. “Didn’t you know that George was an important man in this town? Anything representing him can only be big.”

“Then explain the dollar bill, Lucien.”

With a very serious expression he said, “It was a lost bet. I understand that George and good ole Ben Franklin tossed coins to see who would get top dibs and George lost.”

Jaclyn couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good to laugh and it felt good, for whatever the reason, to be sharing breakfast with the man she had fallen in love with. If anyone saw them it would appear as if they were on a breakfast date. But she knew they were not on a date. They were just colleagues sharing coffee and a meal.

“So, do you get to go home often?” she asked him, trying not to notice how his mouth moved while he chewed his food. There was something downright sexy about it. He waited until after he swallowed his food to respond.

“Not as much as I would like, and my grandmother and sister remind me of that every time we talk. Because of my work at the hospital, I haven’t been home in two years. I plan to go to Kingston for the holidays, though.”

“I bet that will be nice.”

Lucien nodded slowly as he sipped his coffee. “Yes, it will be and it will get my sister off my back for a while.”

“The two of you are close?”

“Yes, very. My grandmother raised me and my sister, as well as two of our cousins. We’re all close. My sister Lori is a practicing attorney in L.A. My cousin Martie is a surgeon in Seattle and my other cousin Danielle is an accountant in New York.”

“All of you are spread out,” she noted.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Yes, but we enjoy traveling to visit each other when we can get together. The four of us became naturalized citizens our second year in college, but we still consider Jamaica home.”

“I bet it’s beautiful.”

“It is.”

He’d said it in a voice filled with love for the place where he was born. He might be a citizen of the United States now, but she could tell Jamaica was a part of his heart.

The waitress materialized to clear away their plates and to see if they wanted more coffee, and because Jaclyn was enjoying their conversations and he hadn’t shown an inclination to leave just yet, they had refills.

“You worked up an appetite during the past eighteen hours, so if you’re still hungry we can order you another George Washington,” he said over the rim of his cup as he took another sip of coffee.

“You got to be kidding. If I eat another omelet you’ll have to roll me out of here,” she said chuckling. “I should not have eaten all of that. Now instead of going home and going straight to bed I’m going to have to find some physical activities to get into.”

“And what kind of physical activities do you think you might be interested in, Jaclyn?” he asked silkily.

The words flowed across her skin like a physical caress and her nipples suddenly felt tight and erect. She didn’t have to glance down at her chest to know they were probably poking through her blouse, a telltale sign that she’d gotten aroused by his question.

He proved that point when his gaze slowly moved from her face to shift downward. She quickly picked up her coffee cup to hold it in front of her, trying to act natural, but from the look in his eyes, she knew she’d failed. She couldn’t help but shiver under the intensity of his gaze.

His eyes then returned to hers. “There is something else I think we need to discuss, Jaclyn,” he said in a voice so low and sexy that it seemed to rumble out each and every syllable.

“And what is that?” she asked thinking the coffee was only making her feel hotter. She needed something cold like lemonade or iced tea to cool her off.

He continued to hold her gaze and she felt her pulse rate increase when he said, “The kiss that almost happened in my office yesterday.”

Her mouth instantly dried and she struggled to swallow. She’d hoped he had forgotten about that. But there was no reason for her to deny it when she’d known the moment had been real. Had the 911 alert not gone off, they would have shared a kiss and they both knew it. If he could own up to it, then so could she.

“I need to apologize for that, too,” she said softly.

“Why?”

His question surprised her. “Because I’m the one who called the meeting and I’m the one who let it get out of hand. The only reason you were comforting me was because I broke down in tears.”

Lucien had been listening to her with his cup halfway to his lips. “Yes and no.” He set down his cup.

She raised a brow. “Yes and no? What do you mean?”

“It’s true you called the meeting, but I’m the one who made the move to hold you in my arms.”