really do need to get going. Should I tell Holly
you’re here first?”
He shook his head. “I’d rather surprise
her.”
Nicole grinned. “Good idea. And if you don’t
mind a suggestion, if she gives you a hard time, just say you’re
here for a flu shot. Holly can never turn down a patient in need.
Unless you’ve already had one?” She raised an eyebrow in
question.
“No, haven’t had one.” Nor did he desire a
shot, but he supposed the cause was worthwhile. “I’ll keep your
idea in mind.”
Nicole smiled. “It was really nice to meet
you, and good luck,” she told him, and eyes still impressionably
wide, she slipped out the door.
Dylan exhaled hard. He hung his coat on a
hook in the hall, then turned the lock, ensuring his reunion with
Holly wouldn’t be interrupted. In silence, he headed for the back
room.
Holly stood with her back to him. Her silky
blond hair had been clipped back into a ponytail that hung to her
shoulders, a huge difference from the long cascading hair she had
favored in high school. He couldn’t wait to see it framing her
beautiful face.
Since she hadn’t heard his approach, he took
a minute to watch. To cement his certainty that the emotions and
feelings in his heart weren’t shadows of the past. And doing so, he
was more certain than ever that they were just as intact today as
they once had been.
She scribbled in a chart and then glanced at
the calendar on the wall. For a brief second, he caught a glimpse
of the profile he remembered, her features more defined and grown
up but still the same. Her makeup had faded from a day of hard
work, something the women he knew would rarely let happen, hence
the entourage of traveling makeup artists to handle touch-ups and
constant trips to the restroom to powder their noses.
The woman before him was real, and he wanted
her to be his again. This time forever. Steeling himself, he
cleared his throat and knocked twice on the doorframe.
“I thought I told you it’s okay to go home,”
Holly called without glancing up from replacing the paper on the
examining table. “I can clean up the last few things and get the
office ready for tomorrow. Go get ready for the Christmas party at
Whipporwill’s tonight.”
Her voice hadn’t changed either. The light
sound was still capable of sending rippling waves of desire through
him, especially when she laughed. If he accomplished nothing else
on this first encounter, he wanted to make her laugh.
“It’s not Nicole,” Dylan said, drawing
attention to himself at last.
She inhaled sharply and turned around fast.
Shock, pleasure and anger all flashed across her features until
finally she folded her arms across her chest, schooling her face
into a blank mask. Just not soon enough to prevent him from
discovering she still had a variety of feelings for him, and he
hoped to tap into the more pleasant ones.
“Dylan,” she said, having regained her
composure.
He inclined his head. “Holly. How’ve you
been?”
She narrowed her gaze, obviously assessing
him. “Is that really the best opening line you could come up with?”
she asked, then chuckled, a sound he knew was forced because it
lacked the warmth and genuineness he remembered.
It didn’t count as the laugh he’d promised
himself. He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate it if I
tossed some old line your way.”
Holly nodded slowly, still unable to believe
Dylan had come to see her here. She knew all about his return; how
could she not when it was all her patients could talk about? But
she didn’t think he’d bother to look her up.
She tried to breathe steadily, a nearly
impossible feat when he was still so good-looking, sexy and, damn
him, charming in person. His raven hair had barely any gray and
those blue eyes were just as bright.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have appreciated a
flip line,” she said, surprised that he remembered how important
honesty was to her, when he’d forgotten all about truthfulness
you’re here first?”
He shook his head. “I’d rather surprise
her.”
Nicole grinned. “Good idea. And if you don’t
mind a suggestion, if she gives you a hard time, just say you’re
here for a flu shot. Holly can never turn down a patient in need.
Unless you’ve already had one?” She raised an eyebrow in
question.
“No, haven’t had one.” Nor did he desire a
shot, but he supposed the cause was worthwhile. “I’ll keep your
idea in mind.”
Nicole smiled. “It was really nice to meet
you, and good luck,” she told him, and eyes still impressionably
wide, she slipped out the door.
Dylan exhaled hard. He hung his coat on a
hook in the hall, then turned the lock, ensuring his reunion with
Holly wouldn’t be interrupted. In silence, he headed for the back
room.
Holly stood with her back to him. Her silky
blond hair had been clipped back into a ponytail that hung to her
shoulders, a huge difference from the long cascading hair she had
favored in high school. He couldn’t wait to see it framing her
beautiful face.
Since she hadn’t heard his approach, he took
a minute to watch. To cement his certainty that the emotions and
feelings in his heart weren’t shadows of the past. And doing so, he
was more certain than ever that they were just as intact today as
they once had been.
She scribbled in a chart and then glanced at
the calendar on the wall. For a brief second, he caught a glimpse
of the profile he remembered, her features more defined and grown
up but still the same. Her makeup had faded from a day of hard
work, something the women he knew would rarely let happen, hence
the entourage of traveling makeup artists to handle touch-ups and
constant trips to the restroom to powder their noses.
The woman before him was real, and he wanted
her to be his again. This time forever. Steeling himself, he
cleared his throat and knocked twice on the doorframe.
“I thought I told you it’s okay to go home,”
Holly called without glancing up from replacing the paper on the
examining table. “I can clean up the last few things and get the
office ready for tomorrow. Go get ready for the Christmas party at
Whipporwill’s tonight.”
Her voice hadn’t changed either. The light
sound was still capable of sending rippling waves of desire through
him, especially when she laughed. If he accomplished nothing else
on this first encounter, he wanted to make her laugh.
“It’s not Nicole,” Dylan said, drawing
attention to himself at last.
She inhaled sharply and turned around fast.
Shock, pleasure and anger all flashed across her features until
finally she folded her arms across her chest, schooling her face
into a blank mask. Just not soon enough to prevent him from
discovering she still had a variety of feelings for him, and he
hoped to tap into the more pleasant ones.
“Dylan,” she said, having regained her
composure.
He inclined his head. “Holly. How’ve you
been?”
She narrowed her gaze, obviously assessing
him. “Is that really the best opening line you could come up with?”
she asked, then chuckled, a sound he knew was forced because it
lacked the warmth and genuineness he remembered.
It didn’t count as the laugh he’d promised
himself. He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate it if I
tossed some old line your way.”
Holly nodded slowly, still unable to believe
Dylan had come to see her here. She knew all about his return; how
could she not when it was all her patients could talk about? But
she didn’t think he’d bother to look her up.
She tried to breathe steadily, a nearly
impossible feat when he was still so good-looking, sexy and, damn
him, charming in person. His raven hair had barely any gray and
those blue eyes were just as bright.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have appreciated a
flip line,” she said, surprised that he remembered how important
honesty was to her, when he’d forgotten all about truthfulness
Similar Books
