Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: A Ranch for His Family\Cowgirl in High Heels\A Man to Believe In (64 page)

He caught his breath for a moment at the sight of freckles dusting her skin above the bra line. His mouth drew towards hers, capturing her lips in another deep, heated kiss. Trailing kisses down her neck, he pressed his face onto her chest, nipping his way down her soft flesh. His hands cupped her. She let out a sigh. He kissed her more as he reached behind her, searching to unlatch her bra. The fabric fell slowly as his mouth grazed her mounds. He pulled the straps along her arms until she was released from the black lace. His face fell into her, capturing her taut, pink nipple between his lips. One, then the other. Cassie groaned as his tongue explored her aroused flesh. He held her back with both hands as he kissed his way down her belly, taking a moment to explore her navel with his tongue. He caressed her belly with his cheek. His hands pulled at the waistband at her jeans, wanting more. His mouth latched onto the top of her waistband as he unfastened and unzipped her. Her back arched as he slipped the jeans over her hips and kissed his way along the lace of her panties. He pressed his mouth against her, breathing in her scent.

He groaned as he pulled himself tight against her, revealing his arousal. She let out a sigh. He wanted to learn, feel, taste every inch of her over and over again. He sought her reaction to be sure she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He lost all thought when, eyes drugged with desire, she whispered, “Oh, God. I believe you. Don't stop now.”

CHAPTER TEN

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, Cassie sat on the edge of the examination table in Doc's office dressed in a patient gown feeling every jitter imaginable churning her gut. Cancer had been real in her world, the word tossed around her house like another member of the family. She had been warned that the day might come when she'd be challenged with the
C
word, but she never truly anticipated how she'd react should it come to pass.

Beth had driven her to the hospital, insistent on being with her, and now stood near Doc to assist in the biopsy, labeling the containers they'd use while chatting like the old friends they were.

Cassie listened with half an ear, her knee jumping with nerves as she watched Doc prepare. The moment was surreal—the swollen node on her neck had never hurt, so it seemed odd that the tiny gland was now the flag for a potential problem. Cassie had thought to tell Mom to stay home because Peter had said he'd be there, but she decided against it. Mom was family—the lead in that tight network of reliance she cherished. Peter would understand.

Cassie inhaled a calming breath, consciously relaxing the muscles in her shoulders, back, thighs and toes. She concentrated on making her body loose like putty. No need to anticipate the worse. She'd watched her mother and Aunt Judy combat and win their brushes with cancer. All could be fine. If not, she'd fight the good fight if her time had come.

The other major distraction that made this event surreal was that her heart-stopping, mind-blowing, erotically bonding night of lovemaking with Peter kept circling her mind. It was as if those moments with him when they'd toppled off the couch onto the rug—and her lingering feelings this morning—were more real than this biopsy.

If she'd been attracted to Peter from the start, making love had shattered the aloofness she'd held on to for the past couple of weeks. Like an addict with a new drug, she wanted more. She could hear Peter's voice in her ears, feel his oh-so-amazing hands caressing her skin. And when she closed her eyes, she became lost in the memory of his eyes locked on hers while he moved deep inside her until all reasoning faded. She'd never experienced a more sensitive, intuitive lover than Peter, and she was pissed!

The timing for starting a new romance sucked! She'd decided to trust Peter, had taken the leap and fallen hard and fast. Now, with this possible medical trauma about to fall on her head, keeping a new lover didn't fit into the equation. Watching Doc preparing the needle for the biopsy reinforced that cold, hard truth.

Last night had caused an internal shift within her that smacked of falling in love. It had taken every ounce of willpower to leave Peter's side in the predawn hours. They'd taken the blanket and pillows and made a makeshift bed on the rug. Only after he had fallen asleep had she been able to pull away from his wonderful, warm and loving body. She had left him in repose with his hair messed, sun-streaked locks falling over his forehead, and lying on his back beneath the sheets, where he'd held her until drifting into sleep. The visual had etched a memory like a tattoo in her mind. The hunger in his eyes when they had made love had done something to her soul. It was as if her own deeply buried need was being reflected back at her. The fire behind his touch. His endearing words. His vulnerability. The sea-salted scent of his skin, tanned, hot and smooth against her body, imprinted on her senses so profoundly, she wanted to simply lie there and breathe deeply. Forever.

Oh, God! What was happening here?

Was she ready to move away from her memories of Kyle and invest her dreams in another man? Was she willing to take that risk? She hadn't even known Peter that long. Entertaining such a notion was sheer insanity.

Yet, she felt herself yielding to the possibility of crazy. She'd met plenty of men since Kyle. No one—absolutely, no one—had touched her heart as Peter had. She promised she'd trust him. She was willing, God help her, but wasn't quite sure what she'd say when he arrived this morning. The thought of seeing him when they hadn't spoken since last night caused her heart to skip around in her chest. It was like being a teenager all over again.

And it would mean nothing if she had cancer.

Recovery would be ugly, perhaps realistically impossible. Did she want to drag him through this mess?

Cassie remembered the mental and physical toll cancer had taken on her mother and Aunt Judy. Both women were so weak, like helpless newborns, only more fragile, and sick beyond anyone's comfort level. She'd seen Beth's ardor toward Bobby cool. She'd witnessed Judy's unwillingness to accept anyone's lame excuses for not being responsible for their lives. Uncle Micky was a fun-loving, gregarious man. There was a time when Judy used to laugh as hard as Micky at his silly jokes, but something had shifted in her since her ordeal. Judy had become too serious. She needed to learn to laugh at herself again and appreciate the simple things in life so Micky could get that light back in his eyes.

It had been tough enough finding her own way back after losing Kyle. She'd given up on love, and it was now just finding her again. If this stupid little node turned out to be the red flag they suspected, would her worldview change once more? Would cancer destroy the fragile bond she was willing to rebuild with a new man?

She had no answers because she didn't know what the outcome was. Yet. But her inner voice screamed that she should keep Peter out of this. She didn't want something so beautiful to fade before it even had a chance to bloom.

However, if the tables were turned, she would want Peter to allow her to stand by him. The rush through her body at the thought of his touch was enough for her to let him in, widen her network of support to include her new lover.

Doc patted the table for her to lie down. “I'm ready if you are.”

She laid back, meeting the concern in Doc's eyes. “I don't think I'll ever be ready for this.”

He swabbed alcohol over the node. “You're awfully quiet this morning.”

“Nervous, I guess.” Although she figured Mom realized how her night had unfolded with Peter, she didn't want Doc to know she was exhausted from hours of lovemaking with his newest employee—or that, God forbid, she was worried she'd made a mistake. She frowned to hide her thoughts. “So, that wretched needle is going to determine my future?”

“It'll definitely put us on the right track, my dear.”

She turned her head toward the door as Peter stepped through. Wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, his hair still damp and brushed off his forehead, his gaze immediately assessed everyone in the room, then sought hers as if already knowing that she was stressed over her night with him and nervous about the biopsy. Amazing what his eyes could communicate. Did everyone read him like she did? He pulled a chair to sit in her line of vision.

“Hi, beautiful.”

Cassie ignored Beth's grin and Doc's raised brow at Peter's greeting. Peter took her free hand. The warmth of his touch seeped in, giving her strength. His smile and the light in his sensual dark eyes seemed to be harkening back to all they had done last night, like some great secret between them.

She couldn't keep the grin from breaking on her face and wanted to laugh. Not only did she know what he looked like naked beneath those clothes, but she also knew exactly what that body could do.

She squeezed his hand. “Hi. How's your morning?”

He gave her a thumbs-up. “Better now that I'm here.” He nodded at Doc. “Looks like I'm right on time.”

Doc rested a hand on Cassie's shoulder, giving her a moment to get comfortable once more. “Nice of you to call me
beautiful,
Peter. I haven't heard that in a long time.”

Peter chuckled. “You'll have to get used to it, Doc.”

Beth objected. “Hey, I thought he was calling me beautiful.”

Cassie laughed. “No, Mom. I think he meant Doc. For sure.”

Doc shook his head. “Okay, stud. You keep holding your new girlfriend's hand while we get this finished. Hopefully, she'll break your fingers when she grips hard.”

Cassie laughed. The painkillers were kicking in because she felt like she could sing from the rafters. “Now concentrate, Doc. I want to get off this table as quickly as possible.”

Doc gently probed the area. “This will pinch. Try not to move and be patient with me while I draw some cells.”

When Cassie closed her eyes as Doc siphoned the cells, Peter wrapped her hand in both of his until she looked at him again. Having her head turned in his direction helped her to focus without moving.

If he were concerned for her, he masked it well. “So where shall we go for dinner tonight? I want to take you and Beth out as thanks for the great lasagna.”

Beth, who stood at Doc's elbow, shook her head. “What a sweet gesture, but totally unnecessary, Peter. Besides, I've made plans for tonight.”

Cassie frowned, unwilling to speak while Doc still worked on the lymph node.

“Almost done, Cassie. You're doing great. Thank you for not moving.”

Within seconds, he removed the needle and passed it to Beth. She took it to the counter to prepare for the lab.

Doc treated and covered the node. He hesitated before helping Cassie sit up. “You okay? Not light-headed?”

For some stupid reason, tears threatened. Not that Doc had hurt her. The extraction was uncomfortable, nothing she'd opt to do again, but not awful. Probably just the pressure of dealing with the possibility of illness had finally hit her. She cleared her throat. “I've dealt with worse. I'm okay.”

He patted her arm. “You were the perfect patient, Cassie. Now, why don't you go home and sleep for a while.”

Peter stood. “I'll take her home. I don't have to sign in until noon.”

Beth turned, giving Cassie a questioning glance that said she'd do whatever her daughter decided.

Cassie gently explored the bandage around the lymph node as she weighed her options. Beth would have no problem letting Peter take her home. Her confidence that this procedure was routine and manageable was fortifying for Cassie. It had been a few weeks since Beth had visited Mercy. She'd probably appreciate the extra time to catch up with her friends.

Meanwhile, Peter had this eager-beaver look on his face, like he was raring to take over and do whatever her heart desired. She found it endearing, a bit overbearing for her liking, but she'd already decided to push outside her comfort zone for a while. Test the waters. Trust him.

“Mom, if you don't mind, I'll let Peter take me home. I know it's been a while since you've been here. This way you don't have to rush away.”

Beth nodded. “Whatever you prefer, honey. I came here solely for you.”

Doc lit up. “How about a cup of coffee, Beth? I want to tell you about the imagery machine we've scored.”

The fact that Doc and Mom started talking hospital business, as if the biopsy were commonplace, helped calm her nerves. Although a bit rattled emotionally, except for the pain around the lymph node, she probably could go back to work if she chose. Taking the afternoon off, however, would be a treat if only to steal a few hours to regroup.

“I'll be home by the time Peter heads back here, Cassie. Does that work for you?”

She smiled and let Doc help her stand from the table. “Perfect.” She kissed Doc on the cheek. “Thanks. You did a great job. It didn't hurt a bit.”

* * *

B
ETH
M
ICHAELS
HEADED
for the coffee shop to get two coffees. Doc had to take an emergency phone call and had asked her if she'd mind bringing the drinks to his office. She welcomed—no, needed—the moments alone. It had taken every single ounce of strength she owned not to start trembling while assisting Doc in Cassie's biopsy. She wanted to regroup before airing her concerns to her friend.

Watching her daughter lie on that table, turning her head and staring into Peter's eyes to keep herself from crying, wrenched Beth's heart. Worse, the sight tore open her own trauma of her ordeal with cancer twenty years ago. Memories she'd pushed so far into the back of her mind came flooding back.

She would have done anything to have Bobby sitting in Peter's seat when she had started her treatment.

“Oh, God!” She covered her mouth with a trembling hand as she pushed into the coffee shop. She had to pull herself together.

No sooner had Doc hung up the phone than she appeared in his doorway. He stood, accepted the drink and ushered Beth to the couch by the coffee table. They'd spent many hours there in the past discussing patients, life. His first wife's death. Beth appreciated the familiarity of their longtime habits and was comforted just by being in his company.

Worry creased his brow. “Beth, I saw the panic in your eyes with Cassie.”

“Oh, John, we both know she's sick.”

He watched her a long moment. “If she's anything like her mother, she'll beat whatever condition we find.”

Beth inhaled a breath. “I didn't expect the memories to hit so hard.”

He reached for her hand. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“What can I do for you, Beth?”

She looked at him, incredulous. “There hasn't been a moment in my life where you haven't been there for me. Saying the right thing. Saying nothing. I've always known I can rely on you.”

He smiled, squeezed her hand. “You've been there for me, too, Beth. We have a wonderful friendship.”

She searched his eyes. “Sometimes I think we should have dated way back when.”

He laughed. “But we didn't. Go figure. You're not happy with Bobby gone all the time. You would have hated my doctor's hours.”

She sipped her coffee. “No joke there. And all those women who fall in love with their doctor? I would have ended up in jail for assault.”