One Night with the Doctor. Cindy Kirk

large expanse of winter white flowed like a blanket to the street. Perfectly landscaped trees and bushes pushed through pristine snow. As stunning as it was now, Poppy could only imagine how beautiful the yard would be in a few months when the trees were green and flowers and bushes in full bloom.

      One of the garage doors slid smoothly up and Ben eased his car into the opening. Almost immediately, a second rose.

      Poppy hesitated only an instant before pulling inside. She supposed it made sense to have her vehicle under wraps. No sense advertising to the neighbors he was “entertaining.” The door slid silently down as Poppy stepped from her car to the sound of staccato barks coming from inside the house.

      Ben glanced over the top of her car, a question in his eyes. “I should have asked before now if you’re allergic to dogs.”

      When she shook her head, relief crossed his face.

      “Angela was leaving at five so he’s been alone for several hours.” As the barking continued, Ben glanced in the direction of the door. “Don’t let that racket worry you. Groucho loves people.”

      Poppy heard fondness in his tone. She assumed Groucho was the dog. But the woman’s identity—and her relationship to Ben—remained a mystery. “Who’s Angela?”

      “My housekeeper.” He waited while Poppy rounded the front of her car. “She cooks, cleans and takes care of Groucho.”

      Does she also take care of you? Poppy wondered, then immediately reminded herself that information was none of her business. Still, she was curious.

      “How long has she worked for you?” Her voice came out casual and offhand, just as she intended.

      “Five years.” They crossed a spotless garage floor to the door leading inside the house, his hand resting lightly against her back. “Her days and hours vary, depending on my schedule. I appreciate the fact she’s flexible.”

      He keyed in a few numbers to unlock a security system then pushed open a door, stepping aside to let Poppy enter.

      “Groucho, sit,” Ben called from behind her, and the small silver-and-black schnauzer dropped midleap to sit at her feet.

      The dog’s entire body wiggled as if filled with a bag of jumping beans. His beautiful dark eyes shifted from Benedict to Poppy. A whine hummed from the back of his throat.

      Benedict squatted down and picked up the dog, giving him an affectionate hug, scrubbing his hand across the top of the furry head. “How’s my boy?”

      Groucho responded by licking his neck, bringing a laugh to Benedict’s lips. “Yeah, I’m happy to see you, too.”

      He turned the animal in his arms, tucking him securely against his body. “Poppy, this is Groucho. He’s only two, so he still has lots of puppy in him.”

      Poppy tentatively stroked the dog’s fur and received her own appreciative lick on the hand. “He’s a handsome boy.”

      “I think so.” Grabbing a leash from a rack, Benedict clipped it to the dog’s red collar and placed him on the floor. He shot Poppy an apologetic look. “I should take him outside for a few minutes.”

      “I’ll come with you.” While she stood on the sidewalk alongside the garage, Ben let Groucho check out various trees and bushes. “It surprises me you have a dog.”

      He looked mildly amused. “Why is that?”

      “For starters, you’re a busy man.”

      “There’s more to life than practicing medicine.” Ben gestured toward the animal inspecting a small bush shaped like a globe. “He was found abandoned out on Route 22, near Brown’s curve, when he was six months old. His leg and a couple ribs were fractured.”

      Poppy’s breath caught. She brought a hand to her chest. “He’d been hit by a car?”

      “He’d been hit.” Benedict’s lips thinned. “But not by a vehicle.”

      “Someone hurt then dumped him?” Anger warred with the shock in her voice.

      “That’s how it appeared.” For a second Ben’s eyes flashed then he lifted a shoulder. “Anyway, a friend at the animal shelter told me about him. He needed a home. I had one.”

      The dog appeared content and happy as he wandered from bush to bush. It was difficult to imagine he’d had such a rough beginning. As if aware of her sympathy, Groucho looked over his shoulder at her and wagged his tail.

      “I bet he misses you during the day.”

      “Sometimes.” Ben chuckled. “Other times I don’t think he notices...or cares. Especially on the days Angela brings her granddaughter with her. He’s crazy about kids.”

      Poppy wasn’t sure what surprised her most. That the woman she’d envisioned as a dark-haired temptress was a grandmother or that the doctor could be so accommodating. “You don’t mind her bringing a child with her while she’s working?”

      “Why should I?” Puzzlement filled his gray eyes. “Liliana is well-behaved. And, as I said, Angela is flexible so I try to be, too.”

      Though Ben acted as if the concession was no big deal, Poppy knew it would have been a different story at her New York penthouse. Her ex obviously hadn’t minded stealing their housekeeper away from her duties for sex, but he’d have been horrified if she’d ever had the temerity to ask to bring her child with her to work.

      “Looks like he’s ready to head inside,” Ben announced.

      Instead of reentering the home through the garage, Ben steered her toward the front door. While he put away the leash and wiped Groucho’s feet in the entryway, Poppy’s curiosity propelled her farther into the house.

      With its amber-colored walls, massive stone fireplace and intricately woven rugs on shiny hardwood, the large room with the soaring ceilings had a surprisingly cozy feel.

      Feet now clean and dry, the dog padded across the room to hop onto a leather sofa. After rearranging a navy blanket into a makeshift nest, he settled down to gnaw contently on a small green bone.

      Ben hung up their coats before he returned to her side. “Can I interest you in a tour?”

      The gleam shimmering in his eyes told her exactly what room he’d like to show her.

      Poppy shivered.

      “Cold?” He captured her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “Let’s see if I can warm you up.”

      With brilliant gray eyes focused on hers, he kissed each finger lightly then pressed a kiss into her palm.

      A sizzle of electricity shot up her arm. Heat flooded her body.

      Ah, yes. This was the reason she was here—with him—this evening.

      “I’d love to see your—” she paused and offered him what she hoped was an enigmatic smile “—the rest of your lovely home.”

      Ben took her hand. “Come with me.”

      With his fingers laced loosely through hers, he took her through a state-of-the-art kitchen with commercial grade appliances and enough cabinet space to make her drool. She was still thinking that those cupboards could hold anything an aspiring gourmet cook could ever want when Ben ushered her down the hall to show her several bedrooms, bathrooms and his home office. Then they headed up the curving stairs to the second level.

      The suite that encompassed most of the upper floor was clearly designed for comfort. Especially if one equated comfort with space. There was a bed the size of Wyoming and a sitting area large enough to hold a couple of neighboring states, as well.

      Conscious of Benedict’s perusal, Poppy strolled past a desk with triple screen monitors to peer into a closet with enough clothes and shoes to fill a small department store. But in her mind, next to the magnificent bed, the pièce de résistance was the bathroom.