that, but you won’t give me a
chance.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
“Why not? What did I do to you?” She opened her mouth. “Besides the near
miss with the car,” he continued. She gave him a pointed look. “And the
punching bag.”
“Need I say more?” Monica asked.
“Come on, you know they were accidents.”
“That’s my point, I think you’re a hazard to my health, Dr. Holmes.”
“It’s a good thing I’m a doctor then.” He winked. He was entirely too
sexy for his own good. And he was definitely too sexy for a woman who had vowed
to stay man-free for at least a year.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get to my workout,” she said, trying to
edge past him.
“That’s it? You’re not even going to give me a chance?”
Did his voice have to sound so sensuous? A girl could resist only up to a
certain point.
“I think it’s best our acquaintance be regulated to a friendly wave in
the hospital corridor.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up in a knowing grin, but he simply
shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s your call, Dr. Gardner. I’ll let you get
back to your workout.”
Monica nodded her head in acknowledgement and walked past him on to the
butterfly press. She had to fight the urge to bypass the exercise equipment all
together and head straight for the locker room. She was suddenly in dire need
of a cold shower.
Chapter Six
“Dr. Holmes?”
Eli stopped mid-step and turned. “Yes?” he bit out.
The nurse shoved a metal clipboard at him. “You forgot to sign off on
Mrs. Donaldson’s chart,” she said, clearly offended by his tone.
“Thank you.” Eli accepted the proffered pen and scribbled his name. “I’m
sorry for snapping, Stacey.”
“Don’t mention it,” she smiled, satisfied.
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be upstairs.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, Eli realized he was more messed up than
he thought. Forgetting to sign off on a patient’s chart? Just a testament to
the crap on his mind today.
Alicia was not taking the news that their fling was over as well as Eli
had hoped she would. He’d been forced to sleep at Alex’s house last night after
he spotted her car in his driveway again. Something had told him to cut her
loose the minute she started getting all clingy. If she had not pulled out that
can of whipped cream, Eli would have kicked her fine ass straight to the curb.
Alex had warned him that the player lifestyle would eventually catch up
with him, but Eli would be damned if he admitted to his older brother that he’d
been right.
By the time Eli arrived at the administrative offices on the sixth floor,
he could hear a barrage of voices coming from the conference room. He didn’t feel like dealing with the
charity board today. He peered through the door’s slim rectangular window. Most
were seated around the oval cherry-wood conference table, but a few pockets of
people mingled in different areas around the room.
The door creaked slightly as Eli pushed it open.
“Dr. Holmes.” Slessinger waved him in. “Good, now we can get started.”
Eli went for his usual seat at the conference table, but stopped short.
His breath caught in his throat.
Monica Gardner.
There she was, sitting in his chair, like a Nubian queen upon her throne.
Every time he saw this woman—and it seemed to be turning into a
regular occurrence—Eli reevaluated his long ago decision never to date
doctors. It was a rule he’d held steadfast since the incident back in med
school that had jeopardized his credibility and nearly ruined his career before
it had a chance to start. Getting caught with his head under his professor’s
skirt was not the smartest thing he’d ever done. But as Eli stared at Monica
Gardner’s deep-set eyes and perfectly shaped lips, he found two good reasons to
say to hell with his rule.
The tinkling of silverware hitting glass disrupted Eli’s train of
thought. He rounded the table and took a seat next to Dr. Collins
chance.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
“Why not? What did I do to you?” She opened her mouth. “Besides the near
miss with the car,” he continued. She gave him a pointed look. “And the
punching bag.”
“Need I say more?” Monica asked.
“Come on, you know they were accidents.”
“That’s my point, I think you’re a hazard to my health, Dr. Holmes.”
“It’s a good thing I’m a doctor then.” He winked. He was entirely too
sexy for his own good. And he was definitely too sexy for a woman who had vowed
to stay man-free for at least a year.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get to my workout,” she said, trying to
edge past him.
“That’s it? You’re not even going to give me a chance?”
Did his voice have to sound so sensuous? A girl could resist only up to a
certain point.
“I think it’s best our acquaintance be regulated to a friendly wave in
the hospital corridor.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up in a knowing grin, but he simply
shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s your call, Dr. Gardner. I’ll let you get
back to your workout.”
Monica nodded her head in acknowledgement and walked past him on to the
butterfly press. She had to fight the urge to bypass the exercise equipment all
together and head straight for the locker room. She was suddenly in dire need
of a cold shower.
Chapter Six
“Dr. Holmes?”
Eli stopped mid-step and turned. “Yes?” he bit out.
The nurse shoved a metal clipboard at him. “You forgot to sign off on
Mrs. Donaldson’s chart,” she said, clearly offended by his tone.
“Thank you.” Eli accepted the proffered pen and scribbled his name. “I’m
sorry for snapping, Stacey.”
“Don’t mention it,” she smiled, satisfied.
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be upstairs.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, Eli realized he was more messed up than
he thought. Forgetting to sign off on a patient’s chart? Just a testament to
the crap on his mind today.
Alicia was not taking the news that their fling was over as well as Eli
had hoped she would. He’d been forced to sleep at Alex’s house last night after
he spotted her car in his driveway again. Something had told him to cut her
loose the minute she started getting all clingy. If she had not pulled out that
can of whipped cream, Eli would have kicked her fine ass straight to the curb.
Alex had warned him that the player lifestyle would eventually catch up
with him, but Eli would be damned if he admitted to his older brother that he’d
been right.
By the time Eli arrived at the administrative offices on the sixth floor,
he could hear a barrage of voices coming from the conference room. He didn’t feel like dealing with the
charity board today. He peered through the door’s slim rectangular window. Most
were seated around the oval cherry-wood conference table, but a few pockets of
people mingled in different areas around the room.
The door creaked slightly as Eli pushed it open.
“Dr. Holmes.” Slessinger waved him in. “Good, now we can get started.”
Eli went for his usual seat at the conference table, but stopped short.
His breath caught in his throat.
Monica Gardner.
There she was, sitting in his chair, like a Nubian queen upon her throne.
Every time he saw this woman—and it seemed to be turning into a
regular occurrence—Eli reevaluated his long ago decision never to date
doctors. It was a rule he’d held steadfast since the incident back in med
school that had jeopardized his credibility and nearly ruined his career before
it had a chance to start. Getting caught with his head under his professor’s
skirt was not the smartest thing he’d ever done. But as Eli stared at Monica
Gardner’s deep-set eyes and perfectly shaped lips, he found two good reasons to
say to hell with his rule.
The tinkling of silverware hitting glass disrupted Eli’s train of
thought. He rounded the table and took a seat next to Dr. Collins
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