Leslie LaFoy - The MD's Mistress / The Money Man's Seduction - The MD's Mistress

No! Becca kept her lips tightly closed to contain the word of denial from bursting out of her mouth. “Yes,” she agreed, not too graciously. “We do.”

Seth smiled.

Had Becca been closer to him she might have smacked that victorious smile from his face. Wanting only to put some distance between them before she did something rash like face-smacking, she said, “Why don’t you get your bags so Sue can be on her way?”

He nodded, smile still in place. “Right.” Moving smartly, he headed for the door.

Becca heaved a soft sigh of relief. Still, Sue heard it. “You’re still tired. Why don’t you lie down for a bit? The sandwiches and salad will keep.”

“I’m fine, honestly.” This time Becca’s smile was genuine. “I promise if I start to feel any worse, I’ll rest.”

Sue smiled back. “Okay, and it might help if you’d eat a little something.”

“That sounds good to me,” Seth chimed in, strolling into the kitchen, suitcase in hand. “I haven’t eaten since early this morning.”

Hanging on to her fraying composure, Becca rose from the table, carrying the still full coffee cup. “Okay, you get settled in and I’ll serve lunch.”

“Good,” Sue said, heading for the archway into the dining room. “Follow me, Seth. I’m sure Mr. Moneybags won’t mind how long you stay.”

Oh, hell…hell…hell! Becca railed to herself. Just stay as long as you like, Seth. Have yourself a great time driving Becca to distraction .

Fuming, she dumped the now cold, bitter coffee into the sink and fixed a fresh pot. While the coffee brewed, she set about slapping place mats and napkins on the table, followed by plates for the sandwiches and small wooden bowls for the salads. She was setting the large bowl of mixed vegetable salad onto the table when Sue hurried back into the room.

“Seth will be down in a minute,” she said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. “I’ll be leaving now…okay?”

“Yes, of course—go, Sue.” Becca made a shooing motion with her hand, managing a smile for her. “I’ll be fine. Dr. Carter is waiting.”

“Right.” Excitement glimmered in Sue’s eyes. “Uh…I don’t know when I’ll be…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seth drawled, sauntering into the room. “I assure you, I’ll take good care of her.”

Sue grinned, and rushed out of the house.

Becca was simmering. Who in the world assigned Seth Andrews, boy-wonder surgeon, to take care of her? She was fully capable of taking care of herself, thank you.

Carefully setting the sandwiches on the plates, she tried to calm her rising ire, afraid if she didn’t she might explode all over the place, or him.

“Do you want a glass of water?” Becca avoided looking at him by turning to go to the cabinet where the glasses were kept.

“Yes, please.” There was a trace of hidden laughter in his tone.

“Why are you here anyway?”

“Why else—to check on you.”

The simmer was quickly turning into flaring temper. “Have a seat,” she said with false calm. Back in Philadelphia, she thought, rather nastily.

Lunch was hardly a pleasant chatty occasion. In fact it was eaten in absolute silence.

Out of pure contrariness, not thirst, Becca drank two cups of the fresh coffee, while simply nibbling at both her salad and sandwich.

Naturally, Seth serenely ignored her while eating every bit of his lunch…not to mention the half of sandwich she left on her plate.

To Becca’s further annoyance, he monitored every swallow of coffee she took.

“You know,” he said, too casually, “instead of gulping caffeine, you should be resting.”

Skirting the edge of serious anger, Becca glanced at him balefully. “Is that a professional or merely personal opinion, Dr. Andrews?”

He appeared unfazed by both her expression and sour tone of voice. “Both.”

“Well, you can take both opinions and jam—”

“Careful now, Rebecca,” he cautioned. “Let’s not get down and dirty here.”

Throwing her hands into the air, rather than her fist at his head, Becca shoved back her chair, stood and began clearing the table. “I don’t want to listen to you issuing orders or suggestions.” Carrying the dishes, she stopped halfway between the table and the sink to turn and face him. “You are not my boss here.”

“I am not trying to boss you around.” Seth shoved his chair back and circled the table to stand over her. Anger was beginning to color his voice. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”

“No.” She gave a sharp shake of her head. “All I see is a man trying to tell me what to do and when to do it. Well, I’m tired of it.” Becca drew a quick breath, and ranted on, “I have been telling you I am fine. Why can’t you let it go at that?”

“Because you obviously aren’t fine ,” he snapped back at her. “If you were fine you wouldn’t have damn near collapsed in John’s office.”

Although Becca was well aware that everything he was saying was true, she couldn’t admit it.

“Why don’t you just go get your bag and go back to Philadelphia, and leave me alone?” She spun to go to the sink and deposit the dishes. “You’re not my keeper, you’re a surgeon. Go back and save someone’s life, for heaven’s sake!” She turned again, away from him. Gently but firmly grasping her by the upper arm, he stopped her in her tracks.

“The way you’ve been pushing yourself, you need a keeper.” His voice had a ragged edge. Turning to face her, he clasped her other arm. “It might as well be me.”

“I don’t think so,” Becca retorted, a shiver rippling through her when he raised his hand to cradle her face. “You’re the last person…”

“Oh, Becca, shut up.” With that, he very effectively shut her up himself, by covering her mouth with his.

Six

At first his kiss was really not a kiss at all, simply his cool lips on hers. Becca went stiff, ice invading her spine, freezing her to the spot with outrage.

Damned if he wasn’t doing it to her again, kissing her to keep her quiet. Oh, Becca, shut up . Only this time he didn’t press his mouth to hers almost as if he wanted to devour her.

And then, all hell broke loose inside her mind, her emotions, her entire body.

Seth’s lips grew warm, his mouth taking command of hers as though it was his right, as though she belonged to him, was his to do with as he pleased.

She wanted to shove him away, but at that moment he slipped his hands from her face to wrap his arms around her, drawing her hard against him.

She lifted her hands to scratch at his face, tangled her fingers in his hair to tear at it, pull it from his scalp.

Her rioting emotions, frustration, need, emptiness and a sudden flare of physical response stilled her hands, turning her fury into passion.

She did slide her fingers into his hair, but to tug his head closer. His tongue swept inside her mouth, teased her tongue, sending electrical shock waves throughout her body. The tips of her breasts tightened and tingled all the way down to her feminine core. Without thought or direction, Becca arched into him.

He made a low, almost growling sound in his throat, thrust his tongue deep inside. Tightening his arms around her, he trailed one hand to the base of her spine, crushing her to the hard readiness of his body.

She felt him…all the way from the top of her head to the tip of her now tingling toes. Somewhere, in the very back of what was left of her mind, Becca thought she should stop him.

No, no, she banished the dimming thought. She didn’t want to stop him, she wanted… Releasing her fingers from his silky hair, she curled her arms around his neck and hung on, hungrily returning the kiss as if her life depended on it.