The Millionaire and the M.D. by Teresa Southwick

with a brainer geek who was bored in school.”
    â€œSo what did they do?”
    â€œAt first they listened to the teachers who suggested skipping grades. Then they kind of stood back and let me do my thing.”
    â€œSo you raised yourself?”
    She thought about that. “Kind of. Yeah.”
    â€œFor the record. You did a good job. You’re a good doctor.”
    â€œMedicine is the easy part.”
    â€œNot for most people. You are exceptionally special,” he said.
    If he knew her secret, he’d know how big a lie that was. But there was no reason for him to know because there wasn’t now, nor would there ever be, anything of a personal nature between them.
    â€œWhere are they?” he asked. “Your parents, I mean.”
    â€œIn Southern California. Close enough for us to see each other often. They’re both accountants.”
    â€œMore comfortable with numbers than beautiful brainer geeks?”
    â€œYeah,” she said, surprised that he was so intuitive. Then his words sank in. “No. I mean I’m not—You know—”
    â€œBeautiful?” His blue eyes sparkled with wickedness.
    â€œYeah, that. I’m not.”
    â€œYeah, that.” He gently traced a finger down her nose. “You are.”
    He got that look in his eyes again, the one he got just before kissing her. Her body responded as if he’d just touched his lips to hers. Her insides turned to liquid and her heart pounded until she was sure he must hear or see it.
    One of the benefits of a high IQ was never being at a loss for words. Except now. She had no idea what to say to him. Fortunately, he wasn’t such a dweeb.
    â€œAmy’s waiting. I have to go.” He tapped his pocket where he’d put the appointment card. “See you in a week. If not before.”
    And then he was gone. She sank into the chair that was still warm from his body and shivered as if he’d touched her. When her brain was firing on all cylinders again, two things bothered her. First, she’d talked about herself, a rule she hardly ever broke. Second, she’d forgotten to give him the reading material for his sister.
    That wasn’t like her. Both were symptoms of trouble. If it were science, she would know what to do. But it wasn’t, and that scared her.

Chapter Seven
    G abe took Amy home after her appointment, then went back to the hospital to meet Jack and finish up his preparation for tomorrow’s inspection. This was an important project, and no matter how distracted he’d been, failure wasn’t an option.
    It was now way past dinnertime and he was suddenly starving. The cafeteria was open, but choices were limited because it was late. The only thing he could get was a wilted salad or a burger that could double as a hockey puck. He picked the puck and paid for it, then took his plastic tray and rounded the corner to the fountain drink dispensers.
    After getting an iced tea, he scanned the sparsely occupied room looking for Jack. He found him in the center where he could check out people, meaning nurse-type people, walking to and from the elevator just outside the room.
    â€œYou’re incorrigible,” Gabe said, setting his tray down.
    â€œWhat?” he asked, feigning innocence.
    â€œHey. This is me, remember?”
    Jack grinned. “I like women, my friend. I like everything about them. The way they look, smell, walk and talk. I like watching them. So sue me.”
    Actually, he envied his friend. Jack had a social life and he knew how to use it. He was a notorious flirt and proud of it. Gabe had a life but wasn’t using it for much of anything. Lately, he’d felt a vague dissatisfaction about that. He was getting used to having Amy around. In spite of that, he felt a more acute loneliness than he’d experienced even after Hannah died. And he was pretty sure it was all about Rebecca.
    Gabe took a bite out of his burger and chewed