Karen Rose - The Most Eligible Doctor

Numb as he’d been to his physical needs for the past four years, Jed felt more aroused now than he’d ever been in his life. Brianne’s soft moan, her surrender to the desire between them, her sweet beauty, spun him into turmoil and excitement and hunger.

It was the hunger that stopped him—the soul-deep, aching hunger that he knew he could never satisfy. He couldn’t use Brianne as a Band-aid. He wouldn’t take advantage of her. He shouldn’t become involved at all.

Tearing away from her, controlling the mind-drugging sensations of holding her, tasting her and kissing her, he shifted until there was space between them.

He waited until he saw the sensual haze in her eyes dissipate a bit. “That was a mistake that won’t happen again.”

Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked embarrassed and vulnerable.

“We have to work together,” he added. Then, as if he needed more reasons to keep his distance, he continued, “And I’m much older than you are. I’m not looking for an involvement.”

“I see,” she murmured, studying her hands now, rather than him.

He stood. “I’d better see to that snowblower. Your room is the one at the top of the stairs. I put towels on the bed.”

Trying to act casual, she repositioned a sofa pillow. “Do you think we’ll be able to get out in the morning?”

“I’m hoping the plow will come through.”

Finally her gaze met his. When he looked into her eyes, he remembered the kiss and saw she was remembering, too. He’d been an idiot to give in to the moment. He wouldn’t do so again.

As he turned away from Brianne, he tried to shut off everything that kiss had stirred up inside him. But as he left her staring into the fire, took his jacket from the closet and went out into the swirling snow, he felt as if a locked door had been opened.

And he might never be able to lock it again.

The mattress was lumpy, but that wasn’t the reason Brianne couldn’t sleep in the simple pine bed. Her nose and hands and feet were cold. To distract herself, she thought back to the memory of Jed’s kiss. Why had she let it happen? Why hadn’t she backed away? He’d given her time. But she’d been overcome by curiosity, by a sense of adventure she’d never experienced before.

The howl of the wind sounded through the window, and she shivered.

There was a knock on the door to her room, then it opened. “Brianne?”

She recognized Jed’s voice immediately. “I’m awake.”

When he came into the room dressed in a white T-shirt with gray sweatpants, he was carrying a flashlight. “Now our power is out, too. The temperature in the house has dropped. Do you want to come down and sleep on the sofa by the fire?”

“What about your dad?”

“He’s sound asleep and snoring. I laid a down-filled quilt over him and that should do the trick. But we only have one of those.”

“What time is it?” she asked, unable to see her watch.

“It’s three. If you get warm, you could still catch a couple of hours of sleep before you have to get up.”

“All right.” Suddenly she realized the predicament she was in. “Can you turn around while I dress?” She’d crawled under the covers in her slip. Her sweater and skirt lay over the chair.

His gaze went to the clothes and then back to her. “I’d go on down, but you’re going to need the flashlight. Just tell me when you’re finished.” Then he turned and faced the door.

Brushing her tousled curls off her forehead, Brianne realized her hair was an absolute mess. But without her comb, brush and curling iron she really couldn’t do anything about that. Quickly, she got out of bed, slipped on her skirt and sweater. “Ready,” she told him, not feeling ready at all.

With a glance over his shoulder, he beamed the flashlight out in the hall. “I have an oil lamp lit downstairs, but I don’t want you to fall, so take your time. The steps are narrow.”

Jed waited for her at the top of the stairs and descended slowly. She almost bumped into him when he stopped at the bottom. As he turned, his face was very close to hers. “Do you need anything before we get settled?”

I need to be held in your arms, she thought illogically, then dismissed the irrational longing. Jed was her boss! And hadn’t she learned that getting close to anyone eventually hurt?

“No. I’m fine,” she managed to answer. She could see the muscles under his T-shirt. Black hair curled in the vee. Awareness zipped between them, and she swallowed hard.

He cleared his throat and motioned toward the living room. “You take the sofa. I’ll sleep in the recliner.”

A blanket had been tossed on the sofa, along with a pillow. But she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Jed as he sank into the recliner and raised the leg rest, stretching out his long limbs on top of it.

Wind blew against the house, causing the flames in the fireplace to crackle and leap. When Jed glanced at her, she made a point of pulling the blanket up and averting her gaze. The shadowed intimacy of the room made them more aware of each other instead of less. Brianne doubted if she was going to get any sleep, but at least she’d be warm.

“Would you rather work for Dr. Olsen?” Jed’s deep voice carried an edge of tension.

“Because of what happened?”

The mantel clock ticked.

“Yes. I never should have kissed you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I can talk to Olsen about it—”

“No. I don’t want to work for another doctor. I like working with you,” she insisted quickly, in spite of her own misgivings. She liked the way Jed handled patients, and she was learning a lot from him.

The clock ticked loudly, marking off a few more seconds.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m very sure.” Her fingers played with the satin edge of the blanket and then she said, “Jed?”

“Yes?”

“Why did you leave a specialty practice to become a general practitioner?” It was the most tactful way she knew to pose the question. She wanted to know why he’d gone to Alaska…and why he’d come back here. She guessed something had driven him, and she needed to know what it was.

“My reasons don’t matter anymore. They’re in the past. I’m happy with what I’m doing now.”

It was a polite way of telling her to mind her own business. And she would…for tonight.

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