Trying to be inconspicuous, Libby Preston glanced over her
shoulder – and found that sexy, dark brown gaze still
following her every move. He had a way of looking that
felt like touching. Warm and gentle, but bold. Brazen, but
complimentary.
She wanted to fan herself, but that’d be giving too much
away, so instead, she pretended not to notice and
continued setting out more food on the buffet table.
They’d been at the stupid party for hours now and he’d
done little more than watch her, smiling occasionally,
giving her that sensual once over that made chills race up
her arms. He was a devil all right, and very sexy. She’d
be smart to steer clear of him.
But really, what choice did she even have? Doctors and not-
quite-nurses didn’t mix very often. Her uncle hadn’t given
her the job of playing waitress for his party so that she
could flirt. No, it was one more way to pay him back for
all she owed him, and she’d do well to remember that. And
to remember her place: a lowly nobody among esteemed
physicians.
The man eating her with his eyes probably thought her part
of the catering crew. And that suited her fine.
Whatever he thought, he kept her keenly aware of him.
Anytime she looked up, he was looking back, even while
speaking with others, even while asking for a drink or
munching on the fancy snacks.
Unlike the other docs attending the benefit, he didn’t
wear a tie. Or a jacket. He’d unbuttoned his silky, coffee
colored dress shirt at the throat, showing a sprinkling of
dark chest hair that intrigued her. He had his sleeves
rolled up, and she couldn’t help but notice the thickness
of his wrists, the size of his capable hands, and more
black hair on his forearms. The shirt tucked into black
dress slacks, emphasizing the contrast of his wide
shoulders against a flat abdomen and trim hips.
Restless fingers had rumpled his midnight black hair, and
beard shadow colored his jaw. He was unlike any other man
in the room.
He was unlike any man she’d ever seen.
More than one woman had noticed him. But strangely enough,
he paid little attention to the finely dressed female
physicians flirting with him, vying for his attention.
Instead, he leaned against the wall, at his leisure,
sipping his drink and... watching her.
Whoa. Libby pulled herself together and finished emptying
her tray of hors d’oeuvres on the linen covered table.
Giving the man her back, she retreated to the kitchen.
Her uncle stood in idle conversation with a touted
surgeon. As the Chief of Staff at their local hospital, he
knew everyone. Uncle Elwood could give her the name of the
man – but no, she wouldn’t ask. Not only would it be
unforgivable to interrupt, but questions on doctors would
only earn her a lecture.
When her mother died, Uncle Elwood had grudgingly taken
her in, but he made a point of reminding her that if his
sister hadn’t been such a frivolous partier, she’d have
been the one to raise Libby instead of foisting her off on
him. In his eyes, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
He often claimed Libby was the exact image of his sister,
in looks and temperament. Therefore, at least in his mind,
she could be no different.
Libby knew she had a lot to prove to her uncle. And she
would – then she’d leave his life with a big fat thank
you, owing him nothing, not a dime, not gratitude, nada,
zip.
With everything currently in order, Libby helped herself
to a small glass of punch. She’d just gotten the icy drink
to her lips when Uncle Elwood harrumphed behind her.
Wincing, Libby turned, raising one eyebrow in inquiry.
“The sun has long set and you haven’t yet lit the torches
along the garden path.”
“Oh.” Libby glanced out the enormous window behind the
kitchen sink. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” She upended
her glass and guzzled down the spiked punch in one long
gulp, then covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her
delicate burp.
Much aggrieved, her uncle sighed. “Please try to behave
yourself, Libby. These are my esteemed colleagues. As
Chief of Staff at the hospital, they expect much decorum
from me. You mustn’t–”
Well used to the lectures, Libby cut him off by patting
the front of his rich suit jacket. “I won’t shame you,
Uncle Elwood, have no fear.” She set her glass in the sink
and dug in the drawer for matches. “What do I do after I
light the torches?”
As if hoping to think of something more, he glanced
around, but as Libby already knew, organization ruled. “I
suppose you could circulate, make sure everyone has a
fresh drink, that the buffet table stays full, things of
that nature.”
Sounded to Libby like she’d be twiddling her thumbs a lot.
She winked at Elwood. “Sure thing.” Waving the box of
matches in the air, she headed out of the kitchen. “I’ll
go take care of the gardens right now.”
At mid-April, the evenings remained too cool for most
people to venture out, but she wouldn’t mind the breath of
fresh air. The stuffy nabobs her uncle deemed friends were
enough to curdle her blood. She’d been hustling for hours
and had worked up a dewy sweat. With any luck, she could
linger outdoors and catch a breather, with no one the
wiser.
The second she reentered the room, Mr. Sexy Brown Eyes
tracked her, following as she crossed the room to the
double sliding doors. Libby did her utmost to stay
impervious. Since her mother’s death right before her
fifteenth birthday, there’d been no time in her life for
guys. Until she became a full fledged nurse and gained
financial and emotional independence from her uncle,
nothing would change.
She could wish it different, but for tonight at least,
Brown Eyes would just have to entertain himself.
* * *
With an indulgent smile, Axel Dean watched the young lady
exit the room of suffocating, overbearing people. Damn,
she was sweet on the eyes. Tall, nearly as tall as him,
with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes and an air of
negligence that dared him, calling on his baser instincts,
stripping away the façade of civility he tried to don in
polite company.
Her straight hair skimmed her shoulders, darker than his
own, blue black without a single hint of red. It was so
silky it looked fluid, moving when she moved, shimmering
with highlights from the glow of candles. The white
catering shirt and black slacks didn’t do much for her
figure, which he guessed to be slim and toned. She didn’t
have the lush curves he usually favored, but what she
lacked in body she made up for in attitude.
And attitude, as he well knew, made a huge difference in
bed.
As a waiter passed, Axel plunked his empty glass down onto
the tray and headed for the sliding doors. He hated
uptight, formal affairs, but being a doctor often
obligated him to attend. That didn’t mean he had to
linger. That didn’t mean he had to mingle.
Especially when more enlivening entertainment waited
outside.
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