Dorie Graham - The Morning After

“It’s done. She wants to set the closing in a month’s time. So be it.”

“Not even a counteroffer? You should have asked for more.”

He shrugged. “I’ll pay closing. Let the witch have the place.”

“Witch?”

An image of Nikki McClellan floated in Dylan’s mind. “She must be one. That or…something.”

“By ‘witch’ do you mean ‘bitch’?”

“No, not that.”

Steven sat forward. “I get it. So your buyer’s a babe?”

Guilt still plagued Dylan, but the liquor had loosened his resolve. “When we were in the gardens, all I could think about was getting her into the hammock.”

“Excellent.” Steven nodded in approval. “This is definitely progress.”

“I feel like I’m being…unfaithful.”

“No! You’re not. Kathy would want you to be happy. This is a good thing. You should act on those impulses. God, it’s about time. Ask this witch out.”

“I don’t know what it is about her….”

“I think she’s just what the doctor ordered.”

“I’m not ready for a relationship.”

“Make it a no-strings affair.”

Dylan stared at his empty glass. “I can’t believe a woman like her would go for that.”

“It’s a new millennium. Women like their independence. You won’t know unless you ask. This is huge. Do you realize you’ve been like a dead man walking around here? You’ve been working way too hard. When was the last time you even thought about a woman? I’d about given up on you. I can’t wait to tell Rebecca. She’s been living for this day.”

“Whoa. I said that I find this woman attractive, but I didn’t say I was going to do anything about it. This is a big step.”

“But you’re giving it serious consideration. I can tell. You’ve got that spark back in your eye.”

Slowly Dylan nodded. Maybe Steven was right. Anything was better than the agonizing tedium his life had become. “We’ll see.”

“THERE HE IS, ALL FIXED UP.” Nikki handed the kitten to its young owner. “Told you we’d make him feel better.”

“He’s a big boy. He didn’t even cry. Just like me. I didn’t cry when I got my shots to go to kindergarten, right Mommy?” The six-year-old owner of the kitten beamed at her mother.

“That’s right, sweetie.”

“Well, Oliver’s all set.” Nikki scratched the cat behind his ear. A wave of calm flowed from the little guy as he gave a contented purr. “You ready to take him home?”

The child radiated with excitement. “Can we find him a special treat?”

“You got it, sweetie. Thank you, Dr. McClellan.”

Nikki bade mother, child and kitten goodbye as she walked them out of the examination room into the waiting area. Several people sat in the chairs against one wall while Janet, her receptionist, talked quietly on the phone.

Nikki paused, absently nodding at something Oliver’s owner said. A tall blond man stood with his back to them, bent over the sign-in sheet at the reception counter. Her pulse quickened. A familiar melancholy drifted to her, but it seemed different today than when last she’d experienced it—tamer somehow.

The man straightened, turning toward her, and she smiled, unexpected delight filling her. “Dylan, I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”

He nodded toward her groomer, Sarah Hendricks, who stood behind the counter, her gaze fixed admiringly on him. Sebastian made a feeble protest from her arms. “I decided to follow your advice and bring him in for grooming and nail clipping.”

“Oh.”

The man was a mystery. Had she imagined that heated look in his garden? He certainly hadn’t acted on it. In fact, when he’d come upstairs during her tour of his house, she’d gotten the distinct feeling he’d been angry with her. Thank God he’d accepted her offer on the house.

“He seems happy enough here.” He nodded toward Sebastian.

“He’s in the right hands. Sarah will take good care of him.”

Talking soothingly to the cat, the young woman finally tore her gaze away to head toward the grooming area. Nikki drank in the sight of Dylan. He wore a charcoal suit with a blue shirt that brightened the color of his eyes. His shoulders appeared broader, and he seemed to take up more space in her waiting area than he had in the expanse of his house.

His pleasure at seeing her swept over her, stealing her breath and warming her cheeks. She had never experienced this kind of intensity from anyone before. It was a desire so pure, her throat tightened with the beauty of it. It called to something deep within her, and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch his arm. Even through his clothes she felt the connection.

“Thanks for bringing him in,” she managed at last before dropping her hand.

“It was the least I could do.” He traced his finger along her collarbone, sending a ripple of pleasure up her spine. “How’s the scratch?”

“Healing. I’ve had worse, rest assured.”

He nodded slowly. “This is a nice place you have here. Did I understand correctly that you own it?”

“That’s right. I had a little help from my great-aunt Emma. She died last year and left an inheritance to my sisters and me. I could never have established my own clinic so quickly without her.”

“It seems to be prospering.”

“I’m doing okay.”

“Okay enough to buy a house.”

“Yes.” She experienced again that giddy feeling that had hit her when she’d heard he’d accepted her offer. “I’m really excited about that. It’s my first.”

The muscles in his jaw bunched, then relaxed. “Seems we both have something to celebrate.”

She nodded.

He hesitated a moment, then said, “Perhaps we could toast our good fortune over dinner sometime?”

“Dinner?”

He was asking her out. The hungry glint in his eyes as they had stood in the garden flashed through her mind. So he had been interested. What would it be like to spend an evening with him? “I suppose that would be nice.”

“Great. I…” A short laugh escaped him. “I have to check my schedule. I have to be in court quite a bit this week. In fact, I need to run now. My assistant will pick up Sebastian later, but could I call you?”

“I look forward to it.”

“Wonderful.” A smile lit his face.

“Nikki?” Janet walked over and handed her a clipboard. “Boxer and Mrs. Sneldon are ready for you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right there.” She turned to Dylan. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Right. Me, too. So…I guess your number is on the contract?”

She laughed and it came out higher pitched than she’d intended. “That’s right.”

“We’ll talk soon then.”

She nodded, and he favored her with another smile before turning to leave. She headed back to the examination room with a sigh. She needed to focus on her work before she succumbed to the worst case of infatuation in the history of womankind. Somehow she had to find a way to shield herself from this man.

“THE MELONS ARE FRESH TODAY. Would you like a squeeze?” The young man’s eyes gleamed the following Sunday as he offered the fruit to Nikki.

His gaze dropped to her breasts. She shivered and pulled close the blouse she’d worn over her sundress. She’d seen that expression too often. She smiled politely and moved on, knowing she’d have to circle back for her bananas. Her best strategy was to put distance between her and this Casanova.

Sighing, she turned her cart down the juice aisle. Attracting men had never been a problem. If only she could figure out how to keep one.

As they had for most of the past week, thoughts of Dylan Cain swirled through her mind. She’d missed his call earlier. They’d been playing phone tag since his visit to the clinic, so she’d left her cell phone number on his voice mail when she’d last called him back. She placed a bottle of juice in her basket. Like the house, something about that man called to her.