In McGillivray's Bed by Anne McAllister

two or three days—long enough to shake up Carruthers and long enough to make sure Lisa knew he wasn’t interested in her. But after last night he’d changed his mind. He wanted her gone.
    He’d picked up a couple of business weeklies while he was in Kingston today and they both had articles about the St. Johns and they both quoted the “savvy and sensible, supremely articulate Ms. St. John.”
    They’d called her Margaret St. John, but one of them had her picture. Hugh knew that face. He’d seen that body—the one beneath the slim professional power suit.
    He didn’t want to spend another night with it nearby tempting him, he thought as he and Doc Rasmussen unloaded all the medical supplies into the dinghy. There was just so much of that sort of thing a healthy red-blooded man could endure.
    Maurice Sawyer was waiting to transport the supplies to the clinic, his taxi parked at the foot of the dock. He sauntered up the dock to meet them, glancing at his watch as he came.
    â€œSorry we’re late,” Hugh said.
    â€œI just bet you is,” Maurice said, a grin wreathing his face. “You go on,” he said to Hugh cheerfully. “I reckon you be in a big hurry.” He clapped Hugh on the shoulder, then gave him a broad wink and a grin.
    Hugh felt a sense of foreboding. “Why am I in a hurry?”
    The whites of Maurice’s eyes shone in the darkness. “You forget your pretty lady then?”
    Doc ambled up carrying a load of supplies. “Pretty lady? What pretty lady?” he asked.
    â€œHugh’s lady. She’s somethin’,” he told Doc appreciatively. “Long long legs. An’ curves. Real nice curves. Sweet as they come, too.”
    Obviously, they weren’t talking about Syd, then. Hugh narrowed his gaze. “You talked to her?”
    Maurice nodded. “Met her at the bakery.”
    â€œI thought you were distracted today,” Doc reflected. “Hell, we didn’t have to stay gone this long. Why didn’t you say you had a lady waiting for you?”
    Hugh shrugged. “You hired me. Your time is my time. It didn’t matter. She knew I was going to be gone.” The truth and nothing but.
    â€œBut you could have brought her along,” Doc said earnestly. “We had room.”
    â€œI didn’t want to bring her along!”
    Both men blinked at his sharp tone.
    Hugh raked a hand through his hair and ran his tongue over his lips. “It’s just—She had a hard day yesterday. Didn’t get a lot of sleep.”
    Both men nodded gravely and suppressed grins.
    Hugh gritted his teeth. “And I thought she ought to get some,” he said, ignoring the fact that his face was burning like some teenager’s.
    Damn it! He never got embarrassed talking about women. What was it about this one that was so completely complicating his life?
    â€œIt’s not a big deal,” he muttered.
    Doc eyed him for a long moment doubtfully, then shrugged. “Whatever you say.” He shifted the box in his arms, then carried it down to Maurice’s taxi and put it in the back. “Go on now, though. You’ve done enough. You don’t have to hang around now and help unload.”
    â€œIt’s my job.”
    â€œIt’s not,” Doc said. “And your lady is waiting.”
    â€œYeah. Reckon she be back by now,” Maurice said.
    â€œBack?” Hugh looked up. “She left?”
    Maurice nodded. “Went with Amby. He took her in his boat this afternoon.”
    â€œDid he?” Hugh felt suddenly heartened.
    Amby Higgs ran one of the water taxis that took tourists sightseeing and over to Spanish Wells and mostly to the main island to catch scheduled airlines to the States.
    So she had come to her senses and gone back to Daddy after all.
    Hugh shoved his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. “Maybe I will mosey on along,” he said. “Grab