Connie Cox - When the Cameras Stop Rolling...

Now Mark narrowed his gaze at her. “I don’t need a pity date.”

“That’s good, since I don’t do pity dates. I only do pepperoni, extra onions.”

“Extra onions? You don’t do goodnight kisses, either, then, do you?”

“Never on a first date to a pizza parlor.”

“Is it the venue? You need a more upscale wine-and-dinery?”

“Nope. It’s the first date thing. Why waste a good kiss if I’m not sure about a second date yet?”

“Right. Because kisses are in limited supply.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Mine are rare, which makes them extremely valuable.”

“Then I’ll treasure it properly should I ever decide to accept one.”

“ Should you decide?” She gave him her best smoldering look, along with a very deliberate lip-lick. “I could make you beg.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

His answer was flippant, but the widening of his pupils told another story. Eva would bet anything his pulse was racing.

At least she wasn’t lusting alone. She found herself leaning forward, as if she were being sucked toward him.

Dear Reader,

Have you ever met a man who makes your heart race, your nerves tingle and your world a more exciting place to wake up to?

From the moment Dr Eva Veracruz saw Dr Mark O’Donnell swagger across her talk show studio and flash his smile at her cameras, she knew he would be trouble. And she’d had enough trouble in her life to know better than to go looking for more.

But her only choice was to smile for the camera. After all, the show must go on.

Experience had taught Mark O’Donnell that smart and sexy meant trouble. Instincts told him Eva Veracruz was trouble with a capital T. But instincts were overruled by the way Eva’s deep dark eyes sparkled under the bright lights.

The chemistry they share in front of an audience doesn’t stop when the lights go down. In fact, that chemistry turns to an offscreen passion that Eva and Mark keep from acting upon.

But real life isn’t scripted with witty sound bites and perfect people who solve their dilemmas between commercial breaks.

When their life stories have more conflict than the most dramatic of stage plays, can their made-for-TV romance survive?

What really happens when the cameras stop rolling?

Connie Cox

Connie would love to hear from you. Visit her website at www.ConnieCox.com

CONNIE COXhas loved Harlequin Mills & Boon® romances since she was a young teen. To be a Harlequin Mills & Boon® author now is a fantasy come to life. By training, Connie is an electrical engineer. Through her first job, working on nuclear scanners and other medical equipment, she had a unique perspective on the medical world. She is fascinated by the inner strength of medical professionals, who must balance emotional compassion with stoic logic, and is honoured to showcase the passion of these dedicated professionals through her own passion of writing. Married to the boy-next-door, Connie is the proud mother of one terrific daughter and son-in-law and one precocious dachshund.

Recent titles by Connie Cox:

HIS HIDDEN AMERICAN BEAUTY

THE BABY WHO SAVED DR CYNICAL

RETURN OF THE REBEL SURGEON

Available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DR. EVA VERACRUZ glanced at the clock for the fifth time in as many seconds.

The buzz from the live studio audience for Ask the Doc was upbeat. A good sign.

The guest speaker was not yet in the studio. A bad sign. A very bad sign.

“Where is he, Phil? Where’s this supermodel doctor you found who’s supposed to catapult our ratings past our competitor?”

Her producer, Phil, shrugged. “He’ll be here.”

“Our viewers trust us to give them good medical information and I respect that trust. I thought you did, too. I’d much rather have an accomplished speaker who knows our topic, regardless of looks.”

“If we don’t get our ratings up during sweeps week, our viewers won’t get any information, good, bad or otherwise.”

Ask the Doc might only be a local television show, but local in the New Orleans area translated to quite a large viewing audience.

Eva had heard rumors of syndication, rumors she wholeheartedly supported. Bigger and better, right?

That had been before their competitor station had decided to run a reality show against their time slot. Eating bugs and getting knocked into the water by giant blow-up fists was trumping good, solid medical advice.

Their sponsors were not happy. How could they sell their balm to cure the diaper rash of their viewers’ babies if no one was watching their commercials?

If they couldn’t beat the national reality show they would never get a chance to become syndicated as they would be off the air instead.

Phil lifted an eyebrow. “I know my job. I checked his background. Dr. O’Donnell is a respected E.R. doctor who has become renowned for recognizing heart attacks in women.”

“But can he talk on television?”

“Getting him to talk is your job.”

Since she hadn’t gotten to meet him yet, she had no idea what kind of speaking talent this Dr. O’Donnell had. But she was good at her job.

Phil looked at the clock. It was time. “Stall and watch the wings.”

“Got it.” The intro music played as she walked onto the set, thinking fast and revising her opening speech in her head. She would normally tell her audience about her guest, but if he didn’t show …

Eva waved to the crowd, catching a glimpse of herself in the monitors. Her jet-black curls were going wild down her back and around her face as the humidity of the New Orleans morning crept into the television studio.

The make-up artist had gone big and bold with the red lipstick to complement her scarlet dress—as if her big mouth needed any more help. Even without cosmetics her lips already looked like they had been overfilled with collagen, even though she’d never touched the stuff.

She did have to admit that her olive complexion looked a lot warmer with the hint of red showing from beneath her white lab coat.

“Hello, New Orleans. Welcome to Ask the Doc . I’m your host, Dr. Eva Veracruz. We have a very important show today for all you hard-working women out there. We’ll be talking about heart attacks and the signs and symptoms we all need to be aware of.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Phil give her the thumbs-up as he pointed to a shadowy figure in the wings.

Eva revised her opening remarks on the fly. “And we have a guest who has first-hand knowledge of our topic today. Let’s give a big hand to Dr. Mark O’Donnell from the Crescent Street Emergency Care Clinic.”

The crowd’s polite applause audibly increased as Dr. O’Donnell came into view. Phil, the show’s producer, had accomplished his goal. The man could have been an underwear model.

At least six feet four to her five feet eleven plus four-inch heels, he was taller than her. His eyes were a vivid Aegean green that could only come from tinted contacts. His haircut looked vaguely rebellious, like it had been close cropped once upon a time and now needed a touch-up. It was a cross between brown and a very dark russet.