Doctor's Delight (15 page)

“One bacon and
chicken, and one supreme spice,” Rick drawled, adding with a wicked
glance at Cherry, “Extra spice. I enjoy some extra spice.”

“Extra spice,”
the waitress repeated. “Honey, you’ll go on fire with the spice on
this food.”

“You have no
idea,” Rick replied. “I’m looking forward to it.” His eyes raked
over Cherry boldly, but his smile was all pleasantness at the
waitress.

Cherry didn’t
think she was going to last the dinner time if he kept teasing her
like this. Or maybe it wasn’t teasing. Maybe he did like tasting.
Her pulse picked up pace and she drew a shaky breath. Was he
into…oral sex? There, she’d thought it. Glancing at Rick to find
him calmly giving a drinks order to the waitress, she studied his
mouth.

Oral sex. That
mouth on her. Oh God, it didn’t bare thinking about. He was just
teasing. He was only teasing.

Flustered, she
looked away, trying to banish the sudden image of his head between
her thighs – like that was ever going to happen. Cripes, she was
creaming just thinking about it. Creaming? No, not creaming! Damn
him for even putting that thought in her mind as well.

As if he was
going to see her naked anyway, or get close to her thunder thighs
with that handsome face and that wicked mouth. Not happening. No
way.

The thoughts
rampaging through her brain had her going hot and cold all at once.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. There was no way
anything could happen between them. It was a mistake.

“So where did
you get the cats?”

It took several
seconds for Cherry to realize that Rick was watching her with
interest, every sign of sinful teasing gone. “Pardon?”

“Your cats. You
have two of them. Where did you get them?”

Not quite
trusting the change of the conversation, she eyed him suspiciously.
“From the cat shelter.”

“Have you had
them long?”

“Three
years.”

“They were
lucky you took them.” He shook his head. “So much animal cruelty.
Were they dumped?”

Cherry relaxed
a little. “Good guess.”

“Not really.
People don’t sterilise their animals, and when they have too many
puppies and kittens, the heartless ones dump them.” The distaste
was clear in his voice. “They’re the same colour. Siblings, or just
coincidence that you chose the same colours?”

“Brother and
sister, the only two survivors of being dumped. The others were
already dead when the man found them and brought them to the
shelter. The staff there told me that it looked like they’d been
attacked by some dogs.” Leaning forward, Cherry folded her arms and
rested them on the tabletop. “I was looking for a kitten or cat for
company, I didn’t mind which, but when I saw those two little
scraps all skinny and frightened, huddled in the back of the cage,
I couldn’t resist taking them both. I’m glad I did, they’re such
good company.”

“You love
them,” he stated quietly.

“Yes.”
Immediately on guard for ridicule, Cherry unconsciously
stiffened.

“I know how you
feel,” he surprised her by saying. “I cried when Tim had to put my
old dog to sleep.”

She relaxed
again. “I’m sorry. Was that long ago?”

“Two years now,
but I still miss him.” Rick leaned his arms along the back of the
seat and stretched out his legs, his calves brushing hers beneath
the table. “He had arthritis and I kept him going on
anti-inflammatories, but eventually it got too much for him to cope
with, me too, to be truthful. I knew he was in a lot of pain but I
couldn’t bring myself to do the right thing and have him put to
sleep.”

Sympathy filled
her. “So what happened?”

“Tim came down
to stay for a few days, saw what was happening, and gave me a stern
talking to. He was right, I knew it, so I got him to do it while he
was there. Tim helped me bury him in the backyard, then we went
back inside and got drunk.” Rick gave a rather wistful smile. “He
knew Blue as long as I had had him. Tim’s been my friend from
primary school. We both mourned his passing.”

“Did you get
another dog?”

“No.” He shook
his head. “I was renting and no pets were allowed.” He flashed her
a sudden grin. “I just sneakily fed the neighbour’s cats and let
them inside on rainy days when the neighbours were away.”

Cherry
laughed.

“And tomorrow I
move into another rental house, so getting another dog isn’t
something I can look at straight away.”

“That’s a
shame. Why don’t you just buy a house, then you can get a dog?” A
sudden disturbing thought occurred to her. “Or aren’t you planning
on staying?”

His direct gaze
slid over her face, a small smile playing around his mouth. “Oh,
I’m staying all right. Just waiting for the right place to open
up.”

She ignored the
small, relieved feeling. “What kind of place are you looking
for?”

“Nothing fancy.
I’ve got my eye on one place already, but it’s going to take some
talking to get into it.”

“Name the right
price and it could be yours.”

“The owner’s
going to take some convincing.” His grin grew wider. “But I’m up to
the challenge.”

“I just bet you
are,” she replied dryly.

The waitress
appeared and set their glasses on the table before leaving
again.

Picking up the
glass, Cherry took a sip of Diet Coke and looked in surprise at
Rick.

“I saw you had
a fair bit in your ‘fridge,” he explained. “So I knew it would be
your drink of choice.”

“Are you always
that observant?”

“Only with
those I care about.” He drank down half a glass of Coke Cola. “You
have to admit, it’s refreshing.”

Cherry burst
out laughing and he arched one brow inquiringly.

“You sound like
a bad advertisement.” She took another mouthful of drink and pushed
the glass to the side as two trays of hot pizza were placed on the
table. “Smells good.”

“I bet it
tastes even better.” His eyes held a now familiar glint. “Sure
you’re not ready for the spicy yet?”

As the waitress
placed a plate before each of them, along with knives and forks,
Cherry rolled her eyes.

“Plenty of time
to change your mind.” Taking a steaming slice of pizza, he placed
it on his plate and followed it with a second slice. “But change it
I will.”

Completely
relaxed now, Cherry took a slice of her own pizza. “Dream on.” She
inhaled and closed her eyes. “Smells like Heaven.”

“Heaven and
spice—” He stopped and laughed when she looked at him warningly.
“Okay, let’s just eat and save that for another time.”

He was a good
dinner companion, she had to admit. While they ate, he talked about
his family who, it turned out, lived in a country town two hundred
kms away. His best friend, Tim, had moved to the city a couple of
years ago, and his mother was the renowned paediatrician, Margaret
Clarke.

Margaret Clarke
was a good doctor but a cold-hearted bitch as far as Cherry was
concerned, though she wasn’t about to say so. She’d had a couple
run-ins with her in the past. Good with the hands and brain, poor
with the bedside manner.

Rick ate with
gusto. Normally when out with friends, Cherry ate the same way, but
in his presence she refrained from having more than three
pieces.

“Not hungry?”
Rick finally asked as he picked up his fifth slice.

“No.” Inwardly,
she drooled at the thought of a fourth piece.

“The pieces are
cut quite small.” He took a big bite.

Lucky bastard.
“True.”

“So have
another bite.”

“I’m fine.” She
caught the waitress’s attention and held her glass up. The waitress
nodded and headed over. After handing her the glass, Cherry turned
back to find Rick regarding her while chewing slowly.

He swallowed
before stating bluntly, “You’re fanging for more.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re dying
for another slice.”

“Nonsense.”

“Don’t try to
pull the wool over my eyes, Cherry. You want another piece, have
it. I’m going for piece number six in a minute, and then you can
watch number seven go down my gullet right after. No modesty here,
love. We’re having dinner, and I can’t abide women who are
obviously still hungry pretending they’re not.” He frowned. “I
never realized why until my sister told me. Whoever said eating
tiny was ladylike is nuts. Cripes, what a load of shit.”

Her sentiments
exactly, but still…

He pointed the
piece of pizza at her. “You’re scared I’ll judge you for having
another slice of pizza. Good God, woman, there are worse things in
the world that happen. If you’d been a Christian in Roman times,
they’d have fed you to the lions. What’s another piece of pizza in
comparison?”

Her sense of
humour was tickled. “Not much, really.”

“So have
another slice. Have another two. Finish the lot. I don’t care.” He
looked seriously at her. “I really don’t care, Cherry.”

And he really
didn’t, she could see that. When she took a fourth slice, he caught
the attention of the waitress who was coming and lifted his glass.
The waitress admirably refrained from sighing, instead placing
Cherry’s full glass before her and taking Rick’s empty glass.

“I don’t think
you’re in her good books anymore,” she observed when the waitress
left.

“Have to ensure
my tip places me back at the top of the list, because I love this
pizza and I’m going to be coming back here regularly. I’ll want
continued good service.”

“Spoken like a
true doctor.” Realizing what she’d said, she stopped eating and
looked at him through wide eyes. “Oh, I didn’t…I mean…I…I…”

“Of course you
meant it,” Rick said calmly. “My mother was a nurse. Trust me, I
know what you meant.”

Feeling
uncomfortable, Cherry bit her lip.

“Doesn’t stop
me planning to boink your brains out, though” he added.

The pizza fell
from her hand to her lap. “You what..?”

“I said—”

“No.”
Flustered, she held up her hand while fishing on her lap with the
other for the pizza. “Don’t repeat it.”

“And because
you said what you did, I’m going to prove that as a doctor, I can
also give good service.” His eyes gleamed, the green of them dark
and deep and full of promise. “Better. The best.”

She was glad
she was sitting, because her knees had turned to jelly. “Change the
subject.”

“Why? Creaming
in your panties?”

“Stop it.”

“You won’t be
saying that when I have you under me.”

“
Rick!”

“Yeah, you’ll
be screaming that out all right.”

“You’re
incorrigible.” Caught between laughter and embarrassment, Cherry
glanced around frantically, only to find herself looking at a prim
elderly woman in the next booth who was looking at them both with a
disapproving expression. “Oh shit.”

That earned her
an even frostier stare, and she slid a little lower in her seat,
her leg rubbing against Rick’s, though she couldn’t care less at
that minute. “I am so mortified.”

No help, he was
laughing at her openly.

“This is all
your fault.” Steadfastly keeping her face turned away from the
elderly woman, she felt the warmth in her cheeks and scowled at
him.

“Oh sweetheart,
I take all the credit.” Chuckling, Rick took the drink from the
waitress who had the good manners not to look curiously at Cherry.
“And I meant every word.” He swallowed half his drink in several
mouthfuls. “Man, that pizza is hot. Spicy. Just the way I like
you.” His eyes gleamed as she groaned and then flinched under the
elderly woman’s huff of disgust.

There was no
way she could continue eating with the elderly woman giving her
disapproving looks. Taking pity on her, Rick, still laughing, stood
and took her hand, pulling her from the booth with ease. Placing
his hand at her back, he steered her down the aisles between the
tables. At the counter he paid for their meal while she made her
getaway outside.

The cool breeze
outside took the heat from her cheeks and she breathed a sigh of
relief. Glancing around, she saw several couples approaching, but
her attention was diverted when Rick came out of the restaurant and
stepped up beside her, his arm moving with easy familiarity around
her waist as he tucked her in against his hard side and started
them walking.

It was a
totally alien sensation for her, and she didn’t quite know how to
act.

He leaned down
as they walked along, his breath warm against her ear. “You’re so
stiff.”

“Am I?”

“I thought that
was my department.”

“Oh geez, will
you stop that?”

He laughed, his
lips brushing her ear. The action was so unexpected that she didn’t
know how to respond.

Kiss him back?
Turn her head and look up at him? Cuddle closer? She continued to
look straight ahead. Lack of experience in dating was showing with
humiliating clarity. Who knew dating was so fraught with rules?

“Are you
working tomorrow?” Rick queried.

Glad to be back
on familiar ground, she nodded. “Late shift.”

“So you’re free
in the morning?” There was a definite sound of eagerness in his
tone.

“No. I’m
supposed to be going around with Maxie to the bridal shops. She’s
getting married in about six months, so we’re doing the bridal
crawl.”

“Bridal
crawl?”

“Like a pub
crawl, only the bridesmaids get dragged around from one bridal
boutique to the next.”

“What about
Maxie’s mum? Isn’t the mother of the bride supposed to go with
her?”

Cherry grinned.
“Maxie’s getting in first. Her mother is bit overpowering, so Maxie
is taking her shopping next month. By then we figure Maxie should
have made her mind up and the dress bought.”

A rumble of
laughter welled from Rick.