Cindy Kirk - The Doctor's Runaway Fiancée

“I couldn’t imagine the woman I loved leaving me like that...and then sending me a text.” His laugh didn’t contain even an ounce of humor. “I didn’t even rate a Dear John letter.”

The knowledge that she’d hurt him stung. Bringing Andrew pain had never been her intention. She loved him. She wanted only the best for him.

Unfortunately, it had become apparent—to everyone but him—that she wasn’t what was best for him.

“I’m glad I came to Jackson Hole and we had this talk.”

Sylvie nodded.

“I’m also glad that we had sex.”

She cocked her head.

“It reminded me just how powerful the chemistry is between us.” His lips lifted in a slight smile for only a second. Then he was all serious again. “Undoubtedly the stellar sex made us think there was more between us than actually existed.”

Sylvie stopped a frown desperately trying to form and reminded herself this realization was what she had wanted. She wanted him to see their engagement had been a mistake. Then why did she have to fight the sudden urge to argue with him, to insist that it had been about more than sex?

“S-sounds logical,” she stammered.

“This should be simple.” He muttered a curse, pushed to his feet and began to pace.

Sylvie uncurled the leg she’d tucked beneath her and rose so she was standing. Though he was still a good five inches taller than her, being upright made her feel as if they were on equal footing. “It appears we’re ready to close the door.”

Pasting a polite smile on her face, she waited for him to agree. Then she’d give him the ring, he’d say his goodbyes and leave.

Instead he stared, his gaze searching her face.

“It might feel that way to you.” Andrew spoke slowly and deliberately, a frown still furrowing his brow. “The problem is, I find myself still wanting you.”

Her heart, she was ashamed to admit, gave an excited little leap before she slapped it down. Not knowing how to respond, Sylvie remained silent.

“I believe more drastic measures are needed.” He took a step closer, lifted her hand and brought it to his mouth.

Her heart skipped several beats then began to thud. “What k-kind of measures do you have in mind?”

“Immersion therapy.”

Sylvie gave a strangled laugh. “Isn’t that when you go to a foreign country and don’t know the language?”

“In this case, I will immerse myself in your life.” His unsmiling gaze met hers. “I obviously didn’t know you before, Sylvie. What better way to get you out of my system than to become acquainted with the real you?”

Chapter Five

Allow Andrew to immerse himself in her life? The thought terrified Sylvie. The months since she’d left Boston had been difficult ones. There had been days when she’d been sorely tempted to pull the covers over her head and simply remain in bed.

Though walking away from him had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, Sylvie believed her decision to leave had been the right one. A life with the wrong person never ended well. She only had to look to her parents’ marriage to validate that point. According to her mother, her relationship with Sylvie’s dad had turned rocky shortly after they’d married. She’d never been able to make her husband happy, because they were just too different.

Given time, Sylvie believed it would have been like that with her and Andrew. Despite the explosive chemistry between them, he’d have come to his senses one day and realized they were simply too different. Unfortunately, by that time his relationship with his own parents might have been damaged beyond repair.

We might have been happy.

It was her heart whispering the words, not her head. Her head recalled the conversation she’d overheard between him and his father. Recalled the harsh words spoken between father and son.

From the shadows Sylvie had found herself silently siding with his father. Agreeing with him that she and Andrew were an unlikely pair. Nodding silently at his pronouncements that it would be a miracle if their marriage lasted more than a year or two. Like Franklin O’Shea, Sylvie believed that if she hadn’t shown up Andrew would have fallen in love with someone of his own...well, kind.

When Andrew had insisted his father accept Sylvie or else, Sylvie realized she couldn’t—she wouldn’t—come between Andrew and his father.

Sylvie sensed Andrew’s gaze on her face, still waiting for her reaction.

He was good at waiting.

She’d discovered that early on when he’d come into the bakery for eight days straight.

He’d been patient then. She sensed he’d be patient now.

“Okay.” She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. “A couple of days—”

“As long as it takes.”

As she caught the determined glint in his eyes, she felt the need to clarify. “Not forever.”

He gave a soft chuckle. “I have to be back in Boston by October 1. No, not forever. I blocked out three weeks. I doubt it will take that long.”

Three weeks with Andrew. She considered. “What would I need to do?”

“Be yourself.”

That sounded simple enough. Three weeks. Twenty-one days of her life. Given their history, it seemed little enough to ask.

The fact that they’d hopped into bed almost immediately made her wonder if he was expecting sex to be part of the deal. “I think it is best we keep any physical intimacy to a minimum.”

His gaze never wavered, though for a second she swore his lips twitched. “If that’s the way you want it to be.”

“I think it’d be best, don’t you?”

The second the question left her lips, Sylvie wished she could smother it under a stack of pillows. Why was she asking for buy-in? This was her decision.

“If you’re asking if I think it’d be a good idea for us to spend the next three weeks in bed.” He paused and tapped a finger against his lips. “However much fun that might be, I’d say no. But I am open to considering anything up to that point.”

Sylvie’s voice deserted her. Her quickening pulse was completely illogical. The level of sexual interaction wasn’t a big issue, she told herself, because sex was a nonissue. It took two to tango and she wasn’t doing any more dancing with Andrew.

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