center.
It had been six years since she’d been in a relationship with a man. She’d thought herself in love for the first time in her life; her perfect world had been shattered when Galvin Seely ended their affair abruptly, telling her he was moving to California to reunite with an old girlfriend. The unresolved issue of her inability to trust a man had again reared its ugly head, and she’d sworn she would never put her faith in another man as long as she lived.
At that moment she wanted Tyler gone. She did not want to feel what she was feeling. Clearing her throat and pretending not to be affected by his devastating virility, she smiled, holding out her uninjured hand.
“I’ll take the salve now, thank you.”
Tyler lifted an eyebrow and, if possible, his eyes darkened. “Let me look at your hand first.”
Her arm dropped to her side. “It’s okay.”
Reaching out, he cupped her elbow. “I’ll let you know if it’s okay after I examine it.”
He wasn’t going to make it easy for her. Did he know what he was doing to her? That he turned her on just by looking at her? She didn’t want to be attracted to a man, especially Dr. Tyler Cole, because she did not need or want any distractions. It would take her months to go over and analyze newspaper articles, as well as the court transcripts of her father’s trial. Then there would be interviews with her father’s attorney, the jurors, the prosecutors, the fire marshal, the coroner, and the technicians who’d gone over the crime scene. She even planned to study the report documenting her father’s suicide. Even though the case was more than twenty years old, she prayed some of people involved in the investigation and subsequent trial would still be alive.
Instead of asking Tyler to leave, she said, “We can sit out on the back porch.” She led the way across the living room and to the back of the house, his hand still cupping her elbow. She wanted to scream at him not to touch her, but didn’t, suffering his closeness.
Tyler followed Dana to the screened-in porch, admiring the profusion of flowering and potted plants. White and pistachio green wicker tables and chairs were covered with plush green-and-white chintz cushions and tablecloths, inviting one to come and stay a while.
And he wanted to stay for a long time. He wanted to stay long enough to discover exactly what it was about Dana Nichols that had him thinking about her when he least expected.
He’d found her beautiful, but so were a few otherwomen with whom he’d been involved; however, there was something about Dana—something intangible that drew him to her to the point he was helpless to resist the pull of her lush mouth, golden eyes, and sultry voice.
“We can sit here.”
Her voice pulled him from his reverie. “After you,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs at a round glass-topped table. He seated Dana and then shifted a matching chair, sitting down on her left.
Shivering despite the oppressive heat that seemed to linger long after the sun set, Dana forced herself not to look away from Tyler’s perfect symmetrical features. There was nothing about his face to denote that he was anything other than male, but his classically handsome features had a blatant sensuality she’d never encountered before.
She placed her left hand on the table as Tyler unzipped the black bag, withdrawing a pair of bandage scissors. Quickly, expertly, he removed the gauze, staring intently at the back of her hand.
“How does it look?”
His head came up and he smiled at her. “Good.”
“Can you leave the gauze off?”
He shook his head. “No. It should be covered for another day.”
“It handicaps me.”
“How?”
“I can’t eat or dress myself properly. How am I going to effectively comb my hair or brush my teeth?”
He went completely still. “You haven’t eaten anything since this morning?”
“How can I cook with only one hand?”
Tyler glared at her, frowning. “How do
It had been six years since she’d been in a relationship with a man. She’d thought herself in love for the first time in her life; her perfect world had been shattered when Galvin Seely ended their affair abruptly, telling her he was moving to California to reunite with an old girlfriend. The unresolved issue of her inability to trust a man had again reared its ugly head, and she’d sworn she would never put her faith in another man as long as she lived.
At that moment she wanted Tyler gone. She did not want to feel what she was feeling. Clearing her throat and pretending not to be affected by his devastating virility, she smiled, holding out her uninjured hand.
“I’ll take the salve now, thank you.”
Tyler lifted an eyebrow and, if possible, his eyes darkened. “Let me look at your hand first.”
Her arm dropped to her side. “It’s okay.”
Reaching out, he cupped her elbow. “I’ll let you know if it’s okay after I examine it.”
He wasn’t going to make it easy for her. Did he know what he was doing to her? That he turned her on just by looking at her? She didn’t want to be attracted to a man, especially Dr. Tyler Cole, because she did not need or want any distractions. It would take her months to go over and analyze newspaper articles, as well as the court transcripts of her father’s trial. Then there would be interviews with her father’s attorney, the jurors, the prosecutors, the fire marshal, the coroner, and the technicians who’d gone over the crime scene. She even planned to study the report documenting her father’s suicide. Even though the case was more than twenty years old, she prayed some of people involved in the investigation and subsequent trial would still be alive.
Instead of asking Tyler to leave, she said, “We can sit out on the back porch.” She led the way across the living room and to the back of the house, his hand still cupping her elbow. She wanted to scream at him not to touch her, but didn’t, suffering his closeness.
Tyler followed Dana to the screened-in porch, admiring the profusion of flowering and potted plants. White and pistachio green wicker tables and chairs were covered with plush green-and-white chintz cushions and tablecloths, inviting one to come and stay a while.
And he wanted to stay for a long time. He wanted to stay long enough to discover exactly what it was about Dana Nichols that had him thinking about her when he least expected.
He’d found her beautiful, but so were a few otherwomen with whom he’d been involved; however, there was something about Dana—something intangible that drew him to her to the point he was helpless to resist the pull of her lush mouth, golden eyes, and sultry voice.
“We can sit here.”
Her voice pulled him from his reverie. “After you,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs at a round glass-topped table. He seated Dana and then shifted a matching chair, sitting down on her left.
Shivering despite the oppressive heat that seemed to linger long after the sun set, Dana forced herself not to look away from Tyler’s perfect symmetrical features. There was nothing about his face to denote that he was anything other than male, but his classically handsome features had a blatant sensuality she’d never encountered before.
She placed her left hand on the table as Tyler unzipped the black bag, withdrawing a pair of bandage scissors. Quickly, expertly, he removed the gauze, staring intently at the back of her hand.
“How does it look?”
His head came up and he smiled at her. “Good.”
“Can you leave the gauze off?”
He shook his head. “No. It should be covered for another day.”
“It handicaps me.”
“How?”
“I can’t eat or dress myself properly. How am I going to effectively comb my hair or brush my teeth?”
He went completely still. “You haven’t eaten anything since this morning?”
“How can I cook with only one hand?”
Tyler glared at her, frowning. “How do
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