Susan Peterson - Emergency Contact

He stroked several strands of hair back from her face, loving the soft feel of her skin beneath his fingers. Had he ever loved anyone as much as he loved her? Ryan didn’t think it was possible.

Tess pulled his hand closer and rested her cheek against it. “Remember that day we met, and I told you I didn’t need you? That I didn’t need a doctor?”

He nodded.

“Well, I was wrong. I need you. And I won’t ever make that mistake again.”

Ryan’s chest tightened, and he sat on the edge of her bed, slipping an arm beneath her and gently lifting her to him. Tess pressed her ear to Ryan’s chest and felt the reassuring beat of his strong heart.

“I love you, Tess,” he said. “And I want to marry you.”

Tess blinked, seeing his face through a shimmer of tears. “I love you, too, Ryan Donovan.”

It didn’t matter that they were surrounded by hospital white and beeping monitors. For Tess it was more romantic than candlelight and soft music. He loved her. He wanted to marry her.

“And yes, I’ll marry you,” she whispered over the lump in her throat.

The nurse tiptoed to the door, shut off the light and let the curtain fall into place, leaving them alone and in each other’s arms.

A devoted Star Trek fan, Susan Peterson wrote her first science-fiction novel at the age of thirteen. But unlike other Star Trek fan writers, in Susan’s novel she made sure that Mr. Spock fell in love. Unfortunately, what she didn’t take into consideration was the fact that falling in love and pursuing a life of total logic didn’t exactly go hand in hand. In any case, it was then that she realized that she was a hopeless romantic, a person who needed the happily-ever-after ending. But it wasn’t until later in life, after pursuing careers in intensive care nursing and school psychology, that Susan finally found the time to pursue a career in writing. An ardent fan of psychological thrillers and suspense, Susan combined her love of romance and suspense into several manuscripts targeted to the Harlequin Intrigue line. Getting the go-ahead to write for this line was a dream come true for her.

Susan lives in a small town in northern New York with her son, Kevin, her nutball dog, Ozzie, Phoenix the cat and Lex the six-toed menace (a new kitten). Susan loves to hear from readers. E-mail her at SusanPetersonHI@aol.com or visit her Web site at susanpeterson.net.