The Doctor's Valentine Dare. Cindy Kirk

startled. She was dressed more casually than Poppy. Blue jeans hugged her long legs while a thin sweater in hot pink clung to her enticing curves.

      She lifted a brow. “Are you stalking me, Dr. Anson?”

      Affronted by the ridiculous accusation, he stiffened. “Most certainly not.”

      If her widening smile was any indication, his haughty tone amused her.

      She rested a hand on his shirtsleeve and gazed up at him with those clear blue eyes. He felt the sizzle of her touch all the way through the broadcloth.

      “In case you haven’t figured it out, I was teasing.” Humor underscored her matter-of-fact tone. “I didn’t expect to see you here, that’s all.”

      Noah gestured with his head toward the roar of male voices disputing a referee call. “Ben invited me over to watch the game.”

      “The college championship? A game that was already played?”

      He smiled, sharing the sentiment imbued in her dry tone. “He assured me the food would be top-notch.”

      “He’s right about that.” Josie rocked back on her heels, no longer seeming in such a hurry.

      For the first time he noticed what she wore on her feet. “Are those pink cowboy boots?”

      She grinned, lifted a leg and held it out for his inspection. “Don’t you love them? Sylvie and I went shopping yesterday. She helped me pick them out.”

      “Sylvie?”

      “The Mad Batter.”

      For a second Noah wondered if she was speaking some strange foreign language. That thought was far superior to the fear that he’d stepped through some rabbit hole and had lost his ability to process information. “Pardon?”

      “The woman who did the cake for Travis and MK’s New Year’s Eve party,” she reminded him.

      Noah finally recalled the quirky brunette with the violet eyes. “The cake was strange-looking, but I admit I never tasted better. Is she here tonight?”

      Josie shook her head. “She’s not, but she made another cake for tonight. It’s super cute.”

      When Ben had said the food would be top-notch, Noah had assumed a meal would be served. Now he wasn’t so certain. “Is that what we’re having...cake?”

      “Well, I could have it for the main course and enjoy every bite, but—” she continued at his pained look “—there are others who insist on something more nutritious.”

      Noah raised his brows.

      “Lexi Delacourt is in charge of the entrée. She’s a gourmet cook. Veal piccata is on the menu tonight.”

      Noah was acquainted with the social worker and her husband. Although Nick Delacourt’s specialty was family law, he’d helped Noah’s grandmother with several contracts related to her business interests. Noah had been impressed by the man’s savvy and attention to detail.

      “Do you like veal?”

      The question seemed to come from far away. He couldn’t take his eyes off Josie. Pretty in pink and sexy as hell in those tight-fitting jeans.

      Noah stepped closer, placing a hand on the wall on either side of her, crowding her. She smelled sweet, like lilies. The barest trace of pink gloss shimmered on her full lips.

      She made no move to get away, simply stared up at him with those clear green eyes.

      He wanted to taste her, to see if that mouth really was as sweet as he remembered. He lowered his head, relieved when she made no move to turn away.

      “Josie,” Poppy called out. “Was everything okay with Jack?”

      “He was fine.” Josie slipped out from under Noah’s arms just as Poppy strode around the corner.

      John William, known as Jack to friends and family, was Ben and Poppy’s very active two-year-old.

      Poppy’s speculative gaze took in the scene. She smiled at Noah. “Did you get lost?”

      “I ran into Josie,” Noah explained with an easy smile. “She was telling me what’s on the menu for this evening.”

      “It’s always incredible when Lexi does the entrée.” Poppy placed a hand on her stomach. “I only wish I could enjoy food the way I used to.”

      “You will again.” Noah spoke in the reassuring tone he used with his patients, then excused himself and continued to the back of the house.

      “You didn’t tell me he was coming.” Josie kept her tone low, even when she was certain Noah was out of earshot.

      Dear God, she’d almost kissed him again. What was it about the man? Whenever he was near, her good sense seemed to go on hiatus.

      If Poppy noticed the hint of accusation in Josie’s tone, she gave no indication. She merely lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. “We’ve invited him over on many occasions. This is the first time he actually showed up.”

      “My lucky night.”

      “Is having him here an issue?” Poppy’s expression took on a look of concern. “If it is, I can talk with Ben and—”

      “No.” Because Josie had spoken more sharply than she’d intended, she softened the word with a smile. “It’s just, for some crazy reason, when Noah is around the part of my brain that’s capable of rational thought goes haywire.”

      They quickly reached the edge of the kitchen, where the other women were congregated. When Josie started to step inside, Poppy took her arm. “Do you like him? I heard you kissed him at the party Saturday night.”

      Josie hesitated. She settled for waving a dismissive hand in the air, and forcing a casual tone. “We shared a kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Noah is a nice enough guy, but not my type.”

      Poppy cocked her head. “Exactly what kind of man is your type?”

      For a second her mind went completely blank. She could hardly diss Noah without also dissing her brother Ben. Josie thought of the men who’d been at the party the other night. No one stood out. Surely there had to be someone she could use to defuse Poppy’s scrutinizing gaze.

      “Liam Gallagher,” she blurted out.

      While the child psychologist hadn’t made her heart beat the slightest bit faster when they’d danced, he appeared to possess many of the characteristics she admired.

      “Liam.” Poppy’s perfectly painted red lips curved upward. “Good to know.”

      The gleam in her sister-in-law’s eyes had Josie wondering exactly what she was planning.

      Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was she’d gotten Poppy off the ridiculous notion that there was something between her and Dr. Noah Anson.

Chapter Four

      It didn’t take any time at all for Josie to realize she should have kept her mouth shut. About everything.

      The evening’s downhill slide began when the men piled into the kitchen to fill their plates with food from the sumptuous buffet.

      Josie had been chatting with Mary Karen, a perky blonde who barely looked old enough to drink much less be the mother of five, when Noah strode into the room.

      For a second she wondered if he planned to stay true to form and seek her out, but as he walked past with her brother, she realized they were deep in discussion about some new surgical technique.

      Their total focus on the topic reminded Josie of the types of discussion that had occurred most nights around her parents’ dining room table. Her three older brothers, all aspiring doctors, and her