Just Beginning Read Online Free PDF Page B

automatically took the phone. Then she glimpsed the sparkle in his eyes.
    He nodded at the phone. “Go on.”
    She brought the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
    “Hi, Jenny. My name is Betty and I’m a nurse in the ICU”
    Jenny’s eyes grew wide as she stared at Gabe, who watched her intently.
    Are you kidding me right now ?
    “Dr. Harrison wanted me to assure you that he’s having a marvelous time on his date, and he’s heartbroken that he has to cut your evening short, but he really does need to go to work and this really is an emergency.”
    Seriously ? She looked at Gabe’s amused expression, knowing he could easily hear every word. Touché, Doctor .
    “And how much is Dr. Harrison paying you to say that?”
    Betty laughed. “Nothing. We love Dr. Harrison. He’s a real sweetie.”
    “Say goodbye,” Gabe ordered as he held out his hand. Was that a blush darkening his cheeks?
    “He doesn’t date nearly enough,” Betty said.
    “Is that so?” Jenny gave him a sly look, and leaned away as he tried to snatch his phone.
    “Which was why I was so sorry to have to bother him tonight, but—”
    Jenny grinned at Gabe’s scowl and took pity on him. “Goodbye, Betty. It was nice chatting with you.” She handed Gabe his cell.
    Gabe mumbled a goodbye, turned on the car, and drove away from the peaceful lake. “You seem to have trust issues. I thought you might need proof that I wasn’t ditching you.”
    “Thanks,” she said dryly. “Now she’s gonna think I’m some clingy, insecure woman.”
    “Hardly. She’s going to think I’m pitiful and inept since I needed her to vouch for me. But if Betty met you...” He gave her a warm, admiring look that curled her toes. “She’d know I’m a very lucky guy.”
    Well, heck. It’s hard to tease someone when he’s so darn sweet. Tonight had been great; Jenny didn’t want it to end so soon. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring me in and make Betty tell me to my face.”
    “I don’t dare,” he muttered.
    “What?”
    “I thought of it, but I wasn’t sure how long I’d be and I’d hate to keep you waiting.”
    “And considerate, too.” Jenny smiled. “Somebody raised you right, Harrison.”
    “Why, thank you, ma’am.”
    At her apartment, Gabe walked Jenny to the door. She faced him and smiled. “Thanks for dinner. I had a great time.”
    “Me, too. Sorry we had to cut our walk short.”
    “Me, too.” She looked down, feeling stupid at having mimicked his words. She was a journalist for pity’s sake; she ought to be able to come up with her own words.
    He glanced back at his car. “I’d better get going.”
    Ordinarily she would have invited him in, but a patient was waiting for him. Should she kiss him? A quick glance up the street showed that her neighbors had retired for the night.
    Gabe lifted her chin and brushed a light kiss across her lips, a little more than a taste really, then turned and walked away.
    Jenny opened her eyes and frowned at the empty space in front of her, then found his retreating back. That’s it? That’s all she got? Gabe was nearly at his car when she called out, “Gabe, wait.”
    He stopped and turned around.
    “You forgot something.”
    Gabe retraced his steps, and she met him halfway. Jenny’s gaze locked onto his gray eyes, willing him to kiss her again. Hands pressed against his warm chest, she held on tight. His head lowered and his eyelids drifted shut in a lazy, sensual promise. She rose up on tiptoe and leaned into him. She longed to snuggle into his neck where the faint, yet heady, scent of cologne and male tantalized her.
    Her breath quickened with the effort to keep her hands from exploring the hard muscles beneath her damp palms. In all honesty, she’d been curious about this since she’d first awakened in Michael’s room and seen him watching them sleep.
    Lips glided over hers; their warm breath mingled. She wound her arms around his collar so that her fingertips trailed on a seductive quest