The Playboy Doctor Claims His Bride. Janice Lynn

corner of his mouth lifted in an ironic twist. “I did mention my profession on the night we met.”

      Had he? She’d been so upset when she’d gone into the bar, upset and unable to face the realization that her mother, her last blood relative, had died.

      Eric had been sitting on the bar stool next to the one she’d plopped down on. She hadn’t noticed him or anyone except the flashing neon beer advertisement behind the bar. Apparently he’d noticed her, though. He’d been concerned and kept talking, trying to draw her into conversation. She couldn’t recall much of what he’d said while they’d sat there.

      All she’d been able to think about was that she’d buried Betsy Carmichael that afternoon. That the woman who’d given birth to her, made her childhood a living hell, had died. That she was alone in the world now that her only family was gone.

      In reality she’d felt alone a long time before her mother had drawn her last breath.

      “You’re who the administrator has been with today, aren’t you?” Please say no. Please don’t let him be the bigwig son of the clinic’s benefactor. “You’re applying for a job here, aren’t you?”

      “Applying for a job?” Dr. Douglas burst out laughing. “As if. Eric can write his ticket at this place.”

      “That’s enough,” Dr. Eric Matthews interrupted his friend. He’d rather not have his family connection to Rivendell Medical Center pointed out to the woman he’d met two months ago. Had she known who he was? Used him in hopes of advancing her career at Rivendell?

      He hadn’t thought so but, hell, he’d been wrong about women before.

      Still, he’d really believed Kasey was different. Certainly the fact that he’d awakened to an empty bed had been a new twist. Had she known why he’d returned to Kentucky? Like so many from his past, had she seen him as a ticket to easy street?

      Her eyes held dark shadows. She’d been startled to see him. No more so than he’d been when he’d looked up to meet his best friend’s “boring, career-driven ice queen” colleague.

      Jonathan was a fool. Kasey was no ice queen. She was hot. His psyche had the scorch marks to prove it. His entire body caught fire just at being near her again, at memories of how their bodies had meshed together.

      But Kasey wasn’t happy to see him.

      He honestly wasn’t sure how he felt about seeing her. At least not at Rivendell Medical Center. Had he run into her in a social setting he’d have been thrilled, but the last thing he needed was an involvement with someone at the clinic.

      He’d come home a different man than the one who’d left four years ago. He didn’t engage in one-night stands or living for the moment. He’d changed. For the better. Or so he’d thought.

      His first night back in Rivendell, Kasey had reduced him to habits he’d sworn were deeply buried in the past.

      He wasn’t a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy anymore. Hadn’t been for years. He sure wasn’t going to be a loved-by-’em-and-left-by-’em kind of guy. Hell, no.

      Dr. Kasey Carmichael had loved him and left him.

      She didn’t look the same as she had the night they’d met. Her shoulder-length brunette hair was pulled harshly away from her face. She wore trendy black-rimmed glasses. Her light makeup was impeccably dusted over her high cheekbones and wide green eyes, but not in a way to draw men to her. More of a shield against letting anyone see the real her. She looked like a woman downplaying her femininity to appear all business, to appear cold and unreachable.

      But Eric had seen behind the mask. If she hadn’t disappeared before he’d awakened, he’d have spent more time with her, gotten to know her. Why had she snuck out before dawn? He’d never had a woman leave him with no strings attached. Even the pickups from his youth had usually hinted at wanting money or jewelry or trips to fancy restaurants.

      What did Kasey want?

      “Tell me,” she prompted. Desperation shone in her eyes, but her voice sounded coolly professional, as if she was used to hiding her emotions. “Tell me why you’re here.”

      “I met with Clive and several members of the board on the day after we met. That’s why I was in town that night.”

      She winced, causing the glasses to scoot up the bridge of her pert nose. “Because?”

      His fingers itched to slip the heavy frames off her face. The glass didn’t appear to be corrective, just distractive.

      “They offered me a position at the clinic.” An oversimplification, but the truth.

      Kasey closed her eyes, looking like she wanted to disappear. Was she really so horrified that they’d come face-to-face again?

      She visibly shuddered, then opened pain-filled eyes. “You knew who I was, didn’t you? You knew I worked here. This was all a big joke to you.”

      Fathoms of hurt welled in her eyes. He didn’t understand the depth of pain. Why would she think he’d tricked her? She’d been the one to disappear without even a goodbye or thanks for a fun night. Besides, she was the one with everything to gain from sleeping with the son of the clinic’s primary stockholder.

      “Nothing between us was a joke. Not to me,” he assured her, carefully choosing his words. “I didn’t know you worked here, Kasey. How could I? You never told me you were a doctor.”

      A couple of nurses stood just out of line of sight, trying to busy themselves but allowing curiosity to get the better of them. Eric sighed. He’d come home to take on his responsibilities, to be near his mother, not to immediately immerse the clinic in gossip about his personal life.

      “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”

      “No.” Kasey shook her head, her eyes narrowed into accusatory slits. “I don’t want to talk to you, in private or otherwise. You aren’t supposed to be here.” She enunciated each word with great emphasis. “I don’t want you here.”

      Had she audibly hissed at him, he wouldn’t have been surprised. What did surprise him was her reaction to seeing him. He was the one who should be feeling betrayed. She’d given him the best sex of his life, left without a trace, and then showed up as an employee at his family’s medical center. Why was she so upset?

      He racked his brains, trying to recall what he’d last said to her during the night. Kissing the top of her head and whispering that she was amazing didn’t seem like something that would make her so prickly. Saying how beautiful she was, how special, how glad he was that she’d sat beside him at the bar, nope, that shouldn’t have agitated her, either.

      Yes, she’d been upset about something on the night they’d met. And, yes, had he been a true gentleman he would have driven her home and gotten her phone number, not carried her to his hotel room and made love to her over and over. But, hell, he’d wanted her with an undeniable desperation and it had been a long time since he’d been with anyone. A long time since he’d wanted to be with anyone. Kissing Kasey, touching her, had felt right.

      “What happened that night?” Jonathan asked, gawking at them, his lips twitching with laughter. “Sounds like more than drinks and dancing.”

      Kasey shot Jonathan a lethal look. “Don’t you have a patient to see or something?”

      “Right. I’ll go see a patient.” Jonathan nodded with a gleam in his eye that said he’d grill Eric for the lowdown later.

      “We should talk,” Eric said, still trying to figure out why she was in attack mode. Sure, she’d left his bed without waking him, but she’d enjoyed the night, had been willing, more than willing. She’d been interesting, funny, sweet and sexy when they’d talked in the bar. Besides the phenomenal sex, he’d genuinely liked her. He’d planned to see her again, had been disappointed to wake, find her gone and realize he only knew her first name.