The Greek Doctor's Proposal

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“No. I’m just incredibly surprised.” She reached for the beer and took another sip.

“Tears don’t usually form because of surprise,” he said, his breath hot in her ear.

Turning her face slightly, she was close enough to see tiny flecks of gold within the irises of his eyes that were framed by long, dark lashes. The shadow of a beard didn’t make him any less appealing. His mouth was the most sensual thing about him. The way his lips moved, the way he formed her name, made her want to reach out to touch him in a way that was totally inappropriate. A way she was totally unprepared for, and she had to clench her fist to keep it in her lap.

Moistening her lips, she tried to get hold of her senses. If she were a smart woman she would have pulled away from him at that moment. But his pupils dilated as his gaze lingered on her mouth. When he returned his gaze to her eyes, she saw questions in his eyes, the wondering, the hesitation, the hint of desire, and she couldn’t move away from him.

She was definitely not a smart woman. At least not tonight.

All it would take would be moving half an inch forward and her mouth would be pressed against his. Her heart raced and her breathing caught tightly in her throat. Could she do it? Should she do it? Could she take that initiative and reach out to a man again? Or would she have her heart abused all over again?

Miklo’s body tensed at Jeannine’s close presence. She was so very appealing. She laughed, she didn’t take herself too seriously, and she made his heart beat like it hadn’t in way too long. This close to her, even in the middle of a crowded restaurant, he wanted to reach out to her, taste her lips and see if she was as sweet as she looked.

A dancer fell into Miklo’s back, and he pitched forward, almost landing in Jeannine’s lap. She clutched his shoulders to steady him. He grabbed the bar with one hand and her upper thigh with the other, easing his weight off her. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?” he asked, and tried to return to his seat. But he was too close to her. Too close to resist temptation any longer.

Before he could think better of it, he turned his face, opened his mouth over hers and pressed a kiss to her startled lips. A tangle of emotions raced through him as her soft mouth trembled beneath his. Though the kiss lasted for just a second or two, he felt the desire vibrate off her.

And then he was back in his seat, the crowded restaurant loud in his ears again, Jeannine’s startled gaze on his.

“Did you just kiss me?” she asked, her eyes still wide with shock.

“I did.”

“Why?” Now the shock turned to suspicion, and he didn’t like that in her eyes.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to.” Indeed, he had.

She touched her lips with trembling fingers. “No one has kissed me in a very long time,” she said.

“Me neither,” Miklo admitted.

Jeannine flopped back against her chair. “Now, I find that hard to believe,” she said, disbelief bright in her eyes.

“It’s an unfortunate truth,” he said, amused at her reaction.

“You work with a zillion nurses.”

“Doesn’t mean I kiss any of them.”

“No, but surely you’ve been out with dozens of them, haven’t you?”

“At one time, but that was long ago and far away.” He took her hand and held it in his. He needed her touch, her warmth. He hadn’t known he needed to be so close to another human being until now. He’d refused to admit he’d needed it for a long time. But he had once been a man who had laughed and loved deeply. And then his world had come crashing down around him.

“Miklo? What are you doing?” she asked, a husky tremor in her voice he heard even over the crowd, but she didn’t pull away from his touch.

“There is something about you that makes me want to touch you, Jeannine. I don’t know why, but touching you is a very pleasant experience.”

“Until you see me naked,” she said, and scoffed.

Miklo roared with laughter. “What makes you say that? I’ve seen plenty of naked women and haven’t fainted yet.”

She glanced down at their entwined hands. “My hands are about the only thing on me that’s pleasing.”

“Now it’s my turn to say I find that hard to believe. You’re a lovely woman, Jeannine. I’m sure every part of you is equally as lovely.”

Adjusting her position, she couldn’t hold his gaze for long and looked away. “I’m not terribly comfortable telling you this, but we’ll be working together, so I’m sure you’ll find out sooner or later.” She drew in a deep breath. “My recent illness was a tubal pregnancy that almost killed me. That’s why I have the trach scar. I was ventilated for a few months. My abdomen and chest are covered in scars from multiple surgeries, so are my arms. That’s why you would run away screaming if you saw me naked.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It doesn’t have to interfere in our working relationship and won’t affect my work performance.”

“I’m not worried about that at all, Jeannine.” He moved one hand and brushed her hair back off of her shoulder. Her hair felt like silk. “But you seem quite bothered by the scars.”

“My fiancé left me because of them and the whole situation.”