Here I Am by Rochelle Alers Page B

they’d wanted to talk to—it was him. The brilliant doctor was much sought after by women looking for advice on cosmetic surgery. After a stint as a plastic surgery expert on a reality show, Victor had become famous. When he wasn’t performing life-altering surgeries to improve his patients’ quality of life,he was in great demand by those who were willing to pay millions to achieve perfection.
    â€œI’m not anal, Brandt. I just play by the rules. I’m certain you’re more than familiar with those rules.”
    Ciara recalled her conversation with Sofia. What she hadn’t admitted to her roommate was her attraction to Brandt. It went beyond patient-nurse. It’d become male-female. Sofia was right. She hadn’t slept with a man in more than two years. And whenever her body betrayed her, it was a blatant reminder that she was a woman capable of strong passion.
    â€œBut you already broke the rules when you kissed me on the terrace,” Brandt reminded her.
    Lowering the rail on his right, she leaned closer. The warmth and natural scent from Brandt’s body swept over Ciara. She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t as unaffected as she appeared. Each time she viewed his nude body she had to call on all of her professionalism to avoid trailing her fingertips over his body like a sculptor.
    She’d told herself that she wasn’t into sports, and therefore wasn’t attracted to athletes whose egos outweighed their talent but not their paychecks. But Ciara realized that even if Brandt Wainwright had not become a football player, it still would not have diminished his appeal.
    He’d been born into money—a lot of money—the penthouse and its furnishings were a testament to that. Sofia had mentioned she’d searched out Brandt Wainwright on the internet, and later that evening Ciara had also looked him up online. There were more than thirteen pages about him, with statistics from his collegeand pro careers, awards and accolades, photos of his Super Bowl victory and parades. Another site showed photographs of him with women—a lot of beautiful women from all over the world. It was apparent the camera loved him and Brandt loved being photographed. He was smiling in every shot but one. He was gorgeous with his long blond hair.
    What do I have to lose? she thought to herself. She doubted whether Brandt was one to kiss and tell, because there had been little or no gossip about him and other women. “You’re right,” Ciara whispered close to his mouth. “I did break the first rule.”
    Brandt stared at the lushly curved lips inches from his own. “What’s the second rule?”
    â€œSleeping with a patient. But that’s not going to happen.”
    His eyebrows lifted a fraction. “How can you be so certain?”
    â€œJust am,” she drawled.
    â€œBecause you’re my nurse?” Ciara nodded.
    â€œWhat if you weren’t my nurse?”
    â€œWe’ll just have to see, won’t we?”
    Brandt smiled. Ciara had answered his question with a question. She hadn’t said yes, and she hadn’t said no either. It wasn’t so much the idea of making love to her that had piqued his curiosity—she also had a certain enigmatic quality about her.
    â€œYes, we will just have to wait and see.”
    Lifting his head off the pillow and cradling her face at the same time, Brandt slanted his mouth over Ciara’s. Her lips parted, as he swallowed her moist breath anddeepened the kiss. He felt her stiffen then relax, her mouth becoming pliant against his. As much as he didn’t want to, he ended the kiss.
    â€œThank you very much.”
    Heat suffused Ciara’s face, quickly wending its way down to settle between her thighs. She knew she had to get away from Brandt before she crawled into the bed with him. Securing the rail, she smiled. “You’re welcome.”
    â€œDo you like Thai