Doctors in the Wedding Read online

  A few people wandered toward the bar when the buses deposited them back at the hotel. Madison headed straight for the elevators. It had been a long, exhausting day and she was ready for some downtime. BiBi had another busy day scheduled for tomorrow, followed by the wedding and the flight back home on Sunday, followed by work early Monday morning, so Madison figured she’d better rest while she had the chance.

  Stripping out of her clothes, she took a quick shower, letting the hot water soothe her weary muscles. She would probably be reminded of that long trail ride tomorrow, she thought with a slight grimace.

  Slipping into her favorite thigh-length, black sheath nightgown decorated with touches of lace and red embroidery, she dried her honey-blond hair and left it loose around her shoulders, automatically examining the roots to see if it were time for a touch-up. Both she and her sister were in the habit of lightening the mousy-brown hair they had inherited from their father.

  Turning her head from side to side and studying the reflection in the mirror, Madison wondered if she should go a little lighter next time. Or maybe she should add some red to the mix. Something completely different. She had rather enjoyed being in costume last night, changing up her appearance from the fashionable, yet maybe too predictable style she’d fallen into during the past couple of years.

  As her fourth year of her demanding residency drew closer to an end, maybe it was time to shake up her routines a little. Let herself get a little reckless again, closer to the footloose, impulsive fun-lover she’d once been. Oh, she wasn’t going to go wild or anything, she assured herself, reaching for her rose-scented body lotion. She was still a physician, and she would perform her duties with the same conscientious dedication as always—but she had to remember that it was important for her to have a life away from work, too. Maybe if she spent a little more time having fun, she’d be less susceptible to a pair of gleaming dark eyes and a roguish smile, more able to put that sexy grin out of her mind when it became clear that it was time to move on.

  A soft tap on her door derailed her musings and made her turn quickly on the vanity chair. She certainly wasn’t expecting company at this hour.

  BiBi, she thought with shake of her head, reaching for the short robe that matched her gown. Who else could it be?

  If her friend was here to chew her out again for getting too friendly with Jason, Madison was going to have a harder time keeping her temper. Leaving the belt of her robe untied, she stalked barefoot toward the door. What was she supposed to have done, refused to help deliver Lila’s baby because Jason’s assistance was also required? It just so happened that both Madison and Jason were doctors. If BiBi refused to accept that as the simple coincidence it was, then she…

  Madison’s breath caught in her throat when she glanced automatically through the security peephole in the door. Her caller wasn’t BiBi.

  After only a momentary hesitation, she turned the locks and opened the door a crack.

  “Have you wandered onto the wrong floor, Dr. Jones?” she asked, the sudden huskiness of her voice making the lame quip even less effective.

  Jason’s smile did not reach his intense, dark eyes. “I hope not.”

  Pausing only a few heartbeats longer, Madison made her decision. She stepped back in silent invitation.

  Jason slipped inside the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet, firm click.

  Chapter Six

  “Before you say anything,” Jason said as soon as he was in the room, “there’s something you should know about my connection to BiBi and Corinna.”

  “Your families have a longtime connection and wouldn’t mind seeing that bond formalized with a match between their offspring. They’ve decided you and Corinna make a nice couple. Corinna tends to agree, but you don’t think of her in that way.”

  “Oh.” Jason blinked a couple of times as if trying to think of something to say now that she had summarized the speech she assumed he’d been prepared to make. “Well, yeah. Something like that.”

  She shrugged. “I picked up clues from things said during the past couple of days.”

  “Either a lot was said or you’re very perceptive. You summed it up almost perfectly.”

  “I do like to think I’m perceptive. That’s part of my job, after all.”

  “Psychiatry.”

  She nodded.

  “I’d like to hear all about that—eventually.” He took a step toward her, searching her face questioningly.

  She was keenly aware that she stood in front of him in a short nightie, a thin, open robe and bare legs and feet. He, too, had showered and changed since returning from the ranch. His dark hair was still just a little damp and he had swapped his Western wear for a pale blue shirt with loose khakis and brown slip-ons. Much more average and conservative clothing than what she’d seen him wear before—so why did she still find him so exciting?

  “So you understand that I’m completely free to spend time with anyone I like?” he persisted. “You weren’t pushing me away today because you thought I was involved with someone else?”

  “I didn’t exactly push you away.”

  The look he gave her told her he knew better. “You made it clear enough that you wanted me to keep a distance. I didn’t know if that was because you didn’t want to cause gossip or because someone had warned you off or because you’d just lost interest, but I figured the only way to find out for sure was just to flat out ask you. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable showing up at your door this way, so if you want me to go, just say the word.”

  “I would love for you to stay awhile,” she answered with characteristic candor.

  His expression lightening, he took another step forward.

  She raised a hand, palm toward him. “However—”

  He stopped, his smile fading again.

  “I’m here this weekend for BiBi. She’s been my friend for a long time and I’m very fond of her. She’s planned every detail of this wedding so carefully and so eagerly. I would never do anything to put a cloud over it for her.”

  He frowned. “Neither would I. But I don’t see how—”

  “Upsetting Corinna would upset BiBi, too. And, well, BiBi and I have a little baggage from the past that I don’t want to pop up again. You seem to have made it clear—in a nice way, from what I gathered—that you don’t want to get tangled up with Corinna. Putting moves on me this weekend, instead, could be taken as a slap to her face.”

  His expression was a cross between frustration and grim amusement. “Putting the moves on you? Is that what I’ve been doing?”

  Her own mouth twitched. “Yes, Dr. Jones, I would say you did.”

  She didn’t have to clarify by mentioning the kiss in the garden. The way his gaze lingered on her faint smile told her he, too, was remembering that particular move. “And if you hadn’t decided I’d be too much trouble, would those moves have been effective? Just for my own curiosity.”

  She sighed a little. “They were most definitely effective.”

  He inched a little closer. “Madison—”

  This time when she raised her hand, it landed on his chest. She left it there, savoring the warmth that seeped through his shirt and into her palm. “You are certainly trouble.”

  He covered her fingers with his own, and the warmth spread into her arm and beyond. “Is it wrong that I rather like you seeing me in that way?”

  “Oh, I think you could be underestimating yourself.” Her voice had a slightly husky edge to it now.

  Lifting his free hand, he stroked a fingertip along the line of her jaw. “Maybe I’m just different with you.”

  If he didn’t kiss her soon, she was going to melt into a puddle right at his feet, she thought with a swallow. She might just do that even if he did kiss her. She was pretty sure she
was about to find out.

  Leaning toward him, she spoke with her mouth almost touching his. “Whatever it is, I’m finding it very difficult to resist your particular type of trouble. Just do me one favor, will you?”

  His arms were already around her waist, gently tugging her closer so that their bodies met. There was no doubt that he was feeling as reckless and hungry as she was, but he held back just long enough to mutter, “Name it.”

  “Let’s just keep whatever happens private. Our own secret weekend adventure. Even though we don’t have to sneak around behind anyone’s back, exactly, I’d prefer to keep this just between the two of us.”

  Jason brushed his lips against hers, making her crave more. “I have no problem with that.”

  Somewhat reassured that she could have her cake—wedding cake, as it were—without hurting anyone else, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Then kiss me, Jones.”

  He groaned. “With pleasure, Esmeralda.”

  Teasing quickly sizzled into passion when he crushed his mouth against hers. She crowded as close to him as she could get, parting her lips to grant him as many liberties as he chose to take. He accepted the invitation eagerly, dipping his tongue into her welcoming mouth to explore with a scientist’s thoroughness and claim with an adventurer’s boldness.

  With her robe parted, only his clothing and her thin satin nightgown lay between them. Even that barrier was too much. She wanted to savor the athletic body she had so admired when he’d worn nothing but swim trunks. Sliding a hand between them, she fumbled with buttons even as Jason pushed at her robe, slipping it off her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor around her bare feet.

  The image of his beautiful chest had flitted through the back of her mind all day, taunting her even as she had admired him in his sexy Western wear. When she had seen him in the pool—had it been only that morning?—she had wanted to run her hands all over him, to explore and admire every nicely defined muscle, to press her mouth to his skin and see if he tasted as yummy as he looked. Now that they had complete privacy, she allowed herself those liberties, sliding her palms slowly from his shoulders to his narrow waist, flicking the tip of her tongue against one flat brown nipple until she teased a low groan from his throat.

  His hands tightened spasmodically at her hips, then slipped lower to grab the hem of her nightgown and tug upward. She raised her arms. In one smooth move, he swept the gown over her head and tossed it aside, leaving her clad only in a pair of black lace panties. It had been a while since she’d been this intimate with anyone, but she didn’t feel particularly self-conscious with Jason. The unmistakable appreciation in his expression as he looked at her was quite the ego booster.

  She’d have much more freedom to explore—and be explored—on the bed. Taking his hand with a smile, she turned to lead him there. She planted a hand on his chest and gave a playful shove, and he cooperated by tumbling onto the bed that had already been made ready for her to climb into. He reached for her, but she evaded his hands long enough to unzip a compartment in her carry-on bag and pull out a few sealed packets. She hadn’t expected to need protection this weekend, but she was glad now that she was in the habit of always carrying some in her luggage. Tossing the packets onto the bed with Jason, she dove into his waiting arms.

  His hands and mouth were already moving eagerly over her almost before she stretched out beside him. Her black lace panties joined his clothing in a jumbled pile by the bed. After kissing a slow, thorough, mind-emptying path from her mouth to her throat to her breasts, he nibbled his way from her rib cage to the top of her thigh, both tickling and further arousing her. Locking her hands in his dark hair, she squirmed and giggled breathlessly. His husky chuckle made her breath catch hard in her throat. His left hand moved to the inside of her thigh and the breath shot out in a gasp.

  Jason lifted his head suddenly, and he stared at her right hip. “You have a tattoo.”

  She couldn’t help giggling again. He’d sounded for all the world as if he were telling her something she didn’t already know. “Yes, I was there when it was inked.”

  He traced a fingertip gently over the thumb-size fairy that hovered just above her right hip joint. “You continue to surprise me.”

  Shifting her weight, she pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. “I’m just getting started, Dr. Jones.”

  A groan rumbled deep in his chest as he reached for her. “By all means, continue.”

  Lowering herself slowly onto him, she leaned over to speak against his parted lips. “With pleasure.”

  Though he was tired, Jason wasn’t ready for sleep. Morning would arrive all too soon, and with it, a long day of scheduled activities during which he would have to keep his distance from Madison. She’d made it clear enough that he was to do nothing to suggest he’d spent any more time with her than any of the other members of the wedding party. He would keep his word—but he already knew it would be very hard to be in the same room with her without wanting to touch her. Or even just gaze at her, as he was doing now, propped on one arm and lying on his side next to her.

  She lay against her pillow, her honey hair tossed appealingly around her face, her cheeks flushed from their lovemaking. She wore no makeup, but her lips were rosy and a little pouty from his kisses. The skin of her throat and the upper curve of her breasts above the snowy sheets glistened faintly from exertion.

  They had been rather energetic, he thought with a surge of thoroughly masculine satisfaction. Now he would be content to just lie there looking at her for hours yet.

  She opened her eyes, giving him a sweet, lazy smile that made him change his mind. He was quite sure he’d want to do more than just look once he’d had a chance to recover a bit.

  “You’re staring at me, Dr. Jones.”

  He really did love it when she called him that. Silly, maybe, but she was just so darned appealing when she teased him with their own private joke. “It’s hard to look away from perfection.”

  She laughed softly, shaking her head against the pillow. “And you tried to pretend you don’t have ‘moves.’ If that wasn’t a practiced line, I don’t know what it would be.”

  It would be the truth, he thought, but he merely smiled.

  She nestled more comfortably into her pillow. “Hmm. I think I’m going to feel that ride tomorrow.”

  Jason chuckled.

  She punched him lightly in the chest. “I meant the trail ride.”

  “Yes. I knew that,” he said, tongue in cheek.

  “You are so bad.”

  Never in his life had Jason D’Alessandro been seen as a bad boy. Even though she was only teasing—after all, she didn’t even know the real him—it was sort of heady to have Madison refer to him in that way.

  He wondered idly how he would look with a tattoo. Just a small one, maybe, somewhere his patients wouldn’t see. He’d discovered the tiny fairy on Madison’s hip with both surprise and arousal, realizing it was positioned so that it could only be seen by those she chose to reveal it to. Preferring not to wonder how many others had admired that little drawing, he brushed a hand over her hip beneath the covers, savoring the silky feel of her.

  “There’s so much about you I don’t know,” he said.

  Slowly stroking his arm with her left hand, she shrugged. “I’m a fourth-year psych resident, grew up and studied in Little Rock, except for attending college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—where I met BiBi. Two older siblings, both surgeons, one widowed mother, no ex or current husbands, kids or pets. I’m applying for fellowships in several child and adolescent psych programs, so I’m not sure where I’ll be this time next year. That pretty well tells you all there is to know.”

  It was actually quite a bit of information in a brief summary, but it wasn’t nearly all he wanted to know about her. Dozens of questions swirled through
his mind, with one taking priority. “Have you applied for a fellowship here in Dallas? There’s an excellent child psych program here, from what I’ve heard.”

  “Yes, I applied last month. I combined interviews with fittings for my bridesmaid’s dress,” she added with a laugh.

  “Very efficient. So, um, how did the interview go? Did you like the program?” he asked, trying to sound only casually interested.

  “I liked what I saw very much. And I think they liked me. I still have several interviews scheduled at other places before I rank my choices. I’m flying to Massachusetts and Oregon next week, so it’ll be pretty hectic when I get back from the wedding. I’ve already interviewed in Indianapolis, Atlanta and Nashville.”

  Massachusetts. Oregon. Both a very long way from Dallas. “So you’re not interested in staying closer to home?”

  “I haven’t decided yet. As close as I am to my family, it’s tempting to consider living somewhere completely different for at least that one year.”

  Did she consider Dallas completely different than Little Rock?

  “Somewhere more than a day’s drive from home, maybe,” she added. “The farthest I’ve lived from the house I grew up in was the seven-hour drive to Baton Rouge.”

  It wasn’t even that far between Little Rock and Dallas. It was beginning to sound less likely that she would choose to pursue her fellowship here. He certainly didn’t expect her to be influenced by a guy she’d known only a couple of days, and likely viewed as no more than a somewhat clandestine fling during a weekend away from her daily grind.

  A “secret weekend adventure,” she’d called it. At this point in her life, she didn’t seem to be looking for more. Which meant he shouldn’t waste one minute of the brief time he would have with her.

  Sliding his hand from her hip to her bottom, he shifted closer to her, leaning over to brush her mouth with his. “Just how tired are you?” he asked in a murmur.

  He was gratified when she moved her hand up his arm to his shoulder, her fingers curling to tug him even closer. “I’m wide-awake now,” she assured him with a soft, somewhat breathless laugh.