Hellraiser (Erotic Romance - Romantic Comedy) (2 page)

A few minutes ago Sam had just finished up with a patient and was thinking about the arrival of her new partner and housemate, eager to meet him. After Dr. Foster had passed away she’d been running the place single-handedly and was ready to fall into a dead faint.

When her brother had told her about Dr. Taylor she thought he’d be a perfect fit. He’d been in general and emergency medicine for several years and was looking for a place to call home. However, she fully expected him to be much older and far nicer!

Instead, what comes through her door? A towering man with sky-blue eyes, perfectly styled midnight hair, a rock-hard jaw and attitude to match. This is the guy she’d be sharing a house and practice with for the next year? He’d probably scare the kids off with just his looks alone! But, he was here and she was just a little bit desperate.

Resigning herself to the situation she pasted on a false smile and sunny disposition, giving in to the situation. When he simply stood there staring down at her, then the waiting room, then back to her again, she felt the need to clear her throat. “Are you alright? You look like you’re going to be sick. You know, when I was a kid and we’d take long car drives I’d always throw up. Maybe you were in the car too long. Tom told me you decided to drive rather than fly. Here,” she started toward the reception desk behind the counter, “I have some ginger tea I keep in the desk. It comes in handy for sore throats, upset stomachs, headaches. Why don‘t I make you a cup?”

Sam rummaged through one drawer and the next, searching for the box of tea bags. Maybe they were in the kitchen upstairs. As she closed the last drawer she looked up to see her new partner right beside her. “Oh!” She held a hand over her heart and leaned against the desk. “I didn‘t expect to see you standing there.”

“The feeling is mutual.” He didn’t smile when he said that and Sam wondered what he meant.

Her thoughts then did a complete one-eighty. Maybe she should call this whole thing off. She’d known the man all of one minute and already she felt turned off by his harsh mood. She had enough to deal with and didn’t need a man with all the personality of a Brillo pad. She then remembered that her brother said he’d just been through a hell of a divorce. Besides, she really did need the help…and she had already cashed his check for the twelve month lease he’d paid up front.

She watched as his eyes took in everything around him. For a moment his gaze landed on the piles of books and costumes she kept for the children. Next he seemed to be absorbing the wall paper that was decorated with rainbows and balloons. Finally those amazing orbs landed on her face and he said far too calmly, “Why don’t you tell me what the hell I’ve gotten myself into?”

Sam pursed her lips, feeling as if she’d just sucked on a rotten lemon. “You make it sound like you’ve signed up for the military and I’m throwing you into combat without a rifle.”

“I just wasn’t expecting
this
.” He made a sweeping gesture to the room around him and then her.

Now Sam was getting ticked off. She planted her hands on her hips and was just about to call him an egotistical ass when he blew a long breath through his nose and sat in the office chair. He looked tired, maybe even defeated. Sam’s ire left her just as quickly as it came.

She chewed on her bottom lip, worried that he’d want to renege on the lease. “What were you expecting?”

Dr. Taylor washed a hand over his face then raked his fingers through his hair. The perfectly arranged ebony strands now lay in wild disarray. Sam thought it looked sexy and much less constrained. Hey, she was A-okay with the fact that her new partner was divorced and hot as hell! However, he didn’t seem as thrilled with her.

He leaned back in the chair and looked up at her with a plastic smile. “It seems that you’re a pediatrician.”

She nodded. “Right.”

“I was hoping for a geriatric practice or general at the most.”

“And…” Sam didn’t know what he was getting at.

“Kids give me hives.”

She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out.

“Seriously. I was married for five years and never had any inclination to have children. In fact, I think I detested myself as a child.” He smiled slightly and a dimple formed in his left cheek. Sam felt her thighs quiver at the sight.

She couldn’t keep herself upright, so sat on the carpet tailor-style, figuring it was better to carry on a conversation without her crumbling to the floor. “Okay, so you weren’t expecting a pediatrician. That could be a problem, but I’ll admit, Zach, I really need you.” She felt a bit odd using his first name, but figured that honesty--and familiarity--was the best policy.

“Hold on there.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the crisp cotton of his dress shirt wrapping tight over his biceps. “I also thought you’d be a male and much older.”

Sam nodded slowly. “So now you’ve got three problems to deal with? Are any of these insurmountable? As I said, I need the help and you obviously need a place to recuperate.”

He leaned forward. “I take it that Tom talked to you about my personal life?”

She shrugged. “My brother tells me everything, and vice versa. Well, half-brother, we had different fathers.”

Dr. Taylor shot up from the chair and looked at the ceiling. “That explains it.”

Sam frowned. “Well, do you mind ‘splainin’ to me, Lucy?” she said in her best Ricky Ricardo impression.

He plopped down in the seat again. “Tom’s your brother. I should have known. That‘s why he was so damned helpful and handled everything. Why you and I never talked or even emailed. This was all a setup!”

Now it was Sam’s turn to get to her feet. “What the hell do you mean by that! A setup? Hey, I was just as surprised to find you on the other side of my door, buddy!” She bent forward and poked him in the chest with a stiff finger. “I thought you’d be old, gray, and love children. What do I get instead? A Greek god with a bad attitude who hates kids!”

Sam saw him flush from the neck up. She really did have a knack for speaking her mind. Yeah, he did look like a Greek god and she could easily imagine him wearing nothing but a toga…or less. She shook her head free of the sultry thoughts that had popped into her mind and got down to business. She started pacing the small reception area and glanced at the clock. Her next appointment was in twenty minutes. She needed to win this guy over quick.

Stopping in front of him she calmed her racing pulse that had everything to do with the fact that he was already a difficult partner and nothing to do with the smell of his spicy cologne that hinted at passionate nights between the sheets.

“Okay, so we both didn’t get what we wished for, and maybe my brother did set us up, but you know what? I think we can make this work.” She sighed, feeling deflated and bone tired. “You signed your contract and paid the lease up front. I used that money to pay the mortgage for several months and some bills. Unless you want to sue me, I think it’s wise if we both make the best of it.”

He was silent for several seconds and Sam thought he would take her up on the lawsuit, but he finally said, “You’re right.” Though he didn’t look happy, at least he wasn’t going to fight her or run off…just yet. “Why the hell not?” He got to his feet and shook her hand. “Dr. Sam Winslow, I’m happy to be your new partner.”

Sam smiled, feeling the light of a thousand suns igniting her from the inside, though she tried to remain cautious. “Partners!”

He released his hand and she turned to show him to his room. “I have an appointment in a few minutes, so let me take you on a quick tour. You can bring your stuff in afterward. There’s a side door,” she pointed to it as they walked by then up the stairs, “so you can use that rather than coming in through the waiting area. The house has three levels; the basement which is used for storage, the first floor is for our practice, and the kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms are here on the second floor or third floor, whatever you want to call it. Since the basement is underground I just call this the second floor.”

“Gotcha.” The one word was stiff.

She showed him the kitchen and bathroom which were both modern, pointed at the closed door to her room, then walked into his bedroom as he trailed behind. “We have central heating and AC too. Trust me, you‘ll be grateful for both since the weather out here can be rather extreme.” Though his bedroom wasn’t huge, it was clean, cozy and had a sleeping and sitting area. “I hope you find it comfortable.”

“It looks adequate.” He sounded grim again and Sam didn’t like it a single bit. She had patients to tend to and her own life to sort out, she didn’t need to worry about Zach Taylor and his crummy mood along the way.

The doorbell rang and Sam was grateful for the interruption since the man continued to stand there staring at her. He seemed overwhelmed and shocked. She knew the feeling well, but was obviously handling it better than he was.

“I better get that. Make yourself at home. Well, duh, it is your home. Anyway, we’ll talk later.” She left the room with her heart ready to flop out of her chest. Was it anticipation at finally having a partner? Was it dread, thinking that this man was way out of his element? Or was it expectation, knowing that she’d have that hunk living under her roof? “A little bit of everything,” she admitted, grabbing her clown wig and nose and putting them on.

Chapter Two

Zach laid back on the bed after Sam left, closing the door behind her. As he stared up at the eggshell colored ceiling and Victorian-style ceiling fan, he thought long and hard about whether or not to stay. He could hear laughter coming from downstairs and Dr. Winslow singing some silly song off tune. Against all will he felt himself smiling then a soft chuckle bobbed to the surface as he remembered their meeting only moments ago and her in that ridiculous clown getup.

Once she had removed the items, he found her to be a natural beauty with those big soft eyes and full lips. The lack of makeup gave her a fresh look he found instantly alluring. Felicia was the complete opposite. She kept her naturally dark hair dyed platinum blond, wore too much eyeliner and too little clothing. When he’d first met her he found her sexual style enticing, but her passion was only skin deep. He had a feeling that Sam Winslow was all woman inside and out.

Bolting upright, Zach inhaled a few gulps of air. There was no way in hell he was getting tangled up with another woman, least of all a woman who was into kids and smelled like fresh raspberries. A woman who wore snug jeans and a brightly colored T-shirt rather than respectable slacks and a loose button-up blouse as most female doctors did.

He either had to leave or stay immune. He prided himself on his willpower. Yeah, he could stay immune. His mind raced to their conversation in the reception area. He had gotten a teasing glimpse of her cleavage when she had bent over to poke him in the chest and tell him off. As she’d done so he’d noticed a beauty mark right between her breasts and found himself wanting to hook his finger in the neck of her shirt, pull it down and kiss that beauty mark.

He jumped to his feet and started pacing. His divorce was final only two months ago, he was in no condition to start dating again or even for an affair. Not that she’d asked--

Zach cut that last thought short, reached into the pocket of his slacks and took out his cell phone. He pressed the number five where he had Tom’s number programmed and his friend--soon to be ex-friend--picked up on the fourth ring.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He didn’t give Tom a chance to say hello. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

Tom laughed. “I see you met my sister.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that Dr. Sam Winslow was a woman, your sister, and a pediatrician!” Zach went over to the dark wood dresser and saw his angry reflection in the mirror. He winced at the extreme scowl on his face and turned around so he wouldn’t have to witness himself chewing Tom out.

“Uh, that’s pretty much a no-brainer. Look at how pissed you are. If I would have told you all of that you never would have taken the offer and you’d still be moping around your condo or working overtime at the hospital.” Zach could hear him beating a steady rhythm with a pencil on his desk. “Like I said, this is good for you. Consider it a vacation.”

“A vacation? With your kooky sister who walks around in clown wigs and has verbal diarrhea?”

“Look, you wanted to forget about Felicia and you wanted a new start. Sam can help you on both counts. She has a way of--”

“Getting on your nerves?” Zach looked out of the window and saw Sam walking out with her patient and the parent. She stooped down and handed the boy a lollipop, ruffled his hair then stood up as they walked away. She waved and started back to the house but stopped, looked up at his window, saw him, and gave a theatrical salute. Zach rolled his eyes and stepped back from the window, though he found himself smiling…again.

Tom had been talking though Zach scarcely noticed. He seemed to be doing that a lot today and wondered if something truly was wrong with his hearing.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zach broke into Tom’s speech that he supposed was meant to change his mind about staying here in Baltimore for a year. “I’m here now, aren’t I? I’ll consider it shock therapy.” He clicked off after telling Tom he’d talk to him in a few days.

* * *

Zach busied himself the rest of the day with unloading his car and settling into his room. A few times he’d cautiously walked into the reception area or one of the exam rooms and found Sam deep in her work. At one point she was wearing fairy wings and a crown of flowers. He also noticed a pie, a plate of muffins, and a casserole of some sort sitting on the counter separating the waiting room from the reception area. He supposed they were thank you gifts from some of the parents. In a way, it warmed his heart to see the items since he’d never expect that from people living in the city. A small town? Definitely, but not Baltimore and certainly not Los Angeles.